Common Idioms

Idioms are phrases that have a different meaning than each individual word put together. Let’s look at the phrase “piece of cake.” If I say, “I want a piece of cake,” I mean that I want dessert. But if I say, “Learning English with EnglishConnect is a piece of cake,” I mean that learning English with EnglishConnect is easy. The idiom “piece of cake” means “easy.”

Using idioms is a casual way of speaking that makes you sound more like a native speaker. Idioms create pictures in our heads and give us certain feelings. In English, when everyone is in the same situation, we say, “We’re all in the same boat.” This creates a picture of people working together in a boat to get somewhere. Saying, “We’re all in the same boat” creates a feeling of community and understanding.

Knowing and using idioms is a lot of fun! Below is a list of common idioms in English.

How to learn idioms:

Look at the idiom. Study the definition and example.
Consider similar idioms in your language.
Think of ways to use the idiom.
Write sentences with the idiom. Use it in conversations.
Notice the idiom as you read or listen in English.

Idiom	Definition	Example
Idiom a piece of cake	Definition easy	Example That test was a piece of cake!
Idiom a blessing in disguise	Definition a good thing that seems bad at first	Example She lost her job, but it was a blessing in disguise. She found a better job.
Idiom all in the same boat	Definition everyone is in the same situation	Example Nobody can leave this room. We’re all in the same boat.
Idiom barking up the wrong tree	Definition trying to achieve something but doing it in a way that is mistaken	Example If you think I’m going to loan you more money, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Idiom better late than never	Definition better to happen late than not happen at all	Example A: He didn’t repay the money until last week. B: That’s okay. Better late than never.
Idiom birds of a feather flock together	Definition people with similar characters, attitudes, interests, or tastes often group together	Example I was right that Paul and Ben would get along. Birds of a feather flock together.
Idiom no use crying over spilled milk	Definition it doesn’t help to worry or look back at things that went wrong that can’t be changed	Example We can’t get the money back, so let’s make a new plan. It’s no use crying over spilled milk.
Idiom don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched	Definition you aren’t certain that something will happen, so you shouldn’t plan on it yet	Example A: I will probably get a raise soon, so I bought a new bed! B: Well, don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. You might not get the raise.
Idiom get all your ducks in a row	Definition get everything organized and ready for the next step	Example We have to get all our ducks in a row before the family comes for a visit. Let’s start cleaning and cooking right now.
Idiom give me a hand	Definition help me	Example I can’t lift this sofa on my own. Can you give me a hand?
Idiom hang in there	Definition don’t give up	Example I know learning English is very difficult. Hang in there.
Idiom it takes two to tango	Definition both people involved in the action or mistake are responsible	Example It is partially my fault that we were fighting. It takes two to tango.
Idiom keep an eye on	Definition watch carefully	Example My son has been misbehaving a lot lately, so please keep an eye on him to ensure that nothing goes wrong.
Idiom let the cat out of the bag	Definition to carelessly or purposely reveal a secret	Example I heard that someone let the cat out of the bag, so I might as well tell you myself—I’m pregnant!
Idiom out of the frying pan and into the fire	Definition move from one bad situation to an even worse situation	Example He didn’t like his previous job, so he quit, but now he can’t find a new job. He’s out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Idiom go out on a limb	Definition try something risky that might put you in a weaker position	Example I’m going to go out on a limb here and invest some money in this project, even though I don’t know if the project will be successful.
Idiom preaching to the choir	Definition trying to convince somebody who already agrees with you	Example They are already going to vote for him. He’s just preaching to the choir.
Idiom rub salt in the wound	Definition make the situation worse by making the person feel guilty or reminding them of their mistake	Example I know I shouldn’t have done it. You don’t have to remind me and rub salt in the wound.
Idiom so far, so good	Definition up until now, things are going well	Example This first month, they haven’t had any problems building the house. So far, so good.
Idiom the straw that broke the camel’s back	Definition a small problem that has big consequences because it is the last of several problems in a row	Example We had a terrible week. Everything was going wrong. So when we missed the bus, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Idiom you’re pulling my leg	Definition trying to make someone believe something incorrect in a playful way; tricking them	Example No, that celebrity isn’t calling me. You’re pulling my leg.

Note

Learners enjoy learning idioms. Here are some ideas to help them learn.

Choose one idiom each day to teach the learners. Explain the meaning and talk about examples.
Have learners take turns presenting an idiom to their group members. They could present an idiom from the list above or choose another one they are familiar with. Each learner could present individually, or learners could work in pairs.
Ask learners to compare these idioms to idioms in their own languages. For example, to give encouragement in a difficult situation, people from the United States say, “Hang in there!” What expressions have the same meaning in your learners’ native languages?