50 English Idiom Examples
1. A penny for your thoughts
A way to ask someone what they are thinking about.
A: “A penny for your thoughts.”
B: “I am just thinking about what to eat tonight.”
2. Actions speak louder than words
To say that it is easy to claim you will do something but what you really do is all that matters.
A: “I think that what you are doing is very important.”
B: “Good. But remember that actions speak louder than words. So come and help at
the weekend.”
3. Ball is in your court
To say that it is someone else’s responsibility to make a
decision or do something.
Here is all the information I could find. The ball is in
your court about what to do with it.
4. Beat up
To hit someone and win a fight with them.
They were beaten up by the robbers who broke into the shop.
5. Behind one's back
To do something so that it is hidden from someone and they do not know about it.
She went to see the boss behind my back and told him that she had done all the
work.
6. Bite one's tongue
To not say something that you want to say.
I wanted to tell her to stop complaining and
get on with it, but I bit my tongue.
7. Blood from a stone
Something that is very difficult or very hard to do.
Getting him to pay his bill on time is like
getting blood from a stone.
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50 English Idiom Examples
8. Broken record
To say the same thing many times, or to repeat something even though everyone knows
about it.
My boss is just like a broken record the way he says I have to wash my hands before
making food.
9. Change your mind
To decide to do something different after already having said you will do something else.
A: “Let’s go out tonight.”
B: “I thought you wanted to watch television.”
A: “I did, but I have changed my mind.”
10. Chat him up
To talk with someone you find attractive to try to make them like you.
David has been chatting her up all night but she just looks bored.
11. Come down to earth
To realize what something is really like and see that it is harder or more difficult than you
thought.
After his first day on the job he had to really come down to earth and see that it was
hard work.
12. Cross that bridge when I come to it
To say you will deal with a problem when you need to and not before.
The heating in the house does not work, but we will cross that bridge when we come
to it in the winter.
13. Dead last
To be the very last contestant in a race or completion.
I came in dead last, but at least I completed the marathon.
14. Don't know the first thing about it
To have no knowledge about something.
What happened in the meeting was private and she doesn’t know the first thing
about it as she was not there.
15. Drag your feet
To do something slowly.
She does not want to do that job, so has been dragging her feet all day.
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50 English Idiom Examples
16. Fall flat on my face
To make a mistake.
She fell flat on her face when trying to give the
presentation as it was far too short.
17. Fend for yourself
To have to manage by yourself with no help from
anyone.
When I went to university I had to fend for
myself and cook my own meals.
18. Fight tooth and nail
To use all your strength and ability to achieve
something, or to be in very vicious combat.
I will fight tooth and nail to make sure that I get one of the free donuts that are
delivered on Fridays.
19. From the bottom of my heart
To mean something full and with all your ability.
When I said I loved her I really meant it from the bottom of my heart.
20. Gathering dust
Something that has been left and not used for a long time, or something that has been
forgotten.
Since we got computers the typewriters have been gathering dust.
21. Give a hand
To help someone with something.
Will you please give a hand to Lucy as she
has a lot of work?
22. Have a blast
To have a very good time.
I hope you have a blast when you go out
tonight.
23. Have deep pockets
To be able to afford many expensive things.
He has deep pockets as he often brings lots of snacks for us all to share.
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50 English Idiom Examples
24. Have the final say
To be the person that has the authority to make the final decision.
I think this is a good idea, but Jane has the final say on it.
25. In over your head
To be involved in something that is too difficult for you to finish.
I was in over my head but did not have any option other than continuing.
26. Jig is up
A phrase to say when something that is illegal has been found and is being stopped.
The police office shouted to the criminals that “the jig is up. Come out.”
27. Lick your wounds
To go away and recover from a bad experience or defeat.
He has sat in the corner licking his wounds all afternoon after being told off by the
boss.
28. Look out for number one
To do something so that you will get all the benefit.
You need to look out for number one before helping other people.
29. Money doesn't grow on trees
To say that you should think carefully about spending money as
there is only a limited amount.
I can’t believe you’ve bought more clothes. Money
doesn’t grow on trees.
30. Month of Sundays
A very long time.
I will never be able to do this, not even in a month of
Sundays.
31. Off the beaten track
To be difficult to find, or to be very isolated and remote.
I am going on holiday to a cottage that is off the beaten track, so I should be able to
relax.
32. On the double
To do something quickly, or to say something should be done quickly.
Put your books away and tidy up the classroom. Come-on - quickly - on the double.
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50 English Idiom Examples
33. Point of no return
The time that you can no longer change your mind, or when you have to do what you are
doing now.
This is the point of no return: if we continue the project has to be successful or we
will lose our jobs.
34. Put you in a bad mood
To make you upset, or to make you angary about something.
Every time I have to drive in the big city it puts me in a bad mood.
35. Rack my brain
To think about something very hard, or to try to remember something.
I racked my brain but could not think of any way to fix the problem.
36. Roll out the red carpet
To treat someone as if they were a very important person.
Every time she comes to visit everyone makes it look nice and rolls out the red carpet.
37. Second nature
Something that you find very easy to do.
Playing tennis is like second nature to me as I have been doing it so long.
38. Snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
To win or be successful at the very last moment when it appeared that you would lose or
fail.
The football team never gave up and finally snatched victory from the jaws of defeat
in the last minute.
39. Stand on ceremony
To expect that everything is done in the proper and very formal way.
Please do not stand on ceremony, just get some food to eat and find somewhere to
sit.
40. Taking care of business
A way to say that you are doing what you are required to do.
A: “What have you been doing?”
B: “Oh, just taking care of business.”
41. That'll be the day
To say that you do not believe something will happen.
That’ll be the day, when Andy is early for work.
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50 English Idiom Examples
42. The cart before the horse
To start to do something before all the preparation has been finished.
Sitting down to eat before the food has finished cooking is putting the cart before the
horse.
43. There's one born every minute
A way to say that you think someone did something that was very silly or stupid.
A: “James fell into a hole yesterday. He was looking at his phone and not where he
was going.”
B: “There’s one born every minute.”
44. Till the cows come home
For a long time.
I will have to keep working until the cows come home if I am going to finish this
today.
45. Till you're blue in the face
To have to say the same thing over and over again to
someone without them paying attention to you.
I told her not to do that till I was blue in the
face, but she did it and will now have to clean
up the mess.
46. Tough time of it
To have difficulty doing something, or to experience a
difficult period.
I am having a tough time of it as my wife is ill
and I need to do everything.
47. Turn the air blue
To swear a lot.
He turned the air blue when he hit his thumb by mistake with the hammer.
48. Variety is the spice of life
To say that having different experiences makes life fun and interesting.
I believe that variety is the spice of life, so I tried every type of beer the pub had.
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50 English Idiom Examples
49. Wash your hands of it
To finish something or to give it away so that it is no longer your responsibility.
I gave him the keys for the car and washed my hands of it.
50. Watch your P's and Q's
To tell someone to be polite and to use good manners.
He is very old so you need to watch your P’s and Q’s with him.
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