Know The Most Commonly Used Idioms And Have Better Command Over The Language

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In the previous articles, I discussed how to learn English step by step and how important tenses are in English. However, it does not end there. That is just the beginning of it. To learn the language you have to get into the depth of the language. 

Having a good command of the language does not just mean speaking and writing correctly. This also includes the idioms. And let’s admit it, it is also a fun way of learning the language. In the process of learning the language, you need to have a good command over idioms as well. 

Idioms, in particular, are an important part of the language and are much needed during conversations. When it comes down to expressing yourself and understanding others, you need to have a good understanding of the idioms.

So, let’s find a way to get you through the idiom business. Here is everything you need to know about idioms and some of the commonly used idioms, along with their meaning, to help you get your way while having a meaningful conversation.

What Are Idioms? Meaning and Definition

An idiom is basically a couple of words framed together or a phrase that has a different meaning than the literal meaning. 

Going by the definition from the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, an idiom is “a group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words.” 

Cambridge Dictionary describes an idiom as “a group of words in a fixed order that has a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own.”

Merriam-Webster Dictionary has a more elaborate meaning. It explains idiom as “an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements (such as up in the air for “undecided”) or in its grammatically atypical use of words (such as give way).”

Collins Dictionary describes an idiom as “a group of words which have a different meaning when used together from the one they would have if you took the meaning of each word separately.”

Also Read: Idiom Types: Know The Various Kinds And How They Are Different From One Another

Importance of Idioms in a Sentence

Learning expressions, proverbs, and English idioms are an important part of knowing everyday English. They help you frame your sentence better both while writing and speaking. Idioms do not make sense literally. 

So, you have to make yourself familiar with the meanings of these idioms to use them in between conversations. It might seem like a lot of work, but when you start to learn them, you will understand that they are a lot of fun. 

When you learn expressions and idioms, your English sounds a lot more native. So, if you have to master the language, you have to get yourself accustomed to the common idioms. 

Characteristics of Idioms

You cannot always rely on the individual words to get through the meaning of the entire phrase. To understand the complete meaning of the phrase, it is important to know the meanings of the phrase. 

Idioms are not usually used for academic purposes. However, there will be people who would say that you should not use idioms in professional settings, and some would say that you can use idioms in professional settings. 

Idioms are mostly used in lighthearted settings and have a way of adding personality to your speaking or work. They are also used for conveying puns or sarcasm. However, if the people with whom you are using the phrase are not familiar with the idiom, it is not going to make an impact. 

Common Idioms in English

There are various idioms that are commonly used in daily conversation. You will hear them in TV shows and movies and can try to use them in a way so that it feels like you are a native english speaker. Here are some of those.

Serial number	Idiom	Meaning
1	A blessing in disguise	Something good, which looks like it was a bad thing initially
2	Beat around the bush	Avoiding something because you do not want to disclose it
3	Break a leg	Good luck
4	Better late than never	It is better if you come late then not come at all
5	Cut somebody some slack	Do not be critical
6	Get out of hand	When the matter is getting out of control
7	Give someone the benefit of the doubt	Trust the person when they are saying something
8	Call it a day	Stoop working, or stop doing whatever you were busy with
9	Hang in there	Do not give up
10	Make a long story short	Tell the matter briefly
11	Speak of the devil	The person you were discussing about shows up
12	Under the weather	Sick
13	Let someone off the hook	Not holding someone responsible for something
14	It’s not rocket science	It is not complicated
15	Get your act together	Try to improve your work or leave

Common Idioms About Feelings

Serial number	Idiom	Meaning
1	Hit the hay	Going to bed
2	Bite the bullet	Going through a difficult situation or a painful one with courage
3	Cry over spilled milk	Dwell on past misfortunes or mistakes
4	Jump on the bandwagon	Adopting a popular activity or trend
5	Feel under the weather	Unwell, or not doing well healthwise
6	Throw the towel	Give up or surrender
7	In the same boat	Sharing a similar situation
8	On cloud nine	Euphoria or extreme happiness
9	Burn the midnight oil	Working late at night
10	Over the hill	Getting older and not being able to be socially or physically active
11	Hit the books	Going to study
12	Hit the sack	Going to bed
13	Through thick and thin	Supporting someone in their good and bad times
14	Off the chain	Something was impressive and exciting; in a good way, it also means “out of control”
15	Blow off steam	Get rid of stress by doing something

Common Idioms About Money

Serial number	Idiom	Meaning
1	Pitch in	To join in or to contirbute
2	Cutting corners	Trying to save money by trying to find something cheaper
3	Break the bank	Extremely expensive
4	Foot the bill	Pay for something
5	Cash cow	Investment or business which generates a stead outcome
6	Out of pocket	Spending all the money, mostly related to work-related expenses
7	Pinch pennies	Saving money by cutting down unnecessary expenses
8	Rolling in dough	Being wealthy or having a lot of money
9	Throw money down the drain	Wasting money on something that is not worth it
10	It looks like a million bucks	It means you look fabulous
11	Born with a silver spoon	Born in a wealthy and successful family
12	To go from rags to riches	Gone from being poor to having a lot of money
13	To have sticky fingers	Stealing a lot
14	Break-even	Spending a certain amount, and then earning and then earning back the same amount
15	Make ends meet	Making enough money to manage the necessities

Common Idioms About Food

Serial number	Idiom	Meaning
1	Spice things up	Make it more interesting
2	A piece of cake	A job or task that is easy
3	Cool as a cucumber	Someone who is calm and composed
4	A couch potato	Someone who spends a lot of time on the couch
5	Bring home the bacon	Support the family by earning a living
6	In hot water	In a bad or serious situation
7	Not one’s cup of tea	Someone who is not going to interest a person
8	Eat like a bird	Eating very little
9	Go cold turkey	Suddenly stop something
10	Butter someone up	Flatter someone
11	Food for thought	Something worth thinking about
12	A smart cookie	An intelligent person
13	Spill the beans	Give away information that is supposed to be a secret
14	Bread and butter	A job that makes you money to earn your living
15	Have a sweet tooth	Someone who loves sweet

Common Idioms About Weather

Serial number	Idiom	Meaning
1	A storm is brewing	there is going to be a storm
2	Calm before the storm
3	Weather a storm	Enduring something difficult
4	When it rains, it pours	Bad luck comes in different batches
5	Chasing rainbows	Pursuing a difficult task
6	Rain or shine	Doing something no matter what the situation is
7	Under the sun	Everything on this Earth
8	Every cloud has a silver lining	There is something good in every situation
9	Raining cats and dogs	Raining very heavily
10	Come rain or shine	Whatever the situation is, the work is going to happen
11	Snowed under	Overwhelmed with a large amount of work
12	Break the ice	Ease the tension
13	In the eye of the storm	In the center of the chaotic situation
14	Throw caution to the wind	Taking risks without thinking of the consequences
15	A rising tide lifts all boats	A stable economy benefits everyone

Wrapping up!

Now that you have a clear concept of what idioms are and have knowledge of the commonly used idioms, there should not be any difficulty using these phrases in conversations where they seem fit.

So, next time you are having a conversation with someone, “break a leg.”