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Understanding English Idioms and Expressions

English idioms are expressions that have a figurative meaning different from their literal meaning. They are used in everyday conversations and can be challenging to understand for non-native speakers. In this blog post, we will discuss the most common English idioms and phrases with examples to help you understand their meanings better.

Most Common English Idioms

Here is a list of the most common English idioms with various topics and their meanings:

IdiomMeaningUsage
A blessing in disguiseA good thing that seemed bad at firstAs part of a sentence
A dime a dozenSomething commonAs part of a sentence
Beat around the bushAvoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortableAs part of a sentence
Better late than neverBetter to arrive late than not to come at allBy itself
Bite the bulletTo get something over with because it is inevitableAs part of a sentence
Break a legGood luckBy itself
Call it a dayStop working on somethingAs part of a sentence
Cut somebody some slackDon't be so criticalAs part of a sentence
Cutting cornersDoing something poorly in order to save time or moneyAs part of a sentence
Easy does itSlow downBy itself
Get out of handGet out of controlAs part of a sentence
Get something out of your systemDo the thing you've been wanting to do so you can move onAs part of a sentence
Get your act togetherWork better or leaveBy itself
Give someone the benefit of the doubtTrust what someone saysAs part of a sentence
Go back to the drawing boardStart overAs part of a sentence
Hang in thereDon't give upBy itself
Hit the sackGo to sleepAs part of a sentence
It's not rocket scienceIt's not complicatedBy itself
Let someone off the hookTo not hold someone responsible for somethingAs part of a sentence
Make a long story shortTell something brieflyAs part of a sentence
Miss the boatIt's too lateAs part of a sentence
No pain, no gainYou have to work for what you wantBy itself
On the ballDoing a good jobAs part of a sentence
Pull someone's legTo joke with someoneAs part of a sentence
Pull yourself togetherCalm downBy itself
So far so goodThings are going well so farBy itself
Speak of the devilThe person we were just talking about showed up!By itself
That's the last strawMy patience has run outBy itself
The best of both worldsAn ideal situationAs part of a sentence
Time flies when you're having funYou don't notice how long something lasts when it's funBy itself
To get bent out of shapeTo get upsetAs part of a sentence
To make matters worseMake a problem worseAs part of a sentence
Under the weatherSickAs part of a sentence
We'll cross that bridge when we come to itLet's not talk about that problem right nowBy itself
Wrap your head around somethingUnderstand something complicatedAs part of a sentence
You can say that againThat's true, I agreeBy itself
Your guess is as good as mineI have no ideaBy itself
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bushWhat you have is worth more than what you might have laterBy itself
A penny for your thoughtsTell me what you're thinkingBy itself
A penny saved is a penny earnedMoney you save today you can spend laterBy itself
A perfect stormthe worst possible situationAs part of a sentence
A picture is worth 1000 wordsBetter to show than tellBy itself
Actions speak louder than wordsBelieve what people do and not what they sayBy itself
Add insult to injuryTo make a bad situation worseAs part of a sentence
Barking up the wrong treeTo be mistaken, to be looking for solutions in the wrong placeAs part of a sentence
Birds of a feather flock togetherPeople who are alike are often friends (usually used negatively)By itself
Bite off more than you can chewTake on a project that you cannot finishAs part of a sentence
Break the iceMake people feel more comfortableAs part of a sentence
By the skin of your teethJust barelyAs part of a sentence
Comparing apples to orangesComparing two things that cannot be comparedAs part of a sentence
Costs an arm and a legVery expensiveAs part of a sentence
Do something at the drop of a hatDo something without having planned beforehandAs part of a sentence
Do unto others as you would have them do unto youTreat people fairly. Also known as "The Golden Rule"By itself
Don't count your chickens before they hatchDon't count on something good happening until it's happened.By itself
Don't cry over spilt milkThere's no reason to complain about something that can't be fixedBy itself
Don't give up your day jobYou're not very good at thisBy itself
Don't put all your eggs in one basketWhat you're doing is too riskyBy itself
Every cloud has a silver liningGood things come after bad thingsBy itself
Get a taste of your own medicineGet treated the way you've been treating others (negative)As part of a sentence
Give someone the cold shoulderIgnore someoneAs part of a sentence
Go on a wild goose chaseTo do something pointlessAs part of a sentence
Good things come to those who waitBe patientBy itself
He has bigger fish to fryHe has bigger things to take care of than what we are talking about nowBy itself
He's a chip off the old blockThe son is like the fatherBy itself
Hit the nail on the headGet something exactly rightBy itself
Ignorance is blissYou're better off not knowingBy itself
It ain't over till the fat lady singsThis isn't over yetBy itself
It takes one to know oneYou're just as bad as I amBy itself
It's a piece of cakeIt's easyBy itself
It's raining cats and dogsIt's raining hardBy itself
Kill two birds with one stoneGet two things done with a single actionBy itself
Let the cat out of the bagGive away a secretAs part of a sentence
Live and learnI made a mistakeBy itself
Look before you leapTake only calculated risksBy itself
On thin iceOn probation. If you make another mistake, there will be trouble.As part of a sentence
Once in a blue moonRarelyAs part of a sentence
Play devil's advocateTo argue the opposite, just for the sake of argumentAs part of a sentence
Put something on icePut a projet on holdAs part of a sentence
Rain on someone's paradeTo spoil somethingAs part of a sentence
Saving for a rainy daySaving money for laterAs part of a sentence
Slow and steady wins the raceReliability is more important than speedBy itself
Spill the beansGive away a secretAs part of a sentence
Take a rain checkPostpone a planAs part of a sentence
Take it with a grain of saltDon’t take it too seriouslyAs part of a sentence
The ball is in your courtIt's your decisionBy itself
The best thing since sliced breadA really good inventionAs part of a sentence
The devil is in the detailsIt looks good from a distance, but when you look closer, there are problemsBy itself
The early bird gets the wormThe first people who arrive will get the best stuffBy itself
The elephant in the roomThe big issue, the problem people are avoidingAs part of a sentence
The whole nine yardsEverything, all the way.As part of a sentence
There are other fish in the seaIt's ok to miss this opportunity. Others will arise.By itself
There's a method to his madnessHe seems crazy but actually he's cleverBy itself
There's no such thing as a free lunchNothing is entirely freeBy itself
Throw caution to the windTake a riskAs part of a sentence
You can't have your cake and eat it tooYou can't have everythingBy itself
You can't judge a book by its coverThis person or thing may look bad, but it's good insideBy itself
A little learning is a dangerous thingPeople who don't understand something fully are dangerousBy itself
A snowball effectEvents have momentum and build upon each otherAs part of a sentence
A snowball's chance in hellNo chance at allAs part of a sentence
A stitch in time saves nineFix the problem now because it will get worse laterBy itself
A storm in a teacupA big fuss about a small problemAs part of a sentence
An apple a day keeps the doctor awayApples are good for youBy itself
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cureYou can prevent a problem with little effort. Fixing it later is harder.By itself
As right as rainPerfectAs part of a sentence
Bolt from the blueSomething that happened without warningAs part of a sentence
Burn bridgesDestroy relationshipsAs part of a sentence
Calm before the stormSomething bad is coming, but right now it's calmAs part of a sentence
Come rain or shineNo matter whatAs part of a sentence
Curiosity killed the catStop asking questionsBy itself
Cut the mustardDo a good jobAs part of a sentence
Don't beat a dead horseMove on, this subject is overBy itself
Every dog has his dayEveryone gets a chance at least onceBy itself
Familiarity breeds contemptThe better you know someone the less you like himBy itself
Fit as a fiddleIn good healthAs part of a sentence
Fortune favours the boldTake risksBy itself
Get a second windHave more energy after having been tiredAs part of a sentence
Get wind of somethingHear news of something secretAs part of a sentence
Go down in flamesFail spectacularlyAs part of a sentence
Haste makes wasteYou'll make mistakes if you rush through somethingBy itself
Have your head in the cloudsNot be concentratingAs part of a sentence
He who laughs last laughs loudestI'll get you back for what you didBy itself
Hear something straight from the horse's mouthHear something from the person involvedAs part of a sentence
He's not playing with a full deckHe's dumbBy itself
He's off his rockerHe's crazyBy itself
He's sitting on the fenceHe can't make up his mindBy itself
It is a poor workman who blames his toolsIf you can't do the job, don't blame it on othersBy itself
It is always darkest before the dawnThings are going to get betterBy itself
It takes two to tangoOne person alone isn't responsible. Both people are involved.By itself
Jump on the bandwagonFollow a trend, do what everyone else is doingAs part of a sentence
Know which way the wind is blowingUnderstand the situation (usually negative)As part of a sentence
Leave no stone unturnedLook everywhereAs part of a sentence
Let sleeping dogs lieStop discussing an issueAs part of a sentence
Like riding a bicycleSomething you never forget how to doAs part of a sentence
Like two peas in a podThey're always togetherAs part of a sentence
Make hay while the sun shinesTake advantage of a good situationAs part of a sentence
On cloud nineVery happyAs part of a sentence
Once bitten, twice shyYou're more cautious when you've been hurt beforeBy itself
Out of the frying pan and into the fireThings are going from bad to worseBy itself
Run like the windRun fastAs part of a sentence
Shape up or ship outWork better or leaveBy itself
Snowed underBusyAs part of a sentence
That ship has sailedIt's too lateBy itself
The pot calling the kettle blackSomeone criticizing someone else he is just as badAs part of a sentence
There are clouds on the horizonTrouble is comingBy itself
Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stonesPeople who are morally questionable shouldn't criticize othersBy itself
Through thick and thinIn good times and in bad timesAs part of a sentence
Time is moneyWork quicklyBy itself
Waste not, want notDon't waste things and you'll always have enoughBy itself
We see eye to eyeWe agreeBy itself
Weather the stormGo through something difficultAs part of a sentence
Well begun is half doneGetting a good start is importantBy itself
When it rains it poursEverything is going wrong at onceBy itself
You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegarYou'll get what you want by being niceBy itself
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drinkYou can't force someone to make the right decisionBy itself
You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggsThere's always a cost to doing somethingBy itself

Frequently Asked Questions About Understanding English Idioms and Expressions

What are English idioms?
English idioms are expressions that have a figurative meaning different from their literal meaning. They are used in everyday conversations and can be challenging to understand for non-native speakers.

Do idioms improve my English skills?
Yes. Idioms indeed improve your speaking skills and enhance the strength of your sentences when used correctly.

Is there an idiom about time?
Yes. “Time is money” is about time and it means: to do a job quickly without wasting time.

How to speak English confidently?

Most English speakers will be happy to hear you use English, and they will be patient and helpful. Just like everything else, the more you practice speaking, the better you will be. Knowing this will help you speak confidently.

Would you like to put what you have learned into practice? You can access everything you need to learn English on a single platform! With 25-minute one-on-one live English lessons, 40-minute group lessons, more than 30,000 interactive videos, vocabulary learning tools, AI-supported tutor MiMi, quizzes, and interactive activities, EnglishCentral offers its users a personalized and quality education plan at an affordable price. How about registering for EnglishCentral now and starting to learn English?

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