English Idioms – Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering 50 common English idioms and their meanings.

Think outside the box

To think creatively and in an unconventional way.

Back to the drawing board

To return to the planning stage and start again after a failure.

Touch base

To make brief contact or check in with someone.

Get the ball rolling

To start an activity or process.

Cut corners

To save time, effort, or money by doing something in a cheaper or easier but less thorough way.

In the loop

Kept informed and up to date.

Hit the ground running

To begin a task energetically and effectively from the start.

Up in the air

Unsettled or undecided.

Raise the bar

To increase standards or expectations.

Call it a day

To stop working for the time being.

Think on your feet

To make quick, effective decisions without preparation.

Go the extra mile

To do more than what is required.

Put all your eggs in one basket

To risk everything on a single plan or opportunity.

Game plan

A strategy or course of action.

By the book

Strictly according to rules or procedures.

Red tape

Excessive bureaucratic procedures and regulations.

Take the bull by the horns

To confront a difficult situation boldly.

In a nutshell

In very brief form; concisely.

Pull the plug

To stop funding or bring an activity to an end.

Bite off more than you can chew

To take on a task that is too big or difficult.

Take it with a grain of salt

To view something skeptically or with caution.

On the same page

Having a shared understanding or being in agreement.

Jump the gun

To start too early or act prematurely.

It’s not rocket science

It is easy to understand.

Climb the corporate ladder

To advance in one’s career within a company.

Burn the candle at both ends

To work excessively hard and late.

Throw someone under the bus

To blame or sacrifice someone to protect oneself.

Eleventh hour

The last possible moment.

Kick off

To begin an event, meeting, or project.

Learning curve

The rate or process of learning, often difficult at first.

Break the ice

To ease initial tension and start social interaction.

Hit the nail on the head

To say or do exactly the right thing.

Piece of cake

Something very easy to do.

Let the cat out of the bag

To reveal a secret.

Bite the bullet

To endure something difficult or unpleasant.

Under the weather

Feeling ill or unwell.

Hit the sack

To go to bed.

Cost an arm and a leg

To be extremely expensive.

Once in a blue moon

Very rarely.

Burn the midnight oil

To work late into the night.

The ball is in your court

It is your turn to take action or make a decision.

Let someone off the hook

To release someone from blame or responsibility.

Speak of the devil

Said when the person being talked about unexpectedly appears.

A blessing in disguise

Something that seems bad but turns out to be beneficial.

Pull someone’s leg

To tease or trick someone playfully.

Get cold feet

To become nervous and back out of something.

Throw in the towel

To give up or quit.

In hot water

In trouble or facing difficulties.

See eye to eye

To agree completely.

Kick the bucket

To die.