Proverbs & Idioms Flashcards
Enhance your language skills with popular proverbs and idioms, and apply these expressions in everyday communication.
What is the meaning of the following proverb?
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Small steps, like good nutrition, can prevent poor health
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Beggars can’t be choosers
People lacking other options are not entitled to be choosy
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Better late than never
Better to do something after the deadline than to ignore it entirely
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Better safe than sorry
Better to take preventative measures than to deal with the potential consequences
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A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
The things we already have in possession are more valuable than things we are uncertain of getting in the future
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Carpe diem
Latin for “Seize the day” - Live life to the fullest extent
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Close, but no cigar
Even being almost correct is still incorrect
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Curiosity killed the cat
People should not be nosy
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Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
Also known as The Golden Rule - Treat other people how you would like to be treated
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Don’t judge a book by its cover
Do not judge something based on how it looks
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Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
Never be ungrateful for any gift
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Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Never put all of your efforts into one thing, or you could lose it all
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The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence
People always believe that someone else has a better life than their own
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Ignorance is bliss
Being unaware of something can keep you content
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Knowledge is power
The more you know, the more control you have
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Let bygones be bygones
Forget old problems and move forward
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Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it
Worry about potential problems when they actually arise
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Look before you leap
Know the task before agreeing to complete it
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Misery loves company
Unhappy people derive pleasure from the unhappiness of others
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The more the merrier
The more people participating, the more fun something will be
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No rest for the weary
No matter how tired you are, you must continue working
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A picture is worth a thousand words
An image can conjure stronger emotions than words
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Out of sight, out of mind
People and things not physically present become forgettable
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Practice what you preach
Follow the same advice that you give to others
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Slow but steady wins the race
Consistent effort leads to success
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There are plenty of fish in the sea
There are plenty of people in the world that you would be willing to be in a relationship with and that are willing to be in a relationship with you
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Time heals all wounds
With time, people will forget arguments and recover from injuries
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Time is money
Every moment spent has an opportunity cost. When you’re not working, you’re actually losing money (which you could have technically been earning if you were working).
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Two heads are better than one
Two people solving a problem together are more effective than just one person
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When it rains, it pours
When bad or good things happen, it seems to happen all at once
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When the going gets tough, the tough get going
Overcome obstacles by putting in even more effort
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You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar
You can win more allies with compliments rather than aggression
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You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink
You can give someone the necessary resources, but you can’t force them to act
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You’ve made your bed, now lie in it
You must deal with the consequences of your actions
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The devil is in the details
When small details in plans are overlooked, they can cause greater problems later on
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Don’t cry over spilt milk
There’s no use crying over something that has already happened and cannot be changed
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The early bird catches the worm
If you act early and don’t procrastinate, you will be successful
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Like a fish out of water
If you are in a situation that is new and unfamiliar, you will act as if you were a fish out of water
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A friend in need is a friend indeed
A friend who is there for you in a time of need is a true friend
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Strike while the iron is hot
Take advantage of opportunities while they last
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Birds of a feather flock together
People who are similar tend to be attracted to each other
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ad nauseam
To continue to a sickening or excessive degree; from Latin “to [the point of] nausea”
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all thumbs
Clumsy
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alma mater
The school or university that one graduated from
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beat around the bush
To avoid an issue or topic
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bite the bullet
To endure an unpleasant situation or circumstance
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break the ice
To remove tension when meeting people for the first time
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bury the hatchet
To make peace; to agree to end a quarrel.
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butter someone up
To excessively praise or flatter someone, often before asking them for a favor
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chip off the old block
People who closely resemble their parents in some aspect
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climb on the bandwagon
To join a particular cause or political party
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cold shoulder
To ignore someone on purpose
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crème de la crème
The best of the best
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déjà vu
The sense that one’s present experience has already occurred in the past when it hasn’t
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draw the line
To establish a limit
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elbow grease
Intense physical effort
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ergo
Word of Latin origin meaning “therefore”
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face the music
To accept unpleasant consequences for wrongdoing
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fly off the handle
To suddenly become enraged
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get something off one’s chest
to confess something; to unburden oneself
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get up on the wrong side of the bed
To be unpleasant because the day started badly
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grain of salt
To treat a piece of information with skepticism
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gung-ho
Extremely enthusiastic
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in hot water
In deep trouble
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John Hancock
A signature; refers to John Hancock’s signature on the Declaration of Independence
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know the ropes
To understand the intricacies of an operation very well
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make ends meet
To earn just enough income to provide for basic needs
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no-brainer
An extremely easy task that requires little thought
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p.c.
Abbreviation for “politically correct”. Refers to social, political, and educational changes made to correct historical injustices towards race, gender, ethnic background, and sexual orientation.
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play it by ear
To improvise
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pop the question
To propose marriage
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pull somebody’s leg
To tease someone
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quid pro quo
A fair exchange
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raining cats and dogs
Raining very heavily
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rule of thumb
A practical principle that comes from experience and not meant to be reliable for every situation
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run of the mill
Common, ordinary
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second wind
A second surge of energy after a period of exhaustion
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see eye to eye
To be in agreement
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shalom
A Hebrew word that means both “hello” and “goodbye”
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sit on the fence
To remain neutral, to not take a side in an argument
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sitting duck
An easy target
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smell a rat
To sense something is suspicious
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steal someone’s thunder
To undermine someone’s accomplishments
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take the cake
To be extremely good or outstanding; sometimes used in a derogatory manner
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throw in the towel
To quit or give up
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thumbs up (down)
To approve or disapprove, respectively
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time is of the essence
When something must be done immediately
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touch and go
Precarious or uncertain
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turn over a new leaf
To begin again; to have a fresh start
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cold feet
To be too afraid to complete an action
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kick the bucket
To die
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throw down the gauntlet
To issue a challenge
What is the easiest way to quickly master proverbs and idioms and become sharp as a whip in English?
Brainscape’s Proverbs & Idioms Flashcards
Ideal for anyone looking to add color, culture, and humor to their language skills and become proficient in these widely used expressions in everyday communication!
