Speak Like a Native Speaker with These English Idioms

If you want to speak English like a  native speaker, you’re in the right  

place. In this video, we’re going to learn  some fun and useful English idioms and  

expressions for daily English conversation. Hi everyone! Welcome to today’s lesson.  

Before we start learning new English  vocabulary with example sentences,  

let’s define what idioms are. Idioms are phrases  that don’t always mean exactly what the words say.  

They make your English sound more natural  and interesting. I’ll explain each idiom,  

give examples, and show you when to  use them. Ready? Let’s get started!  

1. Go Dutch Let’s start with the first idiom. Go Dutch.  

Dutch means relating to or  belonging to the Netherlands.  

But, to go Dutch means that when  you go out, like for dinner,  

each person pays for themselves. Imagine you and  your friend go to a restaurant. You both don’t  

want one person to pay for everything. What  do you say? That’s right! 'Let’s go Dutch.'  

For example: 'Let’s go Dutch on dinner tonight.  I’ll pay for my meal, and you pay for yours.'  

Do you usually go Dutch when you eat out  with friends? Tell me in the comments!”  

2. At the Drop of a Hat Next is 'At the drop of a hat.'  

This is a drop. And this is a hat. Hmmm This means doing something immediately,  

without any hesitation. For example: • 'She’s always ready to help  

at the drop of a hat.' Here’s another example:  

Imagine your friend calls and says, 'I need a  ride to the airport.' You say, 'I’ll come right  

now!' That’s helping at the drop of a hat. What’s something you would do at the drop  

of a hat? Maybe help a friend  or eat your favorite food?  

Twist Someone’s Arm Now, 'Twist someone’s arm' means to  

convince or persuade someone to do something  they don’t really want to do. For example: 

• 'I didn’t want to go to the party,  but my friends twisted my arm. 

Imagine your friend says, 'I don’t want to  watch a movie tonight.' You say, 'Come on,  

it’ll be fun!' You’re twisting their arm. Have you ever twisted someone’s arm to do  

something? Or has someone twisted your arm?  Please tell me in the comments! It’s a great  

way to practice! Down in the Dumps 

"'Down in the dumps' means  feeling sad or depressed. 

For example: 'She’s down in the  dumps because she failed her exam.' 

Under the Weather Under the weather' means  

feeling sick or not well. For example: • 'I’m not coming to work today. I feel  

a bit under the weather.' Imagine you wake up with  

a headache and a sore throat. You call your  boss and say, 'I’m under the weather today.'  

When was the last time you felt under  the weather? I hope not too recently! 

Break a Leg "Break a leg' is a  

fun way to say 'good luck,' especially before  a performance or big event. Imagine your friend  

has a big exam or a job interview. Instead of  saying, 'Good luck,' you can say, 'Break a leg!'  

Draw the Line "Draw the line' means to set a limit on  

what you will or won’t do. For example: • 'I don’t mind helping,  

but I draw the line at working all weekend.' Let’s say your friend keeps asking you for favors,  

like borrowing your clothes or your car. You  might say, 'I’ll help you with small things,  

but I draw the line at lending my car.' Make a Pig of Yourself  

This one is funny! 'Make a pig of yourself' means  eating too much or too quickly. Imagine you’re at  

a party with lots of delicious food. If you  eat five slices of cake, someone might say,  

'You’re making a pig of yourself!' Grit Your Teeth  

"'Grit your teeth' means to push  through something difficult with  

determination. For example: 'You just have  to grit your teeth and finish the race.'  

Imagine you have a lot of homework or  a big project. It’s tough, but you say,  

'I’ll grit my teeth and get it done.' Be in the Driving Seat  

"Be in the driving seat' means being  in control of a situation. For example: 

• 'She’s in the driving seat now,  making all the big decisions.' 

Imagine you’re leading a group project. You’re  in charge, so you’re in the driving seat. 

Do you like being in the driving seat,  or do you prefer to follow someone else’s  

lead? Please tell me in the comments! If you’re enjoying this video so far,  

please hit that like button and subscribe  to my channel if you haven’t yet. 

Hang in There 'Hang in there' means  

to stay strong and keep going, even when things  are tough. For example: 'I know studying is hard,  

but hang in there. You’ll do great!' Imagine your friend is having a tough  

time with work or school. You can encourage them  by saying, 'Hang in there! It will get better.' 

Go Nuts "Go nuts' means to get very  

excited or act a little crazy. For example: • 'The kids went nuts when they saw  

the ice cream truck!' Imagine it’s your birthday,  

and your friends surprise you with a big  party. You might go nuts with excitement! 

Kid Around It is a phrasal  

verb and it’s used very often. 'Kid around'  means to joke or not be serious. For example:  

'Stop kidding around and focus on your homework!' Imagine you’re in class, and someone keeps  

making funny faces instead of studying. The  teacher might say, 'Stop kidding around!' 

Do you like kidding around,  or are you usually serious? 

Give the Time of Day "Give the time of day' means to pay attention  

to someone or acknowledge them. For example:  'She’s so busy; she won’t even give me the time of  

day.' It’s usually used in negative statements. Imagine you want to ask your boss a question,  

but they’re always too busy. You might say,  'He won’t even give me the time of day.' 

Do you know someone who is always too  busy to give you the time of day?” 

Bite the Bullet "Bite the bullet' means  

to face something difficult with courage.  For example: 'I hate going to the dentist,  

but I’ll bite the bullet and go tomorrow.' Imagine you’re afraid of public speaking,  

but you have to give a presentation. You might  say, 'I’ll bite the bullet and do my best.'  

Be Green with Envy "Be green with envy'  

means feeling very jealous. For example: 'He  was green with envy when he saw her new car.'  

Imagine your friend goes on an  amazing vacation, and you have  

to stay home. You might feel green with envy. Have you ever been green with envy? What was  

the reason? Sit Tight  

"'Sit tight' means to wait patiently. For example:  'Sit tight—I’ll be back in a few minutes.'  

Imagine you’re waiting for a train,  and someone says, 'It’s delayed,  

but sit tight—it’s on the way.' Are you good  at sitting tight, or do you get impatient?  

Make Up Your Mind "Make up your mind' means  

to decide on something. For example: • 'You need to make up your mind  

about which college to choose.' Imagine you’re at a restaurant,  

and you can’t decide what to order. The  waiter says, 'Please make up your mind!'  

Do you take a long time to make up your  mind, or are you quick to decide?”  

Off the Hook 'Off the hook' means  

free from responsibility or blame. Imagine your  teacher cancels a test at the last minute. You’d  

feel relieved and say, 'I’m off the hook!' Can you think of a time when you were  

off the hook? Out of Practice  

"'Out of practice' means losing skill  because you haven’t done something in  

a while. For example: 'I haven’t played  piano in years, so I’m out of practice.'  

Imagine you used to play piano but  haven’t played for a year. When you  

try again, you might feel out of practice. Is there something you’re out of practice with?  

I’m curious to know about it. Fat Chance  

“Fat chance” is a sarcastic way of saying  something has no chance of happening. For example: 

• 'You think he’ll help us? Fat chance!' Imagine your friend says, 'Do you think  

we’ll win the lottery?' You could reply,  'Fat chance!' You think it’s impossible. 

Thank Goodness "Thank goodness' is used to  

express relief or gratitude. For example: 'Thank  goodness the storm passed without any damage!'  

Imagine you almost miss the bus, but you catch it  just in time. You might say, 'Thank goodness!’  

Think Big "Think big' means to  

have ambitious ideas or goals. For example: 'If  you want to succeed, you need to think big!'  

Imagine you dream of starting your own business.  Instead of thinking small, you plan for something  

amazing and say, 'I’m thinking big!' Pigs Might Fly  

'Pigs might fly' is a funny way to say  something is impossible. For example:  

'He’ll clean his room? Yeah, pigs might fly!' Imagine your friend says, 'I’ll stop eating  

chocolate forever!' You might  reply, 'Pigs might fly!'  

Take Something by Storm "Take something by storm'  

means to achieve great success quickly. For  example: 'Her new app took the market by storm.'  

Imagine a singer releases a song, and  it becomes a global hit overnight.  

They’ve taken the music world by storm. Can you think of a person or product that  

has taken the world by storm? Conclusion  

Great job today, everyone! We learned so  many idioms. Which one is your favorite?  

Try to use it in a sentence and share it  in the comments. Don’t forget to practice  

these idioms in your daily conversations  to sound more natural. See you next time!