Idioms

A blessing in disguise

Something good that isn’t recognized at first.

A dime a dozen

Something common and of little value.

Beat around the bush

Avoid saying something directly.

Bite the bullet

Face a painful situation with courage.

Break the ice

Start a conversation in a social setting.

Butterflies in your stomach.

Feeling nervous.

Call it a day

Stop working on something.

Cost an arm and a leg

Very expensive.

Cry over spilled milk

Worry about something that can’t be undone.

Cut to the chase

Get to the point.

Devil’s advocate

Someone who argues a point for the sake of discussion.

Don’t judge a book by its cover

Don’t judge someone or something by appearances

Feeling under the weather

Feeling sick.

Hit the nail on the head

Do or say something exactly right.

In the same boat

In the same situation.

Jump on the bandwagon

Join others in doing something trendy.

Kill two birds with one stone

Accomplish two things at once.

Let the cat out of the bag

Reveal a secret.

Miss the boat

Miss an opportunity.

No pain, no gain

Effort is needed to achieve something.

On the ball

Being alert and efficient.

Once in a blue moon

Rarely.

Piece of cake

Very easy.

Put all your eggs in one basket

Rely on one plan or investment.

Rain on someone’s parade

Spoil someone’s plans.

Read between the lines

Understand the hidden meaning.

Sit on the fence

Avoid making a decision.

Speak of the devil

Someone appears after being mentioned.

Steal someone’s thunder

Take credit for someone else’s idea.

Take with a grain of salt

Don’t take something too seriously

The ball is in your court

It’s your decision.

The best of both worlds

A situation where you can enjoy two different opportunities

Throw in the towel

Give up.

Time flies when you’re having fun

Time seems to pass quickly when you’re enjoying yourself.

To add insult to injury

To make a bad situation worse.

Under the weather

Feeling sick.

When pigs fly

Something that will never happen.

You can’t judge a book by its cover

Don’t judge things by their appearance.

Your guess is as good as mine

I have no idea.

Zip your lip

Be quiet or stop talking.

Barking up the wrong tree

Pursuing a mistaken or misguided course of action.

Burning the midnight oil

Staying up late to work or study.

Cut corners

Do something the easiest or cheapest way, often sacrificing quality.

Every cloud has a silver lining

There is something good in every bad situation.

Hit the sack

Go to bed.

Let sleeping dogs lie

Avoid interfering in a situation that is currently calm.

Make a mountain out of a molehill

Exaggerate a minor issue.

Put the cart before the horse

Do things in the wrong order.

Throw caution to the wind

Take a risk without worrying about the consequences.