The most common English idioms

These English idioms are extremely common in everyday conversation in the United States.
You will hear them in movies and TV shows and can use them to make your English sound
more like that of a native speaker. 

Idiom Meaning Usage

as part of a
A blessing in disguise a good thing that seemed bad at first
sentence
as part of a
A dime a dozen Something common
sentence
Avoid saying what you mean, usually as part of a
Beat around the bush
because it is uncomfortable sentence
Better late than never Better to arrive late than not to come at all by itself
To get something over with because it is as part of a
Bite the bullet
inevitable sentence
Break a leg Good luck by itself
as part of a
Call it a day Stop working on something
sentence
as part of a
Cut somebody some slack Don't be so critical
sentence
Doing something poorly in order to save as part of a
Cutting corners
time or money sentence
Easy does it Slow down by itself
as part of a
Get out of hand Get out of control
sentence
Get something out of your Do the thing you've been wanting to do so as part of a
system you can move on sentence
Get your act together Work better or leave by itself
Give someone the benefit of as part of a
Trust what someone says
the doubt sentence
as part of a
Go back to the drawing board Start over
sentence
Hang in there Don't give up by itself
as part of a
Hit the sack Go to sleep
sentence
It's not rocket science It's not complicated by itself
To not hold someone responsible for as part of a
Let someone off the hook
something sentence
as part of a
Make a long story short Tell something briefly
sentence
as part of a
Miss the boat It's too late
sentence
No pain, no gain You have to work for what you want by itself
 Idiom Meaning Usage
as part of a
On the ball Doing a good job
sentence
as part of a
Pull someone's leg To joke with someone
sentence
Pull yourself together Calm down by itself
So far so good Things are going well so far by itself
The person we were just talking about
Speak of the devil by itself
showed up!
That's the last straw My patience has run out by itself
as part of a
The best of both worlds An ideal situation
sentence
Time flies when you're You don't notice how long something lasts
by itself
having fun when it's fun
as part of a
To get bent out of shape To get upset
sentence
as part of a
To make matters worse Make a problem worse
sentence
as part of a
Under the weather Sick
sentence
We'll cross that bridge when
Let's not talk about that problem right now by itself
we come to it
Wrap your head around as part of a
Understand something complicated
something sentence
You can say that again That's true, I agree by itself
Your guess is as good as
I have no idea by itself
mine

Common English idioms & expressions

These English idioms are used quite regularly in the United States. You may not hear them
every day, but they will be very familiar to any native English speaker. You can be
confident using any of them when the context is appropriate.

Idiom Meaning Usage

A bird in the hand is worth two What you have is worth more than what
by itself
in the bush you might have later
A penny for your thoughts Tell me what you're thinking by itself
A penny saved is a penny
Money you save today you can spend later by itself
earned
as part of a
A perfect storm the worst possible situation
sentence
A picture is worth 1000 words Better to show than tell by itself
Actions speak louder than Believe what people do and not what they by itself
 Idiom Meaning Usage
words say
as part of a
Add insult to injury To make a bad situation worse
sentence
To be mistaken, to be looking for solutions as part of a
Barking up the wrong tree
in the wrong place sentence
People who are alike are often friends
Birds of a feather flock together by itself
(usually used negatively)
Bite off more than you can as part of a
Take on a project that you cannot finish
chew sentence
as part of a
Break the ice Make people feel more comfortable
sentence
as part of a
By the skin of your teeth Just barely
sentence
Comparing two things that cannot be as part of a
Comparing apples to oranges
compared sentence
as part of a
Costs an arm and a leg Very expensive
sentence
Do something at the drop of a Do something without having planned as part of a
hat beforehand sentence
Do unto others as you would Treat people fairly. Also known as "The
by itself
have them do unto you Golden Rule"
Don't count your chickens Don't count on something good happening
by itself
before they hatch until it's happened.
There's no reason to complain about
Don't cry over spilt milk by itself
something that can't be fixed
Don't give up your day job You're not very good at this by itself
Don't put all your eggs in one
What you're doing is too risky by itself
basket
Every cloud has a silver lining Good things come after bad things by itself
Get a taste of your own Get treated the way you've been treating as part of a
medicine others (negative) sentence
Give someone the cold as part of a
Ignore someone
shoulder sentence
as part of a
Go on a wild goose chase To do something pointless
sentence
Good things come to those who
Be patient by itself
wait
He has bigger things to take care of than
He has bigger fish to fry by itself
what we are talking about now
He's a chip off the old block The son is like the father by itself
Hit the nail on the head Get something exactly right by itself
Ignorance is bliss You're better off not knowing by itself
It ain't over till the fat lady This isn't over yet by itself
 Idiom Meaning Usage
sings
It takes one to know one You're just as bad as I am by itself
It's a piece of cake It's easy by itself
It's raining cats and dogs It's raining hard by itself
Kill two birds with one stone Get two things done with a single action by itself
as part of a
Let the cat out of the bag Give away a secret
sentence
Live and learn I made a mistake by itself
Look before you leap Take only calculated risks by itself
On probation. If you make another mistake, as part of a
On thin ice
there will be trouble. sentence
as part of a
Once in a blue moon Rarely
sentence
To argue the opposite, just for the sake of as part of a
Play devil's advocate
argument sentence
as part of a
Put something on ice Put a projet on hold
sentence
as part of a
Rain on someone's parade To spoil something
sentence
as part of a
Saving for a rainy day Saving money for later
sentence
Slow and steady wins the race Reliability is more important than speed by itself
as part of a
Spill the beans Give away a secret
sentence
as part of a
Take a rain check Postpone a plan
sentence
as part of a
Take it with a grain of salt Don’t take it too seriously
sentence
The ball is in your court It's your decision by itself
The best thing since sliced as part of a
A really good invention
bread sentence
It looks good from a distance, but when
The devil is in the details by itself
you look closer, there are problems
The first people who arrive will get the best
The early bird gets the worm by itself
stuff
The big issue, the problem people are as part of a
The elephant in the room
avoiding sentence
as part of a
The whole nine yards Everything, all the way.
sentence
It's ok to miss this opportunity. Others will
There are other fish in the sea by itself
arise.
There's a method to his
He seems crazy but actually he's clever by itself
madness
 Idiom Meaning Usage
There's no such thing as a free
Nothing is entirely free by itself
lunch
as part of a
Throw caution to the wind Take a risk
sentence
You can't have your cake and
You can't have everything by itself
eat it too
You can't judge a book by its This person or thing may look bad, but it's
by itself
cover good inside

Familiar English idioms & proverbs

These English idioms and proverbs are familiar and easily understood by native English
speakers, but they are not usually used in everyday conversation. If you haven't mastered
the more frequent idioms yet, they are a better place to start, but if you're already familiar
with those expressions, the idioms below will further spice up your English.

Idiom Meaning Usage

People who don't understand something
A little learning is a dangerous thing by itself
fully are dangerous
Events have momentum and build upon as part of a
A snowball effect
each other sentence
as part of a
A snowball's chance in hell No chance at all
sentence
Fix the problem now because it will get
A stitch in time saves nine by itself
worse later
as part of a
A storm in a teacup A big fuss about a small problem
sentence
An apple a day keeps the doctor
Apples are good for you by itself
away
An ounce of prevention is worth a You can prevent a problem with little
by itself
pound of cure effort. Fixing it later is harder.
as part of a
As right as rain Perfect
sentence
Something that happened without as part of a
Bolt from the blue
warning sentence
as part of a
Burn bridges Destroy relationships
sentence
Something bad is coming, but right as part of a
Calm before the storm
now it's calm sentence
as part of a
Come rain or shine No matter what
sentence
Curiosity killed the cat Stop asking questions by itself
Cut the mustard Do a good job as part of a
 Idiom Meaning Usage
sentence
Don't beat a dead horse Move on, this subject is over by itself
Every dog has his day Everyone gets a chance at least once by itself
The better you know someone the less
Familiarity breeds contempt by itself
you like him
as part of a
Fit as a fiddle In good health
sentence
Fortune favours the bold Take risks by itself
Have more energy after having been as part of a
Get a second wind
tired sentence
as part of a
Get wind of something Hear news of something secret
sentence
as part of a
Go down in flames Fail spectacularly
sentence
You'll make mistakes if you rush
Haste makes waste by itself
through something
as part of a
Have your head in the clouds Not be concentrating
sentence
He who laughs last laughs loudest I'll get you back for what you did by itself
Hear something straight from the Hear something from the person as part of a
horse's mouth involved sentence
He's not playing with a full deck He's dumb by itself
He's off his rocker He's crazy by itself
He's sitting on the fence He can't make up his mind by itself
It is a poor workman who blames If you can't do the job, don't blame it
by itself
his tools on others
It is always darkest before the dawn Things are going to get better by itself
One person alone isn't responsible.
It takes two to tango by itself
Both people are involved.
Follow a trend, do what everyone else as part of a
Jump on the bandwagon
is doing sentence
Know which way the wind is Understand the situation (usually as part of a
blowing negative) sentence
as part of a
Leave no stone unturned Look everywhere
sentence
as part of a
Let sleeping dogs lie Stop discussing an issue
sentence
as part of a
Like riding a bicycle Something you never forget how to do
sentence
as part of a
Like two peas in a pod They're always together
sentence
as part of a
Make hay while the sun shines Take advantage of a good situation
sentence
 Idiom Meaning Usage
as part of a
On cloud nine Very happy
sentence
You're more cautious when you've
Once bitten, twice shy by itself
been hurt before
Out of the frying pan and into the
Things are going from bad to worse by itself
fire
as part of a
Run like the wind Run fast
sentence
Shape up or ship out Work better or leave by itself
as part of a
Snowed under Busy
sentence
That ship has sailed It's too late by itself
Someone criticizing someone else he is as part of a
The pot calling the kettle black
just as bad sentence
There are clouds on the horizon Trouble is coming by itself
Those who live in glass houses People who are morally questionable
by itself
shouldn't throw stones shouldn't criticize others
as part of a
Through thick and thin In good times and in bad times
sentence
Time is money Work quickly by itself
Don't waste things and you'll always
Waste not, want not by itself
have enough
We see eye to eye We agree by itself
as part of a
Weather the storm Go through something difficult
sentence
Well begun is half done Getting a good start is important by itself
When it rains it pours Everything is going wrong at once by itself
You can catch more flies with
You'll get what you want by being nice by itself
honey than you can with vinegar
You can lead a horse to water, but You can't force someone to make the
by itself
you can't make him drink right decision
You can't make an omelet without There's always a cost to doing
by itself
breaking some eggs something