.

Idioms 16 – 20

16. Go the extra mile – Do much more than is required.

I decided to go the extra mile and move to England to really perfect my English.

17. A hot potato – A controversial topic.

Abortion and capital punishment are hot potatoes in my country at the moment.

18. Miss the boat – Miss an opportunity.

I sent my application in late and I think I missed the boat.

19. Costs an arm and a leg – Really expensive.

Those shoes must have cost an arm and a leg.

20. Sit on the fence – To be undecided.

I haven’t made my mind up about that issue, I’ll have to sit on the fence.

Idioms 21 – 25

21. Throw in the towel – To give up, leave or quit

He threw in the towel and left his job as he was unhappy.

22. Absence makes the heart grow fonder – Being away for a while from someone or
something makes you miss/appreciate that person or situation.

Absence made his heart grow fonder and he realised he missed her terribly.

23. A watched pot never boils – A situation or event can take far longer than expected. Don’t
keep watching for developments.

A watched pot never boils when you are waiting for something to cook more quickly.

24. Better late than never – It is better to finish something no matter how long it takes to do.

He finally finished the paper. Better late than never as it was due last month.

25. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today – Finish what needs to be finished
today rather than tomorrow.
Don’t put off until tomorrow – finish the project today.

Idioms 26 – 30

26. Good things come to those who wait – Be patient. Good will come out of the situation.

Good things come to those who wait. Your promotion will come soon.

27. Birds of a feather – People who are like-minded often spend more time together.

Those two are birds of a feather. No wonder they meet so often.

28. There is no time like the present – Do what you want to do now. Do not put off until
tomorrow.

There is no time like the present. You need to finish your project and you have the time to
finish it now.

29. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it – If something is already or still working, leave it as it is still
working.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, the car still works so do not buy a new one.

30. There is no such thing as a free lunch – Everything has a hidden cost.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. He wants you to invest in his company.

Idioms 31 – 35

31. Practice makes perfect – Keep practising and you will become better at it.

You will become a great tennis player. Practice makes perfect.

32. When in Rome, do as the Romans do – When you are doing something new, act like
others do in that situation.

Try eating English food when in England. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

33. Don’t upset the apple cart – Do not make a fuss.

Don’t upset the apple card by making a scene.

34. The sky’s the limit – A person can achieve anything they want.
The sky’s the limit, work hard and you will progress to the top of the firm.

35. The elephant in the room – This relates to an obvious issue that is not being talked about.

Talk about the elephant in the room and deal with the major issue that needs to be discussed
now.

Idioms 36 – 41

36. Take the bull by the horns – Deal with the problem.

Take the bull by the horns, you must sort out the major problems.

37. Read between the lines – To understand something that may not be entirely clear.

Read between the lines, work out what is not being said at the meeting and sort out the
problem.

38. Uphill battle– There are many obstacles to sort out before we achieve what we want.

There is an uphill battle to win the contract.

39. No time to lose – Something must be finished very soon.

He has no time to lose as his project is due first thing tomorrow morning.

40. On the same page – Two people are in agreement about a situation.

We are on the same page as to how to take the situation forward now.

41. Word and mouth – News which spreads very fast as people tell other people the same
news.

The news spread by word and mouth that the new hotel was very successful