Commonly used Idioms

all in the same boat – when everyone is facing the same challenges
all bark and no bite - when someone is threatening and/or aggressive but not willing to
engage in a fight.
barking up the wrong tree - looking in the wrong place; accusing the wrong person
it’s all Greek to me - meaningless and incomprehensible
the apple of my eye – favorite, dear, beloved
actions speak louder than words - what you do is more significant than what you say.
a dime a dozen – common and easy to get
baker’s dozen - 13
against the clock - in a race with time; in a great hurry to get something done
a hot potato - something that is difficult or dangerous to deal with
A penny for your thoughts! - a way of asking what someone is thinking
to add insult to injury - to further a loss with mockery or indignity; to worsen an
unfavorable situation.
costs an arm and a leg - very expensive or costly; a large amount of money.
at the drop of a hat - without any hesitation; instantly.
back to the drawing board - when an attempt fails and it's time to start all over.
blue in the face – pale from exhaustion
to be blue – depressed, melancholy
out of the blue – from nowhere, from an unexpected source
Break a leg! - Good luck! (A special theatrical way of wishing a performer good luck. Saying
"good luck" is considered by actors to be a jinx.)
the ball is in your court - it is up to you to make the next decision or step
to be glad to see the back of... - be happy when a person leaves.
to beat around the bush - avoiding the main topic; not speaking directly about the issue.
the best of both worlds - all the advantages.
the best thing since sliced bread - a good invention or innovation; a good idea or plan.
to bite off more than you can chew - to take on a task that is way to big.
blood is thicker than water - family ties are closer than other relationships
a blessing in disguise - something good that isn't recognized at first.
to burn the midnight oil - to work late into the night, alluding to the time before electric
lighting.
to be caught between two stools - when someone finds it difficult to choose between two
alternatives.
Cross that bridge when you come to it - deal with a problem if and when it becomes
necessary, not before.
to cry wolf - to raise a false alarm, to ask for assistance when you don't need it
to cry over spilt milk - when you complain about a loss from the past.
Curiosity killed the cat - being inquisitive can lead you into an unpleasant situation.
to cut corners - when something is done badly to save money.
to cut the mustard - to succeed; to come up to expectations; adequate enough to
compete/participate
cut to the chase - focus on what is important; to abandon the preliminaries and deal with the
major points
the Devil's Advocate - to present a counter argument
Don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched - don't make plans for something
that might not happen
Don't give up the day job - you are not very good at something, you could definitely not do
it professionally.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket - do not put all your resources in one possibility.
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth - don't be ungrateful when you receive a gift
Don't judge a book by its covers - you cannot judge the quality or character of someone or
something just by looking at them
Drastic times call for drastic measures - when you are extremely desperate you need to take
drastic actions.
Elvis has left the building - the show has come to an end. It's all over.
Every cloud has a silver lining - be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days.
a far cry from.. - very different from.
to feel a bit under the weather - feeling slightly ill.
to give the benefit of the doubt - to believe someone's statement, without proof.
to be green with envy – to appear jealous, envious
to be on good terms with somebody – to be friendly with someone
to be on pins and needles - to be nervously waiting to see what is going to happen
to be as clean as a whistle – not involved in anything illegal
to be as cool as a cucumber - to be very calm and relaxed, especially in a difficult situation
to be as busy as a bee – very busy or active
to hear it on the grapevine - this idiom means 'to hear rumors' about something or someone.
to get up on the wrong side of the bed – to have a bad day; to be in a bad mood
in the heat of the moment - overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment.
Great minds think alike. – intelligent people think the same way
head over heels (in love) – very much in love
haste makes waste - hurrying will cause you to make mistakes,
hit the nail on the head – do or say exactly the right thing
Hold your horses! – wait a moment
to kick the bucket – to die
It takes two to tango - actions or communications need more than one person
to jump on the bandwagon - to join a popular trend or activity.
to jaywalk – cross the street outside of a marked pedestrian crosswalk
to keep something at bay - to keep something away.
to keep one's chin up - to maintain one's courage and optimism during a period of hardship.
to kill two birds with one stone - to accomplish two different things at the same time.
the last straw - the final problem in a series of problems.
Let sleeping dogs lie - avoid restarting a conflict
to let the cat out of the bag - to share information that was previously concealed
to make a long story short - to come to the point - leave out details
There is method in my madness - strange or crazy actions that appear meaningless but in the
end are done for a good reason
to miss the boat - someone missed his or her chance
not a spark of decency - no manners
someone is not playing with a full deck - someone who lacks intelligence.
to be off one's rocker - crazy, demented, out of one's mind, in a confused state of mind,
senile.
to be on the ball - when someone understands the situation quickly and well.
Once in a blue moon – it happens very rarely.
Out of sight, out of mind - If you do not see someone or something frequently, you will
forget about it.
off the hook - freed from an obligation
off the record - unofficial
off on the wrong foot - starting something (such as a friendship) with negative factors
on the fence (about something) - undecided
on the edge - on the verge of becoming irrational
to be out of the picture – no longer relevant to a situation; departed, dead
a picture paints a thousand words - a visual presentation is far more descriptive than words.
(It’s a) piece of cake - job, task or other activity that is easy or simple.
pull yourself together – be calm and behave normally
to pull someone’s leg - to kid someone; to tease someone
to put wool over other people's eyes- this means to deceive someone into thinking well of
them.
scapegoat - person that is made to bear the blame of others.
to see eye to eye - two (or more people) agree on something.
to sit on the fence - this is used when someone does not want to choose or make a decision.
Speak of the devil! - this expression is used when the person you have just been talking about
arrives.
to steal someone's thunder - to take the credit for something someone else did.
to take it with a grain of salt - not to take what someone says too seriously.
to get a taste of your own medicine - it means that something happens to you, or is done to
you, that you have done to someone else
to tie the knot – to get married
to hear something straight from the horse's mouth - to hear something from the
authoritative source.
the whole nine yards – everything, all of it.
when pigs fly - never
wouldn't be caught dead - would never like to do something
your guess is as good as mine - to have no idea, do not know the answer to a question