American Idioms - List Three Flashcards
Add insult to injury
To worsen a situation by making it more painful or difficult
Burn the midnight oil
To work late into the night
Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater
To discard valuable elements along with the undesirable ones
Fish out of water
Someone who feels uncomfortable in a particular situation or environment
Get a taste of your own medicine
Experience something you’ve inflicted on others
Hit the ground running
To start something with great speed or success
Keep your eyes peeled
To stay alert and watchful
Let the cat out of the bag
To reveal a secret
A penny saved is a penny earned
Saving money is just as important as earning it
Bury the hatchet
To make peace or reconcile with someone
Cross that bridge when you come to it
Deal with a problem when it arises
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
Don’t rely on something that hasn’t happened yet
Get your act together
To organize yourself and start behaving more responsibly
Hit the nail on the head
To describe something accurately
Keep your nose to the grindstone
To work hard and diligently
Let sleeping dogs lie
To leave things as they are
A penny for your thoughts
Asking someone what they are thinking
Bite the bullet
To endure a painful situation or task
Burn bridges
To ruin relationships, especially intentionally
Cut to the chase
To get to the point quickly
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Don’t risk everything on a single opportunity
Every cloud has a silver lining
There’s something good in every bad situation
Go down like a lead balloon
Fail to be well received or accepted
Hit the jackpot
To be extremely successful or fortunate
In hot water
In trouble or facing difficulties
Jump on the bandwagon
To join a popular trend or activity
Kick the bucket
To die
Let the chips fall where they may
To let things happen without interference
Off the top of my head
Without careful thought or consideration
Put all your eggs in one basket
To risk everything on a single opportunity
The ball is in your court
It’s your decision or responsibility
Bite off more than you can chew
To take on more responsibility than one can handle
Don’t cry over spilled milk
Don’t worry about past mistakes
Get off on the wrong foot
To start a relationship or interaction poorly
Hit the ground running
To start something with great speed or success
In the same boat
In the same situation or predicament
Keep it under wraps
To keep something secret
Leave no stone unturned
To search thoroughly for something
Make a mountain out of a molehill
To exaggerate a minor problem
Play devil’s advocate
To argue the opposing viewpoint for the sake of debate
Put your best foot forward
To make a good impression
The straw that broke the camel’s back
The final event causing failure or collapse
A wolf in sheep’s clothing
Someone who appears harmless but is actually dangerous
Break a leg
Good luck (especially in a performance)
Cut corners
To do something in the easiest or cheapest way
Don’t judge a book by its cover
Don’t form an opinion based on appearance
Get a leg up
To gain an advantage
Hit the road
To leave, to start a journey
