ENGLISH IDIOMS
1. Hit the books:
Literally, hit the books means to physically hit, punch or slap your reading books. However, this is a commonly used expression among students, especially American college students who have a lot of studying to do. It simply means “to study,” and is a way of telling your friends that you’re going to study.
It could be for a final exam, a midterm test or even an English exam.
“Sorry but I can’t watch the game with you tonight, I have to hit the books. I have a huge exam next week!”
2.Hit the sack:
Just like the first idiom, the literal meaning of this would be physically hitting or beating a sack (a large bag usually used for carrying things in bulk such as flour, rice or even soil). But actually to hit the sack means to go to bed, and you’d use this to tell your friends or family that you’re really tired, so you’re going to sleep.
Instead of saying hit the sack you can also say hit the hay.
“It’s time for me to hit the sack, I’m so tired.”
3. Twist someone’s arm:
To twist someone’s arm literally means to take a person’s arm and turn it around, which could be really painful if you take it exactly word-for-word. If your arm has been twisted it means that someone has done a great job of convincing you to do something you might not have wanted to to do.
And if you manage to twist someone else’s arm it means that you’re great at convincing them, and they’ve finally agreed to do something after you’ve been begging them.
“Jake, you should really come to the party tonight!”
“You know I can’t, I have to hit the books (study).”
“C’mon, you have to come! It’s going to be so much fun and there are going to be lots of girls there. Please come?”
“Pretty girls? Oh all right, you’ve twisted my arm, I’ll come!”
4. Stab someone in the back :
If we take this idiom literally, we could find ourselves in a whole lot of trouble with the police, as it would mean taking a knife or another sharp object and putting it into a person’s back.
However, as an idiom, to stab someone in the back means to hurt someone who was close to us and trusted us by betraying them secretly and breaking their trust. We call the person who does this a back stabber.
“Did you hear that Sarah stabbed Kate in the back last week?”
“No! I thought they were best friends, what did she do?”
“She told their boss that Kate wasn’t interested in a promotion at work and Sarah got it instead.”
“Wow, that’s the ultimate betrayal! No wonder they’re not friends anymore.”
5.Look like a million dollars/bucks:
Wouldn’t it be great if we really could look like a million dollars? We’d be rich, but that’s not the case. If someone tells you that you look like a million bucks, you should take it as a huge compliment because it means you look absolutely fabulous and really attractive.
While sometimes we use this idiom for guys, it’s more commonly used to compliment females. And while some of your female friends may look beautiful every day, you should save this one for when they’ve really made an effort and it’s a special occasion, like prom or a wedding.
“Wow, Mary, you look like a million dollars/bucks this evening. I love your dress!”
6.Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth:
Someone who comes from a wealthy and successful family.
“John was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His parents bought him everything he wanted and sent him to the best private schools.”
7. To go from rags to riches:
To go from being poor to having a lot of money.
“Actor Jim Carrey went from rags to riches. At one time, he was living in a van, but he continued to work hard and eventually became one of the highest-paid comedians in the world.”
8. Pay an arm and a leg for something:
To pay a lot of money for something. You can also say that something “costs an arm and a leg.”
“The price of chocolate has doubled. I nearly paid an arm and a leg for a small candy bar.”
“Chocolate costs an arm and a leg now.”
9. To have sticky fingers:
To be a thief.
“The manager fired the cashier because he had sticky fingers. He stole more than $200 in a month.”
To give a run for one’s money
To compete with someone at their level and make them really work for their win.
“Joe really gave me a run for my money in the chess tournament. He almost beat me!”
10. To pony up:
To pay for something or settle a debt.
“Pony up and give me the $5 you owe me.”
“I told my roommate Jane to pony up her portion of the rent money.”
11. Break the bank:
To be very expensive.
“Taking a week-long vacation would break the bank. There’s no way I could afford to do it.”
12. Midas touch:
To be able to make money easily. This idiom comes from the story of King Midas, who turned everything he touched into gold.
“Jane really has the Midas touch. Every business she starts becomes very successful.”
13. Receive a kickback:
To receive money illegally/to receive bribes.
“The police chief was arrested after the news reported he was receiving kickbacks from criminals to ignore certain crimes.”
“The traffic cop receives kickbacks for not writing tickets to politicians.”
14. Living hand to mouth:
To live without a lot of money.
“The family has been living hand to mouth ever since their father lost his job.”
15. Make ends meet:
To make the money needed to pay for food and bills.
“I don’t make much from my job as a cashier, but I’m able to make ends meet. I always have enough money for rent and groceries.”
16. Rule of thumbs:
Can thumbs rule or can you literally rule a thumb? If you think about it logically, it means absolutely nothing and makes no sense. However, if you hear someone say as a rule of thumb, they mean that it’s a general unwritten rule for whatever they’re talking about.
These rules of thumb are not based on science or research, and are instead just general principles. For example, there’s no written scientific rule that you must add oil to boiling water when cooking pasta, but it’s a rule of thumb and is practiced by most people so the pasta won’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
“As a rule of thumb you should always pay for your date’s dinner.”
“Why? There’s no rule stating that!”
“Yes, but it’s what all gentlemen do.”
17. A piece of cake:
A piece of cake refers to a task or job that’s easy to complete or accomplish.
“I expected the English test to be difficult but it was a piece of cake.”
18.Cool as a cucumber:
Cucumbers have a refreshing taste and leave you with a cool, calm feeling. So if you’re cool as a cucumber, you’re someone who’s very calm and relaxed.
“My friend is nervous about taking his driving test but I’m cool as a cucumber.”
19. Bring home the bacon:
To bring home the bacon means to make an income or earn a living to support your family.
“Ever since her father was injured, she’s been working two jobs to bring home the bacon.”
20. Eat like a bird:
How much does a bird eat? Not very much, right? So to eat like a bird is to eat very little.
“Don’t trouble yourself cooking such a big meal. I eat like a bird.”
21. Eat like a horse:
Now, a horse is much bigger than a bird. So how much do you think a horse eats? That’s right, to eat like a horse is to eat a large amount of food.
“My mother has to cook a lot of food when my brother comes to visit. He eats like a horse.”
22. Butter [someone] up:
To butter someone up is to please or flatter someone in order to win his or her favor. This separable phrase may be used in the format butter [someone] up or butter up [someone].
“Everyone seems to be trying to butter up the new boss hoping to become her favorite.”
23. A smart cookie:
Here’s an easy one. A smart cookie is an intelligent person.
“It shouldn’t be hard too hard for a smart cookie like you to learn Spanish.”
24. Packed like sardines:
What do you see when you open up a can of sardines? Yes, the fish crammed inside the can. So packed like sardines describes a place or situation that’s very crowded with people (or animals)—for example, a concert hall or sports event.
“Were you at the football game last night? The stadium was packed like sardines.”
25. A bad apple:
Imagine a basket of apples with one rotten apple inside. This picture will help you remember that a bad apple is someone who creates problems or trouble, or is a bad influence on the other people in a group.
“Instead of focusing on college, he spends his time hanging out with bad apples.”
26. Bread and butter:
Bread and butter is a basic food that many of us eat. So the idiom bread and butter refers to a job that makes the money you need to live and afford basic necessities like food, housing, etc.
“Fishing is the bread and butter of the friendly people I met on the island last summer.”
27. A hard nut to crack:
Is it easy to crack open a nut? Not always. Well, a hard nut to crack refers to a person who’s difficult to deal with or to get to know.
“I tried to be friendly with her but I was told she’s a hard nut to crack.”
28. Calm before the storm:
An unusually quiet period before a period of upheaval (problems, chaos).
“The strange quietness in town made her feel peaceful. Little did she know, it was just the calm before the storm.”
29. Chasing rainbows:
Following dreams, trying to do something that can’t be achieved.
“His paintings have neither style nor imagination, but he insists on being a professional painter. He’s always chasing rainbows.”
30. Every cloud has a silver lining:
There’s a good aspect to every bad situation.
“Don’t worry about losing your job. It’ll be okay. Every cloud has a silver lining!
31. Get into deep water:
To be in trouble. Very similar to the idiom in hot water that we discussed above.
“He got into deep water when he borrowed a lot of money from a loan shark.”
32. Go with the flow:
To relax and go along with whatever’s happening.
“Quite often in life, good things happen when you don’t make plans. Just go with the flow and see what happens!”
33. Lost at sea:
To be confused about something or to feel unsure about what to do.
“I am lost at sea with this new system at work. I just can’t understand it.”
34. Make a mountain out of a molehill:
To exaggerate the severity of a situation.
“She shouted at him angrily for being five minutes late, but it really didn’t matter that much. She really made a mountain out of a molehill.”
35. Gain ground:
To become popular, to make progress, to advance.
“As Airbnb gains ground in many cities all over the world, many locals complain that they can no longer find a place to live. Landlords would rather rent their places out to tourists and earn more money.”
36. Walking on air:
Very excited or happy. “Over the moon,” “on cloud nine,” “in seventh heaven” and “in good spirits” are a few more advanced English expressions you can use to talk about happiness.
“She’s been walking on air since she found out that she’s pregnant.”
37. Castle in the sky:
A daydream, a hope, especially for one’s life, that’s unlikely to come true.
“World traveling used to be a castle in the sky for most people a few decades ago, but with cheap flight tickets and the global use of English, many youngsters are living that dream.”
38. Salt of the earth:
Being honest and good.
“My father is the salt of the earth. He works hard and always helps people who are in need.”
39. Bury your head in the sand:
To (try to) avoid a particular situation by pretending that it doesn’t exist.
“Stop burying your head in the sand. You haven’t been happy with him for years, why are you staying together?”
40. Clear as mud:
Not clear at all, not easy to understand.
“He’s a great scientist, but I find his explanation of bacteria and microbes as clear as mud.”
41. As cold as stone:
Being very cold and unemotional.
“In the Victorian times, many women were told to suppress their feelings and, thus, appeared as cold as stone.”
42. Not one’s cup of tea:
If something is not your cup of tea, it’s an activity you have no interest in, don’t enjoy or don’t do well in.
“Camping is really not my cup of tea so I’m going to visit my friend in New York instead.”
42. Nip something in the bud:
To stop a bad situation from becoming worse by taking action at an early stage of its development.
“When the kid shows the first signs of misbehaving, you should nip that bad behavior in the bud.”
