The English Idioms That Everyone Should Know

Australian Idioms

“The hardest portion of English, I must say it: Idioms.

– Flula Borg

Barking up the wrong tree: This means that you have come to the wrong place for information, or you are asking the wrong person.

Mouth like the bottom of a cocky’s cage: A dry mouth, often as a result of heavy drinking and or smoking.

Beat around the bush: When someone takes ages to say something and doesn’t get to the point.

Sitting on the fence: When you can’t make up your mind about something, or can’t choose a side.

Missed the boat: It means you have missed your chance or it is too late to do something.

Bloody bastard: Usually used to show displeasure with an action or dislike of a person.

Hit the nail on the head: To be right about something or do something efficiently.

Macca’s Run: Late night trip to McDonald’s, usually after a few alcoholic drinks.

Kangaroos loose in the top paddock: To be foolish, nonsensical, crazy.

Fair suck of the sauce bottle: To be treated fairly or reasonably.

Little Aussie battler: someone bravely overcoming hardship.

Popular as a rattle snake in a lucky dip: Unpopular person.

Last straw: When you’ve had enough of something.

Flat out like a lizard drinking: To be very busy.

No worries: Don’t worry about it. It’s OK.

British Idioms

“By using stale metaphors, similes and idioms, you save much mental effort, at the cost of leaving your meaning vague, not only for your reader but for yourself.”

– George Orwell

Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves: If you take care not to waste small amounts of money, then it will accumulate into something more substantial.

Don’t wash your dirty laundry in public: When couples argue in front of others or involve others in their personal problems and crises.

Itchy feet: This refers to when you want to stray from one’s routine try or do something new, such as travelling.

Another string to your bow: A saying used to imply adding another skill to a good set of already acclaimed skills.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: Don’t concentrate all your resources in one place, or you could lose everything.

All talk and no trousers: Someone talks about doing big, important things, but doesn’t take any action.

Taste of your own medicine: It means that you get treated the way you’ve been treating others.

Box clever: You use your intelligence to get what you want, even if you have to cheat a bit.

Banana skin: It is something that is an embarrassment or causes problems.

The ball is in your court: It means that you have to make the next move.

Kill two birds with one stone: When you accomplish two tasks in one go.

Leg it: means to run quickly, usually away from something or someone.

Easy-peasy (Easy peasy lemon squeezy): Extremely easy or simple.

See eye to eye: When two or more people agree on something.

Cheap as chips: It means extremely cheap.

American Idioms

“If you want to know the intricacies of the English language, start with idioms.”

– Olga Smith

Stab someone in the back: It means to hurt someone who was close to us and trusted us by betraying them secretly and breaking their trust.

You can’t judge a book by its cover: The figurative meaning of the expression is, acquire information before making a snap judgement.

Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth: Someone who comes from a wealthy and successful family.

Blow off steam: It means that you will blow off steam by doing something such as exercising to get rid of the stress.

Hang in there: to keep going, keep moving forward, and to not give up with things get difficult.

Better late than never: doing something a week late is better than to never do it at all.

All bets are off: It means that the agreements that have been made no longer apply.

Break a leg: is used to wish someone good luck, typically regarding a performance.

Costs an arm and a leg: If something is so expensive that it shocks you.

To go from rags to riches: To go from being poor to having a lot of money.

Hit the books: This means that you need to learn a lot.

When pigs fly: It means that it will never happen.

Big Apple: The Big Apple is New York.

To have sticky fingers: To be a thief.

Kick back: to relax and take it easy.

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