Familiar English Idioms
A little learning is a dangerous thing
Meaning: People who don’t understand something fully are dangerous
A snowball effect
Meaning: Events have momentum and build upon each other
A snowball’s chance in hell
Meaning: No chance at all
A stitch in time saves nine
Meaning: Fix the problem now because it will get worse later
A storm in a teacup
Meaning: A big fuss about a small problem
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Meaning: Apples are good for you
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Meaning: You can prevent a problem with little effort. Fixing it later is harder.
As right as rain
Meaning: Perfect
Bolt from the blue
Meaning: Something that happened without warning
Burn bridges
Meaning: Destroy relationships
Calm before the storm
Meaning: Something bad is coming, but right now it’s calm
Come rain or shine
Meaning: No matter what; Regardless of the weather or circumstances.
Curiosity killed the cat
Meaning: Stop asking questions
Cut the mustard
Meaning: Do a good job
Don’t beat a dead horse
Meaning: Move on, this subject is over
Every dog has his day
Meaning: Everyone gets a chance at least once
Familiarity breeds contempt
Meaning: The better you know someone the less you like him
Fit as a fiddle
Meaning: In good health; to be very healthy and strong.
Fortune favors the bold
Meaning: Take risks
Get a second wind
Meaning: Have more energy after having been tired
Get wind of something
Meaning: Hear news of something secret
Go down in flames
Meaning: Fail spectacularly
Haste makes waste
Meaning: You’ll make mistakes if you rush through something
Have your head in the clouds
Meaning: Not be concentrating
He who laughs last laughs loudest
Meaning: I’ll get you back for what you did
Hear something straight from the horse’s mouth
Meaning: Hear something from the person involved
He’s not playing with a full deck
Meaning: He’s dumb
He’s off his rocker
Meaning: He’s crazy
He’s sitting on the fence
Meaning: He can’t make up his mind
It is a poor workman who blames his tools
Meaning: If you can’t do the job, don’t blame it on others
It is always darkest before the dawn
Meaning: Things are going to get better
It takes two to tango
Meaning: One person alone isn’t responsible. Both people are involved.
Jump on the bandwagon
Meaning: Follow a trend, do what everyone else is doing
Know which way the wind is blowing
Meaning: Understand the situation (usually negative)
Leave no stone unturned
Meaning: Look everywhere
Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: Stop discussing an issue
Like riding a bicycle
Meaning: Something you never forget how to do
Like two peas in a pod
Meaning: They’re always together
Make hay while the sun shines
Meaning: Take advantage of a good situation
On cloud nine
Meaning: Very happy
Once bitten, twice shy
Meaning: You’re more cautious when you’ve been hurt before
Out of the frying pan and into the fire
Meaning: Things are going from bad to worse
Run like the wind
Meaning: Run fast
Shape up or ship out
Meaning: Work better or leave
Snowed under
Meaning: Be extremely busy with work or things to do
That ship has sailed
Meaning: It’s too late
The pot calling the kettle black
Meaning: Someone criticizing someone else he is just as bad
There are clouds on the horizon
Meaning: Trouble is coming
Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
Meaning: People who are morally questionable shouldn’t criticize others
Through thick and thin
Meaning: In good times and in bad times
Time is money
Meaning: Work quickly
Waste not, want not
Meaning: Don’t waste things and you’ll always have enough
We see eye to eye
Meaning: We agree
Weather the storm
Meaning: Go through something difficult
Well begun is half done
Meaning: Getting a good start is important
When it rains it pours
Meaning: Everything is going wrong at once
You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar
Meaning: You’ll get what you want by being nice
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink
Meaning: You can’t force someone to make the right decision
You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs
Meaning: There’s always a cost to doing something