50 Common English Idioms

Vocabulary flashcards covering 50 common English idioms, each with a concise English definition for exam review and practice.

A blessing in disguise

Something that appears negative at first but turns out to be beneficial.

A dime a dozen

Very common and therefore of little unique value.

As right as rain

In perfect health, especially after being unwell.

Beat around the bush

Avoid addressing a topic directly; speak indirectly.

Bite the bullet

Force yourself to do something difficult or unpleasant that is inevitable.

Break a leg

A way to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance.

By the skin of your teeth

Barely succeed or escape; by a very narrow margin.

Call it a day

Stop working on something because enough has been done or you’re tired.

Can’t cut the mustard

Fail to meet expectations or required standards.

Can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs

Achieving something worthwhile may require sacrifice or upsetting some people.

Come rain or shine

No matter the circumstances; regardless of what happens.

Cut some slack

Be less critical; give someone extra freedom or a break.

Cutting corners

Do something cheaply or quickly at the expense of quality.

Easy does it

Proceed slowly, carefully, or gently.

Fit as a fiddle

Very healthy and in good physical shape.

Get your act together

Organize yourself and start acting more effectively.

Give someone the benefit of the doubt

Trust someone’s word or intentions in the absence of full proof.

Give someone the cold shoulder

Deliberately ignore someone.

Go back to the drawing board

Start over with a new plan after a failure.

Go down in flames

Fail spectacularly or disastrously.

Greatest thing since sliced bread

An excellent or innovative development or product.

Hang in there

Persevere and don’t give up despite difficulties.

Hit the sack

Go to bed; go to sleep.

It’s not rocket science

It’s not complicated; easy to understand.

Jump on the bandwagon

Join a popular trend just because it is fashionable.

Let someone off the hook

Allow someone to avoid blame or responsibility.

Let the cat out of the bag

Reveal a secret unintentionally or prematurely.

Like two peas in a pod

Very similar in appearance or behavior.

Miss the boat

Be too late to take advantage of an opportunity.

No pain, no gain

Hard work or effort is necessary to achieve something worthwhile.

On the ball

Alert, quick to understand and react.

Once in a blue moon

Very rarely.

Pull someone’s leg

Tease or joke with someone.

Pull yourself together

Calm down and regain control of your emotions.

Sit on the fence

Avoid taking sides or making a decision.

So far so good

Things are progressing well up to this point.

Speak of the devil

Used when the person being talked about unexpectedly appears.

Spill the beans

Reveal secret information.

Straight from the horse’s mouth

From the most reliable or direct source.

Take it with a pinch of salt

Regard something with skepticism; don’t take it too seriously.

That’s the last straw

The final problem that makes a situation unbearable.

The ball is in your court

It’s your turn to act or decide.

The best of both worlds

A situation where you can enjoy two desirable advantages at once.

Through thick and thin

With loyalty in both good and bad times.

To get out of shape

Become physically unfit, usually from lack of exercise.

Under the weather

Feeling ill or unwell.

We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it

Deal with a problem when it actually arises, not before.

Wrap your head around something

Understand something difficult or complex.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink

You can give someone an opportunity, but you can’t force them to take it.

You can’t judge a book by its cover

Appearances can be misleading; don’t judge solely by looks.

A blessing in disguise

Something that appears negative at first but turns out to be beneficial.

A dime a dozen

Very common and therefore of little unique value.

As right as rain

In perfect health, especially after being unwell.

Beat around the bush

Avoid addressing a topic directly; speak indirectly.

Bite the bullet

Force yourself to do something difficult or unpleasant that is inevitable.

Break a leg

A way to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance.

By the skin of your teeth

Barely succeed or escape; by a very narrow margin.

Call it a day

Stop working on something because enough has been done or you’re tired.

Can’t cut the mustard

Fail to meet expectations or required standards.

Can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs

Achieving something worthwhile may require sacrifice or upsetting some people.

Come rain or shine

No matter the circumstances; regardless of what happens.

Cut some slack

Be less critical; give someone extra freedom or a break.

Cutting corners

Do something cheaply or quickly at the expense of quality.

Easy does it

Proceed slowly, carefully, or gently.

Fit as a fiddle

Very healthy and in good physical shape.

Get your act together

Organize yourself and start acting more effectively.

Give someone the benefit of the doubt

Trust someone’s word or intentions in the absence of full proof.

Give someone the cold shoulder

Deliberately ignore someone.

Go back to the drawing board

Start over with a new plan after a failure.

Go down in flames

Fail spectacularly or disastrously.

Greatest thing since sliced bread

An excellent or innovative development or product.

Hang in there

Persevere and don’t give up despite difficulties.

Hit the sack

Go to bed; go to sleep.

It’s not rocket science

It’s not complicated; easy to understand.

Jump on the bandwagon

Join a popular trend just because it is fashionable.

Let someone off the hook

Allow someone to avoid blame or responsibility.

Let the cat out of the bag

Reveal a secret unintentionally or prematurely.

Like two peas in a pod

Very similar in appearance or behavior.

Miss the boat

Be too late to take advantage of an opportunity.

No pain, no gain

Hard work or effort is necessary to achieve something worthwhile.

On the ball

Alert, quick to understand and react.

Once in a blue moon

Very rarely.

Pull someone’s leg

Tease or joke with someone.

Pull yourself together

Calm down and regain control of your emotions.

Sit on the fence

Avoid taking sides or making a decision.

So far so good

Things are progressing well up to this point.

Speak of the devil

Used when the person being talked about unexpectedly appears.

Spill the beans

Reveal secret information.

Straight from the horse’s mouth

From the most reliable or direct source.

Take it with a pinch of salt

Regard something with skepticism; don’t take it too seriously.

That’s the last straw

The final problem that makes a situation unbearable.

The ball is in your court

It’s your turn to act or decide.

The best of both worlds

A situation where you can enjoy two desirable advantages at once.

Through thick and thin

With loyalty in both good and bad times.

To get out of shape

Become physically unfit, usually from lack of exercise.

Under the weather

Feeling ill or unwell.

We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it

Deal with a problem when it actually arises, not before.

Wrap your head around something

Understand something difficult or complex.

You can lead a

You can give someone an opportunity, but you can’t force them to take it.