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THE EF ENGLISHLIVE GUIDE TO:

English Idioms

index

03

Introduction

05

Idioms Referring to
the Natural World

08

Idioms Referring to
Parts of the Body

11

Idioms to Talk About

Feelings or Emotions

14

Idioms to Describe a
Bad Mood

17

Idioms to Express
Understanding

20

Idioms About Having

Fun

23

Your Next Step

25

About
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| 2 - index

INTRODUCTION

| 3 - Introduction

Introduction

Idioms, also known as idiomatic

expressions, are funny. They
can be confusing for non-native
English speakers because, if
taken literally, they simply dont
make sense.
Think about it, have you ever literally
fought for something with your teeth and
nails? Or, have you really pulled out your
hair in frustration? And when you open
your heart, do you use anesthesia or a
scalpel? The answer is probably No.
Nevertheless, these expressions are still
commonly used in everyday English.
In case you cant make head nor
tails of these strange sayings, weve
created this helpful guide to teach you
some common English idioms. Youll
soon find them a piece of cake (very
simple) to understand. See, youve already
learned your first idiom!

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| 4 - Introduction

TO THE NATURAL
WORLD

PART 1

IDIOMS REFERRING
TO THE NATURAL
WORLD

| 5 - Idioms Referring To The Natural World

PART 1

IDIOMS REFERRING TO THE NATURAL WORLD

There are many idioms that refer to parts the natural
world, such as the weather or animals. Because these
things are already common in English vocabulary, its
only natural that they end up being part of idiomatic
expressions.

Here are just a few of the most common:

Raining cats and dogs
When you hear someone say its raining cats and dogs you can
bet that there is a downpour of heavy, torrential rain. Dont forget
your umbrella!

Hold your horses

Calm down when you hear this expression. It doesnt mean you
literally have horses, instead it means that someone is asking you
to take it slow, and reconsider before acting.

Make hay while the sun shines

The expression above is an order: dont waste time; work hard
whenever you have the opportunity. Here, hay means money,
so, this expression probably arose from the fact that farmers
have to take advantage of the good weather if they want to grow
profitable crops.

Under the weather

If one day you dont feel very well, you can show off your English
and say I am feeling under the weather, which means that you
are feeling ill.

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| 6 - Idioms Referring To The Natural World

Idioms Referring To The Natural World

When pigs fly

If someone says Ill do it when pigs fly, it really means that they
will never do it.

Over the moon

Have you ever felt like jumping for joy? You feel that way when
youre over the moon. This means youre extremely happy.

Till the cows come home

Cows are known for wandering very slowly. If someone wants to
say in English that someone is slow or takes too long, they could
use this expression. For example: He loves reading. He could stay
at the library till the cows come home. (He loves to read, so he
could be in the library until wee hours of the night.)

It is like herding frogs

Imagine how difficult it would be to gather hundreds of frogs in the
same space. Can you picture the chaos? This expression means
that an action is complicated, chaotic or nearly impossible.

A sitting duck
If you hear someone say, Her silly comments made her a sitting
duck for jokes, it means that the silly comments she made left
her as an easy target for jokes. So, a sitting duck means an easy
target to attack.

Every rose has its thorn

Roses are beautiful and elegant, but they all have thorns. Like
roses, all good things have a negative side, and that is exactly what
this phrase means.

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| 7 - Idioms Referring To The Natural World

PARTS OF THE BODY

PART 2

IDIOMS REFERRING TO
PARTS OF THE BODY

| 8 - Idioms Referring To Parts Of The Body

PART 2

IDIOMS REFERRING TO PARTS OF THE BODY

The use of body parts to form idioms is also very common
Now, we will take a look at everyday English expressions
that refer to body parts:

To have butterflies in ones stomach

You can use this phrase when you are excited or even in love. It
may also represent a sense of fear or anguish. To get butterflies
in the stomach is a very common expression to describe for
nervous excitement.

Feel it in your bones

Do you trust your intuition? Then you are feeling it in your bones.
You can use this expression for a good or a bad feeling.

Hands down
When someone or something is an undisputed winner, we say
that it is the winner hands down.

This cost an arm and a leg

You will use this expression when a product or service is pretty
expensive: Do you want a Montblanc pen? They cost an arm
and a leg! (Do you want a Montblanc pen? They are very
expensive!)

Slap on the wrist

A slap on the wrist is a small, but non-physical punishment. For
example: He stole from the Company and just got a warning. It
was a slap on the wrist! (He stole from the Company and just
got a warning. It was a minimal punishment!)

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| 9 - Idioms Referring To Parts Of The Body

Idioms Referring To Parts Of The Body

Get cold feet

The expression cold feet means that a person has become
nervous or afraid of doing something that was already planned.
Fox example: He was planning to ask her out on a date, but got
cold feet at the very last minute.

Have your mind set on something

Is George Harrison your favorite Beatle? Then you will probably
have already heard the expression Ive got my mind set on you.
If you say that youve got your mind set on something, it means
that you have already decided on accomplishing something.

Born with a silver spoon in your mouth

Is synonymous with wealth, It means born into an aristocratic or
very rich family: James doesnt know a nything about working
for a living; he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Skin-deep
Something with a depth measured as only skin-deep is easy to
imagine: its superficial, without much importance or significance.
You can use this expression as in the following example: Her
interest for politics is only skin-deep. This means her interest in
politics is only superficial.

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| 10 - Idioms Referring To Parts Of The Body

ABOUT FEELINGS OR
EMOTIONS

PART 3

IDIOMS TO TALK
ABOUT FEELINGS OR
EMOTIONS

| 11 - Idioms To Talk About Feelings Or Emotions

PART 3

IDIOMS TO TALK ABOUT FEELINGS OR EMOTIONS

Although the heart is a part of the body and we could have
included it in the previous category, the heart is so special
that we feel it needs a category of idioms to itself.

There are so many expressions referring to emotions using

the heart that its difficult to learn all of them by heart.

To wear your heart on your sleeve

If you wear your heart on your sleeve, you are showing your
emotions and making your feelings clear.

Get at the heart of the matter

This is an expression that means to reach the main point or get to
the point. In a meeting, if you want to go straight to the main problem,
you can say: Id like to get right to the heart of the matter.

Cross your heart and hope to die

This is a strong expression to use when you want to swear that
youre telling the truth. For example: I cross my heart and hope
to die, if Im lying!.

Close to your heart

By saying that something is close to your heart, youre saying
that it is an important issue for you and that you are very
interested in it. It can be used, for example, about a cause that
you stand for: Animal rights are very close to my heart.

Have a change of heart

Dont worry, no one is going to give you a heart transplant.
Having a change of heart simply means that youve changed
your mind about something.

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| 12 - Idioms To Talk About Feelings Or Emotions

Idioms To Talk About Feelings Or Emotions

Eat your heart out

Dont take it literally! This expression is usually an exclamation that
tells people they should be envious. For example: Im going to
New York this weekend! Eat your heart out! (Im going to New
York this weekend! Be jealous!)

Have your heart in the right place

Has anyone ever told you that your heart is in the right place?
This phrase recognizes that your intentions are good, even if youve
made a mistake. For example: The dinner she cooked was terrible,
but she had her heart in the right place. (The dinner she cooked
was terrible, but she did it with the best intention.)

Cry your heart out

This means to mourn inconsolably and cry till you drop, or until you
no longer have any tears left. You can see this common expression
in the title of a song by Oasis: Stop crying your heart out.

Heart skips/misses a beat

When you face something unexpected, meet someone you like, or when
your heart seems to have stopped when you are taken by suprise, these
are all feelings feelings that make your heart skip a beat.

Pour your heart out

This expression means to open your heart by sharing a deep
secret or emotionally describing everything you feel.

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| 13 - Idioms To Talk About Feelings Or Emotions

DESCRIBE A BAD
MOOD

PART 4

IDIOMS TO
DESCRIBE A BAD
MOOD

| 14 - Idioms To Describe A Bad Mood

PART 4

IDIOMS TO DESCRIBE A BAD MOOD

Life isnt always easy and sometimes people find
themselves in a bad mood or angry.

Lets see some expressions you can use in these

situations:
Blow a fuse
A fuse or a wick is used to light an explosive. This expression
means losing control or being too angry. For example: He spilled
coffee on me and I blew a fuse, meaning: He spilled coffee on
me and I got very angry.

Get on your nerves

This happens when someone or something really irritates you.
For instance, All this noise gets on my nerves! (All this noise
irritates me!)

Get Lost!
You might say this when a person has upset you want him or
her to go away and leave you alone.

Cut it out!
Alternatively, you might say to a person who is irritating you:
Cut it out! That is, to stop.

Come down like a ton of bricks

Now, if you want a person to stop (cut it out), then ask him or her
to leave (get lost). If that doesnt work, a possible approach is to
tell that person what you really think and come down on them
like a ton of bricks. You might say: He got on my nerves, so I
came down on him like a ton of bricks. (He got on my nerves,
so I criticized him.)

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| 15 - Idioms To Describe A Bad Mood

Idioms To Describe A Bad Mood

Give someone a piece of your mind

There are times when you just have to say what you think. In
those situations, you must give someone a piece of your mind.
For example: She parked on my spot for the sixth time this
week, so I had to give her a piece of my mind. (She parked in my
spot for the sixth consecutive time, and I had to tell her the truth
of how I really felt about it.)

Rub someone up the wrong way

Imagine petting a cat against their fur: thats rubbing it the wrong
way. Occasionally you might meet someone who makes you
feel like that cat. Some people just rub you the wrong way. and
annoy or irritate without a reason.

Get off my back!

If someone is annoying you so much that you want him or her to
leave you alone, you can tell them to: Get off my back! This is a
strong request not to be disturbed.

For crying out loud!

This is a common English phrase used to express exasperation.
Its like saying Oh for goodness sake! It can be followed by
an order: For crying out loud, turn that videogame off! (Oh for
goodness sake, turn that video game off!)

At your wits end

This when your patience is running out and you dont know what
to do with the situation. Im almost at my wits end trying to deal
with this chaos! (Im tired of trying to deal with this chaos!)

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| 16 - Idioms To Describe A Bad Mood

EXPRESS
UNDERSTANDING

PART 5

IDIOMS TO
EXPRESS
UNDERSTANDING

| 17 - Idioms To Express Understanding

PART 5

IDIOMS TO EXPRESS UNDERSTANDING

After some angry expressions, we will try to help you
express understanding with the idioms of this section.

In English, there are several ways to say you

understand something:
Shed light
When you shed light on a topic, it is clearer to understand. For
example: The teacher explained again and shed light on the process.
(The teacher explained again and made the process
clearer.)

Get someones drift

Did you understand what a friend said? Then you could say that
you got his drift.

Get it
This expression is very similar to get someones drift, while
being even more direct. It can be used as a complete sentence,
with an object, or as a phrase: I get it, you need to rest.
(I understand that you need to rest.) Get it? (Did you understand?)

Get the message / picture

This is another way of saying that you understand. For example:
Did you get the message? (Did you understand?)

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| 18 - Idioms To Express Understanding

Idioms To Express Understanding

Hammer home
If you want to be really sure someone understands what youre
saying, then you need to hammer your point home. For instance,
She repeated her point three times to really hammer it home.

Wrap your brain around

To understand something that is going to require more concentration
and effort, youll need to wrap your brain around it.

Get wise to
When you discover that someone is trying to trick or deceive you,
you could say that you got wise to their intentions. For example:
I thought she was paying me a compliment, but I soon got wise
to the fact she was really teasing me.

Take a hint
This means to understand an indirect suggestion. Take a hint!
can also be used as a command or an exclamation.

Figure someone/something out

This expression means to make sense of something. When you
figure something out, you finally understand it. This expression
can also be used for people: I cant figure him out, he is
confusing! (I cant understand him, he confuses me!)

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| 19 - Idioms To Express Understanding

HAVING FUN

PART 6

IDIOMS ABOUT
HAVING FUN

| 20 - Idioms About Having Fun

PART 6

IDIOMS
ABOUT HAVING FUN

In this last section, we will talk about expressions that are

used when you want to enjoy life or tell someone to relax.

So lets finish the right way, and talk about having

some fun:
Let your hair down
This expression is more often used as advice to tell someone to
rest or relax. For instance: Its Saturday night, you can let your
hair down! (Its Saturday night, you can relax!)

Have the time of your life

Literally, this phrase means the moment of your life. The
idiomatic meaning is similar: to have a lot of fun, or to have the
best day of your life. For example: My son had the time of his life
at Disney World. (My son had the best day at Disney World.)

With bells on
Are you going to a party? Go with bells on. In other words, go
with enthusiasm, ready to have fun. Is it your birthday party? Ill
be there with bells on! (Is it your birthday party? You can count
on me to be there and have fun!)

Take it easy
This expression is commonly used as a suggestion or request, to
ask someone to relax or calm down. For example: Hey, take it
easy, you cant work 12 hours a day, every day. (Hey, relax, you
cant work 12 hours a day every day.)

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| 21 - Idioms About Having Fun

Idioms About Having Fun

The world is your oyster

This is another funny phrase if taken literally. After all, if the world
were an oyster, you would be stuck in a shell. As an idiomatic
expression however, this phrase means that you are free to enjoy
the pleasures of life and the opportunities it offers; the sky is the
limit.

To get along like a house on fire

This expression can be misleading, as a house on fire certainly
doesnt sound positive. However, if two people get along like a
house on fire, they actually like eachother and get along really well.

More fun than a barrel of monkeys

If you imagine a big group of monkeys, youd probably think of
them as energetic, excitable and probably quite entertaining.
Something that is more fun than a barrel of monkeys is very
entertaining.

Chill out
If someone says Im going to chill out, it means theyre going to
relax and enjoy life. For example: After working late, at the end
of the day, I go home where I can chill out. (After working late, at
the end of the day, I go home where I can relax.)

Have a ball / have a blast

These two expressions have the same meaning: to really enjoy
something and have fun. The party was great, I had a blast!
(The party was great, I really enjoyed it!)

Paint the town (red)

Would you like to go out and have fun, or do something exciting?
You can invite someone to join you by saying: Lets go out and
paint the town red! (Lets go out and have fun!) The red in the
phrase is optional. Today, the term is more common without it.

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| 22 - Idioms About Having Fun

Your Next Step

Now that youve learned some

useful Idioms, youre ready to take
your English to the next level.

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| 23 - Your Next Step

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