An idiom is a phrase where the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words, which can make idioms hard for ESL students and learners to understand. Here, we provide a dictionary of 3,590 English idiomatic expressions with definitions.

List of Idioms

"to have one's finger in too many pies" - To be involved in too many things at the same time. (so you can't do any of them well)
"to kill two birds with one stone" - To manage to do two things at the same time.
"a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" - It is better to accept or be content with what one has than to try to get more and risk losing everything.
"come hell or high water " - No matter what happens.
"I've got a bone to pick with you" - People will say this when they want to make a complaint against you. Usually because your actions or words have made them angry or upset.
"don't count your chickens before they hatch" - It means that you should not plan on everything going exactly as you expected until you see the results for yourself.
"beauty is in the eye of the beholder" - This means that different people possess different standards of beauty and that not everyone agrees on who is beautiful and who is not.
"don't look a gift horse in the mouth" - Don't be ungrateful when you receive a gift.
"don't give me that cock and bull story" - An unbelievable tale or story.
"to hit the nail on the head" - When someone completely understands what you have said.

11-20

"loose cannon" - Someone who is unpredictable and can cause damage if not kept in check or watched carefully.
"mum's the word" - To keep something secret. Don't tell anyone.
"sitting on the fence" - A person who doesn't want to make a decision.
"over the top" - To an excessive degree; beyond reasonable or acceptable limits.
"pulling your leg" - Tricking someone, or joking.
"put a sock in it" - To tell someone to be quiet.
"raining cats and dogs" - Raining very heavily.
"saved by the bell" - Saved by a last minute intervention. Saved at the last possible moment.
"the ball is in your court" - It is your turn to make the decision.
"tie the knot" - Get married.

21-30

"to turn a blind eye" - To knowingly refuse to acknowledge something which you know to be real.
"when pigs fly" - Something that will never happen.
"you can't take it with you" - Enjoy life with what you have and don't worry about not having a lot, because once you're dead, money or things are of no use to you then.
"you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink" - This implies that a person will only do what he wants to do.
"cut from the same cloth" - This means that two or more people are very alike or act in a very similar way.
"a chip on your shoulder" - This means to blame other people for something bad that has happened to you and to continue to be angry about it.
"to give someone the cold shoulder" - To behave towards someone in an unfriendly way. Sometimes for reasons that this person does not understand.
"a slap on the wrist" - The punishment did not fit the crime.
"a piece of cake" - Something that is very easy to do.
"a shot in the dark" - An attempt to do something without knowing much about it.

31-40

"once bitten, twice shy" - This means that when you have had a bad experience you are much more careful to avoid similar experiences in the future.
"barking up the wrong tree" - Looking for something in the wrong place.
"all bark and no bite" - When someone talks tough but really isn't. When people threaten to do things that they are not willing or able to do.
"all bets are off" - Agreements that have been made no longer apply.
"air your dirty laundry in public" - To reveal aspects of your private life that should really remain private.
"asleep at the wheel" - They are not doing their job or taking their responsibilities very carefully.
"the lights are on but nobody's home" - Something that you say when you think someone is stupid, or when someone does not react because they are thinking about something else.
"adding salt to the wound" - When you say or do things that make the situation worse or cause people to suffer more.
"a chain is no stronger than its weakest link" - An organization (especially a process or a business) is only as strong or powerful as its weakest person.
"up the creek without a paddle" - To be in a very difficult situation that you are not able to improve or rectify.

41-50

"to farm (something) out" - To have someone else do something, to send something away to have it done.
"give away the farm" - Business managers should not give away information that could damage themselves.
"bought the farm" - To die. He died.
"push the envelope" - To go beyond the limit of what has usually been done or was the accepted standard.
"pay the piper" - To accept the unpleasant results of something you have done.
"lay a guilt trip on" - To make or try to make someone feel guilty.
"a blessing in disguise" - Something good that isn't recognized at first.
"a dime a dozen" - Something that is easy to get.
"a taste of your own medicine" - You are going to do something bad to someone just like they have done to you in order to teach them a good lesson.
"add fuel to the fire" - Whenever something is done to make a bad situation even worse.

51-60

"out of my hands" - There is nothing else you can do because it's out of your control.
"someones hands are tied" - If someone's hands are tied, they are not free to behave in the way that they would like. You are being prevented from doing something.
"win (something) hands down" - To win easily.
"two heads are better than one" - Some problems may be solved more easily by two people working together than by one working alone.
"a drop in a bucket" - Something that isn't very important because it is very small.
"all Greek to me" - Meaningless and incomprehensible like someone who cannot read, speak, or understand any of the Greek language would be.
"beat a dead horse" - To waste time doing something that has already been attempted.
"beat around the bush" - To avoid talking about a difficult or embarrassing subject because you are worried about upsetting the person you are talking to.
"cross your fingers" - To hope that something happens the way you want it to.
"cry over spilt milk" - Cry or complain about something that has already happened and you usually can't change.

61-70

"you can't judge a book by it's cover" - You shouldn't make judgments based only on appearances.
"I could eat a horse" - To say that you could eat a horse means that you are very hungry.
"X marks the spot" - You say this when you find what you have been looking for.
"you are what you eat" - In order to stay healthy you must eat healthy foods.
"practice what you preach" - You shouldn't say one thing and then do another. To behave the way you tell other people to behave
"that's water under the bridge" - Anything from the past that isn't significant or important anymore.
"variety is the spice of life" - The more experiences you try the more exciting you life will be.
"holy cow" or "holy smoke" - What a surprise! That's unbelievable!
"the best of both worlds" - You get the advantages of two different things at the same.
" to go the whole nine yards" - To go the distance. To continue doing something dangerous or difficult until it is finished. To go all the way.

71-80

"there's more than meets the eye" - More interesting or complicated than someone or something appears at first. Part of the story has not been told.
"there's more than one way to skin a cat" - There are many ways to do it, I know another method. There are several possible ways of achieving something.
"caught between a rock and a hard place" - You have to make a difficult decision between two things that are equally unpleasant.
"laughing all the way to the bank" - They have made a lot of money very easily, often because someone else has been stupid.
"taking off the gloves" or "the gloves are off" - People start to argue or fight in a more serious way.
"burn a hole in one's pocket" - Money that someone wants to spend quickly. It applied to people who couldn't control the spending urge.
"dig in your heels" - To refuse to do what other people are trying to persuade you to do, especially to refuse to change your opinions or plans.
"kick up your heels" - To do things that you enjoy.
"to put one's foot down" - To exert your authority to prevent something from happening.
"caught with one's pants down" - You are caught doing something bad or forbidden. Or you are caught unprepared.

81-90

"a stick-in-the-mud" - Someone who has old-fashioned ideas and does not want to try new activities. A person who doesn't like change and wants things to stay the same.
"a doubting Thomas" - A skeptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something.
"a taste of your own medicine" - You do something bad to someone just like they have done to you in order to teach them a lesson.
"bite off more than you can chew" - To take on a task or job that is way too big for you to do.
"break a leg" - 'Break a leg' means to make a strenuous effort. This idiom is also a way of wishing someone good luck. It is usually said to actors for good luck before they go on stage, especially on an opening nights.
"a leopard can't change his spots" - You cannot change who you are.
"actions speak louder than words" - What one does is more important than what one says.
"you could hear a pin drop" - This idiom is used when someone says something and everyone in the room becomes quiet.
"bury the hatchet" - This idiom is used when two people have had a disagreement or a fight and decide to forget about it and become friends again.
"back to the drawing board" - When an attempt fails and it's time to start all over.

91-100

"Bury one's head in the sand" - To avoid reality; ignore the facts of a situation. Refuse to face something by pretending not to see it.
"curiosity killed the cat" - Curiosity can be dangerous. Something that you say in order to warn someone not to ask too many questions about something.
"have one's head screwed on (right)" - Someone who has their head screwed on (right) is a sensible and realistic person.
"blood is thicker than water" - Family relations are more important or stronger than all other relationships.
"close but no cigar" - To be very near and almost accomplish your goal, but then fall short and get nothing for your efforts. Or what they tell you or what they do is nearly correct but not completely.
"Keep one's head above water" - To keep out of difficult financial problems, to stay out of trouble .
"dropping like flies" - If people are dropping like flies, large numbers of them are dying or becoming ill or injured within a short period of time.
"don't put all your eggs in one basket" - Don't risk everything all at once. To risk losing everything by putting all your efforts or all your money into one plan or one course of action.
"run around like a chicken with its head cut off" - To do something in a frenzied manner.
"Rome wasn't built in one day" - All great works take time to finish.

Speakenglish.biz has idioms, list of idioms, and learn American idioms free

100 Most Frequent Idioms

about to (do something)
- to be on the point of doing something

I was about to leave when the phone rang.

according to (someone or something)
- as said or told by someone, in agreement with something, in the order of something, in proportion to something

According to our teacher, there will be no class next week.
We did everything according to the terms of our agreement.

account for (something)
- to provide an explanation or answer for something

The bad weather accounts for the fact that few people came to the meeting.

after all
- considering the fact that something happened, something that is usually assumed

"You don't need to phone him. After all, he never phones you."

all of a sudden
- suddenly, without advance warning

All of a sudden it became cloudy and began to rain.

as a matter of fact
- actually

"As a matter of fact, we have been to the history museum many times."

as far as
- to the extent or degree of something

As far as I know the movie will start in a few minutes.

as for
- with regard to, concerning

"As for me, I think that I will return home now."

as if
- in the same way that something would be, that

The drink tastes as if it were made with orange juice.
It seemed as if the whole town came to the concert.

as long as
- provided that, on condition that

"As long as you promise to be careful you can borrow my car."

as soon as
- just after something, when

I phoned my friend as soon as I finished dinner.

as to
- with regard to, according to

"As to your question, I will answer it tomorrow."
The players were put into groups as to their ability.

as well
- in addition, also, too

I plan to take a computer course this summer as well.

as well as (someone or something)
- in addition to someone or something

"Please bring your swimming suit as well as your towel."

back and forth
- backwards and forwards, first one way and then the other way

The argument went back and forth before the judge made a decision.

better off
- to be in a better situation than before

My friend would be better off if he sold his old car and bought a new one.

break down (something)
- to divide something into parts, to separate something into simpler substances

We tried to break down the problem for further study.
The sugar began to break down soon after it was swallowed.

break up
- to separate, to divide into groups or pieces, to put an end to something

Nobody wanted to break up their groups.
We usually break up into small groups during our class.

by the way
- incidentally

"By the way, could you please bring your laptop computer tomorrow."

carry out (something)
- to put something into action, to accomplish something, to do something

The scientist wanted to carry out several experiments before discussing the new medicine.

come on!
- please, hurry, go faster

"Come on, I only have a few minutes before I must go."
"Come on, stop doing that."

come up
- to happen unexpectedly

I will not be able to go to the party if something else comes up.

come up with (something)
- to produce or find a thought/idea/answer

I tried to come up with a name for the new magazine.

deal with (something)
- to be concerned with something, to take action about something

We will deal with the boxes tomorrow.

end up (doing something or going somewhere)
- to do something that one had not planned to do, to go somewhere one had not planned to go

We ended up going to a restaurant after the movie last night.

figure out (someone or something)
- to try to understand someone or something, to solve something

I finally figured out how to use the new DVD player.

fill in (something)
- to write words in blank spaces

"Please fill in this form and give it to the receptionist."

find out (something)
- to learn or discover something

My mother is angry at me because she found out that I had quit my French class.

first of all
- the very first thing

First of all we prepared the garden and then we planted the seeds.

for good
- permanently

The city will close the public swimming pool for good next week.

for sure
- without doubt, certainly, surely

"I will go to the movie with you for sure next week."

get back to (something)
- to return to something

I was happy to get back to my work after my holiday.

get into (something)
- to become interested or involved in something

I do not want to get into an argument with my friend.
We will get into the details of the plan tomorrow.

get into (somewhere)
- to enter somewhere

My friend wants to get into a good university.
I bumped my head as I was getting into the car.

get out of (somewhere)
- to leave somewhere, to escape from somewhere

I want to hurry and get out of my house.

get rid of (something)
- to give or throw something away, to sell or destroy something, to make a cold or fever disappear

I bought a new television set so I want to get rid of the old one.

get through (something)
- to complete something, to finish something

My friend is having trouble getting through her final exams.
I have much reading that I must get through before tomorrow.

go ahead
- to begin to do something

"Let`s go ahead and start now. We can`t wait any longer."

go on
- to continue

The game will probably go on for an hour after we leave.

go over (something)
- to examine or review something

The accountant will go over the books tomorrow.
We plan to go over that question tomorrow.

go through (something)
- to discuss something, to look at something, to do something

The teacher decided to go through the exercise before the test.

go with (something)
- to choose one thing rather than another

We decided to go with the small rental car rather than the large one.

hang out (somewhere/with someone)
- to spend one`s time with no great purpose, to spend leisure time with friends

Recently my friend has been hanging out with a group of people who are not a good influence on him.

have (something) to do with (something)
- to be about something, to be on the subject of something, to be related to something

"The book has something to do with cooking but I am not sure if you will like it."
That problem has nothing to do with me.

hold on
- to wait a minute, to stop, to wait and not hang up the phone

"Please hold on for a minute while I lock the window."

in a way
- to a certain extent, a little, somewhat

In a way I want to go to the new restaurant but in a way I don`t really care.

in case
- if, if something should happen

I will take my umbrella in case it rains.

in common
- shared together or equally, in use or ownership by all

I had nothing in common with the other members of the class.

in detail
- giving all the details, item by item

The saleswoman explained about the new product in detail.

in effect
- for practical purposes, basically

The man's silence was in effect a way of disagreeing with the other people in the meeting.

in fact
- actually, the truth is

The man has been to China before. In fact he has been there three times.

in favor of (someone or something)
- to approve or support someone or something

Everybody is in favor of the new police chief.
My company is not in favor of changing our holiday schedule.

in general
- in most situations or circumstances

In general, most of the people in our apartment are happy with the new manager.

in order to
- for the purpose of

They have decided to close down the school for the summer in order to do some major repairs.

in other words
- in a different (usually more direct) way

"In other words, if you do not finish the assignment by Wednesday you will not pass the course."

in place
- in the proper place or location

Everything in the room was in place when we arrived for the meeting.

in some ways
- in some unspecified way or manner, by some unspecified means

In some ways I know what my friend means but in some ways I do not.

in terms of (something)
- with regard to something

In terms of our agreement with the other company we were not allowed to sell the products online.

in time
- early enough

I did not come home in time to meet my cousin.

keep (someone or something) in mind
- to remember and think about someone or something

I told my co-workers to keep the new starting time for work in mind.

kind of
- somewhat, more or less, moderately

I was kind of tired when I arrived home last night.

look for (something)
- to try to find something, to hunt/search for something

My friend has been looking for her credit card all morning but she can`t find it.

look up (something)
- to search for something in a dictionary or other book

I will look up my friend's name in the telephone book.
I looked up the word in the dictionary.

make a difference
- to cause a change in a situation

It does not make a difference whether our boss comes to the meeting or not.

make sense
- to seem reasonable

His new proposal really does make sense.

make sure
- to make certain, to establish something without a doubt

I want to make sure that my friend is going to meet me tomorrow.

more or less
- somewhat, to some extent

I more or less have decided to study business next year.

no matter
- regardless

No matter how hard that I try, my piano teacher is never satisfied.

not at all
- certainly not

I am not at all happy with my new computer.

of course
- certainly, definitely, naturally

"Of course you can use my car if you want to."

on the other hand
- however, in contrast, looking at the opposite side of a matter

He is very intelligent but on the other hand he is very lazy and always gets low marks at school.

on time
- at the scheduled time, exactly at the correct time, punctually

Our train arrived exactly on time.

once again
- again, one more time, once more

I tried once again to phone my boss at his home .

open to (something)
- to be agreeable to learn or hear about new ideas or suggestions

Most members of the class were open to the teacher's ideas.

pick up (something)
- to get or receive something

I will pick up my dry cleaning tomorrow.
I picked up a copy of the newspaper at the station.

point out (someone or something)
- to explain or call attention to someone or something

My teacher was very kind when she pointed out the mistakes that I had made.

put out (something)
- to produce or make something (a product/brochure/report/CD/movie/paper)

The company puts out a newsletter every month for the employees.

regardless of (something)
- without considering or thinking about something, without regard to something

Regardless of the weather we are going to go fishing tomorrow morning.

right away
- immediately

"I forgot to bring my book but I will go home and get it right away."

rule out (someone or something)
- to decide against or eliminate someone or something

The police ruled out the man as a possible bank robber.
We decided to rule out Monday as the day to have our meeting.

run into (something - a fact/trouble/problems/difficulty)
- to experience something, to encounter something

The mechanic ran into trouble when he was fixing my car.
I ran into some interesting facts when I was researching my essay.

set up (something)
- to establish something, to provide the money for something

The newspaper company provided the money to set up the new travel magazine.
The company set up a unique situation to test the new product.

show up
- to appear, to arrive, to be present

"What time did your friend show up for the party?"

so far
- until now

So far no one has entered the speech contest at the television station.

so to speak
- as one might or could say, this is one way to say something

We had a good time at the restaurant, so to speak, although the service was not very good.

sort of (something)
- to be almost something, to be similar to something, to be not quite something

"Did you finish cleaning the kitchen?"
"Sort of, but not really."

stick with (something)
- to continue doing something, to not quit something

My brother has been able to stick with his trumpet lessons since he was a child.

take advantage of (someone or something)
- to use someone or something for one's own benefit

We took advantage of the beautiful weather and went to the beach.

take care of (someone or something)
- to look after or give attention to someone or something

You should take care of your health or you will become sick.

take out (something)
- to remove something from somewhere, to extract something

The teacher told us to take out our books.
I took out some onions from the refridgerator.

take over (something)
- to take control of something, to take command of something

The large company wants to take over some of the small companies in our area.

take place
- to happen, to occur

The soccer game took place on the coldest day of the year.

to the extent that
- to the degree that, in so far as

I plan to provide information about the new company policy to the extent that I am familiar with it.

turn in (something)
- to give something to someone, to hand something to someone

I arrived at school early so that I could turn in my essay.

turn out
- to be found or known, to prove to be true

It turned out that more people came to the party than we expected.

up to
- until, as far as a certain point, approaching a certain point

Up to last week I had never been inside a bowling alley.
There were probably up to thirty people at the meeting.

up to (someone) to decide/do (something)
- to be responsible to choose or decide something

It is up to the company president to decide when the meeting will start.

used to
- accustomed to

My friend is not used to living in such a big city.

with respect to (something)
- referring to something, concerning something

I do not know what the company will do with respect to the old computer system.

work out (for the best)
- to end successfully

I hope that everything will work out for my friend when she moves to London next week.

How These Idioms Were Chosen

Which idioms to learn and which to teach is important for both students and teachers. While this decision can be made in a random manner, a better way is to examine a specific body of English material and decide which idioms are the most frequently found. This type of collection of material is called a corpus (the plural for corpus is corpora).

There are many corpora available. These include the Collins Cobuild Corpus in the United Kingdom and the Michigan Corpus of Academic Spoken English (MICASE) in the United States. The MICASE corpus is a collection of recorded speech from the University of Michigan in the United States. The material includes lectures, casual office discussions and study group sessions in various faculties of the university. They are taken from one particular style or purpose of naturally occurring English. Different idioms will be used in a conversation, a novel, a news report or a scientific paper. Any list of idioms will be different depending on the English corpus that is used to compile that list. However, most corpora contain idioms that are common to all corpora and any list that is used will be composed of idioms that are often found in much English language material.

The MICASE corpus is easily available to anyone with Internet access and it is the corpus which was used to produce this list of the 100 Most Frequently Used English Idioms. The idioms that occur in this list of frequently used idioms are the most frequent idioms that are found in an academic setting in the United States.

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Idioms and expressions

                     ♦ In the doghouse

Meaning: 'In the doghouse' means to be in disgrace or disfavour because of something wrong or bad that the person has done.
Example:
- I'm in the doghouse, now. The boss wanted my report this morning, but I haven't finished it yet.

             ♦ Straight from the horse's mouth

Meaning: 'Straight from the horse's mouth' means directly from the person who originally made the statement.
Example:
- Trust me. It comes straight from the horse's mouth. I saw Mrs McKenzie this morning and she told me.

   ♦ Get/have cold feet

Meaning: To 'get or have cold feet' means to be too nervous to do something, especially right before doing it.
Example:
- I hope Mary doesn't get cold feet about singing in public tonight. It's her first time, and she's very nervous.

   ♦ Play it by ear

Meaning: 'Play it by ear' means to decide what to do as you go along, changing to fit the situation.
Example:
- I haven't made any plans for the weekend. I'll just play it by ear and see what happens.

     ♦ Like an eager beaver

Meaning: 'Like an eager beaver' means to be an enthusiastic person who is always ready to work hard or do anything extra to succeed or accomplish something.
Example:
- Bill wants to get promoted, so he's working late, he's such an eager beaver.

English exercise "Idioms and expressions" created by blackknight with The test builder
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1. I got it . He told me himself this morning.
2. At the last minute, Bill and didn't dive off the 10 meter high diving board.
3. John's wife is angry at him because he forgot her birthday. He's now.
4. Jim was going to ask Kay to marry him, but he and decided to wait a little longer.
5. You'll never believe this but it's , we don't have to go to class on Friday.
6. The football team was because they lost the game.
7. Martha worked for hours to catch up on her work, she's .
8. I have vacation soon. I 'll because I haven't enough money to make any plans

Daily expressions

A test again!......... It's impossible to have a rest here...

Wait a minute	Great
I don't think so	Awful
Something wrong?	Terrible
Go ahead, tell me more	Sorry, I apologise
Forget it	I'll miss you
Come back soon	I beg your pardon
Time's up!	I have to go
What a shame!	Can you repeat please?
What a pity!	Let's go!
Have fun	I'm all right
It's up to you	I am sick
By the way	Can we meet in an hour?
Make yourself at home	I'll pick you up at Victoria Station
I am fed up with it	Don't take a taxi, I'll give you a lift
Don't worry	You must be kidding

I suppose we have to do an exercise now...

... Well, I knew we'll have to!

Beginners
English exercise "Daily expressions" created by lucile83 with The test builder
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- Don't stop in the middle of your story! Go , tell me more.
- Well, he told me he was going to leave his job. It is a joke! He must be !
- What a ! He was so good at that job.
- I want to come and see you. Can we in an hour?
- Yes, call me when you arrive at the station. I'll you up.
- ! I'll see you soon...
- It's nice to see you, dear! Please make at home.
- What weather! It has been raining for a week.
- By the , what do you think about James and Henry? They never stop arguing.
- I am up with them. Do you think they will come to our party?
- I don't so but you never know.
- I have a confession. I didn't tell you the truth about the car accident and I am .
- Don't worry about it. There is no need to for that.
- Dear, you do not look well. Is something ?
- You're right, I feel . I need to see a doctor. I'll call a taxi.
- Don't take a taxi, I'll give you a . Let's go!

THE RAIDER

Monday, 15 October 2012

IDIOM

100 Most Frequent Idioms

How These Idioms Were Chosen

Idioms and expressions

Daily expressions

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