So many intermediate to advanced students have the same complaint about trying to become more fluent in their English speaking and listening:
‘...I cannot understand everything they [native English speakers] say. They talk so fast in public and use expressions I can’t understand…’
This is probably true. Most people speak very quickly in their native language and foreign students have to practice listening/speaking for a long time to get adept.
However, learning expressions can be easier. Moreover, they can be fun. English speakers have long enjoyed using certain combinations of words to express all kinds of feelings. Students that have been through the rigours of English grammar and vocabulary classes can learn expressions called idioms, and put them into practice to better improve their overall fluency.
Here are fifteen common English idioms that are regularly used and have specific meanings:
|
Idiom |
Meaning |
Example |
| Burn the midnight oil |
To stay up late and work, like an old oil lamp left on all night |
Jenna was up burning the midnight oil reading her political theory books. She loves that stuff. |
| Off the hook |
Related to a fish escaping a fishing hook, someone gets away from a typically bad situation |
Since Counselor Davis wasn’t involved with the government corruption scandal, he was the only one in his office that got off the hook. |
| Hit the nail on the head |
To be exact and specific |
I think investor Charles Munger always hits the nail on the head about money ideas because he makes accurate economic forecasts. |
| Spinning wheels |
To be wasting time |
The company spun its wheels dealing with that bad contractor. |
| Pulling one’s leg |
A joke, lie, or exaggeration |
I knew Karl was pulling my leg about us winning the lottery. I wish he wasn’t though! |
| Jump ship |
Changing locations |
The drummer realised his jazz band wasn’t doing well, so he jumped ship to play with a touring rock band to get more work. |
| Hit the sack |
Going to bed |
Dad said we have to hit the sack early. We have to be up early to catch our flight to Rome. |
| Crocodile tears |
Fake, exaggerated, and untruthful crying |
The judge didn’t believe the defendant’s crocodile tears about how sorry he was. |
| Ball in one’s court |
When a decision needs to be made by someone specific |
We left the ball in the CEO’s court about purchasing that small technology firm. |
| Cut corners |
To do something to save money, usually with bad results |
Whenever that publishing company cuts corners, they lose good staff and get behind in their deadlines |
| Sit on the fence |
When someone is indecisive |
Ken always sits on the fence when Ted and I talk politics. He doesn’t side with any party. |
| Piece of cake |
Something easy |
We thought the algebra and geometry exam would be tough but it was a piece of cake. |
| On the ball |
When the situation is well understood |
When she was on the sales trip in Shanghai, Corinne was on the ball and sent us updates every day. |
| Kill two birds with one stone |
To accomplish two jobs at once |
This year, the Robinsons killed two birds with one stone by getting an accountant to pay their taxes and establish them a pension plan. |
| Costs an arm and a leg |
When something is too expensive |
I sold my city house and bought some property out in the country. It costs an arm and a leg to live in the city now. |
As one might expect, there are many more idioms to learn.
To learn more idioms and expressions:
- Search out ‘idioms and expressions’ online. There are many, many websites available as reference.
- Read street-wise fiction, such as Hubert Selby Jr.’s Last Exit to Brooklyn or John Fante’s Ask the Dust. Also try the detective novels of James Ellroy, Raymond Chandler, or Dashiell Hammett. They are exciting and have many comical idioms in crime scenarios.
- Watch English language films, such as crime films, comedies, or westerns. The dialogue in these films often use idiomatic expressions, often centric to the English-speaking country of origin.
- Register at The Language Gallery’s General English classes, Speaking Skills elective, and English for Work to learn more idioms in a classroom setting.
- Check out our post on the most popular English idioms at work.
