Idioms in English: Meanings, Examples and Origins

"It's raining cats and dogs." "She let the cat out of the bag." "He kicked the bucket." If you take idioms literally, they make no sense, yet native speakers use them every day. Idioms add colour, humour and force to language, and they appear in speeches, novels, news reports and examination papers.

This guide explains what idioms are, how they differ from proverbs and phrasal verbs, where some famous ones come from, and how to use them correctly. Its main part gives 124 common idioms with their meanings and example sentences, grouped by theme, followed by a table of classical and literary origins, common mistakes, key points, ten practice questions and a teacher activity.

It pairs with Proverbs in English and Phrasal Verbs, and connects with Formal vs. Informal English and Common Errors in English. Spelling in this guide follows British English.

1.What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a fixed phrase whose meaning cannot be worked out from the meanings of its separate words. Under the weather has nothing to do with the sky: it means "slightly ill". Because of this, idioms must be learned as whole units, as you learn single words.

Figurative meaning. The real meaning is different from the literal meaning.
Fixed wording. You say spill the beans, not spill the peas.
Cultural roots. Many come from history, farming, sailing, sport, religion and literature.
Informal tone. Many idioms suit speech and stories better than formal reports.

2.Idioms, Proverbs, Phrasal Verbs and Similes

Type	What it is	Example
Idiom	A fixed phrase with a figurative meaning; it is often only part of a sentence	to spill the beans
Proverb	A complete sentence of traditional advice or truth	A stitch in time saves nine.
Phrasal verb	A verb with a particle that forms a new meaning	give up, look after
Simile	A comparison using as or like; some are fixed idioms	as cool as a cucumber
Metaphor	A direct comparison without as or like	Time is money.
Cliché	An expression that is overused	at the end of the day

3.How to Use Idioms Well

Learn the whole phrase with its exact words and the situation in which it is used.
Match the register. Use idioms freely in stories, speeches and speaking tests; use them carefully in formal reports.
Use one at a time. A single apt idiom adds force; a string of idioms sounds forced.
Do not translate idioms word by word from another language. An idiom in one language rarely matches in another.
Check the grammar. Some idioms change tense (he spilled the beans) but not their words.
Avoid tired idioms that are clichés in your writing.

4.Idioms with Animals

Idiom	Meaning	Example sentence
let the cat out of the bag	reveal a secret by mistake	He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
raining cats and dogs	raining very heavily	We stayed indoors because it was raining cats and dogs.
a wild goose chase	a hopeless search for something that cannot be found	The tip led the police on a wild goose chase.
the elephant in the room	an obvious problem that no one wants to discuss	Unpaid fees were the elephant in the room at the meeting.
a black sheep	a member of a group regarded as a disgrace	He was the black sheep of an honest family.
kill two birds with one stone	achieve two aims with a single action	By visiting the bank on her way to school, she killed two birds with one stone.
a red herring	something that distracts from the real issue	The second suspect proved to be a red herring.
the lion's share	the largest part	The senior partner took the lion's share of the profit.
a white elephant	a costly possession that is of little use	The empty stadium became a white elephant.
smell a rat	suspect that something is wrong	When the offer seemed too generous, she began to smell a rat.
like a fish out of water	uncomfortable in unfamiliar surroundings	He felt like a fish out of water at the formal dinner.
a dark horse	a person with unexpected talents	The dark horse of the class won the debate.
take the bull by the horns	face a difficulty bravely	She took the bull by the horns and confronted the manager.
swan song	a final performance or achievement	The festival was the conductor's swan song.
hold your horses	wait and be patient	Hold your horses; we have not finished the calculations.

5.Idioms with the Body

Idiom	Meaning	Example sentence
cost an arm and a leg	be extremely expensive	The new laptop cost an arm and a leg.
keep an eye on	watch carefully	Please keep an eye on the luggage.
turn a blind eye	deliberately ignore something wrong	The officer turned a blind eye to the minor offence.
pull someone's leg	tease by saying something untrue	Do not believe him; he is only pulling your leg.
break the ice	make people feel relaxed at a first meeting	A quick joke helped to break the ice.
cold feet	sudden nervousness before an event	He got cold feet on the eve of the wedding.
on the tip of my tongue	about to be remembered but not yet recalled	Her name is on the tip of my tongue.
bite your tongue	stop yourself from speaking	He had to bite his tongue during the unfair criticism.
head over heels	completely in love	He fell head over heels in love.
a heart of gold	a very kind nature	The old doctor had a heart of gold.
by heart	from memory	The students learned the poem by heart.
give someone the cold shoulder	deliberately ignore someone	Since the quarrel she has given him the cold shoulder.
put your foot in your mouth	say something embarrassing	I put my foot in my mouth when I asked about her job.
lend a hand	help	Could you lend a hand with these boxes?
twist someone's arm	persuade by pressure	They twisted his arm to join the team.

6.Idioms About Money and Business

Idiom	Meaning	Example sentence
break the bank	cost too much	A short holiday will not break the bank.
make ends meet	earn just enough to live on	She works two jobs to make ends meet.
a golden opportunity	an excellent chance	The scholarship was a golden opportunity.
on the house	free, paid for by the owner	The dessert was on the house.
pay through the nose	pay far too much	They paid through the nose for the tickets.
cut corners	do something cheaply or carelessly	The builder cut corners to save money.
a drop in the ocean	a very small amount compared with what is needed	The donation was a drop in the ocean.
in the red	owing money	The company has been in the red for two years.
in the black	making a profit	After a poor year, the firm is back in the black.
bring home the bacon	earn the income for a family	He works nights to bring home the bacon.
a nest egg	savings kept for the future	They are building a nest egg for retirement.
feel the pinch	suffer from lack of money	Families are feeling the pinch of rising prices.

7.Idioms with Weather and Nature

Idiom	Meaning	Example sentence
under the weather	slightly ill	I am feeling under the weather today.
a storm in a teacup	a great fuss about something unimportant	The quarrel was only a storm in a teacup.
the calm before the storm	a quiet time before trouble	The silence was the calm before the storm.
on cloud nine	extremely happy	She was on cloud nine after the result.
steal someone's thunder	take attention from someone's achievement	His loud announcement stole her thunder.
come rain or shine	whatever happens	He walks to school come rain or shine.
a bolt from the blue	a complete surprise	The resignation was a bolt from the blue.
once in a blue moon	very rarely	We meet once in a blue moon.
go with the flow	accept events calmly	When plans change, just go with the flow.
make waves	cause trouble or disturbance	The new teacher made waves with her ideas.

8.Idioms About Time

Idiom	Meaning	Example sentence
at the eleventh hour	at the last possible moment	The deal was signed at the eleventh hour.
in the nick of time	just in time	The ambulance arrived in the nick of time.
a once-in-a-lifetime chance	an opportunity that comes only once	The trip was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
burn the midnight oil	work late into the night	She burned the midnight oil before the exam.
beat the clock	finish before the deadline	The team beat the clock and submitted the project.
around the clock	all day and all night	Doctors worked around the clock.
call it a day	stop working	We have done enough; let us call it a day.
time flies	time passes quickly	Time flies when you are enjoying yourself.
ahead of the game	in an advantageous position	Starting revision early put him ahead of the game.
at the drop of a hat	immediately, without hesitation	She will help at the drop of a hat.

9.Idioms for Feelings and Behaviour

Idiom	Meaning	Example sentence
over the moon	extremely pleased	The family was over the moon with the news.
down in the dumps	sad	He has been down in the dumps since the match.
on edge	nervous and tense	Everyone was on edge before the result.
hit the roof	become extremely angry	Father hit the roof when he saw the bill.
see red	become very angry	The unfair remark made her see red.
a bundle of nerves	very anxious	She was a bundle of nerves before the interview.
pleased as punch	very happy	He was as pleased as punch with his prize.
at a loose end	with nothing to do	On Sundays he is at a loose end.
walking on air	extremely happy	She was walking on air after the news.
sick and tired	annoyed by something that continues	I am sick and tired of the noise.
in hot water	in trouble	He was in hot water for missing the meeting.
lose your temper	become angry	Do not lose your temper over small things.
keep your cool	stay calm	She kept her cool during the emergency.
fly off the handle	become suddenly angry	He flew off the handle at the delay.

10.Idioms About Work, Study and Success

Idiom	Meaning	Example sentence
hit the books	study hard	I must hit the books tonight.
pass with flying colours	succeed with excellent marks	She passed the exam with flying colours.
learn the ropes	learn how a job is done	The new clerk is learning the ropes.
the ball is in your court	it is your turn to act	We have made our offer; the ball is in your court.
back to square one	back at the start	The failed test sent us back to square one.
get the ball rolling	start a process	Let us get the ball rolling with the first topic.
a piece of cake	very easy	The quiz was a piece of cake.
hit the nail on the head	state exactly the right point	Your analysis hit the nail on the head.
go the extra mile	make more effort than expected	Good teachers go the extra mile.
a rule of thumb	a rough practical guide	As a rule of thumb, revise every day.
in the long run	over a long period	Hard work pays off in the long run.
learn by rote	learn by repetition without understanding	Students should understand, not learn by rote.
burn the candle at both ends	work or play too hard without rest	He is burning the candle at both ends.
jump on the bandwagon	join something that has become popular	Many firms jumped on the bandwagon.

11.Idiomatic Comparisons (Similes)

Idiom	Meaning	Example sentence
as cool as a cucumber	very calm	She stayed as cool as a cucumber during the interview.
as busy as a bee	very busy	The shop assistants were as busy as bees.
as good as gold	very well behaved	The children were as good as gold.
as blind as a bat	unable to see well	Without his glasses he is as blind as a bat.
as clear as crystal	very easy to understand	The instructions were as clear as crystal.
as quiet as a mouse	completely silent	The baby slept as quiet as a mouse.
as stubborn as a mule	very obstinate	He is as stubborn as a mule about his plans.
as flat as a pancake	completely flat	The tyre was as flat as a pancake.
as light as a feather	very light	The empty box was as light as a feather.
as old as the hills	very old	The joke is as old as the hills.
as right as rain	completely well	After a night's sleep, he was as right as rain.
fit as a fiddle	very healthy	At eighty, my grandfather is as fit as a fiddle.
sleep like a log	sleep very deeply	The tired travellers slept like logs.
sell like hot cakes	sell very quickly	The new books sold like hot cakes.

12.Difficult Idioms and Their Origins (A Level)

Idiom	Meaning	Example sentence
Achilles' heel	a weak point	Poor planning was the team's Achilles' heel.
Pandora's box	a source of unforeseen trouble	The inquiry opened a Pandora's box.
the Midas touch	the ability to make money from everything	The young investor seemed to have the Midas touch.
cross the Rubicon	take an irreversible decision	By resigning, he crossed the Rubicon.
sour grapes	pretending to dislike what you cannot have	His criticism of the winner was sour grapes.
a Trojan horse	something harmful hidden inside something attractive	The free software was a Trojan horse.
a pound of flesh	a harsh demand for what is owed	The creditor demanded his pound of flesh.
the green-eyed monster	jealousy	The green-eyed monster ruined their friendship.
Catch-22	a situation with no escape because of contradictory rules	Needing experience to get a job that gives experience is a Catch-22.
the Sword of Damocles	a constant danger hanging over someone	The threat of closure hung like a Sword of Damocles.
a Herculean task	a task needing great strength or effort	Rebuilding the town was a Herculean task.
a Pyrrhic victory	a win that costs too much	The win was a Pyrrhic victory for the weakened army.
the writing on the wall	a clear sign of coming trouble	The falling sales were the writing on the wall.
cut the Gordian knot	solve a problem by a bold, direct action	The director cut the Gordian knot by cancelling the project.
a double-edged sword	something with both good and bad effects	Fame is a double-edged sword.
play devil's advocate	argue the opposite side to test an idea	Let me play devil's advocate for a moment.
a blessing in disguise	a misfortune that turns out well	Losing the job was a blessing in disguise.
at loggerheads	in strong disagreement	The two committees are at loggerheads.
bury the hatchet	end a quarrel	After years the cousins buried the hatchet.
tongue in cheek	not meant seriously	Her remark was tongue in cheek.

13.Where Some Famous Idioms Come From

Many difficult idioms come from Greek and Roman history, myths, fables and the works of Shakespeare. Knowing the story makes them easier to remember.

Idiom	Origin
Achilles' heel	Greek myth: the hero Achilles could be wounded only on his heel.
Pandora's box	Greek myth: Pandora opened a jar that released troubles into the world.
the Midas touch	Greek myth: King Midas turned everything he touched into gold.
cross the Rubicon	In 49 BC, Julius Caesar led his army across the Rubicon river, starting a civil war that could not be undone.
sour grapes	Aesop's fable of the fox who called the grapes sour because he could not reach them.
a Trojan horse	The wooden horse in the Greek story of the Trojan War.
a wild goose chase	Used in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet; it first described a kind of horse race.
a pound of flesh	From Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, where a moneylender demands a pound of flesh.
the green-eyed monster	Shakespeare's Othello calls jealousy "the green-eyed monster".
Catch-22	From Joseph Heller's 1961 novel Catch-22.
the Sword of Damocles	An ancient Greek story, retold by the Roman writer Cicero, of a courtier who sat beneath a sword hung by a single hair.

14.Common Mistakes with Idioms

Some idioms are often misheard and misspelled. These mistaken forms are sometimes called eggcorns.

Mistake	Correct	Why
for all intensive purposes	for all intents and purposes	The phrase means "in every important way".
case and point	case in point	A "case in point" is a relevant example.
nip it in the butt	nip it in the bud	A bud is the early stage of growth.
a mute point	a moot point	Moot means open to debate.
spill the peas	spill the beans	The wording is fixed.
in the nick of the time	in the nick of time	Do not add the.
on the tip of my head	on the tip of my tongue	The idiom uses the tongue.
to be on the same boat	to be in the same boat	The preposition is fixed.
cost a hand and a leg	cost an arm and a leg	Use the exact words.
bury the hatch	bury the hatchet	A hatchet is a small axe.

Key points to remember

An idiom is a fixed phrase whose meaning is figurative, not literal.
Idioms must be learned as whole units, with their exact words.
They differ from proverbs (full sentences of advice), phrasal verbs and similes.
Many difficult idioms come from Greek and Roman myths, fables and Shakespeare.
Use idioms to add colour in stories and speeches, but sparingly in formal writing.
Watch for common mistakes such as for all intents and purposes.

For teachers and parents

Activity: give each student three idioms and ask them to draw the literal meaning on one side of a card and write the real meaning on the other. Then ask them to write a short story that uses all three idioms. For older students, ask them to find the origin of one idiom in the origins table and present it to the class.

Please note: this guide uses British spelling. Some idioms differ between countries, and the origins of many everyday idioms are uncertain, so this guide gives only origins that are well documented.

Where These Facts Come From

Cambridge DictionaryIdiom meanings and examples
British Council LearnEnglishFree vocabulary lessons
Oxford Learner's DictionariesDefinitions and usage notes