MOST COMMON ENGLISH IDIOMS Flashcards
Because idioms don't always make sense literally, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the meaning and usage of each idiom.
A blessing in disguise
A good thing that seemed bad at first
(as part of a sentence)
A dime a dozen
Something common
(as part of a sentence)
Beat around the bush
Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable
(as part of a sentence)
Better late than never
Better to arrive late than not to come at all
Call it a day
Stop working on something
(as part of a sentence)
Cut somebody some slack
Don’t be so critical
(as part of a sentence)
Cutting corners
Doing something poorly in order to save time or money
(as part of a sentence)
Easy does it
Slow down
Get out of hand
Get out of control
(as part of a sentence)
Get something out of your system
Do the thing you’ve been wanting to do so you can move on
(as part of a sentence)
Get your act (sh*t) together
Work better or leave
Give someone the benefit of the doubt
Trust what someone says
(as part of a sentence)
Go back to the drawing board
Start over
(as part of a sentence)
Hang in there
Don’t give up
Hit the sack
Go to sleep
(as part of a sentence)
It’s not rocket science
It’s not complicated
Let someone off the hook
To not hold someone responsible for something
(as part of a sentence)
Make a long story short
Tell something briefly
(as part of a sentence)
Miss the boat
It’s too late
(as part of a sentence)
No pain, no gain
You have to work for what you want
On the ball
Doing a good job
(as part of a sentence)
Pull someone’s leg
To joke with someone
(as part of a sentence)
Pull yourself together
Calm down
So far so good
Things are going well so far
Speak of the devil
The person we were just talking about showed up!
That’s the last straw
My patience has run out
The best of both worlds
An ideal situation
(as part of a sentence)
To get bent out of shape
To get upset
(as part of a sentence)
To make matters worse
Make a problem worse
(as part of a sentence)
Under the weather
Sick/unwell
(as part of a sentence)
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it
Let’s not talk about that problem right now
Wrap your head around something
Understand something complicated
(as part of a sentence)
You can say that again
That’s true, I agree
Your guess is as good as mine
I have no idea
