Idiom Examples
American English
This is an illustrated list of idiom examples in American English. An idiom is one type of figurative language in the English language.
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An idiom is a commonly used phrase that does not mean what it says.
Idioms should not be taken literally. That means that you should not believe it exactly as it is written.
Read about idioms here:
This page contains a list of some of the most common American English Idioms. It is organized alphabetically by the first word of the idiom. Click on each letter below to jump directly to a certain letter of the alphabet.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
| N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
A
- a blessing in
disguise = something good that seems bad at first
I lost my job, but it was a blessing in disguise because now I can spend more time with my children.
- all Greek to
me = meaningless, beyond my understanding
The map was all Greek to me.
- as easy as pie
= very simple
That test was as easy as pie.
- a slap on the
wrist = a mild punishment
After the fight, my brother only got a slap on the wrist.
- at the drop
of a hat = immediately
I will help you at the drop of a hat.
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B
- bend over
backwards = help in any way that you can
John will bend over backwards to help you.
- bite off more
than you can chew = take on too much responsibility
My sister has a full-time career, three children, and is the coach of the soccer team. I hope she has not bitten off more than she can chew.
- blow one's top
= become very angry
He blew his top when he heard the bad news.
- break a leg
= good luck
*This is a common way to say, "Good luck," when someone is going to perform on stage.
- break
someone's heart = make someone sad
Judy broke Bill's heart when she divorced him.
- break up
= stop dating
Bill and Mary broke up after a month of dating.
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C
- catch some Zs
= go to sleep, take a nap
I am tired. I think I am going to catch some Zs.
- change one's
mind = to think differently
I do not like her and nothing you say will change my mind.
- chicken
= scared; coward
My brother is too chicken to jump off the diving board at the pool.
- cool
= neat; awesome
His new car is so cool!
- crack someone
up = make someone laugh
My brother likes to tell jokes! He cracks me up!
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D
- dime a dozen
= cheap; common; easy to get
Those shirts are a dime a dozen.
- down in the
dumps = feeling very sad
Sandy was feeling down in the dumps after she lost her job.
- drive someone
up the wall = annoy
The kids are stuck inside today and they are driving me up the wall.
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E
- egghead
= smart person
Susan got a 100% on another exam. She is an egghead.
- elbow grease
= hard work; effort
Use some elbow grease when you wash the dishes.
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F
- feeling blue
= feeling sad
Dan was feeling blue after his team lost the championship game.
- fire someone
= release someone from their job
Sam's boss fired him because he was late to the meeting.
- frog in one's
throat = scratchy voice; not able to speak normally due
to soreness or coughing
Excuse me while I clear this frog in my throat.
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G
- get a kick
out of something = find something funny or amusing
She gets a kick out of watching the dogs play in the yard.
- get going
= leave; depart
We better get going so we are not late for church.
- get on
someone's nerves = annoy; irritate
You really get on my nerves when you do not listen to me!
- get over it
= stop thinking about something that is bothering you; move
on
The fight happened a week ago. It is time to get over it!
- give someone
a hand = help
Let me give you a hand with those papers.
- grab a bite
= get something to eat
Where do you want to grab a bite for lunch?
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H
- hard feelings
= anger; bad feelings
Nick got Tim's job, but Tim doesn't have any hard feelings towards him.
- hard-headed
= stubborn
My dad is hard-headed and will never change his mind once he has decided something.
- head over
heels = very excited; in love
She fell head over heels for him on their first date.
- hit the books
= study
The exam is tomorrow. You better hit the books.
- hit the sack or hit the hay = go to
bed
I am tired. I think I will hit the hay.
- hold your
horses = wait; be patient
I will be there in 5 minutes! Hold your horses!
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I
- in someone's
face = getting aggressive with someone
He was angry with me and got in my face.
- in time
= not late
If we leave now, we will arrive just in time for the wedding.
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J
- jaywalk
= cross the road in the middle of the street without a cross
walk
It is dangerous to jaywalk on a busy street.
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K
- keep an eye
on someone = watch
Please keep an eye on your sister while I am gone.
- keep in touch
= stay in contact by writing letters or calling
My friend is moving to Canada, but she promised to keep in touch by calling once a week.
- kick the
bucket = die
Tim's goldfish kicked the bucket yesterday.
- kidding
= joking
He was just kidding when he told you to go home.
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L
- lend your ear
= listen
Students! Please lend me your ears!
- lend someone
a hand = help
Can you lend me a hand with these boxes?
- let the cat
out of the bag = tell a secret; tell about a surprise
She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
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M
- make up your
mind = decide
I cannot make up my mind whether I want chocolate or vanilla ice cream.
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N
- new kid on
the block = new person in a group
She doesn't know the rules because she is the new kid on the block.
- nuts
= crazy
My mom is nuts about her grandchildren.
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O
- on time
= not late
I like to be on time for church.
- out of the
blue = when something happens without notice
I was surprised when Lisa came to visit out of the blue!
- over the top
= extreme; too much
She went over the top by hiring a clown for her son's birthday!
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P
- piece of cake
= very easy
Today's lesson was a piece of cake.
- pig out
= eat a lot
We pigged out on Grandma's pancakes.
- pulling
someone's leg = teasing, joking, tricking
Do not believe him. He is just pulling your leg.
- pooped
= very tired
It was a long day at work! I am pooped!
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Q
- quick study
= someone who learns something fast
She will be the manager at work soon. She is a quick study.
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R
- raining cats
and dogs = raining hard; lots of rain
It rained cats and dogs during last night's thunderstorm.
- rise and shine
= wake up, get out of bed
It is 9:00 and time to rise and shine!
- run-down
= needs repair
The house was cheap to buy because it was very run-down.
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S
- saved by the
bell = saved at the last possible moment
He was going to ask me for help, but I was saved by the bell when the phone rang.
- sick as a dog
= very sick
Tony had the flu. He was sick as a dog for a week.
- spitting image
= looks exactly alike
Sarah is the spitting image of her mother.
- step on it
= hurry
We are going to be late if you do not step on it!
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T
- take it easy
= relax
I am just going to stay at home and take it easy this weekend.
- tie the knot
= get married
My parents tied the knot in 1973.
- toss-up
= the results could go either way; a tie
My favorite flavor of ice-cream is a toss-up between chocolate and strawberry
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U
- under the
weather = feeling sick
I did not go to work yesterday because I was feeling under the weather.
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V
- vanish into
thin air = disappear
Where were you? You vanished into thin air as soon as the meeting finished.
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W
- What for?
= Why?; What do you need me for?
Please get to work early tomorrow.
What for?
- What's up?
= What is happening? What is new?
I am glad you called. What's up?
- when pigs fly
= something that will never happen
I will go on a date with you when pigs fly!
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X
- x-rated
= not for children; only for adults
I changed the television channel because that show was x-rated and there were children watching.
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Y
- you are what
you eat = you must eat healthy foods to be healthy
For more energy, you should eat some vegetables instead of chips.
Remember, you are what you eat.
- yucky
= tastes bad
That mushroom pizza was yucky. I did not eat it.
- yummy
= tastes good; delicious
These cookies are yummy!
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Z
- zip your lips
= be quiet
That was a secret! Zip your lips!
This was a list of idiom examples in American English. Now that you understand, it is time to practice! Get our ESL Books.
