Ten Everyday English Idioms Explained

Idioms are a normal part of everyday English, and they are hard for learners because their meaning cannot be worked out from the words. If someone says they are "under the weather", looking up under and weather will not help. Cambridge Dictionary defines an idiom as a group of words with a meaning different from the meanings of the individual words. This guide explains ten you are likely to hear, with the meanings listed in Cambridge Dictionary, and then gives some habits for learning idioms in general.

1. A piece of cake

Something that is very easy to do. "The exam was a piece of cake." It is informal and cheerful, and used after a task, to say that it was no trouble. You can also say easy as pie with the same meaning.

2. Break the ice

To make people who have not met before feel more relaxed with each other, or to do or say something that makes people who do not know each other feel more comfortable. "He told a joke to break the ice." It is common at meetings, parties and the start of a course. An icebreaker is a game or question used for that purpose.

3. Under the weather

Feeling ill, or not completely well. "I am feeling a bit under the weather today, so I will stay home." It describes mild illness, such as a cold or tiredness, not a serious condition, and it is a polite way to say you are unwell without giving details.

4. Once in a blue moon

Not very often, or rarely. "We only eat out once in a blue moon." The phrase refers to something that almost never happens. It is useful for describing the frequency of an event, and it is more colorful than rarely or hardly ever.

5. Spill the beans

To tell people secret information, or to let secret information become known. "Someone spilled the beans about the surprise party." It is often used in a light way, about secrets such as gifts, plans or news. It can suggest an accident or a choice, and the context shows which.

6. Let the cat out of the bag

To allow a secret to become known, usually without meaning to. "She let the cat out of the bag when she mentioned the new office." This one and spill the beans are close in meaning. Cambridge Dictionary's definition of the second highlights that it is usually unintended, which is a small difference worth remembering: you can spill the beans on purpose, but you usually let the cat out of the bag by accident.

7. Cost an arm and a leg

To be very expensive. "That watch costs an arm and a leg." It is informal and exaggerated. People use it when a price seems far too high. A neutral alternative is very expensive, and a milder informal one is pricey.

8. Bite the bullet

To force yourself to do something unpleasant or difficult, or to be brave in a difficult situation. "I did not want to call the bank, but I bit the bullet." It is used for a task you have been avoiding, where you accept that it has to be done. Notice that it is about deciding and doing, and not about suffering in silence.

9. A blessing in disguise

Something that seems bad or unlucky at first, but results in something good happening later. "Losing that job was a blessing in disguise. I found a better one." It is a way of looking back on a setback with some hope. It is usually said after the good result is known, not in the middle of the bad event, where it can sound dismissive.

10. The last straw

The last in a series of unpleasant events that finally makes you feel you cannot continue to accept a bad situation. "When the train was late again, that was the last straw." It comes from the saying about the last straw that breaks the camel's back. It marks the point at which patience ends, and it is often followed by a decision: "That was the last straw, and I quit."

Related phrases that help

Some idioms come in families. For secrets, you can say keep it under your hat (keep it secret), spill the beans and let the cat out of the bag. For rain, English has it is raining cats and dogs, which Cambridge Dictionary lists as something you say when it is raining heavily. For being quick and alert, there is on the ball. For starting again after a failure, back to the drawing board is a good one. For doing something difficult, bite the bullet sits with face the music. Grouping idioms by theme helps your memory, since related phrases cue each other.

How to use idioms well

Idioms are most useful when you recognize them and choose them with care. A few cautions help.

Know the register. Most everyday idioms are informal. Piece of cake suits a chat, and would sound out of place in a formal report. Check a dictionary for notes such as informal or old-fashioned.

Do not change the wording. Idioms are fixed. Saying a piece of pie or let the dog out of the bag will be understood by few. Learn the exact form.

Watch tense and grammar. The idiom can change tense and subject, but the core words stay: "She spilled the beans." "I will bite the bullet." "It cost an arm and a leg."

Use them sparingly. One idiom in a conversation sounds natural. A string of them sounds odd.

Remember that they are cultural. Some idioms, such as those about baseball, are used mostly in one country, and others are universal.

Learning idioms effectively

The meaning of an idiom rarely maps onto its words, so repeated exposure in real situations works better than memorizing a glossary. Keep a short list of idioms you hear or read, with the sentence they were in. Write what each one means in your own words, and one sentence of your own. Review the list across several days, since spaced practice holds material longer than a single session, as how spaced repetition works explains, and test yourself by covering the meaning, as active recall versus rereading describes. Ten business idioms gives more for the workplace, and phrasal verbs with get covers another group of expressions that cannot be worked out word by word.

A practice set

Choose the idiom that fits. Answers follow.

1. "The test was so easy." (a piece of cake / the last straw)
2. "I feel a little ill today." (under the weather / once in a blue moon)
3. "He accidentally told everyone the secret." (let the cat out of the bag / broke the ice)
4. "That car is incredibly expensive." (costs an arm and a leg / is a blessing in disguise)
5. "I rarely go to the cinema." (once in a blue moon / bite the bullet)

Answers: 1. a piece of cake. 2. under the weather. 3. let the cat out of the bag. 4. costs an arm and a leg. 5. once in a blue moon.

How Wordabulary fits in

Wordabulary shows words with definitions and example sentences, and every word can be heard in British or American English. Idioms are learned as whole phrases, so use real examples to see how they behave. It works best alongside your own reading and conversation.