13 everyday idiomatic phrases / created by masha_english_up

it's not rocket science

you say this when something is not very difficult to understand or do

• just follow the instructions – ~

• making pasta? ~

• honestly, ~ – anyone can do it

• he acts like it's hard, but ~ !

call it a day

to stop working for the day or to decide to stop doing something

• we’ve been at it for hours – let’s ~

• I think we should ~ and go home

• they decided to ~ after ten years of working together

• let’s ~ and get some rest

all set

ready to start or do something

• are you ~ for the trip?

• okay, I’ve packed – I’m ~

• she’s ~ to begin the interview

• are you ~ ?

all over the place

disorganized or spread out in many directions

• your notes are ~ – try to keep them in order

• my thoughts are ~ right now

• his stuff was ~

• her emotions were ~ after the breakup

it is what it is

you say this when you accept a situation, even if it’s not perfect

• I missed the deadline – ~

• we didn’t win, but ~

• life’s tough sometimes. ~

• I don’t like it, but ~

play it by ear

to decide what to do depending on the situation, not planning in advance

• we’ll ~ and see how we feel

• I’m not sure what time we’ll leave – let’s ~

• instead of planning, we’ll ~

• let’s just ~ and not book anything yet

get over it

to stop being upset or angry about something

• I know it was hard, but you have to ~

• she needs time to ~ her breakup

• he’s still upset – he can’t ~

• come on, just ~!

on the same page

to be _____ means to understand and agree with someone

• let’s make sure we’re ~ before we start

• the teacher and I are ~ about the project

• are we ~ about this plan?

• it’s important to be ~ in a team

give someone a heads up

to warn or inform someone in advance

• thanks for ~ing me ~ about the schedule

• could you ~ me ~ if anything changes?

• just ~ me ~ if you're going to be late

• I’ll ~ you ~ before the meeting

get the hang of it

to learn how to do something, especially if it's not easy at first

• it was hard, but I finally ~ (past simple)

• you’ll ~ after some practice

• don’t worry – you’ll ~ soon

• she’s starting to ~ now

figure out

to understand something or find a solution

• I can't ~ how to use this app

• we need to ~ what went wrong

• let’s try to ~ the answer

• did you ~ what it means?

come up with

to think of a plan, idea, or solution

• she ~ a great idea for the party (past simple)

• can you ~ a better name?

• we need to ~ a solution

• try to ~ something new

at the end of the day

used to say what is most important after everything is considered

• ~, we did our best

• money doesn’t matter ~

• ~, it’s your choice

• he may be rude, but ~ he’s good at his job

make do

to manage with what you have, even if it’s not ideal

• we didn’t have enough chairs, so we had to ~ with stools

• I forgot my brush, so I’ll ~ with a comb

• she didn’t have much money, but she could ~

• we’ll have to ~ until we get a new one

out of my depth

in a situation that is too difficult or unfamiliar

• I felt completely ~ in that meeting

• he’s ~ in this advanced class

• she’s great, but she’s ~ with this project

• I’m ~ here – I don’t understand any of it