Common Idioms Definitions

It cost me an arm and a leg to take my Very expensive

trip to Australia.

I was over the moon when he asked me Extremely pleased or happy

to marry him.

You are taking your IELTS test next Doing or starting something too
week?? Aren’t you jumping the gun. early
You’ve only just started studying.

He comes round to see me once in a Happening very rarely

blue moon.

He’s got a chip on his shoulder. Feeling inferior or having a

grievance about something

I reckon getting a band 7 in IELTS will be Very easy

a piece of cake! I’m very good at
English.

The money sent by comic relief to help A very small part of something
poverty in Africa is just a drop in the much bigger
ocean. They need far more than this.

Getting a low score the first time I took Something positive that isn’t
IELTS was a blessing in disguise. It recognized until later
forced me to study extremely hard so I
got a much better score the next time.

We have to actually do something about It’s better to actually do

global warming. Actions speak louder something rather than just
than words. talking about it

I bumped into Jenny in town the other Meeting someone you would not
day. It's a small world. have expected to
Common Idioms Definitions

Oh well, I got 5.5 in IELTS again. Back to When an attempt to do

the drawing board! something fails and it's time to
start all over again using
different methods

I hate my job so much I can’t bare going Having two very bad choices.
to work, but if I quit I don’t think I can get
another job. I’m really stuck / caught (note: stuck/caught can be
between a rock and a hard place. omitted)

I have to bite my tongue so I don’t say Wanting to say something but

what I really think of him! stopping yourself.

Come on, cut to the chase. We haven’t Leave out all the unnecessary
got all day! details and just get to the point

Are you putting all of your savings into Putting all of ones resources into
that company? Don’t put all your eggs one possibility
in one basket.

Try not to worry about it. Every cloud Believing that every bad situation
has a silver lining. has a positive side / eventually
leads to something good

It was difficult when I moved to another To become comfortable in what

country but I eventually found my feet. you are doing

My parents are very fixed in their ways. Not wanting to change from the
They won’t start using the internet. normal ways of doing things

I think he got up on the wrong side of To refer to someone who is

the bed this morning. He is in a terrible having a bad day
mood.

My mother will always go the extra Doing much more than is

mile to help people. required when doing something
Common Idioms Definitions

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. Say exactly the right thing
That’s the reason he didn’t get the job.

Today’s going so badly. If it’s not one When everything seems to be

thing, it’s the other. going wrong

I just said it in the heat of the moment. I Saying or doing something

was angry. I know I shouldn’t have. suddenly without thinking about
it

Keep an eye on him. I think he may Watch someone or something

cheat in the exam. carefully

Have you heard? John down the road Died

has kicked the bucket.

I don’t want to argue with him again. It’s Avoid a conflict

better to let sleeping dogs lie.

I told him what gift you have bought him Tell someone something that you
for his birthday. Sorry, I didn’t mean to let were not supposed to
the cat out of the bag.

Don’t tell her what you really think of her Hurt or upset someone who is
if she’s helping you with your English! helping you
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

I’m not sure which party he is going to Not making a firm decision
vote for. He’s sitting on the fence. between different choices

Everything she does is very over the top. Excessive

She can’t just have a few drinks – se has
to get really drunk.

Common Idioms Definitions

Let’s keep studying for IELTS. Practice Continuously doing something to
makes perfect. improve

Don’t get upset about what he said. He’s Joking around

just pulling your leg.

Sorry but I think I’ll take a rain check on To decline an offer that you will
that. take up later

As a rule of thumb, I don’t study at Principal that is strictly adhered /

weekends. I spend the time with my kept to
family.

I can smell a rat. He said he has a PhD To sense that something is not
but he can’t even remember which right
university he studied at.

She’s the spitting image of her mother. To look exactly like someone
else

The ball's in your court now. What are Telling someone it's now their
you going to do? turn to make a decision

Unfortunately I think he’ll be studying for For a very long time

IELTS until the cows come home. His
English is very poor.

It was all tongue-in-cheek. He didn’t Something said in humour rather

really mean what he said. than seriously

She’s feeling under the weather today Unwell

so she won’t be going to work.

Common Idioms Definitions

We've had some big disagreements over Things from the past that are not
the years, but it’s all water under the important anymore
bridge now. We get on fine.
 You are what you eat so it’s better to If you eat bad food, you’ll be
have a healthy diet. unhealthy, if you eat good food,
you’ll be healthy

You can’t judge a book by its cover. I The belief that outside
need to get to know him before I decide appearances do not reveal what
what he is like. someone or something is really
like

We're really working against the Not having enough time to do

clock now. We must hurry. something

Why are we bothering? We're flogging a Attempting to continue with

dead horse. Our online business is something that is finished / over
making no money, so we should move on
and do something else.

I bent over backwards to help him. I Doing all you can to help
hope he appreciates it. someone

So you have the IELTS test Good luck

today?? Break a leg.

Ok, I'm playing devil's advocate here, To put forward a side in an

but if marijuana is legalized, isn't it more argument that may not be your
likely young people will smoke it? own in order to show the
counter-argument / ensure all
sides are discussed

Hold your horses! We haven't won Telling someone who is getting

anything yet. ahead of themselves to wait / be
patient

She is driving me up the wall. She won't Annoying or irritating somebody

stop talking.

Colourful Idioms Meaning Example

Something that happened Yesterday, out of the blue, he asked me to

Out of the blue unexpectedly marry him!
 To owe money, to not have
In the red money Sorry, I can't afford it, I'm in the red.

Give someone the I was given the green light to start this new
green light To give permission project

To tell a lie that is not very I don't think you should get in trouble for
A white lie serious telling a white lie.

She was green with envy when she saw

Green with envy To be jealous/envious my diamond ring.

Student Idioms Meaning Example

Continually working without I was studying day and night for my

Day and night stopping IELTS test.

She dropped out of the course because it

Drop out To leave without finishing was too hard.

Learn by heart To memorise I learned all my idioms by heart.

Pass with flying

colours To pass a test with a high grade I really hope I pass with flying colours.

When I was younger, I was a bookworm, I

Bookworm Someone who reads a lot just loved reading.

Donkey’s years Know someone for very long time I’ve known her for donkey’s years

As sharp as a knife Very clever/intelligent He is as sharp as a knife

Not the sharpest tool

in the shed Not very clever/intelligent He is not the sharpest tool in the shed

She always handles things very well. She

Calm and collected Very calm is very calm and connected.
Getting on a bit Old She is getting on a bit

Nothing ventured, If you don’t try or take risks, you He’s kind of person who believes nothing
nothing gained won’t succeed. ventured, nothing gained

To be the spitting
image of To look exactly the same as I am the spitting image of my father

To be a loose To say things (often bad) without Tom is talkative and he is loose cannon
cannon thinking or realizing it sometimes

To talk a lot without realising you I shouldn’t have behaved like that. I just
To get carried away are talking too much got carried away.

It’s characteristics of most people

It runs in the family in that family Being an artist runs in the family

As bright as a button Very clever I am as bright as a button

In IELTS, you will get unexpected

questions and you need to think on your
To think on your feet To think quickly and improvise feet.

To go back a long We have known each other a long Rudi is a bosom friend. We go back a
way time/ we are old friends long way.

To get on/get along very well with

To hit it off someone We really hit it off as soon as we met.

We don’t always see eye to eye even

To see eye to eye To agree though we are close friends.

Someone who thinks they know

To be a know-it-all everything My boss is a know-it-all

To set in your ways To not like change Maybe baby boomers are set in their way

Vertically challenged Not too tall/short She is vertically challenged

Childhood Idioms Meaning Example

Brought up Raised/developed I was brought up in the country.

Learning how to play a guitar was child's

Child's play Very easy to do play, I could do it easily.

When I arrived in the city I was like a kid in a

Like a kid in a candy store, there was so much to see and
candy store Very excited about something do.

To follow in
someone's To achieve the same things that I followed in my mother's footsteps and
footsteps someone else did became a teacher.

Qualities that are similar in We are all good at maths, it runs in the
To run in the family family members family.

I fell over the heals I feel over the heals the first time I visit the
with it Falling in love with someone place

The youngsters tend to be more fashion

Fashion conscious Aware of the latest fashion conscious

COVID Idioms Meaning Example

Under the I'm feeling a bit under the weather. I hope I don't have
weather Feeling unwell COVID.

As sick as a dog Feeling very ill I was as sick as a dog last night.

On the mend Recovering, getting better My mother was very sick but now she's on the mend.

My father was so sick I thought he might kick the

Kick the bucket To die bucket

To indicate possible
To show promise success The new vaccine is showing promise.
IELTS Idioms Meaning Example

Practice makes To continuously improve by My teacher said that practice makes perfect, so
perfect practising I need to practise more.

Break a leg To wish someone good luck I hope you do really well, break a leg!

Driving me up Waiting for my results is really driving me up

the wall Something that annoys you the wall.

Better late than It's better to do something late I didn't know how to drive till I was 30, but
never than not to try it better late than never.

I'm as blind as a bat, I really need my reading

Blind as a bat Can't see, bad eyesight glasses.