IDIOMS AND EXPRESSIONS

Idioms:

Idioms are a key part of upper-intermediate (B2) and advanced (C1) language use. You should always learn idioms and expressions with the START method to consolidate them.

We have put the idioms into alphabetical order to make them easier to use as a source of reference:

Try putting them into a sentence and using them in REAL CONVERSATIONS on our platform.

A drop in the ocean – A SMALL AMOUNT
Actions speak louder than words – IT IS NOT WHAT YOU SAY, BUT WHAT YOU DO THAT COUNTS

Add insult to injury – TO MAKE A BAD SITUATION EVEN WORSE
All in good time – TO WAIT
Around the corner – TO BE VERY SOON

At the drop of a hat – IMMEDIATELY
Bark up the wrong tree – TO GET THE WRONG PERSON OR WRONG IDEA
Line one´s pockets – EARN LOTS OF MONEY

Be a big fish – TO BE AN IMPORTANT PERSON
Be a bundle of nerves – BE NERVOUS OR ANXIOUS
Be a busy body – TO BE NOSY/ TO GOSSIP ABOUT SOMETHING

Be a cheapskate – TO BE TIGHT/NOT LIKE SPENDING MONEY
Be a couch potato – BE LAZY
Be a drop in the ocean – A SMALL AMOUNT

Be a globetrotter – BE A TRAVELLER OR ENJOY TRAVELLING
Be a go-getter – TO BE AMBITIOUS
Be a know it all – TO THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING

Be a long shot – BE UNREALISTIC
Be a people person – TO BE SOCIABLE
Be a piece of cake – TO BE EASY

Be all ears – LISTEN ATTENTIVELY
Be as easy as pie – TO BE VERY EASY
Be ahead of the pack – TO BE BETTER THAN OTHER PEOPLE

Be an act of God – DUE TO NATURAL FORCES SUCH AS THE WEATHER
Be an item – TO BE A COUPLE
Be at a loose end – HAVE NOTHING TO DO

Be bucketing it down – TO RAIN A LOT
Be down to earth – BE HUMBLE OR REALISTIC
Be for the time being – TO BE FOR NOW/IN THE MEANTIME

Be in the clouds – TO BECOME DISTRACTED
Be in the nick of time – BE JUST IN TIME
Be in the same boat – BE IN THE SAME SITUATION AS SOMEONE ELSE

Be like two peas in a pod – TWO PEOPLE WHO LOOK OR BEHAVE THE SAME
Be on cloud nine – TO BE VERY HAPPY
Be on good terms – TO HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP AFTER A DIFFICULT TIME

Be on the dole – TO BE UNEMPLOYED
Be on the mark – TO BE CORRECT
Be on the same wavelength – TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER

Be one’s bread and butter – THE ONLY SOURCE OF INCOME
Be out of the blue – SOMETHING UNEXPECTED
Be over the moon – TO BE VERY HAPPY

Be pinching pennies – TO NOT HAVE A LOT OF MONEY
Be skint – TO NOT HAVE A LOT OF MONEY
Be tough to swallow – TO BE A DIFFICULT SITUATION TO ACCEPT

Be under someone’s thumb – BE CONTROLLED BY SOMEONE ELSE
Be what the doctor ordered – BE WHAT SOMEONE IS IN NEED OF
Be your flesh and blood – BE RELATED TO YOU/TO BE IN YOUR FAMILY

Before your time – TO BE TOO SOON
Best of both worlds – ENJOY TWO OPPORTUNITIES AT THE SAME TIME
Bird’s eye view – VIEW FROM DIRECTLY ABOVE

Blow a fuse – TO BECOME FURIOUS
Break even – NO PROFIT BUT NO LOSS EITHER
Bury your head in the sand – IGNORE A SITUATION

Come on leaps and bounds – IMPROVE
Come rain or shine – NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS
Copy cat – TO DO THE SAME AS SOMEONE ELSE

Cover all the bases – TO DO A BIT OF EVERYTHING
Cry over spilt milk – COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING THAT ISN´T IMPORTANT
Curiosity killed the cat – TO BE CURIOUS AND GET INTO TROUBLE

Drive (SB) up the wall – ANNOY SOMEONE
Face the facts – TO ACCEPT A REALITY
Fall short – NOT BE ENOUGH

Feel under the weather – FEEL ILL
Fly the nest – LEAVE HOME
For good – PERMANENTLY

Foot the bill – TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING
Gain the upper hand – TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOMETHING
Go halves/50-50 – TO MEET HALFWAY

Get on like a house on fire – TO HAVE A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP
Get one’s fingers burnt – HAVE A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH SOMETHING
Get your heart pumping – TO BECOME ACTIVE

Give someone a hand with sth – TO HELP WITH SOMETHING
Give someone a taste of – SHOW SOMEONE A GLIMPSE OF SOMETHING
Give someone a taste of their own medicine – TREAT SOMEONE IN A BAD WAY

Give the green light – TO GIVE PERMISSION
Go with the flow – GO ALONG WITH
Grin and bear it – ACCEPT A DIFFICULT SITUATION

Have a cat nap – TO SLEEP FOR A SHORT TIME
Have a whale of a time – HAVE A GREAT TIME
Have an eye for – TO BE ABLE TO FIND CERTAIN THINGS WELL

Have butterflies in your stomach – TO BECOME NERVOUS
Have green fingers – BE GOOD AT GROWING PLANTS AND FLOWERS
Have itchy feet – WANT TO MOVE OR TAKE ACTION

Have the gift of the gab – TO BE CONVINCING
Heart in one’s mouth – BE VERY FRIGHTENED
Heart miss a beat – SUDDEN FEELING OF FEAR

Hit the books – TO STUDY A LOT
Hit the road – START A JOURNEY
Hit the roof – GET ANNOYED

Hold one’s breath – WAIT FOR SOMETHING
In a flash – TO DO SOMETHING FAST
In donkey’s years – SINCE A LONG TIME AGO

In the nick of time – TO BE JUST IN TIME
Jump for joy – TO BE EXCITED
Keep a straight face – TO REMAIN SERIOUS

Keep an eye on someone – TO OBSERVE SOMETHING
Keep your hair on – TO REMAIN CALM
Kill two birds with one stone – DO TWO THINGS IN ONE ACTION

Know where your bread is buttered – KNOW WHERE YOUR MONEY COMES FROM
Let off steam – UNWIND
Let off the hook – ESCAPE WITHOUT PUNISHMENT

Let the cat out of the bag – TO REVEAL A SECRET
Line your pockets – TO EARN A LOT OF MONEY (FOR YOURSELF)
Lose track of time – TO NOT KNOW THE TIME

Make something tick – TO MAKE SOMETHING FUNCTION WELL
Make your blood run cold – BE EXTREMELY SCARED
Never look a gift horse in the mouth – NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING FREE

Not be someone’s cup of tea – TO DISLIKE
Not judge a book by its cover – APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING
Once in a blue moon – TO DO SOMETHING RARELY

On the spur of the moment – SUDDENLY
Pig out – TO EAT A LOT
Pull a few strings – TO USE YOUR INFLUENCE TO YOUR OWN ADVANTAGE

Pull an all nighter – TO WORK ALL NIGHT
Pull the plug – TO GIVE UP OR STOP DOING SOMETHING
Pull (someone’s) leg – TO LIE TO SOMEONE

Push up the daisies – BE DEAD
Push yourself – TO MAKE AN EFFORT
Put your feet up – RELAX

Rain cats and dogs – TO RAIN A LOT
Risk life and limb – TO TAKE A HUGE RISK
See eye to eye – TO AGREE

Six of one, half a dozen of the other – TO BE EQUALLY GOOD OR BAD
Smell a rat – TO SENSE SOMETHING IS WRONG
Smell something fishy – TO BE SUSPICIOUS

Spill the beans – TO REVEAL/TELL A SECRET
Suffer a culture shock – TO BE ANXIOUS WHEN IN AN ALIEN CULTURE
Surf the net – USE THE INTERNET

Take five – TAKE A BREAK
Take sth in one’s stride – ACCEPT SOMETHING FOR WHAT IT IS
Take the biscuit – TO BE OUT OF ORDER/UNREASONABLE

Take two to tango – YOU NEED TO COLLABORATE
Take with a pinch of salt – NOT TAKE SOMETHING SERIOUSLY
The powers to be – THE PEOPLE IN CONTROL

Tie the knot – TO GET MARRIED
Touch wood – TO TRY AND HAVE GOOD LUCK
Turn a blind eye – TO NOT TAKE NOTICE OF SOMETHING

When pigs fly – TO RULE SOMETHING OUT/NEVER
With flying colours – TO DO SOMETHING WELL
Work around the clock – TO WORK LONG HOURS

Work like a dog – TO WORK HARD
Work 9-5 OR Work 24/7 – TO WORK LONG HOURS

Download in PDF HERE