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The 30 Most Useful Idioms and their Meaning

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Idioms are words, phrases or expressions which are commonly used in everyday conversation.

List of The 30 Most Useful Idioms and their Meaning

1. A bitter pill

Meaning: A situation or information that is in-pleasant but must be accepted

Example: Getting a poor performance review was a bitter pill to swallow, but it made me a better worker.

2. Actions speak louder than words

Meaning: People’s intension can be judged better by what they do than what they say.

Example: You keep saying that you’ll do your fair share of the housework. Remember that actions speak louder than words.

3. A dime a dozen

Meaning: Very common and no particular value

Example: Experts in this field are a dime a dozen.

4. Add insult to injury

Meaning: To act a way that makes a bad or displeasing situation worse

Example: My car barely started this morning, and to add insult to injury, I got a flat tire in the driveway.

5. All ears

Meaning: Listening intently, fully focused or awaiting an explanation

Example: I’m all ears, tell me what happened with you.

6. Barking up the wrong tree

Meaning: Looking in the wrong place, accusing the wrong person

Meaning: If you think I’m the guilty person, you’re barking up the wrong tree.

7. Beat around the bush

Meaning: Avoiding the main issue, not speaking directly about a topic

Example: Don’t beat around the bush—just tell me the truth.

8. Bed of roses

Meaning: An easy, comfortable situation or an easy life

Example: Who said life would be a bed of roses? If I had a million bucks, I would be in a bed of roses.

9. Best of both worlds

Meaning: To get all the advantages of two things at the same time

Example: She works in the city and lives in the country, so she gets the best of both worlds.

10. Bite off more than you can chew

Meaning: To talk a task that is way too big

Example: I bit off more than I could chew when I volunteered to manage three little league teams in one season.

11. Call it a day

Meaning: To declare the end of a task

Example: I’m tired. Let’s call it a day.

12. Can’t judge a book by its cover

Meaning: Cannot judge something primarily on appearance

Example: This report may look dull, but don’t judge a book by its cover

13. Cat nap

Meaning: To have a short, light sleep, a doze

Example:  I’m really tired. I need a cat nap right now!

14. Couch potato

Meaning: A lazy person

Example: The only thing you do all day is watching TV. You’ve become a real couch potato, haven’t you?

15. Cry over spilled milk

Meaning:  When you complain about a loss from the past

Example: Yes, we made a mistake, but there’s no point in crying over spilled milk.

16. Curiosity killed the cat

Meaning: Being inquisitive can lead to an unpleasant situation

Example: I know curiosity killed the cat, but I can’t stop the investigation until I know where the donations are really going.

17. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Meaning: Do not put all your resources in one possibility

Example: relax! Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

18. Have a blast

Meaning: To have a good time or to enjoy

Example: The kids are having a blast running around the beach all day.

19. Hit the road

Meaning: To depart, to start the journey

Example: We better hit the road before traffic gets even worse.

20. Hit the sack/sheets/hay

Meaning: To go to bed

Example: It’s 10 pm. I’m going to hit the hay.

21. It takes two to tango

Meaning: Actions or communications need more than one person

Example: She may want to argue, but it takes two to tango and I won’t stoop to her level.

22. Kill two birds with one stone

Meaning: To accomplish two different things at the same time

Example: John learned the words to his part in the play while peeling potatoes. He was killing two birds with one stone.

23. Miss the boat

Meaning: Someone missed his or her chance

Example: There were tickets available last week, but he missed the boat by waiting till today to try to buy some.

24. Off the hook

Meaning: To escape a situation of responsibility, obligation or (less frequently) danger

Example: I couldn’t get myself off the hook no matter what I tried.

25. Pushing up daisies

Meaning: Euphemism for dying or death

Example: If you talk to me like that again, you’ll be pushing up the daisies!

26. A picture paints a thousand words

Meaning:  A visual image is far more descriptive than words

Example: Wow! She is so elegant! A picture paints a thousand words!

27. Piece of cake

Meaning: A job, task or other activity that is easy or simple

Example: No problem. When you know what you’re doing, it’s a piece of cake.

28. Once in a blue moon

Meaning: Happens very rarely

Example: Once in a blue moon, I buy a fashion magazine, just to see what people are wearing.

29. He/she’s a big fish

Meaning: Being the boss, the leader

Example: I’d rather be a big fish in a small pond than move to New York City and be a nobody!

30. Spill the beans

Meaning: To reveal someone’s secret

Example: There is a surprise party for Heidi on Wednesday. Please don’t spill the beans.

English Idioms | Image

The 30 Most Useful Idioms and their Meaning 1

The 30 Most Useful Idioms and their Meaning 2

ESLBUZZ

Bts

Saturday 10th of June 2023

It was very helpfull!Thanks alot

Rajendra Murmu

Sunday 26th of March 2023

interesting to learn with you

Gospel

Wednesday 1st of March 2023

Wow what a nice process, it is useful and understandable thanks a lot.

Valeena

Thursday 23rd of February 2023

Very helpful to learners 👍

darsh

Tuesday 10th of January 2023

IT IS VERY HELPFUL I ACTUALLY GOT AN A IN MY TEST THANK YOU eslbuss