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Revision as of 10:31, 17 September 2023
To truly grasp the intricacies of conversational English, getting acquainted with idioms is a must. These quirky phrases are an essential part of the English language, often adding color, nuance, and a dash of humor to everyday conversations.
Idioms are not just linguistic decorations; they serve as cultural signposts and can often reveal insights into a society's values, beliefs, and collective sense of humor. Using idioms appropriately can also make your language more vibrant and relatable, so don't shy away from incorporating them into your vocabulary.
PS: After diving into the world of funny English idioms with this lesson, consider broadening your language skills further with these related topics:
- Differences between ROBBER, BURGLAR, MUGGER, and THIEF
- Words Ending with the Suffix "-less"
- French Words Used in English
These additional lessons will not only enhance your vocabulary but also provide you with a more comprehensive understanding of the English language and its idiosyncrasies.
Hold Your Horses
- Meaning: used to tell someone to stop and consider carefully their decision or opinion about something.
- Example: Just hold your horses, Bill! Let’s think about this for a moment.
As Cool As a Cucumber
- Meaning: very calm or very calmly, especially when this is surprising.
- Example: She walked in as cool as a cucumber, as if nothing had happened.
Kick the Bucket
- Meaning: a euphemistic, informal, or slang term meaning ‘to die’.
- Example: Charlie finally kicked the bucket. He had cancer, you know.
Blue in the Face
- Meaning: weakened or tired after trying many times.
- Example: You can tell her to clean her room until you are blue in the face, but she won’t do it.
Storm in a Teacup
- Meaning: a lot of unnecessary anger and worry about a matter that is not important.
- Example: My brother and sister had a big argument about the television yesterday, but it was just a storm in a teacup.
Bob’s Your Uncle
- Meaning: used to mean that something will happen very quickly and simply.
- Example: Just tell them you’re a friend of mine and, Bob’s your uncle, you’ll get the job.
Head In The Clouds
- Meaning: living in a fantasy. To be separate from reality, to dream.
- Example: He’s not right for this role, he has his head in the clouds.
Dead As A Doornail
- Meaning: completely dead.
- Example: The fox in the road was as dead as a doornail.
A Piece Of Cake
- Meaning: something very easy to do.
- Example: The test was a piece of cake.
Heart In Your Mouth
- Meaning: feeling nervous or scared.
- Example: My heart’s in my mouth ever time it rings.
Walking On Air
- Meaning: To feel very good or confident about something
- Example: After completing the examination she felt like she was walking on air.
Live Hand To Mouth
- Meaning: Because of economic constraints to be forced to live in a very frugal manner
- Example: After he lost his job Steve was forced to live hand to mouth.
To Need Something Like You Need A Hole In The Head
- Meaning: Said when one receives, experiences, and/or desires to acquire something that is utterly unwanted, unnecessary, or otherwise detrimental.
- Example: Said to a woman who owns 10 cats: "You need another cat like you need a hole in the head."
Have One's Ducks In A Row
- Meaning: To have things well organized; have things pertaining to a task, an event, etc., in order
- Example: You had best have your ducks in a row in time for today's presentation to the Board of Trustees!
Be A Stone's Throw Away
- Meaning: To be in near or very near proximity to a different place.
- Example: You live in Los Angeles? Why then you're just a stone's throw away from Santa Monica!
A few screws loose
- Meaning: Crazy/mentally unstable.
- Example: "That fella has a few screws loose, we ought to throw him into a mental institution"
Half baked
- Meaning: Poorly planned out/Stupid idea.
- Example: "What a half-baked plan."
Shake a leg!
- Meaning: Hurry up!
It's not Rocket Science
- Meaning: It's easy.
- Example: "Clean it when you're done using it! It's not rocket science!"
Hit the sack
- Meaning: Go to sleep.
- Example: "I'm so tired... time to hit the sack"
Stepping on eggshells
- Meaning: Be overly cautious so as to not cause trouble.
- Example: "You're very volatile. I'm constantly stepping on eggshells around you."
[Skating] on thin ice
- Meaning: To be very close to causing trouble.
- Example: "Don't try my patience! You're skating on thin ice!"
Have a cow
- Meaning: Overreact/become enraged/panic.
- Example: "Don't have a cow! I'm only joking."
Burning daylight
- Meaning: Wasting time/Running out of time.
- Example: "Shake a leg! We're burning daylight!"
Thick as a plank
- Meaning: Simple minded/Stupid.
- Example: "You're as thick as a plank!"
Head in the sand
- Meaning: Willfully ignorant of imminent danger.
- Example: "Those politicians have their heads in the sand!"
Rubbing two brain cells together
- Meaning: Exerting your tiny brain to think about something simple.
- Example: "He couldn't rub two brain cells together."
Connect the dots
- Meaning: Come to a logical conclusion using pieces of evidence.
- Example: "By connecting the dots, we found who the real murderer was."
Read between the lines
- Meaning: Become aware of obscure information being implied by other pieces of information.
- Example: "She said nothing was wrong, but in an moody tone. I read between the lines that she was upset with me."
Pardon my French
- Meaning: Please pardon my use of crude or foul words.
- Example: "Pardon my French, but we're %&!@ed"
Don't make mountains out of molehills
- Meaning: Don't overreact to something minor.
- Example: "It was just a joke! Don't make mountains out of molehills"
Can of worms
- Meaning: A burden that you could have easily avoided.
- Example: "I opened up a can of worms when I said she was fat. She was upset with me for a week!"
Cat's out of the bag
- Meaning: Hidden information has been revealed.
- Example: "He knows our little secret.. cat's out of the bag"
The jig is up
- Meaning: A scheme has been foiled.
- Example: "POLICE! The jig is up! Everybody Run!"
Don't put all your eggs in one basket
- Meaning: Don't use all of your assets for one thing because you might accidentally waste/lose it all.
- Example: "Don't put all your eggs in one basket, save up your money!"
Bite the bullet
- Meaning: To do something right now because it is inevitable.
- Example: "Just bite the bullet and rip that band aid off"
Are you pulling my leg?
- Meaning: are you messing with me at my expense?
Be A Monkey's Uncle
- Meaning: To be very surprised by something/experience an unexpected phenomenon.
- Example: "Why I'll be a monkey's uncle! That parrot knows the words to a song by The Beatles!"
Liked to die
- Meaning: Be surprised by something/someone.
- Example: "When she showed up at that party I liked to die -- she was the last person I expected to see."
Hell's Bells
- Meaning: Not likey.
- Example: "Hell's bells we're letting you stay out past 10:00pm!"
The Rabbit Done Died
- Meaning: To test positive for pregnancy.
- Example: "Mary told me she saw the doctor today and learned that the rabbit done died."
Sources
Comments on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/EnglishLearning/comments/agj9zm/what_are_the_funniest_english_idioms/
Other Lessons
- Useful English Idioms
- Alike
- Phrasal Verbs and their Equivalent
- Commonly Confused Words
- Cause vs Purpose
- Difference between ROBBER, BURGLAR, MUGGER and THIEF
- Colors
- Common phrases
- Appear
- Astronomy