IDIOMS & PHRASES

 IDIOMS & PHRASES

1. Break a leg
Meaning: Good luck
Example: Break a leg Sam, I'm sure your performance will be great.

2. Piece of cake
Meaning: Something very easy to do
Example: Today’s Math homework was a piece of cake today.

3. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: To work late into the night.
Example: He had to burn the midnight oil to finish the assignment on time.

4. Raining cats and dogs
Meaning: Pouring heavily
Example: It's raining cats and dogs outside, so it’s better to stay home.

5. Break the ice
Meaning: To initiate conversation in a social setting to relieve tension.
Example: To break the ice at the party, she started telling funny stories.

6. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Something that happens very rarely
Example: We only go to the movies once in a blue moon.

7. Actions speak louder than words
Meaning: What you do is more important than what you say.
Example: She keeps promising that she'll finish the project next week. It's been three weeks already, well actions speak louder than words.

8. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To reveal a secret
Example: I accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.

9. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick
Example: Sunny said he is feeling under the weather today, so he shall stay home.

10. On cloud nine
Meaning: Extremely happy
Example: I'm on cloud nine after getting the scholarship.

11. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It is now up to you to take action.
Example: I've done all I can, now the ball is in your court.

12. A blessing in disguise
Meaning: Something that seems bad at first but turns out to be good.
Example: Losing that job was a blessing in disguise; it gave me the push I needed to start my own business.

13. A drop in the ocean
Meaning: A very small amount
Example: My donation is just a drop in the ocean compared to the total amount needed.

14. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To be exactly right about something.
Example: When she said the project lacked creativity, she hit the nail on the head.

15. Hit the books
Meaning: To study hard
Example: I need to hit the books for my upcoming exam.

16. Beat around the bush
Meaning: To avoid talking about the main issue.
Example: Sneha asked him to stop beating around the bush and tell her what really happened.

17. Caught between a rock and a hard place
Meaning: Facing a difficult choice between two unfavourable options.
Example: She was caught between a rock and a hard place when choosing between staying at her job or taking a break to plan a baby.

18. Every cloud has a silver lining
Meaning: There is something good in every bad situation.
Example: Losing the competition was tough, but every cloud has a silver lining, now I have more time to improve my skills.

19. Go the extra mile
Meaning: To make more effort than is expected or necessary.
Example: If you want to impress your teacher, go the extra mile and add more research to your project.

20. Spill the beans
Meaning: To reveal a secret.
Example: She spilled the beans about the surprise birthday party, and now it’s no longer a secret.

21. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: To make a bad situation worse.
Example: His rude comments only added fuel to the fire during the heated argument.

22. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: To pursue the wrong course of action.
Example: If you think studying only the easy chapters will help you pass, you're barking up the wrong tree.

23. The ball is rolling
Meaning: Something has started and is progressing.
Example: Once we got the funding, we could finally get the ball rolling on the new project.

24. In the same boat
Meaning: In the same difficult situation as others.
Example: We’re all in the same boat when it comes to preparing for the final exams.

25. The tip of the iceberg
Meaning: A small part of a much larger problem.
Example: The recent protests are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the country's deeper issues.

26. Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: To joke or tease someone.
Example: I didn’t actually win the lottery; I was just pulling your leg!

27. Cost an arm and a leg
Meaning: To be very expensive.
Example: That designer jacket costs an arm and a leg, but she really wanted it.

28. Face the music
Meaning: To accept the consequences of one’s actions.
Example: After skipping classes, he had to face the music when his grades dropped.

29. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: To avoid interfering in a situation that could cause trouble.
Example: You should let sleeping dogs lie and not bring up that old argument.

30. Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: To take on more work or responsibility than you can manage.
Example: She bit off more than she could chew by volunteering for three projects at once.

31. A dime a dozen
Meaning: Something common and easy to find.
Example: Fast food restaurants are a dime a dozen in this city.

32. Back to the Square one
Meaning: To start over because the previous attempt failed.
Example: Our plan didn’t work out, so it's back to the square one for us.

33. Cross that bridge when you come to it
Meaning: Deal with a problem when it happens, not before.
Example: I’m not worried about the test yet, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

34. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
Meaning: Don’t assume success or results before they actually happen.
Example: She’s already planning how to spend her bonus, but she shouldn’t count her chickens before they hatch.

35. Hit the ground running
Meaning: To begin a task or project with enthusiasm and energy.
Example: After the holidays, we need to hit the ground running and finish the project.

36. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: To achieve two things with a single action.
Example: By attending the seminar, I killed two birds with one stone — I learned something new and met new people.

37. Make a long story short
Meaning: To summarize and get to the point.
Example: To make a long story short, we missed the train and had to take a taxi.

38. On the ball
Meaning: Alert, knowledgeable, or quick to respond.
Example: The new employee is really on the ball and has picked up everything fast.

39. The elephant in the room
Meaning: A major problem or issue that everyone is ignoring.
Example: We need to address the elephant in the room — our company’s financial troubles.

40. Throw in the towel
Meaning: To give up or quit.
Example: After several failed attempts, he decided to throw in the towel and try a different approach

41. Bored to death
Meaning: Extremely bored.
Example: I was bored to death during that three-hour lecture on tax law.

42. Couch potato
Meaning: A lazy person who spends a lot of time sitting or lying down, watching TV, and is generally inactive.
Example: Ever since he got that new gaming console, he's turned into a complete couch potato.

43. Go Dutch
Meaning: To split the cost of something equally (i.e. Pay for himself), usually a meal, with someone.
Example: When we went out for dinner, we decided to go Dutch and each paid for our own meal.

44. Throw in the towel
Meaning: To give up on something, To Quit or Admit Defeat.
Example: After hours of trying to solve the math problem, he finally threw in the towel.

45. Fender bender
Meaning: A minor car accident involving little or no damage.
Example: She was late to work because she got into a fender bender on her way there.

46. Bite the bullet
Meaning: To face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage.
Example: She didn't want to give the presentation, but she decided to bite the bullet and get it over with.

47. Call it a day
Meaning: To stop working on something, usually because it's the end of the workday or enough progress has been made.
Example: We finished most of the report, so let's call it a day and continue tomorrow.

48. Get a taste of your own medicine
Meaning: To experience the same unpleasant situation you’ve caused for others.
Example: He always pranked others, but when his friends tricked him, he got a taste of his own medicine.

49. Cutting corners
Meaning: To do something in the easiest, quickest, or cheapest way, often compromising quality.
Example: Don’t keep cutting corners while writing your essay; it will affect your grade.

50. By the skin of your teeth
Meaning: Barely succeeding; by a narrow margin.
Example: I caught the train by the skin of my teeth just as the doors were closing.

Regards,

Prof. Chirag Jain