50 Most Common English Idioms and Their Empowering Meanings for Better Conversations

Have you ever heard someone say, “It’s raining cats and dogs”? Or maybe you’ve been told to “break a leg” before a performance? These quirky and intriguing phrases are known as English idioms. They add color, depth, and a touch of playfulness to our language. In this article, we’ll dive into the world of most common English idioms and explore some of the most common ones that you’re likely to come across. So, buckle up and get ready to discover the fascinating world of English idioms!

Here is a list of 50 most common English idioms and their meanings with examples:

1. A bad penny always turns up – Someone or something unpleasant that keeps reappearing.

Ex: John kept borrowing money from me and not paying it back, he’s like a bad penny that keeps turning up.

2. Above board – Open, honest, and legitimate.

Ex: The company promised to conduct all their business above board.

3. An arm and a leg – Very expensive.

Ex: The repairs to my car cost me an arm and a leg.

4. Apple of one’s eye – Someone who is greatly cherished.

Ex: My daughter is the apple of my eye.

5. Back to the drawing board – Having to rethink or redo something from the beginning.

Ex: We failed the exam, so we have to go back to the drawing board and study harder.

6. Barking up the wrong tree – Pursuing a mistaken goal.

Ex: He’s been barking up the wrong tree for years, trying to convince her to go out with him when she’s clearly not interested.

7. Bite the bullet – To endure something difficult or unpleasant.

Ex: I had to bite the bullet and pay the overdue bills.

8. Break a leg! – Used to wish someone good luck in a performance.

Ex: Break a leg at your play tonight!

9. By the book – According to the rules exactly.

Ex: The inspector said our safety procedures needed to be by the book.

10. Cat got your tongue? – An expression asking why someone has stayed quiet or is being secretive.

Ex: Cat got your tongue? Why are you being so quiet?

Easier said than done - Most Common English Idioms

11. Easier said than done – Something that sounds simple but is actually difficult to execute.

Ex: Getting organized is easier said than done for me.

12. Eat crow – To admit being wrong after taking a firm position.

Ex: I’ll have to eat crow and apologize for what I said.

13. Egg somebody on – To encourage someone to do something, especially something mischievous or wrong.

Ex: My friends kept egging me on to jump into the lake fully clothed.

14. Every cloud has a silver lining – Even bad situations have some good aspects.

Ex: Although I lost my job, every cloud has a silver lining because I can now focus on writing full time.

15. Face the music – To accept the unpleasant consequences of one’s actions.

Ex: I know I have to face the music for missing the deadline.

16. Feather in one’s cap – Something that boosts one’s reputation or accomplishments.

Ex: Winning the award is another feather in his cap.

17. Fooled around – Wasted time or not taken something seriously.

Ex: We fooled around too much in class instead of studying.

18. For crying out loud! – An exclamation of frustration or annoyance.

Ex: For crying out loud, can you please keep it down? I’m trying to work!

19. From the get-go – From the very beginning.

Ex: From the get-go, I had a bad feeling about that investment.

20. Give somebody the cold shoulder – To ignore or treat somebody in an unfriendly manner.

Ex: Ever since our argument, she’s been giving me the cold shoulder.

Go bananas - Most Common English Idioms

21. Go bananas – To become very excited or angry.

Ex: The kids went bananas when they saw the ice cream truck.

22. Go over somebody’s head – To bypass a person in the chain of command.

Ex: I went over my boss’s head and emailed the CEO directly.

23. Hand over fist – Very quickly, easily and profitably.

Ex: The amusement park was making money hand over fist during the summer vacation period.

24. Hindsight is 20/20 – It is easy to understand a situation after it has happened.

Ex: In hindsight, we should have invested in that company when the stock was cheap.

25. Hit the books/nail – To study hard.

Ex: I need to hit the books if I want to pass this test.

26. In a nutshell – In summary, the simple essence.

Ex: In a nutshell, our plan is to double revenue by next year.

27. Keep tabs on – To watch or monitor somebody/something closely.

Ex: I try to keep tabs on my teenager’s social media activity.

28. Let the cat out of the bag – To reveal a secret by accident.

Ex: I let the cat out of the bag and told her about the surprise party.

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Interesting facts about most common English idioms

Animal Idioms: Animals play a significant role in English idioms. For instance, the phrase “let the cat out of the bag” means to reveal a secret. It is speculated to have originated from the deceitful practice of selling a piglet in a bag, only for the buyer to discover a cat when the bag was opened.

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29. Piece of cake – Something that is very easy to do.

Ex: The test was a piece of cake after studying so much.

30. Play it by ear – To decide what to do as circumstances unfold, instead of making plans beforehand.

Ex: We’ll just have to play her birthday party by ear and see who can make it that day.

Pull somebody's leg - Most Common English Idioms

31. Pull somebody’s leg – To tease or joke with somebody.

Ex: I was just pulling your leg about quitting the band, don’t take it seriously!

32. Pushing up daisies – Being dead.

Ex: That dinosaur has been pushing up daisies for 65 million years.

33. Read between the lines – To understand the implicit or implied meaning behind something said or written.

Ex: You have to read between the lines to figure out what your boss really wants from you.

34. Right off the bat – Immediately; at the very beginning.

Ex: Right off the bat, we disagreed about the budget.

35. Screw someone over – To cheat, deceive or harm someone.

Ex: I thought we were friends, but he really screwed me over in that business deal.

36. See eye to eye – To agree or understand each other’s perspective.

Ex: We’ll never see eye to eye on that issue.

37. Sick and tired – Extremely bored, fed-up or annoyed by something.

Ex: I’m sick and tired of waking up to that noisy alarm clock every day.

38. Sleep tight! – Used as a farewell wish for someone going to bed, meaning have a good night’s sleep.

Ex: Sleep tight! See you in the morning.

39. Smell a rat – To suspect that something deceptive or wrong is happening.

Ex: I smelled a rat as soon as he started telling that unlikely story.

40. Start from scratch – To start again from the very beginning.

Ex: After the hard drive crash we lost all our data and had to start the project from scratch.

Stir the pot - Most Common English Idioms

41. Stir the pot – To purposely cause trouble or controversy.

Ex: I got tired of him constantly trying to stir the pot and cause fights between coworkers.

42. Take the bull by the horns – To face a difficult situation confidently and actively.

Ex: It’s time I took the bull by the horns and asked my boss for a raise.

43. Talk until you’re blue in the face – Speaking for a very long time and failing to convince someone.

Ex: I could talk until I’m blue in the face and it still wouldn’t change his opinion.

44. The best of both worlds – Having the advantages of two different options.

Ex: Living in the suburbs gives you the best of both worlds– peace and quiet with easy access to the city.

45. The early bird catches the worm – The one who acts quickly gains the advantage.

Ex: The early bird catches the worm, so I try to get to work as soon as possible each day.

46. The whole nine yards – All of something; the complete amount.

Ex: I made lasagna from scratch – the whole nine yards with homemade noodles and sauce.

47. Think outside the box – To use creative, non-traditional solutions.

Ex: To boost revenue, we’ll have to think outside the box and come up with some innovative ideas.

48. Tie the knot – To get married.

Ex: They finally tied the knot after dating for 10 years.

49. Twist somebody’s arm – To persuade someone by pressuring or coercing them.

Ex: You didn’t have to twist my arm to convince me – that deal sounds great!

50. Under the weather – Unwell; feeling slightly ill.

Ex: John couldn’t come to work today, he’s feeling a bit under the weather.

English idioms are like hidden gems that add sparkle to our conversations. They bring life and character to the way we communicate, allowing us to express complex ideas in a fun and memorable way. From “barking up the wrong tree” to “raining cats and dogs,” these most common English idioms take us on a linguistic adventure. By understanding and incorporating them into our language, we can not only expand our vocabulary but also connect with others on a deeper level. So, next time you hear an English idiom, embrace its uniqueness and let it paint a vivid picture in your mind. After all, idioms are the spice that flavors our conversations and makes language truly come alive.

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