IDIOMS Flashcards
A blessing in disguise
Something that seems bad but turns out to be good. Example: Losing that job was a blessing in disguise; it led to a better opportunity.
A dime a dozen
Very common and not valuable. Example: Those types of souvenirs are a dime a dozen in tourist shops.
A piece of cake
Something that is very easy to do. Example: The exam was a piece of cake; I finished it in half the allotted time.
A shot in the dark
An attempt made without much hope of success. Example: Guessing the password was a shot in the dark, but it worked.
A storm in a teacup
An overreaction to a minor issue. Example: The argument over the seating arrangement was a storm in a teacup.
Add fuel to the fire
To make a situation worse. Example: Her comments only added fuel to the fire in the ongoing debate.
All ears
Fully listening and attentive. Example: I’m all ears; tell me what happened at the meeting.
Bite the bullet
To endure a painful situation with courage. Example: I decided to bite the bullet and tell him the truth.
Break the ice
To initiate conversation in a social setting. Example: I told a joke to break the ice at the start of the meeting.
Burn the midnight oil
To work late into the night. Example: She had to burn the midnight oil to finish the report on time.
By the skin of your teeth
Barely managing to succeed. Example: He passed the exam by the skin of his teeth.
Caught between a rock and a hard place
Facing two difficult choices. Example: She was caught between a rock and a hard place, deciding between two job offers.
Cry over spilled milk
To waste time worrying about something that has already happened and cannot be changed. Example: There’s no use crying over spilled milk; we need to focus on fixing the issue.
Cut to the chase
To get to the main point. Example: Let’s cut to the chase and discuss the real problem here.
Devil’s advocate
To argue against a position for the sake of debate. Example: I’ll play devil’s advocate to see if we’ve considered all angles.
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
Don’t assume success until it happens. Example: Don’t count your chickens before they hatch; we still need to finalize the deal.
Every cloud has a silver lining
There is something positive in every negative situation. Example: Losing that client was tough, but every cloud has a silver lining; it gave us time to find new opportunities.
Face the music
To confront the consequences of one’s actions. Example: He had to face the music after his project failed.
Feel under the weather
To feel ill or unwell. Example: I’m feeling a bit under the weather today, so I might skip work.
Get a taste of your own medicine
To experience the same negative things one has inflicted on others. Example: The manager got a taste of his own medicine when his employees started ignoring his instructions.
Hit the nail on the head
To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem. Example: You hit the nail on the head when you said we need more training for our team.
In the blink of an eye
Very quickly or instantly. Example: The traffic accident happened in the blink of an eye.
Jump on the bandwagon
To join or support something that is popular or gaining momentum. Example: She decided to jump on the bandwagon and start investing in cryptocurrencies.
Let the cat out of the bag
To reveal a secret or disclose something prematurely. Example: I accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
Miss the boat
To miss an opportunity. Example: I missed the boat on that investment opportunity because I didn’t act quickly enough.
Not playing with a full deck
Not mentally sound or coherent. Example: He must be not playing with a full deck to come up with such an idea.
Once in a blue moon
Very rarely. Example: I only see my cousins once in a blue moon since they live so far away.
On the ball
Alert and knowledgeable. Example: She’s always on the ball, catching every small mistake in the reports.
Out of the blue
Unexpectedly and without warning. Example: His call came out of the blue; I hadn’t heard from him in years.
Play it by ear
To improvise or decide on the spot. Example: I’m not sure what the plan is yet; let’s just play it by ear.
Put all your eggs in one basket
To risk everything on one venture. Example: Diversifying your investments is better than putting all your eggs in one basket.
Raining cats and dogs
Raining very heavily. Example: It’s raining cats and dogs outside; I hope the weather clears up soon.
Read between the lines
To understand a deeper or hidden meaning. Example: You need to read between the lines to understand what he’s really saying.
Sitting on the fence
To remain neutral or undecided. Example: He’s sitting on the fence about which candidate to support.
Spill the beans
To reveal secret information. Example: Come on, spill the beans! What’s the surprise?
Take it with a grain of salt
To not completely believe something; to be skeptical. Example: Take his story with a grain of salt; he tends to exaggerate.
The ball is in your court
It’s up to you to take the next step or make a decision. Example: I’ve done everything I can; now the ball is in your court.
The best of both worlds
A situation where you can enjoy the advantages of two different things. Example: Working part-time from home gives me the best of both worlds: flexibility and time with family.
Throw in the towel
To give up or surrender. Example: After several failed attempts, he decided to throw in the towel.
Under the table
Secretly or illegally, often referring to payments. Example: They were caught making under-the-table payments to avoid taxes.
Up in the air
Uncertain or undecided. Example: The plans for the trip are still up in the air.
Walk on air
To be extremely happy. Example: She was walking on air after receiving the job offer.
When pigs fly
Something that will never happen. Example: I’ll believe he’ll finish the project on time when pigs fly.
You can’t judge a book by its cover
Don’t judge someone or something based solely on appearance. Example: She may seem quiet, but you can’t judge a book by its cover; she’s very talented.
Bite off more than you can chew
To take on more responsibilities than you can handle. Example: He bit off more than he could chew by taking on too many projects at once.
Break the bank
To be very expensive or to deplete one’s finances. Example: Buying that car would break the bank; I need to save more money.
Burning the midnight oil
To work late into the night. Example: She’s been burning the midnight oil to meet the deadline.
Chew the fat
To have a casual conversation. Example: We spent the afternoon chewing the fat over coffee.
Cry wolf
To raise a false alarm or make a false claim. Example: If you keep crying wolf, people might stop believing you when there’s a real problem.
Cut corners
To do something in the easiest or cheapest way, often sacrificing quality. Example: The company cut corners on materials, leading to poor product quality.
Drive someone up the wall
To irritate or annoy someone greatly. Example: The constant noise from the construction site is driving me up the wall.
Go the extra mile
To put in more effort than expected. Example: She always goes the extra mile to ensure her clients are satisfied.
Hit the jackpot
To achieve great success or gain a lot of money. Example: They hit the jackpot with their new app, which became an overnight sensation.
In hot water
In trouble or facing difficulties. Example: He found himself in hot water after missing the important meeting.
Keep your chin up
To stay positive and optimistic despite difficulties. Example: Keep your chin up; things will get better soon.
Know the ropes
To understand how to do something, especially a job or activity. Example: It took a while to learn the ropes, but now I’m confident in my new role.
Let sleeping dogs lie
To avoid interfering in a situation that is currently peaceful. Example: Don’t bring up that old argument; let sleeping dogs lie.
Make a long story short
To summarize something and omit unnecessary details. Example: To make a long story short, we decided to go with the second option.
Miss the boat
To miss an opportunity. Example: He missed the boat on investing in that startup and now regrets it.
On thin ice
In a risky or precarious situation. Example: He’s on thin ice with his boss after missing multiple deadlines.
Pass the buck
To shift responsibility to someone else. Example: Don’t pass the buck; you need to handle the issue yourself.
Put a sock in it
To tell someone to be quiet or stop talking. Example: I wish he would put a sock in it and let others speak.
Read the riot act
To reprimand or scold someone severely. Example: The teacher read the riot act to the students for their disruptive behavior.
Rock the boat
To cause trouble or disturb the status quo. Example: I don’t want to rock the boat by suggesting major changes to the project.
Saved by the bell
Rescued from something at the last moment. Example: He was saved by the bell when the meeting ended just before the deadline.
Show your true colors
To reveal your true character or intentions. Example: He finally showed his true colors when he refused to help us with the project.
Smell a rat
To suspect something is wrong or deceptive. Example: I began to smell a rat when the story kept changing.
Spill the beans
To reveal a secret or confidential information. Example: Don’t spill the beans about the surprise party!
Take a rain check
To postpone or reschedule an invitation or offer. Example: I’m too busy today; can I take a rain check on dinner?
Throw in the towel
To give up or admit defeat. Example: After several failed attempts, he decided to throw in the towel.
Under the weather
Feeling ill or unwell. Example: I’m feeling a bit under the weather today; I might stay home.
Wet blanket
A person who dampens the enthusiasm or enjoyment of others. Example: Don’t be such a wet blanket; join us in celebrating!
Wild goose chase
A futile or pointless pursuit. Example: The search for the missing documents turned into a wild goose chase.
Wrap your head around
To understand something complex. Example: It took me a while to wrap my head around the new software.
Your guess is as good as mine
I don’t know the answer or solution either. Example: I don’t know when the project will be completed; your guess is as good as mine.
