WordVale

Idioms & Sayings

100 words and expressions, each with a learner-friendly meaning. Tap any term for its page.

• hit the sackto go to bed
• beat around the bushto avoid saying what you mean directly
• once in a blue moonvery rarely
• the tip of the iceberga small visible part of a much larger problem
• cut cornersto do something cheaply or carelessly
• bite the bulletto face a difficult situation bravely
• break the iceto ease tension in a first meeting
• piece of cakesomething very easy
• under the weatherfeeling ill
• cost an arm and a legto be very expensive
• spill the beansto reveal a secret
• hit the nail on the headto describe something exactly right
• let the cat out of the bagto reveal a secret accidentally
• burn the midnight oilto work late into the night
• the ball is in your courtit is your turn to act or decide
• pull someone's legto tease someone playfully
• get cold feetto become nervous before a big event
• a blessing in disguisea good thing that seemed bad at first
• miss the boatto lose an opportunity
• on the fenceundecided between two options
• throw in the towelto give up
• go the extra mileto make more effort than expected
• cry over spilled milkto be upset about something that can't be undone
• the last strawthe final problem that makes a situation unbearable
• a dime a dozenvery common and of little value
• barking up the wrong treepursuing a mistaken line of thought
• bend over backwardsto try very hard to help someone
• call it a dayto stop working for the day
• cut to the chaseto get to the point
• draw the lineto set a limit
• face the musicto accept the consequences
• get out of handto become uncontrollable
• give the benefit of the doubtto trust someone despite doubts
• hang in thereto persevere through difficulty
• in the same boatin the same difficult situation
• jump on the bandwagonto join a popular trend
• keep an eye onto watch carefully
• kill two birds with one stoneto solve two problems with one action
• let sleeping dogs lieto avoid disturbing a settled situation
• make ends meetto have just enough money to live
• no strings attachedwith no conditions
• off the top of my headwithout careful thought; from memory
• on the same pagein agreement
• out of the blueunexpectedly
• play it by earto improvise as you go
• pull yourself togetherto regain composure
• rain checka polite refusal with a promise to accept later
• read between the linesto find hidden meaning
• ring a bellto sound familiar
• take with a grain of saltto regard with skepticism
• the best of both worldsthe benefits of two different things
• through thick and thinin good times and bad
• time fliestime passes quickly
• under your noseright in front of you but unnoticed
• up in the airundecided or uncertain
• wrap your head aroundto fully understand something difficult
• a piece of one's minda frank, critical opinion
• add fuel to the fireto make a bad situation worse
• back to square oneback to the starting point
• ballpark figurea rough estimate
• bite off more than you can chewto take on too much
• blow off steamto release pent-up energy or anger
• bury the hatchetto make peace
• by the bookstrictly according to the rules
• caught red-handedcaught in the act of wrongdoing
• cross that bridge when you come to itto deal with a problem when it arises
• devil's advocateone who argues an opposing view for the sake of debate
• down to earthpractical and sensible
• easier said than doneharder to do than to describe
• elephant in the rooman obvious problem no one wants to discuss
• every cloud has a silver liningevery bad situation has some good
• get the ball rollingto start something
• go against the grainto conflict with what is usual
• hit the ground runningto start energetically and effectively
• in the nick of timejust in time
• it takes two to tangoboth parties share responsibility
• jump the gunto act too soon
• keep your chin upto stay cheerful in difficulty
• leave no stone unturnedto search thoroughly
• let bygones be bygonesto forget past conflicts
• long shotsomething with little chance of success
• lose your touchto no longer have a former skill
• make a mountain out of a molehillto exaggerate a small problem
• needle in a haystacksomething very hard to find
• on cloud nineextremely happy
• out of the frying pan into the firefrom a bad situation to a worse one
• penny for your thoughtstell me what you are thinking
• pull out all the stopsto make every possible effort
• put all your eggs in one basketto risk everything on one plan
• put the cart before the horseto do things in the wrong order
• see eye to eyeto agree completely
• sit tightto wait patiently
• steal someone's thunderto take credit for another's idea
• the whole nine yardseverything possible
• throw caution to the windto act recklessly
• turn a blind eyeto ignore something deliberately
• water under the bridgea past problem no longer worth worrying about
• when pigs flynever
• wild goose chasea hopeless search for something unattainable
• burn bridgesto destroy a relationship or path back, making return impossible