Use THESE To Speak Like a Native | 25 Common English Idioms For Fluent Speech

What if I told you that my friend is a go  getter, or is a stickler, or a straight shooter?

Do you know these English idioms or  would you be completely confused?

Today you'll learn 25 idioms to describe people,  

and using these idioms will help you  sound fluent and understand natives.

Welcome back to JForrest English.

Of course.

I'm Jennifer.

Now let's get started #1 A people person.

This is a must know idiom.

This is someone who enjoys interacting with  others and is good at building relationships.

For example, Jason is a real people person.

Notice here I'm using real  to modify it to intensify it.

And don't forget that article ah people person.

So he always makes everyone feel welcome.

I'm a people person.

Or you can say we need ah people person  for this customer service position.

Don't worry about taking notes because I  summarize everything in a free lesson PDF.

You can find the link in the  description #2 A go getter.

I love this one.

It describes me and I'm sure it describes you.

A go getter is someone who is ambitious and  takes initiative to achieve their goals.

For example, the team hired  him because he's a go getter.

He is.

So notice you need the verb to be conjugated  with your subject in time reference.

He is.

He's a go getter.

Or you can say I like working with go getters.

So notice here.

I added that S to the noun to make it the whole  

category of people with go getters  because they push projects forward.

He's a go getter.

Or maybe you're thinking I'm a real go getter  when it comes to improving my English fluency.

Does that describe you?

If it does, put that's me, that's me,  

put that's me in the comments #3 I'm sure  this describes you as, well, a smart cookie.

So this is someone who is intelligent or clever,  

someone who is smart, but you can just add  cookie to make it sound more casual and fun.

Emma is a smart cookie.

She solved that complex problem in no time.

Yeah, she was a smart cookie or you're a smart  

cookie if you can figure out  how to make that deal work.

So notice this is is conditional  #4 A social butterfly.

This is someone who is very outgoing  and enjoys socializing with others.

I wouldn't say that describes  me, to be honest, at the party,  

nor was a social butterfly  talking to everyone in the room.

Or you can say as a this is  a very powerful structure.

So remember this and I'll show you  more examples as we go on as A and  

then any of these idioms as a social butterfly.

Pedro always knows what's  happening around the office.

Number 5 A couch potato.

You may know this one.

It doesn't describe me.

Hopefully it doesn't describe you.

This is someone who spends a lot of time  sitting and and watching TV or being inactive.

So generally when we say someone  is a couch potato, it's a negative.

We're calling them lazy.

So you might say I used to be a couch potato,  so that is in the past but not the present.

But now I enjoy going to the gym.

Or you might use the imperative in the negative  and say don't, don't be a couch potato.

Let's go for a walk after lunch.

So the opposite behavior of a couch potato.

Number six, a Jack of all trades.

Do you know this one?

This is very common.

This is a person who is skilled in many different  

areas, but not necessarily an  expert in one of those areas.

For example, my uncle is a Jack of all trades.

He can repair computers, fix plumbing  issues, and cook gourmet dinners.

Or remember that as a Don't forget  that article if it's a singular.

So in this case, it is because it's a Jack.

As a Jack of all trades, she's able to  communicate to every department in the company.

So notice you have Jack, which is  a male's name in North America.

But this idiom is gender neutral.

You can use it with males and  females #7 a straight shooter.

This is a positive idiom.

It's someone who is honest and straightforward.

So straightforward in the sense that  they tell you information directly.

I appreciate working with Peter.

He's a straight shooter or the  manager is a straight shooter.

She gives constructive criticism  directly #8 a big shot.

Do you know this one?

This is a person of great importance or  influence in a particular field or organization.

Now you might say to your friend or colleague,  

don't be intimidated by him  because he's a big shot.

So you might think that someone who  is a big shot isn't a people person,  

isn't approachable, but don't be intimidated.

Oh, Ken Park, such a big shot.

Or you can say Evelyn's been acting  like a big shot since she got promoted.

In this case, it sounds negative.

So it sounds like she's acting  like she's more important than  

everyone else because she got promoted.

So notice that verb in this case, acting  like a big shot #9 set in one's ways.

This is someone who is resistant to change  and prefers things to remain the same.

Does that describe you?

My grandmother is set in her ways, so notice  it needs to be possessive to the person.

And here's an example of  how she's set in her ways.

She still refuses to use a smartphone  or he's so set in his ways.

And don't forget that, as it's always as on  ways that he instantly dismisses any new ideas.

So if he dismisses them, it means he doesn't  consider them, he just says no #10A worry wart.

Hopefully this doesn't describe you.

This is someone who worries  excessively so a lot about things,  

often unnecessarily so you might say.

Don't tell Sarah that the client  didn't like the presentation.

She's such a worry wart, so she'll  worry about it tonight, tomorrow,  

a month from now, even though it's not a big deal.

Oh, her, but you're such a worry wart.

Or you might tell your friend,  your sister, your husband.

Don't be a worry wart.

The project isn't due for weeks, so  they're staying up at night worried  

because they're a worry wart #11A cheapskate.

A cheapskate.

Have you heard this one?

This is someone who is unwilling  to spend money or is very frugal.

This has a negative sound to it.

For example, Tim brings his  own popcorn to the movies.

He's a cheapskate or don't be a cheapskate.

So again, that imperative in the  negative, don't be a cheapskate.

The more expensive one will  last longer #12 Of cold fish.

This is the opposite of a people person  and the opposite of a social butterfly.

This is someone who is  emotionally distant or unfriendly.

Dan may seem like a cold fish,  but I think he's just shy.

He's a cold fish.

Or he can be a cold fish sometimes, especially  in large groups #13A backseat driver.

Maybe you've been a backstreet  driver, or you've experienced this.

This is someone who gives unwanted advice or tries  

to control a situation so you can  say, stop being a backseat driver.

You're making me nervous.

Nobody likes the backseat driver, Klaus.

Now this is very commonly used when someone  is actually driving and then the person  

beside you or in the backseat says turn left,  change lanes, go here, don't drive so fast.

That's being a backseat driver.

But you can also use this  in a non driving context.

For example, stop being a backseat driver  and let me handle the presentation my way.

So this is someone who's trying  to tell you change this, do this,  

add this, but you don't want  their advice #14 a busy body.

This is someone who is overly interested in  other people's personal or private matters.

You could say, I wish my neighbor  would stop being such a busy body.

So if you have a fence that divides your property,  

maybe your neighbor is always  trying to look over your fence.

That's a busy body.

Or you can say, if you keep  acting like a busy body,  

nobody will want to work  with you #15A wet blanket.

Hopefully this doesn't describe you.

This is someone who dampens  the mood or kills the fun.

For example, it's only 9:00  PM and you want to go home.

Don't be such a wet blanket.

So you're having fun at the party,  but your friend, your cousin,  

your spouse says, oh, I'm tired, let's go.

So they're dampening the mood.

They're killing the fun.

I'm a wet blanket.

You can say I don't want to be a wet blanket,  but we need to discuss why our sales are down.

So having a negative  discussion can dampen the mood.

But sometimes you need to have those  tough conversations #16A loose cannon.

You don't want this person on your team.

This is someone who is unpredictable  and can cause trouble unintentionally.

You can say he's a bit of a loose  cannon, so a bit of is reducing it.

It's making it less intense.

We never know what he'll do next.

So he's unpredictable, but his actions  can have negative consequences.

Or you can say a few members  of the team are loose cannons.

So here, notice because I have  a few members that's plural,  

so I need to add my S to the noun loose cannons.

They never follow protocols,  

which are the instructions #17 do you  know this 1A bull in a China shop?

This probably describes me.

This is someone who is very clumsy or  careless, especially in delicate situations.

Now, in this case, China refers to delicate  porcelain or ceramics, not the country.

You could say, don't ask Sarah to help you move.

She's like a bull in a China shop.

So notice here I'm using to be like awe and  then the idiom which means she's careless.

She might break your items  as she's helping you move.

That probably describes me.

Or you can say I never go into antique shops.

I'm like a bull in a China shop.

So I might accidentally knock  something over that's very valuable.

Again, that describes me #18A dark horse.

This is someone or something  that is not well known but  

has the potential to surprise or succeed.

Talk about a dark horse.

This is often used in  competitions, political sports.

He was a dark horse in the competition,  but in the end he won first place.

So he was not well known, but then he won.

Or you can say she's a dark horse.

No one expected her to be promoted  so quickly #19A lone wolf.

This is someone who prefers to work alone  and doesn't like being part of a group.

Here's that structure with AS as a lone wolf.

He prefers handling projects on his own.

A lone wolf, Or you can say the lone wolf  approach doesn't work in our company.

We value teamwork and  collaboration #20A know it all.

Oh, you don't want to be this.

This is someone who behaves as though they know  everything and refuses to listen to others.

So again, because this is a negative, you  could use the imperative in the negative.

Don't, don't act like.

You could say don't be Or you can use to  act like don't act like a know it all.

You need to listen to other  ideas before making a decision.

Or you can say I don't want to seem like a know  it all, but I have experience with this issue.

21 A creature of habit.

You probably know this one, so let's  make sure you feel comfortable using it.

This is someone who prefers routines and  does things in the same way all the time.

This definitely describes me.

Amelia is a creature of habit so  she won't like these new changes.

In this case, that sounds more negative  that the person isn't open to change,  

so in that case it doesn't describe  me, but this next one does.

As a creature of habit, I've been eating  this theme breakfast for over 10 years.

This is true.

Ask my husband.

He is sick of oatmeal every day.

But that's what we have #22A breath of fresh air.

This is someone or something that is new,  refreshing and brings positive change.

You can say working with Emily  has been a breath of fresh air.

So she brings new ideas to every meeting.

She brings a new perspective,  new energy, new personality.

She's a breath of fresh air and this is positive.

You can say after the long meeting,  the interactive presentation.

So something was a breath of fresh  air and lifted everyone's spirits.

So it was a welcome change.

23A stickler.

I like this one.

Now you can say a stickler for the rules.

That's the full idiom.

But most natives we drop the for  the rules and just say stickler.

This is someone who insists on following  rules strictly and doesn't like bending them,  

so bending them means changing them slightly  if the consequence doesn't seem extreme.

For example, Greg is such a stickler he  won't even let us leave 5 minutes early.

So in this case, although the shift ends at 5,  

does it really matter if people  leave at 4:55 on a Friday?

So you bend the rules, you let  people leave 5 minutes early,  

but Greg will not because he's a stickler.

Or you could say I'm a manager  now, so I need to be a stickler.

I need to enforce the rules.

It's my job.

Number 24.

This is for all the parents, a class clown.

This is a person, usually a child, who is  always joking or causing trouble in a funny way.

But we generally use this with kids in school.

For example, my son was a complete class clown.

So complete intensifies  it, a complete class clown.

But now he's a big shot on Wall Street.

Or you can say often kids act like class  clowns because they're bored or unengaged.

An idiom 25 a tough nut to crack.

This is someone or something that is  difficult to understand or deal with.

You can say Tim is a tough nut to crack.

It's hard to get him to open up.

So to open up, that means to be  honest about how he's feeling  

or the real details of his life to open up.

Or you can say the team has been  trying to solve this issue for weeks.

It's the issue is a tough nut to crack.

So it's difficult to solve or understand.

Amazing job.

Now you have 25 new idioms in your vocabulary.

Do you want me to keep teaching you idioms?

If you do put let's go, let's  go put let's go in the comments.

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