Common Idioms List

Trung tâm luyện thi IELTS uy tín, giá rẻ, chất lượng tại TP.
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Trung tâm luyện thi IELTS uy tín, giá rẻ, chất lượng tại TP.HCM
LIST 1
IDIOMS DEFINITIONS EXAMPLE
an arm and a leg Very expensive It cost me an arm and a leg to

take my trip to Australia.
over the moon Extremely pleased or happy I was over the moon when he
asked me to marry him.
jump the gun Doing or starting something ou are taking your IELTS test
too early next week? Aren’t
you jumping the gun. You’ve
only just started studying.
once in a blue moon Happening very rarely He comes round to see

me once in a blue moon.
chip on s.o’s shoulder Feeling inferior or having a He’s got a chip on his
grievance about something shoulder.
piece of cake Very easy I reckon getting a band 7 in

IELTS will be a piece of
cake! I’m very good at
English.
a drop in the ocean A very small part of The money sent by comic
something much bigger relief to help poverty in Africa
is just a drop in the ocean.
They need far more than this.
a blessing in disguise Something positive that isn’t Getting a low score the first

recognized until later time I took IELTS was a

blessing in disguise. It forced
me to study extremely hard so
I got a much better score the
next time.
Actions speak louder than It’s better to actually do We have to actually do

words. something rather than just something about global
talking about it warming. Actions speak
louder than words.
It's a small world. Meeting someone you would I bumped into Jenny in town
not have expected to the other day. It's a small
world.
LIST 2
Back to the drawing board When an attempt to do Oh well, I got 5.5 in IELTS
something fails and it's time to again. Back to the drawing
start all over again using board!
different methods
between a rock and a hard Having two very bad choices. I hate my job so much I can’t
place. bare going to work, but if I
quit I don’t think I can get
another job. I’m really stuck /
caught between a rock and a

hard place.
bite my tongue Wanting to say something but I have to bite my tongue so I

stopping yourself don’t say what I really think of
him!
cut to the chase Leave out all the unnecessary Come on, cut to the chase.
details and just get to the point We haven’t got all day!
put all your eggs in one Putting all of ones resources Are you putting all of your
basket. into one possibility savings into that company?
Don’t put all your eggs in
one basket.
Every cloud has a silver Believing that every bad Try not to worry about
lining. situation has a positive side / it. Every cloud has a silver
eventually leads to something lining.
good
found my feet. To become comfortable in It was difficult when I moved

what you are doing to another country but I
eventually found my feet.
fixed in their ways Not wanting to change from My parents are very fixed in
the normal ways of doing their ways. They won’t start
things using the internet.
got up on the wrong side of To refer to someone who is I think he got up on the
the bed this morning having a bad day wrong side of the bed this
morning. He is in a terrible
mood.

go the extra mile Doing much more than is My mother will always go the
required when doing extra mile to help people.
something
LIST 3
hit the nail on the head Say exactly the right thing I think you’ve hit the nail on
the head. That’s the reason he
didn’t get the job.
If it’s not one thing, it’s the When everything seems to be Today’s going so badly. If it’s
other. going wrong not one thing, it’s the other.
the heat of the moment. Saying or doing something I just said it in the heat of the
suddenly without thinking moment. I was angry. I know
about it I shouldn’t have.
Keep an eye on him Watch someone or something Keep an eye on him. I think
carefully he may cheat in the exam.
kick the bucket. Died Have you heard? John down

the road has kicked the
bucket.
let sleeping dogs lie Avoid a conflict I don’t want to argue with him
again. It’s better to let
sleeping dogs lie.

let the cat out of the bag Tell someone something that I told him what gift you have
you were not supposed to bought him for his birthday.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to let the
cat out of the bag
bite the hand that feeds you. Hurt or upset someone who is Don’t tell her what you really
helping you think of her if she’s helping
you with your English!
Don’t bite the hand that
feeds you.
sit on the fence Not making a firm decision I’m not sure which party he is
between different choices going to vote for. He’s sitting
on the fence.
over the top Excessive Everything she does is

very over the top. She can’t
just have a few drinks – se has
to get really drunk.
LIST 4
Practice makes perfect Continuously doing something Let’s keep studying for
to improve IELTS. Practice makes
perfect.
pull your leg Joking around Don’t get upset about what he
said. He’s just pulling your

leg
take a rain check To decline an offer that you Sorry but I think I’ll take a
will take up later rain check on that.
rule of thumb Principal that is strictly As a rule of thumb, I don’t

adhered / kept to study at weekends. I spend the
time with my family.
smell a rat To sense that something is not I can smell a rat. He said he
right has a PhD but he can’t even
remember which university he
studied at.
the spitting image To look exactly like someone She’s the spitting image of
else her mother
The ball's in your court Telling someone it's now their The ball's in your court now.
turn to make a decision What are you going to do?
until the cows come home For a very long time Unfortunately I think he’ll be
studying for IELTS until the
cows come home. His English
is very poor
tongue-in-cheek Something said in humour It was all tongue-in-cheek.

rather than seriously He didn’t really mean what he
said.
under the weather Unwell She’s feeling under the

weather today so she won’t
be going to work


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Trung tâm luyện thi IELTS uy tín, giá rẻ, chất lượng tại TP.

Facebook cá nhân: https://www.facebook.com/trantolinh90 Page 1

IDIOMS DEFINITIONS EXAMPLE

an arm and a leg Very expensive It cost me an arm and a leg to

once in a blue moon Happening very rarely He comes round to see

piece of cake Very easy I reckon getting a band 7 in

Facebook cá nhân: https://www.facebook.com/trantolinh90 Page 2

recognized until later time I took IELTS was a

Actions speak louder than It’s better to actually do We have to actually do

IDIOMS DEFINITIONS EXAMPLE

Facebook cá nhân: https://www.facebook.com/trantolinh90 Page 3

bite my tongue Wanting to say something but I have to bite my tongue so I

found my feet. To become comfortable in It was difficult when I moved

Facebook cá nhân: https://www.facebook.com/trantolinh90 Page 4

IDIOMS DEFINITIONS EXAMPLE

kick the bucket. Died Have you heard? John down

Facebook cá nhân: https://www.facebook.com/trantolinh90 Page 5

over the top Excessive Everything she does is

IDIOMS DEFINITIONS EXAMPLE

Facebook cá nhân: https://www.facebook.com/trantolinh90 Page 6

rule of thumb Principal that is strictly As a rule of thumb, I don’t

tongue-in-cheek Something said in humour It was all tongue-in-cheek.

under the weather Unwell She’s feeling under the

Facebook cá nhân: https://www.facebook.com/trantolinh90 Page 7

Facebook cá nhân: https://www.facebook.com/trantolinh90 Page 8

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