Useful English phrases and idioms

 

50 useful and interesting English phrases and idioms

Daily Life & Communication

Break the ice – Start a conversation.

Hit the nail on the head – Be exactly right.

Let the cat out of the bag – Reveal a secret.

Spill the beans – Disclose confidential information.

Get something off your chest – Talk about something that’s been bothering you.

In hot water – In trouble.

Bite your tongue – Avoid saying something.

Beat around the bush – Avoid the main topic.

Call it a day – Stop working.

Under the weather – Not feeling well.

Work & Effort

Burning the midnight oil – Working late.

Pull your weight – Do your share of the work.

Back to the drawing board – Start over.

Learn the ropes – Learn how to do a job.

On the same page – Agree or have the same understanding.

A piece of cake – Very easy.

Hit the ground running – Start effectively and immediately.

Think outside the box – Be creative.

Throw in the towel – Give up.

By the book – Follow rules strictly.

Time & Frequency

Once in a blue moon – Rarely.

In the long run – Over a long period.

Around the clock – All day and night.

In the nick of time – Just in time.

Make up for lost time – Do something quickly to compensate for lost time.

Emotions & Personality

A blessing in disguise – Something good that seems bad at first.

Down in the dumps – Feeling sad.

On cloud nine – Extremely happy.

A tough cookie – A strong, resilient person.

Cold feet – Nervousness before a big event.

Decisions & Choices

The ball is in your court – It’s your decision.

Sit on the fence – Not making a decision.

Take it with a grain of salt – Don’t take it too seriously.

Jump to conclusions – Decide something quickly without enough information.

Between a rock and a hard place – Facing a difficult choice.

Money & Value

Cost an arm and a leg – Very expensive.

Tighten your belt – Spend less money.

Money doesn’t grow on trees – Money is limited.

Living hand to mouth – Having just enough to survive.

Pay through the nose – Pay too much for something.

Success & Failure

Rome wasn’t built in a day – Big things take time.

Climb the ladder – Advance in career.

Hit the jackpot – Have great success.

Fall flat – Fail completely.

Make a name for yourself – Become well known or respected.

Other Interesting Idioms

Barking up the wrong tree – Accusing the wrong person or pursuing the wrong idea.

Cry over spilled milk – Complain about something that can’t be changed.

Add fuel to the fire – Make a bad situation worse.

A leopard can’t change its spots – People don’t change easily.

Kill two birds with one stone – Achieve two goals with one activity.