25 common English idioms with meanings and examples

Short answer: these are idioms you will hear in films, at work and in everyday chats. Each one has a plain meaning and one example sentence. Learn a few at a time, not all 25 in one sitting.

1. break the ice

To make people feel more relaxed when they first meet.

He told a funny story to break the ice.

2. a piece of cake

Something very easy to do.

The test was a piece of cake.

3. hit the nail on the head

To describe something exactly right.

You hit the nail on the head when you said we need more time.

4. under the weather

Feeling slightly ill.

I'm a bit under the weather, so I'll stay home today.

5. spill the beans

To reveal a secret, often by accident.

Don't spill the beans about the party; it's a surprise.

6. once in a blue moon

Very rarely.

I only eat fast food once in a blue moon.

7. cost an arm and a leg

To be very expensive.

That designer bag cost an arm and a leg.

8. the ball is in your court

It is now your turn to act or decide.

I've made my offer, so the ball is in your court.

9. beat around the bush

To avoid saying something directly.

Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.

10. bite off more than you can chew

To take on more work or responsibility than you can handle.

I bit off more than I could chew by taking three classes and a job.

11. call it a day

To stop working on something for now.

We're all tired — let's call it a day.

12. get cold feet

To become nervous and want to back out of something.

He got cold feet the night before the wedding.

13. cut corners

To do something cheaply or quickly by skipping important steps.

The builders cut corners, and now the roof leaks.

14. let the cat out of the bag

To reveal a secret, usually without meaning to.

Tom let the cat out of the bag about our trip to Spain.

15. pull someone's leg

To joke with someone by telling them something untrue.

Relax, I'm just pulling your leg, the party is still on.

16. the last straw

The final problem that makes someone lose patience.

When he forgot my birthday again, it was the last straw.

17. back to square one

Back to the beginning after making no progress.

The deal fell through, so we're back to square one.

18. in hot water

In trouble.

He's in hot water for missing his sister's party.

19. keep an eye on

To watch something or someone carefully.

Can you keep an eye on my bag while I grab a coffee?

20. go the extra mile

To make more effort than is expected.

Good nurses always go the extra mile for patients.

21. hit the sack

To go to bed.

I'm exhausted, so I'm going to hit the sack.

22. miss the boat

To lose a chance by acting too slowly.

The tickets sold out, so we missed the boat.

23. a blessing in disguise

Something that seems bad at first but turns out to be good.

Missing the bus was a blessing in disguise — I met an old friend.

24. speak of the devil

Said when someone you were just talking about appears.

Speak of the devil, here comes Jake now!

25. rain cats and dogs

To rain very heavily.

Take an umbrella; it's raining cats and dogs out there.

Keep going with Idiomdrop

Idiomdrop has more than 920 English idioms in 24 topics, plus phrasal verbs and proverbs. A new one drops every day, and you can search them all by meaning.

What is the most common English idiom?

There is no official ranking, but a piece of cake, break the ice, under the weather and call it a day come up constantly in everyday conversation.

Are idioms the same in British and American English?

Most common idioms are shared. A few are regional, which is why Idiomdrop marks entries as US or UK when they are clearly one side.

How do I know if an idiom is too informal?

Look at the examples. If they are chatty or about friends, keep the idiom for speaking and casual writing, not formal essays.