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English Idioms

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Common English Idioms

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.

1. a bridge too far
2. ace up ones sleeve
3. against the grain
4. all ears
5. as the crow flies
6. as thick as thieves
7. at the drop of a hat
8. bat an eyelid
9. be cheesed off
10. go belly up
11. best thing since sliced bread
12. big cheese
13. bite the dust
14. bread and butter
15. by the skin of your teeth
16. can of worms
17. carved in stone
18. Christmas came early
19. out of the woodwork
20. Don't give up your day job.
21. ear to the ground
22. elephant in the room
23. everything but the kitchen sink
24. fat chance
25. fill someone's shoes
26. fly in the ointment
27. frog in your throat
28. go bananas
29. a bone to pick with you
30. get your ducks in a row
31. hold your horses
32. a hot potato
33. I could eat a horse
34. jump on the bandwagon
35. kick the bucket
36. on a shoestring
37. out of the blue
38. piece of cake
39. pulling teeth
40. pull the wool over someone's eyes
41. put a sock in it
42. put out feelers
43. the tail wagging the dog
44. throw me a bone
45. two a penny
46. wake up and smell the coffee
47. walk on eggshells
48. warts and all
49. wet behind the ears
50. 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! Show Instructions

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.