Common English Idioms

 Common English Idioms, their meanings and uses:

A set of words, or, to put it another way, a phrase, that has a meaning beyond the words’ literal meanings is known as an idiom. The Cambridge Dictionary defines an idiom as “a group of words in a fixed order that has a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own,” while the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines an idiom as “a group of words whose meaning is different from the meanings of the individual words.”



Here are some idioms and examples-


1. once in a blue moon : extremely rare / not very often
 He goes to college once in a blue moon.


2. bad apple : dishonest person / person who can not be trusted
 One troublesome child can be like the bad apple infecting others.


3. behind the times: outdated/ old-fashioned
Our professor is surprisingly behind the times.


4. hot potato : very controversial subject or issue/ issue that makes everyone feel uncomfortable
 The case of Rabi Lamichhane became a hot potato in Nepal.


5. in a nutshell : in the fewest possible words
☞ He put the matter in a nutshell.


6. get in shape: exercise to become healthy and fit 
☞ I've got to get in shape. Otherwise, I am likely to gain more weight.


7. hit the nail on the head: say something that is exactly right / clear-cut

 You hit the nail on the head with your proposal at the staff meeting yesterday.



8. couch potato: a lazy person who does no exercises
☞ Ibrahim kills time by just sitting, eating and watching TV. He is a couch potato.


9. goose egg : a zero score in a game
☞ Once again, our team goes home with a big goose egg.


10. beat around the bush: discuss a matter without coming to the point
☞ Your worries have nothing to do with the new proposal. Stop beating around the bush, and cast your vote!


11. break a leg :  good luck
☞ I know you can do it. Break a leg!


12. kick the bucket : to die
☞ My grandfather was so sick I thought he might kick the bucket.


13. hit the sack : go to sleep
☞ I've got to get up early tomorrow, so I am going to hit the sack.


14. on cloud nine : being very happy
☞ He was on cloud nine after winning the trophy.


15. eat like a horse : eating too excessively
☞ Though he eats like a horse, he never gets fat.


16. a black sheep : being a disgrace for the family
☞ Jeevan is a black sheep for the family. He always causes troubles to his parents.


17. when pigs fly : impossible to happen
☞ Nepal will be like Singapore when pigs fly.


18. a piece of cake : something very easy to do
☞ For her, the project was a piece of cake.


19. bite the bulletto do something unpleasant or painful because it is necessary even though you would like to avoid it
☞ Nitesh was diagnosed with second stage cancer but he didn’t want to get chemotherapy. By the will of his wife, he bit the bullet.


20. at the 11th hour : at the last moment
☞ While leaving for Pokhara, Bivek kept his mobile phone charger in the bag at the 11th hour.


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