LEARN 150 COMMON IDIOMS To Sound Fluent In English

Today you're going to learn 150 common idioms that native speakers use.

Let's get started.

To play something by ear.

This is when you make a decision in the moment rather than planning in

advance.

So let's say you're talking about your weekend and your husband or your friend says,

What do you want to do this weekend?

And you might say, let's play it by ear.

Let's decide

as the weekend happens, not in advance.

Let's play it by ear.

To be all ears.

We use this to

say that you're ready to listen and you're paying full attention.

So let's say you tell your boss

you want to discuss something important about the project and your boss replies, I'm all

ears.

I'm

all ears.

To wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

This is a great one.

We've all done this.

It's when you wake up in a bad mood.

You wake up grumpy.

So let's say you wake up, you go in the

kitchen, and your wife your husband says, Oh hi honey, how are you?

Would you like some coffee?

What do you want for breakfast?

And you're grumpy.

Ah, I don't care.

Where's my phone?

And you're being grumpy.

Well, then your wife or husband can say, Well, someone woke up on

the wrong side of the bed.

And that's just to let you know you're being grumpy.

To wing something.

When you wing something, you perform a speech or presentation without planning in advance.

So you definitely don't want to wing your IELTS exam, right?

To make a mountain out of a molehill.

A molehill is really small.

A mountain is really big.

So it's when you take a minor problem or

issue and you make it seem really serious or severe.

So let's say you got one question wrong

on a test and you're acting like it's extremely serious.

Someone could say, don't make a mountain

out of a molehill.

They're letting you know, it's really not that bad.

To be at a crossroads.

This is when you have to make a really important decision that could impact your life.

Let's say you've been a graphic designer for 10 years, but you're considering going back

to school

and changing careers and becoming a lawyer or a teacher.

So you might say, I'm not sure

if I want to be a graphic designer anymore.

I'm at a crossroads.

Because that decision

will impact your life.

To rain cats and dogs.

This is when it rains heavily.

So let's say your friend

in a different city asks you, Oh, did it rain last night?

And it did.

It rains heavily.

You can say,

yeah, it rained cats and dogs!

To be on top of the world.

This is when you're really really happy.

So

let's say you got a new promotion.

You can say, I'm on top of the world!

To give someone the cold

shoulder.

This is when you ignore someone, and you ignore someone on purpose, usually because

you're mad at them or annoyed with them.

They did something wrong or something to irritate you.

So let's say your husband or your wife is ignoring you.

You might say, why are you giving me the cold

shoulder?

It's another way of asking, why are you mad at me?

What did I do wrong?

Why are

you giving me the cold shoulder?

To sit on the fence.

This is when you delay making a decision,

usually because that decision is difficult.

And you don't want to make it.

For example,

I asked my boss for a promotion, but he's sitting on the fence.

So he won't answer me.

He won't say

yes, he won't say no.

He keeps just saying, oh I need to think about it.

I'll get back to you.

He's sitting on the fence.

To hit the nail on the head.

This is when you

accurately explain a problem or a situation.

For example, you hit the nail on the head

when you said we needed to reduce our costs.

So you explain the situation accurately.

To

be as fit as a fiddle.

This simply means you feel great, you have good health, you're in good shape.

So maybe you can say, since I changed my diet and I'm eating more fruits and vegetables,

I feel as fit as a fiddle.

This is a great one, to get something out of your system.

This is when you do something or you try something simply so you can move on.

For example, let's say

you've been talking about going skydiving for years.

And years.

You research it.

You look at

different website.

You talk to people about it.

But you've never actually done it.

Someone might

say, just go skydiving so you can get it out of your system.

So once you do it, you can stop

researching it.

Stop looking it up.

And just move on already.

I like this one.

Speak of the devil.

Speak of the devil.

This sounds negative, because of devil, but it's not at all.

This

is used when you're talking about someone and they appear exactly as you're talking

about them.

This has happened right?

Let's say you're talking to a friend about your mutual friend,

Bob.

And you're talking about Bob.

Oh, is Bob going to come to the party?

Oh, I'm not sure,

I haven't talked to Bob.

And then your phone rings and guess what, it's Bob!

And then you can say,

speak of the devil.

To give someone the benefit of the doubt.

This is when you trust someone

when they tell you something.

So if a coworker is late and they call you and they say, I'm stuck in

traffic.

Let's give him the benefit of the doubt.

Let's trust that he's actually stuck in traffic.

No pain, no gain.

This is a classic one.

This is used to say that if you want results,

real results, you have to be willing to work hard and get uncomfortable.

So I might say,

if you want to improve your public speaking skills, no pain, no gain.

You have to be

willing to get uncomfortable.

Hang in there.

This is a great one.

It simply means, don't

give up.

I know learning a language is hard, but hang in there!

A penny for your thoughts.

This is used to ask someone what they're thinking.

So let's say your friend is just staring out the

window and you probably are wondering what are they thinking about.

You can turn to your friend

and say, a penny for your thoughts.

It's not rocket science.

Rocket science is complicated,

right?

But if we say it's not rocket science, this means it's not complicated.

So I could say,

becoming a confident English speaker is not rocket science.

It's not complicated.

You just have to

practice speaking!

To let someone off the hook.

This is a great one because it means that you

don't punish someone for a mistake or a wrong doing.

So your boss could say,

I know you came in late today, but I'm going to let you off the hook.

I'm not going to punish you.

To make a long story short.

This is when you take a long and usually complicated story.

And you make it very simple by sharing it briefly.

So you can say long story short,

we missed our flight.

So there's a long story about why you missed your flight.

But you don't want to explain those details.

You just say, long story short, we missed our flight.

Easy does it.

Easy does it.

This is a way of saying, slow down.

So if your friend

is at the gym and they're trying to do too many exercises with too much weight,

you might say, easy does it.

Slow down.

To go back to the drawing board.

This is when you need

to start over and create a new plan or strategy because the first one failed.

So let's say you

were trying to solve a computer problem.

You came up with a strategy.

It didn't work.

And then you

can say to your team.

Well, let's go back to the drawing board and try again.

Once in a blue moon.

This is an event that happens infrequently.

For example, I only see Cara once in a blue moon,

not very often.

At the drop of a hat.

This is a great one because it means without hesitation or

instantly.

For example, call me if you need anything and I'll be there at the drop of a hat.

It means I'll come instantly if you need anything.

So it's a really nice, reassuring thing to say to

someone.

To add insult to injury.

This is when you take a bad situation and it becomes even worse.

So

let's say you're going out on a first date and your date showed up late.

That's already a bad

situation.

But then to add insult to injury, your date forgot his wallet and you had to pay

for both of you.

To hit the sack.

This means to go to bed.

For example, I'm really tired.

I'm going

to hit the sack.

The balls in your court.

This is used when you need to make the next decision

or the next step.

So I might say, we offered her a great promotion.

So now the balls in her court.

So it's up to her to decide if she's going to accept the promotion or look for another

job,

or do something else.

To be/go barking up the wrong tree.

This is when you look in the

wrong place or you accuse the wrong person.

For example, if you think I lost your ring,

you're barking up the wrong tree.

You're accusing the wrong person.

To get/have

your ducks in a row.

This is when you're well prepared or well organized for something specific.

So you might say, the conference was supposed to start 10 minutes ago.

They should have gotten

their ducks in a row.

They should have been organized or prepared.

To get/have the best of

both worlds.

This is when you enjoy the advantages of two very different things at the same time.

She works in the city, but she lives in the country.

She gets the best of both worlds.

The

lion's share.

This is the largest part or most of something.

So you might complain, I did the

lion's share of work on this project.

To be on the ball.

This is when you're performing really well.

Wow, you completed all those reports already.

You're on the ball!

To pull someone's leg.

This is when you're joking with someone.

So we usually use this to reassure someone you're only

joking.

Don't get upset, I'm just pulling your leg.

To pull yourself together.

This is when you

need to calm down, you regain your composure after being really upset or agitated, angry,

annoyed.

And then you calm down.

So I might say, pull yourself together, it was a false

alarm.

So the alarm made you really agitated and I'm telling you to calm down.

So far so good.

This is how you reply when you want to let someone know that everything is okay until

now.

How's the

project going?

So far so good.

To be the last straw.

This is when you have no patience left

for someone's errors or mistakes.

So I might say, this is her fifth time being late this month.

That's the last straw!

No more patience for her mistakes.

Time flies when you're having fun.

This is used to say that you don't notice how long something takes because it's enjoyable.

So you

might look at your watch and say, oh wow, it's 1 am already.

And then someone could reply and say,

yeah, time flies when you're having fun!

To be bent out of shape.

This is used to say

you're upset you're angry.

For example, Janice is bent out of shape because she has to work

late tonight.

To make matters worse.

Matters in this sense means problems.

To make problems worse.

So I might say, I have to work tonight.

And to make matters worse, to make that situation

even worse, I have an early appointment tomorrow.

Don't judge a book by its cover.

You've probably

heard this one.

It means that you shouldn't judge someone or something on appearance.

For example,

let's say I'm hiring people and I say, I'm not going to hire him.

Look at his hair!

And then

my colleague could say, well don't judge a book by its cover.

Look at his resume!

To fall between

two stools.

This is when something fails to achieve two separate objectives.

So let's say

you plan to watch a romantic comedy movie.

That movie is supposed to be romantic and funny at the

same time.

A romantic comedy, two objective.

So you could say, that movie fell between two stools.

It wasn't romantic and it wasn't funny.

To cost an arm and a leg.

This is when something is

exceptionally expensive.

Now airline tickets are usually expensive, but exceptionally expensive,

even more expensive than usual.

I might say, my flight cost an arm and a leg!

To cross a bridge

when you come to it.

This is used to remind someone that you only need to deal with the

situation when it happens.

So your friend might be concerned.

What if I forget all my words

during my IELTS speaking exam!

And then you tell that friend, cross that bridge when you come to

it.

Worry about that problem when it happens.

To cry over spilt milk.

This is used when someone

complains about a problem or a loss from the past.

So let's say I had a party weeks ago,

and now I'm complaining, I can't believe John didn't come to my party.

Well, my friend can say,

don't cry over spilt milk.

It was three weeks ago!

Why are you still talking about it?

Curiosity killed the cat.

This is used to say that being inquisitive or asking a lot of questions

can lead to an unpleasant situation.

So let's say your husband or wife is planning you a surprise

birthday party, and you try to ask a lot of questions.

What are we doing?

Where are we going?

Who is coming?

Then your husband or wife can say, curiosity killed the cat!

Just to remind you,

don't ask so many questions.

To miss the boat.

This is when you lose an opportunity because you

were too slow to take action.

For example, the application deadline was last week.

I missed the

boat.

To be on fire.

This is to perform really well.

Wow, your presentation was amazing.

You

were on fire.

To spill the beans.

This is when you reveal a secret when you shouldn't have revealed a

secret.

So let's say you're planning a surprise party for someone, and then you tell everyone,

don't spill the beans!

Don't reveal the secret.

And finally, to be under the weather.

This is when

you feel unwell, when you feel sick.

Oh, I'm a little under the weather today.

A blessing in disguise.

This is when something a situation seems bad or unlucky at first, but it results in something

positive.

At a later date.

So let's say you get fired from your job.

Obviously that seems bad, maybe even unlucky.

But later on, you get a job that's 10 times better.

It pays better.

You have a better boss that or coworkers the location is better.

Everything about this job is better.

You can say getting fired was a blessing in disguise.

My new job is so much better.

A dime a dozen.

This is used to describe something that is common and not special.

So you can say tech startups in Silicon Valley are a dime a dozen.

They're very common.

They're everywhere and they're not very special.

Everyone's a tech startup in Silicon Valley.

A dime a dozen.

To beat around the bush.

This is when you avoid saying what you mean because it's uncomfortable or awkward.

So let's say you want to end your romantic relationship with your partner.

Your friend could tell you, don't beat around the bush.

Be direct and tell that person you want to break up.

Better late than never.

So let's say you've been working with a company for 10 years.

And you finally got your first promotion after 10 years.

And you're telling your friend this.

And you're a little annoyed because you've been there for 10 years, but your friend could

say, better late than never to remind you that yes, it took 10 years but it's better

than not having a promotion.

Better late than never.

To bite the bullet.

I love this idiom.

This is when you force yourself to do something difficult or unpleasant because it's necessary

or inevitable.

Inevitable means eventually you have to do it so why not bite the bullet and do it now.

For example, just bite the bullet and ask your boss for a promotion.

Break a leg.

This is a very common idiom that we use to say good luck.

Good luck.

Break a leg.

But we especially use this before someone gives a performance, most commonly a theatrical

performance.

But when you're going for a job interview, you are in essence performing.

Or when you're doing your speaking exam for your IELTS, you are performing.

So before your speaking exam your friend your partner could say, break a leg, which means

good block.

To call it a day.

When you call it a day, it means you stop working for that day, usually because time

is up or because you've done enough work for that day and you're going to stop.

For example, it's getting late.

Let's call it a day.

Let's call it a day.

So that means you can go home.

To cut somebody some slack.

So let's say there's this co worker who has been showing up late to work every day and

not doing a very good job at work.

They seem very distracted.

They're not working very hard.

They're not contributing.

But that person's dad just died.

So you might say, let's cut him some slack.

His dad just died.

So you're not going to punish him as severely as you normally would.

To be glad to see the back of.

This means that you're happy that somebody has left because you don't like them.

So let's say it's Jane's last day at work, she quit, she has a new job, but you didn't

like Jane, you can say, I'm glad to see the back of Jane.

To be the best thing since sliced bread.

This is a compliment used to say that something, usually technology or an invention, is extremely

useful, excellent, or high quality.

So you could give me a compliment and say this YouTube channel is the best thing since

sliced bread.

If you think that's true, then put it in the comments.

There are plenty of fish in the sea.

So let's say your friend went on a date.

And she says, Pierre hasn't called me back and it's been three weeks.

You can encourage your friend by saying don't worry there are plenty of fish in the sea.

Come rain or shine.

This is used to say that an event will take place despite external circumstances.

So let's say tomorrow is a vacation day for you but there was a big project deadline tomorrow.

But you might say, I'm taking the day off tomorrow come rain or shine.

To cut corners.

This is when you do something in the cheapest, easiest or fastest way but by omitting something

or by not following rules.

So you might say we felt pressured to cut corners because of the tight deadline.

To get your act together.

So your parents might say to you or your sibling or someone you know, you're 30 and you still

live at home and you don't have a job.

You need to get your act together.

You need to organize yourself so you can live in an effective and efficient way.

Get your act together.

To break the ice.

This is such an important one because this is used to help people who don't know each

other to feel more comfortable around each other, especially when you're meeting for

the first time.

Let's break the ice by introducing ourselves and sharing something interesting about ourselves.

Clear as mud.

This is used to say that something is very difficult to understand.

So if somebody gave you instructions, but their instructions didn't make any sense at

all, and they asked you, so is everything okay?

Do you understand?

You can say, clear as mud, which tells the person you do not understand at all.

Crystal clear.

Something is very clear and easy to understand.

His instructions were crystal clear.

To rock the boat.

This is when you do or see something that could upset people or cause problems.

Don't rock the boat until the negotiations are done.

So don't say anything that could upset someone or that could cause problems until we sign

the deal.

And then you can cause problems if you want to.

To get out of hand.

This is another way of saying to get out of control, which means you no longer have control

over a situation.

You could say the party got out of hand, which means you were no longer able to control it.

The party got out of hand and some valuables were broken.

A bad apple.

This is used to describe a bad or corrupt person within a group.

You can say there are a few bad apples in the company.

To cut to the chase.

This is where you only talk about the most important point of a subject or topic.

So if you're running out of time in a meeting, you might say, we're running out of time so

I'll cut to the chase.

I'll only say the most important points.

To come in handy.

This is used when something is very useful for a specific purpose.

So if it's pouring rain outside, you might say, an umbrella would come in handy.

And umbrella would be very useful in this particular situation.

To reinvent the wheel.

This is when you waste time trying to recreate something that somebody else has already created.

So let's say you ask your boss, should I create a presentation for the conference?

And your boss suggests using last year's presentation, it's already created.

And your boss can add, don't reinvent the wheel.

So we often use this idiom in the negative.

To go with the flow.

When you go with the flow, it means that you do what other people are doing, or you agree

with the opinion of others, the majority.

So let's say you're having a company dinner, and you originally wanted to have burgers,

but the majority of people say they want pizza.

So you can go with the flow and have pizza instead of burgers, because that's what the

majority wants.

To be skating on thin ice.

This is when you do something that is dangerous or involves risk.

He's skating on thin ice by lying to his wife.

It involves risk.

It's dangerous.

Don't do it.

A silver lining.

This is something positive that comes from something negative.

So the pandemic is negative, right?

But is there anything positive, a silver lining?

Maybe we could say, one silver lining of the pandemic is that it made us realize how important

our relationships are with friends and family.

To have a sweet tooth.

This is somebody who likes eating sweet foods, especially chocolate.

So if people offer me dessert, generally I'll say no because I don't like sweet food.

So I can say, no thank you.

I don't have a sweet tooth, which means I don't really like sweet foods.

To go Dutch.

This is when you agree to share the cost of something, especially a meal.

So let's say you're having dinner with a friend, family member, even a romantic partner and

they say, I'll pay for the meal.

You can say no, no, no, let's go Dutch, which means you're going to divide the cost 50/50.

To make ends meet.

This is when you have just enough money to pay for essential items.

You might say, with food prices increasing, we're barely making ends meet.

To ring a bell.

This is when something, usually a person, a place or information, is familiar to you.

So let's say you're having a conversation with a co worker, and they say oh, have you

met Fred from accounting?

And you're thinking Fred, Fred from accounting, that doesn't ring a bell.

The tip of the iceberg.

This is used to describe a small part of a much bigger problem.

These small local protests are just the tip of the iceberg.

To blow off steam.

This is when you say or do something that helps you release strong feelings or strong

energy, strong emotion.

After our fight, I went for a walk to blow off steam.

So when you were on that walk, you were able to calm down, to release that negative energy.

A piece of cake.

This is something that was extremely easy.

That exam was a piece of cake.

To be out of the woods.

This is when you no longer have a problem or difficulty.

Our profits are increasing but we're not out of the woods yet.

To get over something.

This is when you recover from an illness.

It took me two weeks to get over that cold.

To not be one cup of tea.

This is used to describe a type or category that you don't like.

Thanks for the invite, but camping isn't my cup of tea.

I don't like that category of activity.

To be loaded.

This means to be rich, to have a lot of money.

I just found out my cousin's loaded.

To nip something in the bud.

This is to stop something before it has an opportunity to become established.

We need to nip these rumors in the bud before the employees start worrying.

Out of the blue.

When something happens out of the blue, it happens suddenly and you weren't expecting

it.

My boss gave me a promotion out of the blue.

You weren't expecting it.

How awesome is that?

To keep one's chin up.

This is to remain cheerful in a difficult situation.

Because in difficult situations, we tend to put our chin down.

But when we're happy, we tend to keep our chin up.

For example, I know the economy seems bad, but keep your chin up.

To race against the clock.

This is when you try to finish a task quickly before a specific time.

I raced against the clock to finish the audit and meet the deadline.

To catch somebody off guard.

This is when you surprise somebody by doing something they weren't expecting or weren't

prepared for.

The politician was caught off guard when asked about the scandal.

To be on one' radar.

If something is on your radar, it means you're considering it or thinking about it or aware

of it.

You could say, leaving the company isn't on my radar.

It's not even something I'm considering.

To stab someone in the back.

This is to betray someone, to do something harmful to someone who trusted you.

She told the client she did all the work on the project.

I can't believe she stabbed me in the back like that.

To make a beeline for something.

This is when you move quickly and directly towards something.

So let's say you're at a wedding or a conference and they're about to serve lunch, the buffet

lunch.

Everyone made a beeline for the food.

They went quickly and directly to the food.

To be in hot water.

This is when you're in a situation where you might be criticized or punished.

The politician's in hot water after his comments on gender equality.

To be dressed to the nines.

This is when you're dressed formally, smartly or fashionably.

We dressed to the nines for our wedding anniversary.

So you usually dress to the nines for a special occasion.

To be between a rock and a hard place.

This is when you're in a difficult situation or you have to make a difficult decision.

If I accept the promotion, then I'll have to move abroad and I know Matt, my partner,

won't come with me.

So I either accept the promotion that I really want.

But then I have to lose Matt.

Or I stay with Matt and I don't get a promotion.

Hmm.

I'm between a rock and a hard place.

It's a difficult situation.

It's a difficult decision.

Lo and behold.

This is an expression used to say that something surprising happened.

I was on vacation in Japan, and lo and behold, I saw my childhood sweetheart.

So it's very surprising that I see my childhood sweetheart across the world in a foreign city.

Lo and behold.

And finally, number 50, to let the cat out of the bag.

This is when you accidentally reveal a secret.

So let's say you're planning a surprise party for your wife or husband or friend and they

know about it.

You might say, you know about the party, don't you?

Who let the cat out of the bag?

Who told you?

Who revealed the secret?

Who let the cat out of the bag?

To be on the same page, this is used when all people agree on something and that something

is generally a plan or how to approach something.

For example, before we launch the product, we need to get everybody on the same page.

So we need to make sure that all the different people agree on the plan to launch the product

to sell like hotcakes.

I love this idiom.

This is used when something sells very quickly, easily or in large quantities large amounts.

For example, Her new book sold like hotcakes.

So this is a very good idiom.

So falls through the cracks or to slip through the cracks.

This is used when something is not noticed or something does not have sufficient attention.

And remember, you can use two different verbs fall or through and both have the same meaning

and they're both very common.

For example, I'm sorry, I forgot to send you the report.

It slipped through the cracks.

It fell through the cracks.

So I just didn't notice it.

I didn't pay enough attention to it.

But to be up in arms.

This is a great one as well because we use it when someone is grumpy or angry about something

specific.

For example, Julie is up in arms because we have to stay late tonight.

So Joey is angry or grumpy because of something specific.

We have to stay late tonight she's up in arms fair and square.

This means honestly or according to the rules.

So let's say my team lost a competition.

But we deserve to lose the other team played better than us.

I can say they beat us fair and square.

Honestly, according to the rules.

They won fair and square to be a black sheep.

This is when a member of a group is different from the other members.

And we often use this with family for example, all my cousins are married and have kids except

Tom.

Tom is the black sheep.

He's different from all the other members of the group, in this case family by the skin

of one's teeth.

This means barely or by a very slight margin.

We one by the skin of our teeth.

So we won by only by this much not very much to get under one's skin.

And this is to irritate or upset someone.

For example, I don't know why but Jerry really gets under my skin.

Jerry really irritates me he upsets me to draw the line.

This is when you put a limit on what you will allow or what you will do.

For example, I want to help my sister but I draw the line at lending her money.

So that is what I will not do I will not lend her money that is not allowed, but to give

something a whirl This is a fun one.

It simply means to try something new.

For example, you should give bowling a whirl.

It's really fun.

So if I know you've never gone bowling before, I could say you should try it you should give

it a whirl but to be a fish out of water.

This is used to say that someone is in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable surrounding for

example, I feel like a fish out of water when I go to english meetings because you have

to speak in English and that unfamiliar and uncomfortable you feel like a fish out of

water to go the extra mile this is when you make an extra attempt to achieve something

or do something.

For example, she's a great assistant.

She always goes the extra mile so she does more than she needs to to not see the forest

from the trees.

This is a very popular one.

This is when you're so involved in the small minor details are something that you don't

see the bigger picture you don't see the forest from the individual trees for example, the

project failed because we couldn't see the forest from the trees we lost track of the

bigger picture straight from the horse's mouth.

This is when you get information directly from the source of that information.

I heard straight from the horse's mouth that we're not getting bonuses this year to cry

wolf this is when you call for help.

But you don't actually need help.

So in the future, nobody will assist you because you lied about needing help.

For example, I'm not surprised nobody responded to her email.

She always cries Wolf.

So she always asked for help when she doesn't need it.

But then one day she does need help and nobody will help her because she cries wolf to have

bigger fish to fry.

This is when you have other more important matters to deal with.

For example, can you attend my meeting this afternoon?

I have bigger fish to fry.

So I have a meeting that's dealing with more important things then this other meeting.

So play devil's advocate this is when you argue against something even if you think

the opposite.

Simply to address all sides of a situation.

For example, it would be great to get a promotion but to play devil's advocate, it would mean

longer hours.

So you actually want the promotion but you're going to examine the other side just to be

complete to steal one's thunder.

This is a very popular one.

This is to prevent someone from getting the recognition, praise or success that they deserve.

And you do that by saying exactly what that person was going to say.

For example, she announced her engagement at my engagement party.

She's stole my thunder.

So I should have received the praise the congratulations on my engagement party.

But she announced her engagement.

So now everybody is congratulating her.

She stole my thunder to rain on one's parade.

This is to spoil someone's pleasure or a special moment.

Let's say my friend is very happy because she got an A on the exam.

I could say I hate to rain on your parade.

But everyone got an A. So I'm spoiling her pleasure by saying that everybody got the

exact same grade to be a cakewalk a cakewalk.

This is when something is very easy or effortless.

For example, learning English is a cakewalk, right, would you agree to take a rain check?

This is when you decline an invitation by suggesting you'll accept that invitation at

a future time.

So not now.

But later.

Let's say somebody invites me to lunch today, but I'm very busy.

I could say I'd love to have lunch, but I need to take a rain check.

Which means not today, but later to go on a wild goose chase or to be on a wild goose

chase.

You can use either verbs go or be this is when you're looking for something specific

but it's a complete waste of time because that's something specific doesn't exist.

For example, After hiking for five hours, we realized we were on a wild goose chase

because the waterfall doesn't exist.

So we were looking for a specific waterfall, but on the trail we were on.

There is no waterfall.

The waterfall is at a completely different location.

So we were on a wild goose chase because we're looking for something that doesn't exist to

twist someone's arm.

This is when you persuade someone to do something that they don't want to do.

For example, I didn't want to go to the party, but Sarah twisted my arm.

So Sarah persuaded me convinced me to go to the party to face the music.

This is when you accept criticism or punishment for something you did do.

For example, I missed the deadline.

So now it's time to face the music.

Now I have to meet with my boss.

We both know I missed the deadline.

It was wrong.

So I am going to be punished and I deserve it.

It's time to face the music to hit the books.

This means to study or do homework.

For example, I can't go to the party tonight.

I need to hit the books to turn a deaf ear.

This is when you ignore someone when they complain or they ask for help.

For example, I asked Maria to extend the deadline, but she turned a deaf ear.

So when I asked her to extend the deadline I was asking her to help me but she ignored

me she turned a deaf ear to break the bank.

This means to cause financial ruin.

For example, this vacation costs $5,000 It's expensive, but it won't break the bank.

It won't cause financial ruin to jump the gun.

This is when you do something too soon without thinking about it carefully.

For example, the company jumped the gun when they canceled the conference.

So they made that decision to sue they should have thought about it more took more time

and then decided to read between the lines.

This is when you trying to understand somebody's real feelings or intentions based on what

they said or they wrote, For example, She said she's happy.

But if you read between the lines, it's obvious she's upset.

So you're trying to interpret what she's saying to really understand how she feels through

thick and thin.

This is when you support someone or stay with someone even when there are problems or difficulties.

For example, a true friend will be there through thick and thin.

If there are problems or difficulties a true friend will be there to go back to square

one.

This is to start working on a plan from the beginning because your previous attempt failed.

For example, the board didn't approve our plan.

So we have to go back to square one we have to start again from the beginning from scratch.

This is from the very beginning for example, I started this YouTube channel for example,

my family started this business from scratch.

So when we started there was nothing we did everything ourselves from scratch to shoot

oneself in the foot this is when you say or do something that could cause problems for

you.

For example, I shot myself in the foot when I agreed to stay late tonight.

So I said yes when my boss asked me to stay late, but it's my cousin's birthday.

So now I can't go to their party or I'm going to be late and I'm going to be in trouble.

I shot myself in the foot right off the bat.

This means at the very beginning or immediately, for example, you can expect to feel confident

speaking right off the bat.

So immediately at the very beginning when you first start that right off the bat, you

can't expect to feel confident right off the bat in the bag.

This is when something is certain to be one achieved or attained.

For example, Jane has the promotion in the bag.

So even though they haven't formally announced that Jane has the promotion, it's certain

that is hers.

She has it in the bag.

Hot air.

This is a great one.

This is when something is not sincere and will not have practical results.

For example, the advertisement claimed I would lose 20 pounds in 20 days, but it was hot

air.

It was not true.

To follow in someone's footsteps.

This is when you do the same thing that someone else previously did.

And then someone else is usually a family member a friend or a mentor.

For example, She followed in her father's footsteps and became an engineer.

This means that her father is also an engineer to call a spade a spade.

This is when you tell the truth about something, even if the truth is not pleasant and not

polite.

For example, let's call a spade a spade this company discriminates against women.

So that's not a very polite thing to say.

But it's the truth to be in the same boat.

This is when you're in the same situation as someone else and that situation is difficult.

For example, we both lost money in the stock market.

We're in the same boat to pick someone's brain.

This is when someone has a lot of information on a subject or topic and you ask them to

share that information or you ask them for their opinion you pick their brain.

For example, I'd love to buy you coffee and pick your brain sometime.

Which means I love to buy you coffee and find out what you know ask you questions about

what you know or get your opinion on a specific topic based on your knowledge to bounce an

idea off someone.

This is when you share an idea to get feedback on that idea.

For example, can I bounce a few ideas off you before the meeting today?

The devils in the details this is used when something seems simple, but the details are

complicated and could cause problems.

For example, the contract is only one page which seems simple, but the devils in the

details so in that one page, there's a lot of complicated information that could cause

problems but don't pot calling the kettle black this is used to say that someone shouldn't

criticize someone else for a fault that they have in themselves.

Let's say Jack is always late.

And I get to our meeting five minutes late and Jack gets mad at me for being late but

he is always late.

So I could say I can't believe Jack was mad because I was five minutes late.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black to take a backseat.

This is when you choose to not have responsibility in a organization or an activity.

For example, my team is organizing a conference but I'm taking a backseat.

I'm not going to be responsible for the conference to be up for grabs.

This is a great one it's used when something is available and ready to be won or taken.

For example, do you know is Sue's office is up for grabs?

So Sue's office is now empty.

Maybe she left the company or she changed offices.

So is her office ready and available?

Is it up for grabs?

To put something on ice this is when you delay something or you reserve something for future

use.

Let's put a conference on ice until the summer to bite off more than you can chew.

This is when you try to do something that is too difficult for you.

For example, we took on three projects this month.

I think we bit off more than we can chew so three projects is too difficult for us to

throw caution to the wind.

This is when you do something without worrying about the risk or the negative consequences.

For example, I wasn't happy at my job so I threw caution to the wind and I quit.

So I didn't think about the negative consequences.

When I made that decision.

I threw caution to the wind across to bear this is an unpleasant or painful situation

or person that you have to accent even though it's very difficult for you to do so.

For example, I lost our company's biggest client and that's my cross to bear.

So that's a very painful situation knowing that I was personally responsible for this

loss.

But that's my cross to bear.

I have to accept it and deal with that even though it is painful.

And finally to keep one's eye on something or someone.

This is when you watch something or you take care of something or someone.

For example, will you keep an eye on the project while I'm at the conference?

Will you take care of the project will you watch the project while I'm at the conference?

Now I want you to keep improving your English with this lesson.

And if you haven't already, make sure you go to my website and get this free speaking

guide to help you speak English fluently and confidently.

You can click the link right here.

So get started with your next lesson right now.