What Common English Idioms Mean and How to Use Them

An idiom is a phrase whose meaning cannot be worked out from the meanings of its individual words. If someone says it is raining cats and dogs, no animals are falling from the sky; it is simply raining hard. Native speakers use idioms constantly, often without noticing, and for learners they are one of the hardest parts of English to pick up.

Why idioms are tricky

Idioms break three expectations at once:

1. The words do not add up. You can know every word in let the cat out of the bag and still miss the meaning.
2. They do not translate. Most languages have an idiom for "very rarely", but each uses a different image. English says once in a blue moon; other languages talk about pigs flying or hens growing teeth.
3. The grammar is frozen. You can say he spilled the beans (changing the tense), but not he spilled a bean or the beans were spilled by him without sounding odd.

Idioms, proverbs and phrasal verbs

These three are related but not the same.

• An idiom is a fixed phrase with a figurative meaning: under the weather, a piece of cake.
• A proverb is a complete saying that offers advice or a general truth: Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
• A phrasal verb combines a verb with a small word like up, off or out, often with a meaning that is hard to guess: give up (quit), put off (delay). Some phrasal verbs are idiomatic; others are literal (sit down).

Our lesson on figurative language covers similes, metaphors and other figures of speech that idioms often grow out of.

Idioms by theme

Grouping idioms by topic makes them easier to remember. Here are some everyday ones beyond the flashcards.

Difficulty and ease

• a piece of cake: very easy
• an uphill battle: a struggle against difficulties
• easier said than done: harder to do than to talk about

Time

• in the nick of time: at the last possible moment
• around the clock: all day and all night
• better late than never: it is good that something happened, even if late

Decisions and chances

• on the fence: undecided
• a long shot: something unlikely to succeed
• jump the gun: act too soon

Money

• cost an arm and a leg: be very expensive
• break the bank: cost more than you can afford
• pay through the nose: pay too much

How to use idioms naturally

Match the tone. Idioms are friendly and informal. The new rule is a piece of cake works in a chat; in a formal report, write the new rule is simple to follow.

Do not stack them. One idiom adds colour. Three in a row, as in I bit the bullet, hit the books and burned the midnight oil, sounds forced.

Use the exact words. Idioms are fixed. Once in a blue moon is natural; once in a green moon is not, and listeners will notice.

Watch for regional differences. Some idioms are mainly British (a storm in a teacup) and their American equivalents differ (a tempest in a teapot). Both mean making a big fuss about something small.

Where do idioms come from?

Many idioms began as literal descriptions that took on a figurative meaning. Bite the bullet is often linked to stories of soldiers biting on something during painful treatment. Break the ice refers to ships cutting a path through frozen water so others could follow. Miss the boat is literal for anyone who has arrived at a dock too late. Origins are not always certain, and some popular stories are later inventions, but knowing a plausible image behind an idiom helps it stick.

Idioms in word games

Idioms are a favourite of crossword setters and grouping puzzles. A board might hide four words that complete break the ___ (ICE, BANK, NEWS, RECORD), or a crossword might clue SPILL with "___ the beans". Knowing the common idioms gives you a real advantage. Our guide to Connections strategy shows how these fill-in-the-blank groups work.

Study the idioms

The flashcards below cover sixteen of the most useful everyday idioms. Read the phrase, try to explain it in your own words, then flip the card to check the meaning and see an example.

Practice quiz