Whether you’re an SEO content writer that crafts words for a living, a small business owner who needs some content writing help, or someone that just wants to know more about idioms, you’ve come to the right place. Idioms can help improve all kinds of content writing, as you’ll find out below!
What Is an Idiom?
An idiom is a group of words that are used as a common expression whose meaning is not easily deduced from the literal words within.
Idioms are often put into the class of figurative language, which is when words are used in an imaginative or unusual manner.
To put it simply, idioms mean something different than the words do individually.
For example, the phrase: “writing an idiom is a piece of cake” does not mean that writing an idiom is a literal ‘piece of cake’ that you can eat. Instead, ‘piece of cake’ is a figurative expression for saying that something is easy to do.
While idioms are more commonly used in America, idioms are also often used in the English language on TV shows, movies, written literature and other media.
Familiarizing yourself with the meaning behind common idioms is important as idioms don’t often make literal sense. Here is a list of the most popular and commonly used idioms in American English along with examples and meanings.
Common English Idioms
A blessing in disguise Meaning: A good thing that initially seemed bad
A dime a dozen Meaning: Something that is very common, not unique
Adding insult to injury Meaning: To make a bad situation even worse
Beat around the bush Meaning: Avoid sharing your true viewpoint or feelings because it is uncomfortable
Bite the bullet Meaning: To get an unfavorable situation or chore over with now because it will need to get finished eventually
Best of both worlds Meaning: The choice or solution has all of the advantages of two contrasting things at the same time
Biting off more than you can chew Meaning: Committing to do something that you don’t really have the time, resources or ability to do
Don’t judge a book by its cover Meaning: Don’t judge someone or something by how it looks
Doing something at the drop of a hat Meaning: Doing something at a moment’s notice
Caught between a rock and a hard place Meaning: Making a choice between two unpleasant choices
Cutting corners Meaning: Taking risky shortcuts to save time and/or money
Devil’s advocate Meaning: To argue for the other side in an argument in order to encourage further debate
Getting a taste of your own medicine Meaning: Being treated the [usually negative] way that you have been treating others
Giving the benefit of the doubt Meaning: Believing someone’s story without proof even though it may seem unbelievable
Hitting the nail on the head Meaning: To be exactly right
Letting someone off the hook Meaning: Not holding someone responsible for something
No pain, no gain Meaning: You have to suffer to see results
On the ball Meaning: Attentive and doing a good job
Once in a blue moon Meaning: Something that doesn’t happen very often
Speak of the devil Meaning: When the person you have just been talking about arrives
The last straw Meaning: The last act that makes an entire situation unbearable
Your guess is as good as mine Meaning: I have no idea
Dead ringer Meaning: Someone who looks extremely similar to someone else
The whole nine yards Meaning: Everything. All of it.
Get down to brass tacks Meaning: Get down to business
Burning bridges Meaning: Damaging a relationship beyond repair
Fit as a fiddle Meaning: Excellent health
Go down in flames Meaning: To fail in a spectacular manner
He/She is off their rocker Meaning: Someone who is acting crazy or not thinking rationally
It’s always darkest before the dawn Meaning: Things always get worse before they get better
It takes two to tango Meaning: One person usually isn’t the only responsible party
Like riding a bike Meaning: Something that you never forget how to do
Through thick and thin Meaning: Everyone experiences hard and good times
Time is money Meaning: Work faster or more efficiently
Food Idioms
Can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs Meaning: You can’t make everyone happy
Like two peas in a pod Meaning: Two people who are always together
An apple a day keeps the doctor away Meaning: Apples are healthy and good for you
Heard it through the grapevine Meaning: Hearing rumors about someone or something
Piece of cake Meaning: A task or job that is easy to complete
Bread and butter Meaning: Something you do or use to survive or thrive in a situation
Bring home the bacon Meaning: Make money, specifically money to live on
Crying over spilled milk Meaning: Worrying about the past or things that are already done or settled
Not my cup of tea Meaning: Something that you don’t like
Take it with a grain of salt Meaning: Believe it at your own risk
Top banana Meaning: The most powerful or important person in a group or organization
Bad apple Meaning: A troublemaker
Bad egg Meaning: Like a troublemaker but worse; someone who seems fundamentally dishonest or otherwise ill-behaved
Good egg Meaning: The opposite of a bad egg; someone who is honest and trustworthy
Bigger fish to fry Meaning: More important things to do
Cool as a cucumber Meaning: Calm, especially under pressure
Couch potato Meaning: A sedentary person who spends a lot of time seated, often watching TV
Can’t cut the mustard Meaning: Can’t keep up with the competition
Hard nut to crack Meaning: Something or someone that’s difficult to figure out
Big cheese Meaning: The person in charge
Bun in the oven Meaning: Pregnant
Apple of someone’s eye Meaning: To be loved and adored
Buttering someone up Meaning: Being super-nice to someone because you want something from them
Egg someone on Meaning: Encourage someone to do something, typically something that they shouldn’t be doing
In a nutshell Meaning: To sum things up
Spill the beans Meaning: Divulge secret info
Animal Idioms
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch Meaning: Not to count on something happening until after it’s already happened
Going on a wild goose chase Meaning: Doing something that is pointless
Killing two birds with one stone Meaning: Accomplishing two different tasks in the same undertaking
The elephant in the room Meaning: An issue, person, or problem that someone is trying to avoid
Straight from the horse’s mouth Meaning: Reading or hearing something from the source
Letting the cat out of the bag Meaning: Sharing information that was intended to be a secret
Beating a dead horse Meaning: Giving time or energy to something that is ended or over
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink Meaning: You can’t force someone to make what is seemingly the right decision
Every dog has his day Meaning: Everyone gets their chance to do something big
A leopard can’t change its spots Meaning: People don’t change
Wag the dog Meaning: Divert attention from something important to something trivial
The birds and the bees Meaning: Sex education
Ants in one’s pants Meaning: Being nervous and unable to sit still
Chicken out Meaning: To decide not to do something, usually at the last minute
Clam up Meaning: Stop talking
The cat’s got someone’s tongue Meaning: That person is oddly quiet
Have a cow Meaning: Get extremely upset, usually about something that’s not worth it
Hold your horses Meaning: Be patient
Pig out Meaning: To eat a lot of food
Take the bull by the horns Meaning: To show initiative
Until the cows come home Meaning: Forever, or at least a mighty long time
Smell a rat Meaning: To suspect that somebody’s up to no good.
Nest egg Meaning: Sum of money saved for later
Raining cats and dogs Meaning: Raining heavily
Get the lion’s share Meaning: Get the biggest portion
Weather Idioms
Feeling under the weather Meaning: Not feeling well, or feeling sick
Stealing someone’s thunder Meaning: To take attention away from someone by doing or sharing something before that person can do so
Clouds on the horizon Meaning: Trouble is coming or is on its way
Run like the wind Meaning: To run really fast
Weather the storm Meaning: Enduring a trial or hardship
Getting a second wind Meaning: Having energy again after being tired
A snowball effect Meaning: Something has momentum and builds on each other, much like rolling a snowball down a hill to make it bigger
Throwing caution to the wind Meaning: Being reckless or taking a risk
Body Idioms
Having your head in the clouds Meaning: Day dreaming, not paying attention
By the skin of your teeth Meaning: Just barely making it
Costs an arm and a leg Meaning: Something that is overpriced or very expensive
Giving someone the cold shoulder Meaning: Ignoring someone
Pulling someone’s leg Meaning: Joking with someone
Cold feet Meaning: Getting nervous before a big event, to the point of backing out
Face the music Meaning: Face the consequences of your actions
Get something off your chest Meaning: Vent or complain
Head over heels Meaning: In love
Makes my blood boil Meaning: Makes me extremely angrily
Rule of thumb Meaning: A basic rule or principle
Stick your neck out Meaning: Support someone or something, even if it may have negative consequences for you
Wash your hands of something Meaning: Abandon a problem or responsibility
See eye to eye Meaning: Agree
Neck of the woods Meaning: A location and its immediate surroundings
Keep your chin up Meaning: Don’t give up
This Is Just a Small Sample of Common Idioms
Idioms are everywhere. They’re how we make everything from casual conversation to roadside advertising more colorful, and they convey a certain level of cultural understanding and kinship. What are some of your favorite commonly used idioms? Share the wealth in the comments below!
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A piece of cake. Something that's super easy to do..
Born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Born into a rich family..
Break a leg. ... .
No use crying over spilled milk. ... .
Easier said than done. ... .
Feeling under the weather. ... .
Packed like sardines. ... .
Kill two birds with one stone..