50 English Phrases You Can Use in Every Conversation

According to SOFIANEWS, have you ever encountered phrases while watching English-language movies whose literal meanings don’t help you understand their intended meaning? This is the world of idioms! Idioms are an important part of the English language and can make your conversations sound more natural and engaging.

Why is learning idioms essential?

English idioms make your conversations sound more authentic. Without knowing these phrases, your sentences may seem overly formal or bookish. Additionally, learning idioms helps you better understand the culture of English speakers.

How do idioms make conversations smoother?

When you use idioms, your listeners feel that you speak English like a native. These expressions give you more confidence in your conversations.

Best Methods for Learning English Idioms

Using idioms in daily conversations

Learning without practice doesn’t yield much. Every time you learn a new idiom, try to use it in your everyday sentences.

Strengthen through movies and TV shows

One of the best ways to learn idioms is by watching English-language films and shows. Pay attention to how characters use idioms and in what situations they are applied.

Practice with flashcards

To memorize idioms, you can use flashcards. Write the idiom on one side and its meaning on the other.

Categorizing Common Idioms

Idioms related to daily life

Phrases for greetings and well-wishes:
“How’s it going?” (How’s everything?)
“What’s up?” (What’s new?)

Common idioms in shopping

“It’s a bargain.” (It’s a good deal.)
“Can I get a better deal?” (Can I get a discount?)

Idioms related to work and business

“Think outside the box.” (Think creatively.)
“Back to the drawing board.” (Start over from scratch.)

Common idioms in casual conversations

“Hang out.” (Spend time with friends)
“Blow someone away.” (Impress someone greatly)

List of Popular English Idioms

General and everyday idioms

Break the ice: Start a conversation in a friendly way
Under the weather: Feeling unwell
Hit the nail on the head: To say something exactly right
A blessing in disguise: A bad event that turns out to be good

Idioms related to work and study

Burn the midnight oil: Work or study late into the night

Pull your weight: Contribute equally to a team effort
The ball is in your court: The decision is up to you
Call it a day: To finish working for the day

Informal and friendly idioms

Spill the beans: Reveal a secret

Piece of cake: Something very easy
Cut to the chase: Get to the main point quickly
Beat around the bush: Avoid getting to the point

Table of 50 Common English Idioms with Meanings and Examples

Idiom	Meaning	Example
Break the ice	To start a conversation in a friendly way	Let me tell a joke to break the ice.
Under the weather	To feel unwell	I’m feeling under the weather today.
A blessing in disguise	A bad event that leads to something good	Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.
Hit the nail on the head	To say something exactly right	You hit the nail on the head with your idea.
Call it a day	To finish work or stop an activity	Let’s call it a day and continue tomorrow.
The ball is in your court	It’s your turn to take action or make a decision	I’ve done my part; now the ball is in your court.
Spill the beans	To reveal a secret	Who spilled the beans about the surprise party?
Piece of cake	Something very easy	This homework is a piece of cake.
Cut to the chase	To get to the main point or important part of something	Let’s cut to the chase and discuss the budget.
Beat around the bush	To avoid talking about the main issue	Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth.
Burn the midnight oil	To work or study late into the night	She burned the midnight oil to finish her report.
Pull your weight	To do your fair share of work in a group	Everyone needs to pull their weight to succeed.
Costs an arm and a leg	To be very expensive	That car costs an arm and a leg.
Kill two birds with one stone	To accomplish two tasks with a single action	We can kill two birds with one stone by shopping on the way.
Hit the books	To study	I need to hit the books before my exams.
Bite off more than you can chew	To take on more than you can handle	He bit off more than he could chew with this project.
Let the cat out of the bag	To reveal a secret or surprise	Someone let the cat out of the bag about the proposal.
Once in a blue moon	Very rarely	I visit my relatives once in a blue moon.
Raining cats and dogs	To rain very heavily	It’s raining cats and dogs outside.
Hit the ground running	To start something with energy and enthusiasm	He hit the ground running on his first day at work.
Keep your chin up	To remain positive and hopeful	Keep your chin up; things will get better.
Barking up the wrong tree	To pursue the wrong course of action	If you think I’m responsible, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Add fuel to the fire	To make a bad situation worse	His comments just added fuel to the fire.
Jump on the bandwagon	To join a popular trend or activity	Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon of NFTs.
The tip of the iceberg	A small part of a much larger problem	This issue is just the tip of the iceberg.
Actions speak louder than words	Actions are more meaningful than words	Actions speak louder than words, so prove it!
Scratch someone’s back	To do a favor with the expectation of a return favor	If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.
Every cloud has a silver lining	Every negative situation has a positive side	Don’t worry; every cloud has a silver lining.
Bark is worse than bite	Threatening but harmless	His bark is worse than his bite.
Take it with a grain of salt	To be skeptical or cautious about believing something	Take what he says with a grain of salt.
Blow off steam	To release anger or frustration	I go for a run to blow off steam after work.
Get out of hand	To become uncontrollable	The party got out of hand after midnight.
On the same page	To be in agreement	Let’s make sure we’re on the same page.
Pull someone’s leg	To joke or tease someone	Are you pulling my leg, or is this for real?
Throw in the towel	To give up or quit	After so many attempts, he finally threw in the towel.
Cut corners	To do something poorly to save time or money	Don’t cut corners on this project.
In the nick of time	Just in time	The firefighters arrived in the nick of time.
On thin ice	In a risky or dangerous situation	He’s on thin ice with his boss these days.
Go the extra mile	To put in extra effort	She always goes the extra mile for her customers.
Through thick and thin	In good and bad times	They stayed together through thick and thin.
Go back to square one	To start over after a failure or setback	We had to go back to square one with the design.
Read between the lines	To understand the implied meaning	Learn to read between the lines during negotiations.
A penny for your thoughts	Asking what someone is thinking	You seem quiet—penny for your thoughts?
Cry over spilled milk	To regret something that cannot be changed	There’s no point in crying over spilled milk.
The best of both worlds	Enjoying the benefits of two different things	Living in a small town offers me the best of both worlds.
Out of the blue	Unexpectedly or suddenly	He called me out of the blue yesterday.
Let sleeping dogs lie	To avoid mentioning or discussing past issues	Let’s not bring up the past—let sleeping dogs lie.
Bite the bullet	To endure a difficult situation	He had to bite the bullet and face the situation.
Burn bridges	To destroy relationships or opportunities	Don’t burn bridges—you might need them later.
Cross that bridge when you come to it	To deal with a problem when it arises	Don’t worry—we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Effective Use of Idioms

Natural Use of Idioms in Sentences
Use idioms when they contribute to the conversation, not just to show off your knowledge.

Avoid Overuse
If you use an idiom in every sentence, the conversation may sound unnatural. Maintain balance.

Common Mistakes in Learning Idioms

Literal Translation of Idioms
Directly translating idioms from your native language often leads to misunderstandings. For example, "Break the ice" has nothing to do with actually breaking ice!
Incorrect Use or Using Idioms in Inappropriate Situations
Each idiom should be used in its appropriate context. For instance, informal idioms are not suitable for formal settings.

Conclusion

Learning English idioms is a big step toward fluency. These expressions are like spices for conversations, adding flavor and appeal. So, aim to learn a few new idioms every day and incorporate them into your daily conversations

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