Common English Idioms
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Meaning: What you have is worth more than what you might have later
A penny for your thoughts
Meaning: Tell me what you’re thinking
A penny saved is a penny earned
Meaning: Money you save today you can spend later
A perfect storm
Meaning: the worst possible situation
A picture is worth 1000 words
Meaning: Better to show than tell
Actions speak louder than words
Meaning: Believe what people do and not what they say
Add insult to injury
Meaning: To make a bad situation worse
Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: To be mistaken, to be looking for solutions in the wrong place
Birds of a feather flock together
Meaning: People who are alike are often friends
Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: Take on a project that you cannot finish
Break the ice
Meaning: Make people feel more comfortable
By the skin of your teeth
Meaning: Just barely
Comparing apples to oranges
Meaning: Comparing two things that cannot be compared
Do something at the drop of a hat
Meaning: Do something without having planned beforehand
Don’t cry over spilt milk
Meaning: There’s no reason to complain about something that can’t be fixed
Get a taste of your own medicine
Meaning: Get treated the way you’ve been treating others (negative)
He has bigger fish to fry
Meaning: He has bigger things to take care of than what we are talking about now
Ignorance is bliss
Meaning: You’re better off not knowing
Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: Get two things done with a single action
Look before you leap
Meaning: Take only calculated risks
Play devil’s advocate
Meaning: To argue the opposite, just for the sake of argument
Saving for a rainy day
Meaning: Saving money for later
Take a rain check
Meaning: Postpone a plan
The best thing since sliced bread
Meaning: A really good invention
The elephant in the room
Meaning: The big issue, the problem people are avoiding
There’s a method to his madness
Meaning: He seems crazy but actually he’s clever
Throw caution to the wind
Meaning: Take a risk; To act in a daring way, without forethough
You can’t judge a book by its cover
Meaning: This person or thing may look bad, but it’s good inside
There’s no such thing as a free lunch
Meaning: Nothing is entirely free
The whole nine yards
Meaning: Everything, all the way.
The devil is in the details
Meaning: It looks good from a distance, but when you look closer, there are problems
The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your decision
Spill the beans
Meaning: Reveal a secret; Give away a secret
Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Rarely; The phrase once in a blue moon is an idiomatic expression that means not very often or very rarely.
On thin ice
Meaning: On probation. If you make another mistake, there will be trouble.
It takes one to know one
Meaning: You’re just as bad as I am
He’s a chip off the old block
Meaning: The son is like the father
Go on a wild goose chase
Meaning: To do something pointless
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning: What you’re doing is too risky
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
Meaning: Treat people fairly. Also known as “The Golden Rule”
Add insult to injury
Meaning: To make a bad situation worse
A penny saved is a penny earned
Meaning: Money you save today you can spend later
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Meaning: What you have is worth more than what you might have later
The whole nine yards
Meaning: Everything, all the way.
There are other fish in the sea
Meaning: It’s ok to miss this opportunity. Others will arise.
There’s a method to his madness
Meaning: He seems crazy but actually he’s clever
There’s no such thing as a free lunch
Meaning: Nothing is entirely free
Throw caution to the wind
Meaning: Take a risk; To act in a daring way, without forethough
You can’t have your cake and eat it too
Meaning: You can’t have everything
You can’t judge a book by its cover
Meaning: This person or thing may look bad, but it’s good inside