English 1123
Idiomatic Expressions
Idioms About Life and Experience
1. Bite the bullet – To face a difficult situation bravely.
o She decided to bite the bullet and apologize for her mistake.
2. Burn the midnight oil – To work late into the night.
o I had to burn the midnight oil to finish my project on time.
3. Every cloud has a silver lining – There is something good in every bad
situation.
o Losing the job was tough, but every cloud has a silver lining—it
gave me the chance to start my own business.
4. The ball is in your court – It’s your responsibility to take action.
o I’ve given you all the information you need, so the ball is in your
court now.
5. A blessing in disguise – Something good that seemed bad at first.
o Missing the train was a blessing in disguise because I met an old
friend at the station.
Idioms About Emotions
1. Break the ice – To start a conversation in a social setting.
o The teacher told a joke to break the ice on the first day of school.
2. Cry over spilled milk – To waste time worrying about something that
cannot be changed.
o It’s no use crying over spilled milk; let’s focus on fixing the issue
instead.
3. Walking on air – To feel very happy.
o She was walking on air after winning the competition.
4. At the end of your rope – To be very frustrated or upset.
o After dealing with constant delays, she was at the end of her rope.
5. Under the weather – To feel unwell.
o I’m feeling a bit under the weather today, so I’ll stay home and
rest.
Idioms About Success and Failure
1. Hit the nail on the head – To describe exactly what is causing a
situation.
o You hit the nail on the head when you said that communication is
the key to success.
2. Make ends meet – To manage within one’s income.
o It’s difficult to make ends meet with rising prices these days.
3. A piece of cake – Something very easy to do.
o The math problem was a piece of cake for her since she studied
hard.
4. Throw in the towel – To give up.
o He refused to throw in the towel even after multiple setbacks.
5. The last straw – The final problem in a series of difficulties.
o The rude comment was the last straw; she decided to quit her job.
Idioms About Relationships
1. Get along like a house on fire – To become friends very quickly.
o Despite their differences, they got along like a house on fire.
2. A shoulder to cry on – Someone who is empathetic and supportive.
o Whenever I have a tough time, my best friend is always a shoulder
to cry on.
3. See eye to eye – To agree with someone.
o They rarely see eye to eye on political matters.
4. Bury the hatchet – To make peace with someone.
o After years of rivalry, the two brothers finally decided to bury the
hatchet.
5. Break someone’s heart – To deeply hurt someone emotionally.
o It broke his heart when she decided to move away.
Idioms About Time
1. In the nick of time – Just in time.
o We caught the train in the nick of time before it departed.
2. Time flies – Time passes very quickly.
o Time flies when you’re having fun with friends.
3. Behind the times – Old-fashioned.
o His ideas about education are behind the times and need to be
updated.
4. Call it a day – To stop working for the day.
o We’ve done enough work; let’s call it a day.
5. Once in a blue moon – Something that happens very rarely.
o I visit my grandparents once in a blue moon because they live far
away.
Idioms About Work and School
1. Burning the candle at both ends – To overwork oneself.
o She’s burning the candle at both ends to prepare for her exams.
2. Hit the books – To study hard.
o With exams around the corner, he needs to hit the books soon.
3. Go the extra mile – To make more effort than is required.
o The team went the extra mile to ensure the project was completed
ahead of schedule.
4. Learn the ropes – To learn how to do a job or task.
o It took him a few weeks to learn the ropes at his new job.
5. A tough nut to crack – A difficult problem or person.
o The mystery of the missing jewels was a tough nut to crack.
