Learning English Idioms
English idioms can be difficult for learners, especially kids and beginners. However, learning about idioms is essential because they are so common in everyday language. Idioms are terms whose words do not translate literally, and this makes them difficult for English learners to understand. For example, if someone says "This is my bread and butter," they are unlikely to be holding some bread and butter. The term "bread and butter" is an idiom, meaning main source of income. Note that the meaning is not a literal translation of the words.However, fear not! Teaching idioms can be great fun as students try to work out, and then later discover, what idioms mean.
50 Common English Idioms
To get you started, here is a list of 50 common idioms.
Hot Tip
Idiom Lists for Advanced Students
For advanced students, we also have lists of clever idioms, funny idioms, and even sarcastic idioms.- a bridge too far
- ace up ones sleeve
- against the grain
- all ears
- as the crow flies
- as thick as thieves
- at the drop of a hat
- bat an eyelid
- be cheesed off
- go belly up
- best thing since sliced bread
- big cheese
- bite the dust
- bread and butter
- by the skin of your teeth
- can of worms
- carved in stone
- Christmas came early
- out of the woodwork
- Don't give up your day job.
- ear to the ground
- elephant in the room
- everything but the kitchen sink
- fat chance
- fill someone's shoes
- fly in the ointment
- frog in your throat
- go bananas
- a bone to pick with you
- get your ducks in a row
- hold your horses
- a hot potato
- I could eat a horse
- jump on the bandwagon
- kick the bucket
- on a shoestring
- out of the blue
- piece of cake
- pulling teeth
- pull the wool over someone's eyes
- put a sock in it
- put out feelers
- the tail wagging the dog
- throw me a bone
- two a penny
- wake up and smell the coffee
- walk on eggshells
- warts and all
- wet behind the ears
- take with a grain of salt
Great Tip for Teaching English Idioms
If you're teaching non-native English speakers, ask them to identify idioms in their own language. Remind them that they are looking for terms that cannot be understood by its words. For example, in Russian, "That's where the dog is buried" means the crux of the matter, and, in German, "You can steal horses with him" means you can trust him.Having identified idioms in their own language, students quickly grasp the concept of idioms, and this is a great starting point for learning English idioms.
A Quick Test
Are you good at English idioms? Let's see!
- This test has questions.
- A correct answer is worth 5 points.
- You can get up to 5 bonus points for a speedy answer.
- Some questions demand more than one answer. You must get every part right.
- Beware! Wrong answers score 0 points.
- 🏆 If you beat one of the top 10 scores, you will be invited to apply for the Hall of Fame.
Scoring System
Cyber Guru (+)
Cyber Hero (+)
Cyber Captain (+)
Cyber Sergeant (+)
Cyber Recruit (+)
Cyber Guru (+)
Cyber Hero (+)
Cyber Captain (+)
Cyber Sergeant (+)
Cyber Recruit (+)
