30 Idioms You Need to Know & Their Meaning

30 Idioms and Their Meaning

30 idioms you need to know their meaning

What are idioms?

Idioms are words, phrases, or expressions which are commonly used in everyday conversation. They are often metaphorical to make the language more colorful. You can use them to express something more vividly and often more briefly. They serve as an image or mental picture. Remember that idiomatic ex- pressions are mostly used when speaking informally.

Let's now see examples on the use of each idiom:

• a bitter bill:

1. Receiving a high electricity bill in the middle of a heatwave was a bitter pill to swallow.
2. After losing the championship game, the team had to accept the bitter bill of defeat.
3. When the government shutdown caused her to miss a paycheck, the federal worker was left with a bitter bill to pay.
4. Being sued for damages in a car accident was a bitter pill for the driver to swallow.
5. When the company announced massive layoffs, it was a bitter bill for the employees.

• actions speak louder than words:

1. He always says he's going to start exercising, but actions speak louder than words.
2. The teacher's praise for her hard-working students spoke louder than her words of encouragement.
3. His actions during the crisis demonstrated that actions speak louder than words.
4. The company's commitment to reducing their carbon footprint was shown through their actions, not just their words.
5. The athlete's performance on the field spoke louder than his pre-game talk.

• a dime a dozen:

1. These trinkets are a dime a dozen at the tourist shops.
2. In the current job market, it seems like qualified candidates are a dime a dozen.
3. In the city, you can find street performers that are a dime a dozen.
4. Cheap, generic phone cases are a dime a dozen on online marketplaces.
5. She could easily replace her old watch since they were a dime a dozen at the flea market.

• add insult to injury:

1. After the car accident, the other driver blamed her for the collision, adding insult to injury.
2. The company fired her without warning and then gave her a bad reference, adding insult to injury.
3. Not only did she lose her job, but her former boss also accused her of theft, adding insult to injury.
4. The restaurant served her cold food, and then charged her for it, adding insult to injury.
5. She broke her arm right before the family vacation, adding insult to injury.

• all ears:

1. Go ahead and tell me, I'm all ears.
2. When it comes to learning new things, she is always all ears.
3. He is all ears when it comes to listening to advice from his mentor.
4. The detective was all ears when the witness began describing the suspect.
5. She told her best friend everything, confident that she was all ears.

• barking up the wrong tree:

1. She thought the boss was the one to blame for the lost contract, but she was barking up the wrong tree.
2. When he accused his brother of taking his bike, he realized later he had been barking up the wrong tree.
3. The police initially suspected the wrong suspect and were barking up the wrong tree.
4. The investors believed that the new product would generate high profits, but they were barking up the wrong tree.
5. The journalist thought the politician was lying, but he was barking up the wrong tree.

• beat around the bush:

1. Instead of directly telling her the bad news, the boss beat around the bush.
2. She didn't want to hurt her friend's feelings, so she beat around the bush when declining the invitation.
3. The salesman beat around the bush instead of directly answering the customer's question.
4. Instead of asking for a raise directly, the employee beat around the bush during their performance review.
5. When he didn't know the answer to her question, he beat around the bush and avoided admitting it.

• bed of roses:

1. Being a student is not a bed of roses, despite what some people might think.
2. Starting a new business is not a bed of roses, and requires a lot of hard work.
3. The actress discovered that being in the public eye is not a bed of roses, as it comes with intense scrutiny and criticism.
4. Marriage is not always a bed of roses, and requires a lot of compromise and communication.
5. Even with her wealth and success, the singer's life was not a bed of roses, as she struggled with mental health issues.

• best of both worlds:

1. Living in the suburbs offers the best of both worlds: a quiet lifestyle, but with access to the city.
2. Getting a job that combines her love of art and business would be the best of both worlds.
3. Being bilingual allows her to communicate with more people, giving her the best of both worlds.
4. Having a partner who is supportive and also challenges her intellectually is the best of both worlds.
5. Going to college in her hometown allowed her to have the best of both worlds: a sense of familiarity and a new college experience.

• bite off more than you can chew:

1. She signed up for too many classes and realized she had bitten off more than she could chew.
2. When the chef took on catering a large wedding, she soon realized she had bitten off more than she could chew.
3. He agreed to help with the charity event, but soon discovered he had bitten off more than he could chew.
4. Starting a new business requires a lot of time and effort, and she realized she had bitten off more than she could chew.
5. When he took on a challenging project at work, he quickly discovered he had bitten off more than he could chew.

• call it a day:

1. We've been working on this project for hours, let's call it a day and pick it up tomorrow.
2. After several failed attempts, the team decided to call it a day and regroup the following day.
3. When the weather turned bad during their hike, they decided to call it a day and return to the cabin.
4. After hours of practicing for the recital, the pianist decided to call it a day and rest her hands.
5. The contractor encountered several issues during the renovation, and decided to call it a day and start fresh in the morning.

• can't judge a book by its cover:

1. Despite his scruffy appearance, he turned out to be a brilliant engineer, proving that you can't judge a book by its cover.
2. The dilapidated building turned out to be a cozy and charming restaurant, showing that you can't judge a book by its cover.
3. Although she was shy and reserved, she had a hidden talent for stand-up comedy, proving that you can't judge a book by its cover.
4. Despite his unimpressive resume, he proved to be a hard worker and quickly moved up in the company, proving that you can't judge a book by its cover.
5. The modest-looking cake turned out to be a work of art, proving that you can't judge a book by its cover.

• cat nap:

1. After a long day of work, she took a cat nap before continuing with her evening plans.
2. Taking a cat nap on the couch helped him recharge before finishing his work.
3. The baby took a cat nap in the stroller during their walk in the park.
4. During the long road trip, they took turns driving and taking cat naps in the car.
5. He closed his eyes for a cat nap on the train before arriving at his destination.

• couch potato:

1. He spent his weekends as a couch potato, binge-watching his favorite TV shows.
2. Instead of going outside, the kids spent their summer as couch potatoes, playing video games.
3. She became a couch potato during her recovery from surgery, watching TV
4. His wife complained that he was becoming a couch potato, as he rarely left the house or exercised.
5. After a long day at work, she turned into a couch potato and spent the evening scrolling through social media.

• cry over spilled milk:

1. Although she made a mistake on the project, she realized there was no use crying over spilled milk, and instead focused on finding a solution.
2. He missed the bus and was late to work, but knew he couldn't cry over spilled milk and had to make the best of the situation.
3. Although they lost the game, the coach encouraged the team not to cry over spilled milk, and to focus on improving for the next game.
4. She spilled coffee on her shirt, but decided not to cry over spilled milk and instead used a stain remover to clean it up.
5. When the cake fell out of the oven, she knew she couldn't cry over spilled milk and had to start over.

• curiosity killed the cat:

1. Although she was curious about the contents of the package, she knew that curiosity killed the cat and left it unopened.
2. He couldn't resist peeking inside the door, even though he knew that curiosity killed the cat.
3. Despite warnings from his friends, he decided to investigate the abandoned building, not realizing that curiosity killed the cat.
4. Although the rumors were tempting, she resisted the urge to gossip, knowing that curiosity killed the cat.
5. After several close calls, she realized that curiosity killed the cat and learned to be more cautious.

• don't put all your eggs in one basket:

1. She invested her money in a variety of stocks, knowing that it's important not to put all your eggs in one basket.
2. He applied to several colleges, knowing that it's risky to put all your eggs in one basket and apply to only one.
3. Instead of relying on one source of income, she started a side business, knowing that it's not wise to put all your eggs in one basket.
4. When planning the vacation, they decided to book several activities instead of relying on one, knowing that it's not wise to put all your eggs in one basket.
5. She decided to keep her options open and apply to several jobs, knowing that it's not wise to put all your eggs in one basket and rely on only one opportunity.

1. have a blast:

1. She had a blast at the concert, singing and dancing along with her favorite songs.
2. He had a blast at the amusement park, trying out all the rides and games.
3. The kids had a blast at the pool, splashing and playing with their friends.
4. She had a blast at the party, meeting new people and having fun conversations.
5. He had a blast on the camping trip, exploring the outdoors and trying new activities.

• hit the road:

1. After packing up the car, they hit the road for their family vacation.
2. She finished her work and hit the road, excited to visit her family for the weekend.
3. After the conference, the team hit the road back to their office.
4. He took a break from work and hit the road for a solo road trip.
5. They woke up early and hit the road to beat the traffic.

• hit the sack/sheets/hay:

1. After a long day at work, she was exhausted and hit the sack early.
2. He stayed up late studying and hit the sheets when he finished.
3. The kids were tired after their playdate and hit the hay early.
4. After the party, they hit the sack to catch up on some sleep.
5. He finished his workout and hit the sheets to relax.

• it takes two to tango:

1. The dispute between the two parties could not be resolved because it takes two to tango.
2. In a relationship, both partners have to make an effort to communicate and compromise because it takes two to tango.
3. When trying to resolve a conflict, it's important to remember that it takes two to tango and both parties have to be willing to work towards a solution.
4. When working on a team project, everyone has to contribute and work together because it takes two to tango.
5. In a negotiation, both parties have to be willing to give and take to reach an agreement because it takes two to tango.

• kill two birds with one stone:

1. By combining their errands, they were able to kill two birds with one stone and save time.
2. He used his commute to listen to audiobooks, effectively killing two birds with one stone.
3. She was able to exercise and catch up on her favorite TV show by working out on the treadmill, killing two birds with one stone.
4. By volunteering at the community center, she was able to meet new people and help the community, killing two birds with one stone.
5. She scheduled a meeting with her boss to discuss her performance and also ask for a raise, killing two birds with one stone.

• miss the boat:

1. He missed the boat on the opportunity to invest in the startup, and regretted it later.
2. She missed the boat on the concert tickets, and was disappointed when they sold out.
3. He missed the boat on the deadline for the scholarship, and had to find another way to pay for college.
4. She missed the boat on the chance to travel abroad, and now had to wait until the next opportunity.
5. He missed the boat on the chance to buy the house, and now had to keep searching for a new one.

• off the hook:

1. After the police found the real culprit, he was off the hook for the crime he didn't commit.
2. She was off the hook for organizing the event, as her colleague took over the responsibility.
3. He was off the hook for the team's loss, as his teammates took responsibility for their mistakes.
4. She was off the hook for making dinner, as her roommate decided to order takeout instead.
5. He was off the hook for the party cleanup, as his friends helped him clean up before leaving.

• pushing up daisies:

1. He didn't want to think about pushing up daisies, so he started to exercise and eat healthier.
2. She reminded him that he would be pushing up daisies if he didn't wear a helmet while riding his bike.
3. He joked that he would be pushing up daisies if he didn't finish his work on time.
4. She made a plan for her retirement, so she wouldn't have to worry about pushing up daisies without financial security.
5. He realized that he needed to take better care of his health, so he wouldn't be pushing up daisies prematurely.

• a picture paints a thousand words:

1. The photograph captured the emotions of the moment perfectly, as a picture paints a thousand words.
2. She used a chart to illustrate the data, as a picture paints a thousand words.
3. The painting depicted the landscape beautifully, as a picture paints a thousand words.
4. He used a map to explain the route, as a picture paints a thousand words.
5. The sculpture conveyed the message effectively, as a picture paints a thousand words.

• piece of cake:

1. The test was a piece of cake, she finished it in 10 minutes.
2. Cooking dinner for 10 people was a piece of cake for her.
3. The project was a piece of cake, he finished it in half the time allotted.
4. Solving the math problem was a piece of cake, she had been practicing it for weeks.
5. The hike was a piece of cake for her, she had been training for months.

• once in a blue moon:

1. She only visits her hometown once in a blue moon.
2. The company offers promotions once in a blue moon.
3. They go out to eat at fancy restaurants once in a blue moon.
4. He takes a day off work once in a blue moon.
5. They only have family reunions once in a blue moon.

• he's/she's a big fish:

1. He's a big fish in the world of finance, having made millions of dollars.
2. She's a big fish in the art world, having her work displayed in major museums.
3. He's a big fish in the tech industry, having founded multiple successful startups.
4. She's a big fish in the fashion industry, having designed outfits for many famous celebrities.
5. He's a big fish in the political world, having served as a senator for many years.

• spill the beans:

1. He accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party, ruining the surprise.
2. She spilled the beans about the company's plans to downsize, causing panic among employees.
3. He didn't mean to spill the beans about the promotion, but he was too excited and couldn't keep it a secret.
4. She was asked to keep the news quiet, but she spilled the beans to her best friend.
5. He didn't realize he was spilling the beans when he mentioned the project in front of his colleagues.

Hungry for more? well, what about 120 Common Phrasal Verbs Frequently Used in Daily English Conversations?