Here are most commonly used English idioms and phrases:
1. actions speak louder than words:
This expression means that what someone does is more important than what they say.
2. (to cost) an arm and a leg:
If something costs you an arm and a leg, it costs you a lot of money., to be very expensive
3. beat around the bush / beat about the bush:
to talk about something indirectly without coming to the meain point, often deliberately
4. a blessing in disguise:
used to describe something that at first seems bad, but results in something very good in the end
5. don't judge a book by its cover:
used to say that one should not form an opinion about someone or something based on a brief impression or outward appearance
6. every cloud has a silver lining:
used to say that every bad or unpleasant situation has some good aspect to it
7. kill two birds with one stone:
If someone kills two birds with one stone, they achieve two things with one action., to do two things with one action
8. once in a blue moon:
used to describe something that happens very rarely
Example Sentence:
My elder brother lives in Australia. I only get to see him once in a blue moon, because it’s very expensive to fly there.
9. piece of cake:
If something is a piece of cake, it is very easy to do or achieve.
Example Sentence:
The Exam was a piece of cake.
10. speak/talk of the devil!:
used when the person you were just or are talking about arrives unexpectedly
11. steal someone's thunder:
to take the credit and praise for something that someone else has done
12. taste of your own medicine:
used to describe something bad that is done to someone in response to what they did to someone else in order to teach them a lesson
13. pull a rabbit out of a hat:
to do something unexpected that may have seemed impossible
14. get out of hand:
when you lose control of things, they get out of hand
Example Sentence:
The party got out of hand and the guests started to throw bottles at each other.
15. hang in there:
used to tell someone to wait and be patient
16. let the chips fall where they may:
to let something happen, no matter what happens next
17. freak out:
to become very angry, scared or excited
18. hit the books:
to study hard
Example sentence:
Do you want to come out tonight?
"I can’t. I have to hit the books because I have a big test tomorrow."
19. when pigs fly:
used to say that something will never happen
20. around the clock:
If something is open around the clock, it means it is open 24 hours a day.
21. ahead of time:
If something happens ahead of time, it happens early, before the set time, or with time to spare.
22. just in time / in the nick of time:
If you do something just in time, or just in the nick of time, you do it just before it is too late.
Example Sentence:
I got to the bus stop just in the nick of time and jumped on the bus just as it was leaving.
23. on time:
This means to not be late, arrive at the right time.
Example Sentence:
The buses here are never on time, it’s so annoying!
24. out of time:
This means there is no time left to do something. The time limit or deadline has been reached.
25. time is money:
This expression means that your time is a valuable commodity, so use it wisely because it could be used to earn money.
26. time for a change:
This expression means to stop what you are doing and start doing something different with your life.
Example Sentence:
Are you looking for a new job? Yes, it's time for a change.
27. here today, gone tomorrow:
If you sat that something, such as money, happiness, and other desirable things, are here today, gone tomorrow, you mean that they do not last for very long but only for a short time
28. like there is no tomorrow:
to do something fast or energetically without thinking carefully as if there would never be another opportunity
29. from now on:
from this moment until some unknown time in the future
Example Sentence:From now on, I will be much more careful when I decide to trust someone.
30. it's high time:
You can say this when you think something should have been done already, and is overdue.
31. now or never (it's now or never):
used to say that something has to be done now because there will be no second chance
Example Sentence:
Go and propose her. It's now or never, she is leaving the country.
32. only time will tell:
This means that you can't predict how a thing will happen or what an outcome will be. The answer to a question, or the outcome of a situation, will only reveal itself with the passage of time. For instance, will Pakistan win the world-cup? Only time will tell.
33. time heals all wounds / time is a great healer:
The expression means that as time passes by, all the feelings of emotional hurt and pain will eventually pass away.
34. too much (free) time on one's hands:
If you have too much (free) time on your hands, you have too much free time, and not enough things to do
35. in due course:
This means everything will happen as it is supposed to, at the appropriate time.
36. around the corner:
used to describe something that will happen very soon
37. a roof over your head:
used to mean a place to live
Example Sentence:He was so poor that he didn't have a roof over his head.
38. love at first sight:
If someone fall in love with someone the first time they see them, it is described as love at first sight.
39. all's fair in love and war:
behavior that is unpleasant or not fair is acceptable during an argument or competition.
40. an eye for an eye:
(also, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.)
something that you say which means that if someone does something wrong to someone , they should be punished by having the same thing done to them
41. apple of somebody's eye:
said about someone whom you love the most and you are very proud of
Example Sentence:
His son is the apple of his eye.
42. have money to burn:
If you say that someone has money to burn, you mean that they spend a lot of money on unnecessary things.
Example Sentence:
We need to shop wisely. We don't have money to burn.
43. money talks:
The expression 'money talks' suggests that with money people can do or get whatever they want.
44. the ball is in your court:
If you say that the ball is in someone's court, you mean that it is up to them to make the next decision or step.
Example Sentence: "The seller has offered us the house for $250,000; the ball is in our court. What should we do?"
45. over the moon:
extremely pleased and happy
46. couch potato:
used to describe a person who is very lazy and who watches too much TV
47. raining cats and dogs:
pouring, raining very heavily
Example Sentence:Where are you going, can’t you see it’s raining cats and dogs?
48. fall in love with someone:
If you fall in love with someone, you start to feel sexual attraction towards them and start to have feeling of love towards them.
Example Sentence:He has fallen in love with her.
49. blind date:
A blind date is one when two people who have never seen each other before going on a date.
50. cut class / play hooky / skip class:
If someone cut class, they miss a class without permission.
Labels: Phrasal Verbs
