Idioms in English
An idiom is an expression or phrase that has a different meaning from the literal meaning of the idiom’s individual words. In other words, we can’t understand the meaning of idioms by translating every single words. For instance, If someone says “they spilled the beans“, it means that they revealed a secret. If you don’t know the definition of that idiom, you can’t understand what’s going on when you’re talking to someone.
Idioms are an important part of everyday English and are commonly used by native speakers. Let’s learn some of those with TV Series and movies. You can find the video below.
Idioms with Examples and Meaning
Hit the books
Definition; to study very hard
– I have an exam tomorrow, I need to hit the books.
Couch potato
Definition; someone who spends a lot of time sitting and watching TV
– Stop being a couch potato! You should spend time with your friends.
Cut to the chase
Definition; to talk about or deal with the most important part of something
– Can you cut to the chase and tell me what you want?
Face the music
Definition; to accept criticism or punishment for something you have done
– Sooner or later, you’re going to face the music.
In a nutshell
Definition; it’s used for saying that you are going to express something in a short clear way.
– In a nutshell, John and I broke up.
On thin ice
Definition; if someone is on thin ice, they are in a risky position.
– Don’t be late again, Lucas! You’re on thin ice.
Be all ears
Definition; to be very keen to hear about something
– A: I’ve got some good news for you.
B: I’m all ears.
A dime a dozen
Definition; very common and not valuable
– Low paying jobs are a dime a dozen in the city centre.
In the same boat
Definition; to be in the same difficult situation as someone else
– We’re all in the same boat. We should help each other.
Not rocket science
Definition; used to say that something is not difficult to do or understand
– You can learn how to drive a car. It’s not rocket science.
Miss the boat
Definition; to lose an opportunity by not taking action quickly enough
– He missed the boat when he didn’t apply for the job in time.
Come in handy
Definition; to be useful in a particular situation
– These boxes will come in handy when we move house.
Speak of the devil
Definition; said when someone you have just been talking about appears unexpectedly
– Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you.
Easy does it
Definition; used to tell someone to do something slowly and carefully
– Easy does it! It’s very fragile.
Fat chance
Definition; used to say that something is very unlikely to happen
– Fat chance I’ll go to the party tonight. I should study for the exam.
