English Idioms Dictionary - Learn Common Idioms

Miss the boat

To be too late to take advantage of an opportunity.

"If you don't buy the tickets now, you'll miss the boat."

Not playing with a full deck

Lacking intelligence or common sense; eccentric or crazy.

"He wants to build a rocket in his backyard; I think he's not playing with a full deck."

On the ball

Alert, competent, and highly aware.

"Our new accountant is really on the ball. She caught the error immediately."

Picture paints a thousand words

A visual image can convey a complex idea more effectively than words.

"I could try to describe the sunset, but look at this photo. A picture paints a thousand words."

Rule of thumb

A broadly accurate guide or principle, based on experience rather than precise measurement.

"As a rule of thumb, you should drink 8 glasses of water a day."

Sit on the fence

To avoid making a decision or choosing a side.

"You can't sit on the fence forever; you have to vote for one of the candidates."

Steal someone's thunder

To take the attention away from someone else, often by using their idea.

"I was going to announce my engagement, but my sister stole my thunder by announcing her pregnancy."

Take it with a grain of salt

To view a statement with skepticism or not take it literally.

"He tends to exaggerate, so take his stories with a grain of salt."

The elephant in the room

A major problem or controversial issue that is obvious to everyone, but nobody wants to talk about it.

"We need to discuss the elephant in the room: the company is running out of money."

Throw caution to the wind

To act recklessly or take a big risk without caring about the consequences.

"She decided to throw caution to the wind and quit her job to travel the world."

Under the bridge

Something that has happened in the past and is no longer important.

"We had a fight last year, but we're friends now. It's all water under the bridge."

Wild goose chase

A foolish and hopeless search for or pursuit of something unattainable.

"The boss sent me on a wild goose chase to find a file that didn't exist."

You can say that again

Used to express strong agreement with what someone has just said.

"A: 'It's freezing outside!' B: 'You can say that again!'"

Your guess is as good as mine

To have no idea or not know the answer to a question.

"A: 'Where did they go?' B: 'Your guess is as good as mine.'"

A storm in a teacup

Great outrage or excitement about a trivial matter.

"Their argument over the television remote was just a storm in a teacup."

As right as rain

To feel perfectly well or healthy.

"After a good night's sleep, I'll be as right as rain."

Beat the clock

To finish something just before a deadline.

"We managed to beat the clock and submit the proposal at 11:59 PM."

Bite your tongue

To stop yourself from saying something that you really want to say.

"I wanted to criticize his outfit, but I decided to bite my tongue."

Break the bank

To cost too much or use all of one's money.

"We want to take a vacation, but we can't afford to break the bank."

By the book

Following the rules exactly.

"The manager is very strict; he does everything by the book."

Catch-22

A frustrating situation where you cannot escape because of contradictory rules.

"I need experience to get a job, but I need a job to get experience. It's a Catch-22."

Clear the air

To resolve a hidden tension or misunderstanding.

"We need to talk about what happened yesterday to clear the air."

Draw a blank

To fail to recall a memory or be unable to find an answer.

"I tried to remember her name, but I completely drew a blank."

Drop the ball

To make a mistake or fail to do your job.

"I really dropped the ball on this project; I completely forgot the deadline."

English Idioms

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