Hi Guys! In everyday english we find idioms all the time. Same thing with music and movies.Â
It´s not easy for our students when they come across one...
About idioms
An idiom is a group of words in current usage having a meaning that is not deducible from those of the individual words. For example, "to rain cats and dogs" - which means "to rain very heavily" - is an idiom; and "over the moon" - which means "extremely happy" - is another idiom. In both cases, you would have a hard time understanding the real meaning if you did not already know these idioms!
There are two features that identify an idiom: firstly, we cannot deduce the meaning of the idiom from the individual words; and secondly, both the grammar and the vocabulary of the idiom are fixed, and if we change them we lose the meaning of the idiom. Thus the idiom "pull your socks up" means "improve the way you are behaving" (or it can have a literal meaning); if we change it grammatically to "pull your sock up" (singular sock) or we change its vocabulary to "pull your stockings up", then we must interpret the phrase literally - it has lost its idiomatic meaning.Â
Many idioms originated as quotations from well-known writers such as Shakespeare. For example, "at one fell swoop" comes from Macbeth and "cold comfort" from King John. Sometimes such idioms today have a meaning that has been altered from the original quotation.Â
Some idioms are typically used in one version of English rather than another. For example, the idiom "yellow journalism" originated and is used in American English. Other idioms may be used in a slightly different form in different varieties of English. Thus the idiom "a drop in the ocean" in British and Australian English becomes "a drop in the bucket" in American English. However, in general, globalization and the effects of film, television and the Internet mean that there is less and less distinction between idioms of different varieties of English. In this reference we have tagged an idiom with one variety of English or another only when the idiom really is restricted to a particular variety of English or to indicate that the idiom originated in that particular variety of English.
INFORMAL IDIOMS
No way! American EnglishÂ
You can say "No way!" when you want to strongly reject an offer, a request, or a suggestion.
call it a dayÂ
If you call it a day, you stop doing something that's usually related to work.
behind the eight ball American EnglishÂ
If you're behind the eight ball, you're in a difficult or dangerous position.
get away from it allÂ
If you get away from it all, you go somewhere to escape from your usual daily routine.
give it a shot | give it a whirlÂ
If you give something a shot, or give it a whirl, you try doing something for the first time, usually for fun.
Mind your own business!Â
If you say "Mind your own business!" to someone, you're telling them to stop interfering in things that don't concern them, or to stop asking personal questions.
over the moonÂ
If you're over the moon about something, you're extremely happy and excited about it.
par for the courseÂ
If something is par for the course, it's what you'd expect it to be.
pay through the noseÂ
If you pay through the nose for something, you pay more than the usual price for it.
a quick fixÂ
If something is a quick fix, it's a quick and easy, but usually short-term, solution to a problem.
rock the boatÂ
If you rock the boat, you do or say something that will upset people by changing a situation that they don't want changed.
ring a bellÂ
If something rings a bell, it sounds familiar or you think you've heard it before.
rub it inÂ
If you rub it in, you keep talking about something that embarrasses or upsets someone.
up to no goodÂ
If someone is up to no good, they are doing something bad, or something wrong.
verbal diarrhoeaÂ
If someone has verbal diarrhoea, they can't stop talking.
wet behind the earsÂ
If someone is wet behind the ears, they don't have much experience of life.
Your guess is as good as mine.Â
You can say "your guess is as good as mine" when you don't know the answer to a question.
You can say that again!Â
If someone says "You can say that again!", it shows they strongly agree with what was just said.
Zip it!Â
If someone says "Zip it!", they're telling you to shut up or stop talking about something.
a bad hair dayÂ
If you're having a bad hair day, everything seems to be going wrong for you.
bark up the wrong treeÂ
If you're barking up the wrong tree, you're looking for something in the wrong place or going about something in the wrong way.
beat the rap American EnglishÂ
If someone beats the rap, they avoid being found guilty of a crime.
can of wormsÂ
If you say a situation or an issue is a can of worms, you think that getting involved in it could lead to problems.
cut to the chaseÂ
If you tell someone to cut to the chase, you want them to get straight to the main point of what they are saying.
dead to the worldÂ
If you're dead to the world, you are sound asleep.
Easy does it!Â
You can say "Easy does it!" when you want someone to do something more carefully or more slowly.
grease someone's palmÂ
If you grease someone's palm, you pay them a bribe.
just what the doctor orderedÂ
You can say something was just what the doctor ordered when it was exactly what was needed.
jump out of your skinÂ
You jump out of your skin when something suddenly shocks you and your whole body jumps.
a knuckle sandwichÂ
If you give someone a knuckle sandwich, you punch them.
kick the bucketÂ
If someone kicks the bucket, they die.
live it upÂ
If you live it up, you enjoy yourself by doing things that cost a lot of money.
pass the buckÂ
If you pass the buck, you shift the responsibility for something to someone else in order to take the pressure off yourself.
so far, so goodÂ
You can say "so far, so good" when you're in the middle of doing something, and everything has been going well.
you bet | you bet your boots | you bet your lifeÂ
You can say "you bet", "you bet your boots" or "you bet your life" when you strongly agree with a statement or a suggestion, or to emphasise what you're saying.
You asked for it!Â
You can say "You asked for it!" when you think someone deserves the punishment they're getting or the trouble they're in.
all hell broke looseÂ
You can say "all hell broke loose" if a situation suddenly became violent or chaotic.
come in handyÂ
You can say something might come in handy if you think it might be useful.
dressed (up) to the ninesÂ
If you are dressed to the nines, or dressed up to the nines, you are wearing very smart clothes for a special occasion.
drink like a fishÂ
If someone drinks like a fish, they drink a lot of alcohol.
draw a blankÂ
If you draw a blank, you get no response when you ask for something, or get no results when you search for something.
down in the dumps | down in the mouthÂ
If you're down in the dumps, or down in the mouth, you're feeling sad.
(have) egg on your faceÂ
You have egg on your face if you've said or done something wrong, and it's made you feel embarrassed or stupid.
ear to the groundÂ
If you have your ear to the ground, you know what's really going on in a situation.
half-bakedÂ
If something is half-baked, it hasn't been properly thought out or planned.
I owe you one!Â
You can say "I owe you one!" when someone has done something for you and you'd be happy to return the favour one day.
itchy feet British EnglishÂ
If you have itchy feet, you feel the need to go somewhere different or do something different.
(someone's) name is mudÂ
If someone's name is mud, other people are angry with them, or they're no longer popular, because they've done something wrong.
neck of the woodsÂ
A neck of the woods is a neighbourhood or a district, usually rural.
on your last legs | on its last legsÂ
If you say you're on your last legs, it can mean you're close to exhaustion, or it can mean you're close to death. If a thing is on its last legs, it's close to breaking or wearing out.
pull your socks upÂ
You can say "pull your socks up" to someone if you think they should improve the way they are behaving or the way they are doing something.
put all your eggs in the one basketÂ
If you put all your eggs in the one basket, you put all your efforts or resources into one person, one thing or one plan, and if things don't work out, you lose everything.
put someone's nose out of jointÂ
If you put someone's nose out of joint, you upset them by not treating them with as much respect or consideration as they think they deserve.
a sight for sore eyesÂ
If something or someone is a sight for sore eyes, you are glad to see them.
come a cropper British EnglishÂ
If you come a cropper, you fall over, or you make a mistake which has serious consequences for you.
a done deal American EnglishÂ
A done deal is an agreement or a decision that is final.
easy come, easy goÂ
You can say "easy come, easy go" to express the idea that if something comes to someone easily, such as money they get without working hard for it, they can lose it just as easily and it won't matter to them much.
fly off the handleÂ
If you fly off the handle, you are so angry about something that you lose control of yourself and start screaming and shouting.
forty winksÂ
If you have forty winks, you have a short sleep, or a nap.
hang in there | hang on in thereÂ
You can tell someone to hang in there, or hang on in there, if they're in a difficult situation and you want to encourage them, or tell them not to give up.
in someone's bad booksÂ
If you're in someone's bad books, they are not pleased with you.
in someone's good booksÂ
If you're in someone's good books, they are pleased with you.
couldn't care lessÂ
You can say "I couldn't care less" when you don't care about something, or it doesn't matter to you.
in a nutshellÂ
You can say "in a nutshell" if you're about to describe something as briefly as possible, or you're going to sum something up.
just shy ofÂ
You can say something is just shy of an amount if it's just short of that amount.
going down American EnglishÂ
If you know what's going down, you know what's happening in a situation.
much of a muchnessÂ
If two or more things are much of a muchness, they are very similar to each other.
No sweat!Â
You can say "No sweat!" if someone asks you if you can do something, and you're sure you can do it.
the new kid on the block American EnglishÂ
If you are the new kid on the block, you are the newest person in a workplace or in an educational institute, or any other place or organization.
a pain in the neckÂ
You can say someone is a pain in the neck if they annoy you, or something is a pain in the neck if you don't like doing it.
a shot in the armÂ
You can say something is a shot in the arm if it gives a person or an organisation renewed energy or enthusiasm.
take the mickey | mick out of someone British EnglishÂ
If you're taking the mickey out of someone, or taking the mick out of them, you're making fun of them or copying their behaviour for a laugh.
up for grabsÂ
If something is up for grabs, it's available for anyone who wants to try to get it.
all the rageÂ
If something is all the rage, it's very popular or it's in fashion at the moment.
Get cracking!Â
You can say "Get cracking!" if you want someone to hurry up and do something faster.
off the top of your headÂ
If you give someone information off the top of your head, you do so from memory, without checking beforehand.
on the ballÂ
If you're on the ball, you're alert and you know what's going on around you.
pick up the tab | pick up the billÂ
If you pick up the tab, or pick up the bill, you pay for yourself and your friends in a restaurant or a bar.
pop the questionÂ
If you pop the question, you ask someone to marry you.
pull someone's legÂ
If you pull someone's leg, you play a joke on them by saying something that isn't true.
up to scratch | up to snuffÂ
You can say something is up to scratch, or up to snuff, if it's as good as it should be, or as good as it needs to be.
