Clever English Idioms

Learning English Idioms

An idiom is an expression whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal meanings of its words. For example, "to bite the bullet" does not mean what it says; it is an idiom that means to tackle a difficult situation.

50 Clever English Idioms

The list of idioms below is designed for teaching advanced students. The idioms were selected specifically for their wit, irony, or links to history or science, making them a fun way to widen discussion topics. Remember that many idioms are culturally specific, and this too makes them a great language-learning tool. Learning a new language is always far more enjoyable when you absorb the culture along with the vocabulary and grammar.

• tip of the iceberg
• toothpaste is out of the tube
• there must be something in the water
• the apple does not fall far from the tree
• throw the baby out with the bathwater
• the genie is out of the bottle
• thick as thieves
• tuppence worth
• the moon on a stick
• totus porcus
• tail wagging the dog
• drink from a firehose
• boiling frog
• gunboat diplomacy
• bring owls to Athens
• from womb to tomb
• build a better mousetrap
• buy straw hats in winter
• Faustian bargain
• hair of the dog
• catch some Zs
• mess of pottage
• fiddle while Rome burns
• fencepost problem
• fly too close to the sun
• modest proposal
• kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
• house of cards
• hunger sauce
• meet ones maker
• nodding acquaintance
• name names
• nuclear option
• open Pandoras box
• Nuremberg defense
• other fish in the sea
• play to the gallery
• pachyderm
• poacher turned gamekeeper
• revolving door syndrome
• put the genie back in the bottle
• snake oil
• Roma locuta est causa finita est
• road to Damascus
• ruby slippers
• steady hand on the tiller
• six of one, half a dozen of the other
• wither on the vine
• unring a bell
• vote with ones wallet

Find More Idioms

Here at english-grammar-lessons.co.uk, we have entries for more than 10,000 English idioms, which we have listed alphabetically. To help make learning more efficient and fun, we have also categorized many of the idioms as common or sarcastic.

A Quick Test

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