Idioms — Unit 38, Pre-intermediate to Intermediate English
Thirty everyday English idioms grouped by theme, why you cannot change a single word of them, and why translating one from your own language almost never works.
Reading: Why Idioms Matter
When English learners hear someone say, "That exam was a **piece of cake**," they may imagine food rather than an easy test. This is because idioms do not usually mean exactly what the individual words say. They are fixed expressions that people use to make language more colourful or friendly.
Idioms are useful, but they can also be confusing. A learner who tries to translate every word may miss the real meaning. For this reason, teachers recommend learning an idiom together with a situation. For example, people might say they feel **under the weather** when they are slightly ill, or use "**break the ice**" when they want to make a first meeting less awkward.
It is not necessary to use many idioms in every conversation. In fact, using too many can sound unnatural. The important thing is to recognise common expressions and understand when they are appropriate. Some idioms are informal and best used with friends, while others appear in work conversations and films.
A good way to learn them is to write a short example from your own life. If you have an important test next week, you can write, "I need to **hit the books** this weekend." The sentence becomes easier to remember because it is connected to a real plan.
Learners should also notice that idioms are not always translated directly between languages. A phrase that sounds natural in English may have no equivalent in another language. When this happens, it is better to learn the idea rather than search for one exact translation. Listening to podcasts, watching short clips and reading dialogue can help because idioms usually appear in context. Over time, learners begin to recognise the tone as well as the meaning.
Teachers warn learners not to memorise long lists without examples. An idiom is easier to recall when it is linked to a speaker, a place or a feeling. Students can make small cards with the expression on one side and a situation on the other. They should also be patient: understanding idioms develops gradually as learners meet the same phrases again in different contexts. Recognising an expression is usually the first step before using it naturally.
Teachers warn learners not to memorise long lists without examples. An idiom is easier to recall when it is linked to a speaker, a place or a feeling. Students can make small cards with the expression on one side and a situation on the other. They should also be patient: understanding idioms develops gradually as learners meet the same phrases again in different contexts. Recognising an expression is usually the first step before using it naturally.
Vocabulary from this unit
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| give someone a hand | help somebody | Can you give me a hand with these bags? |
| keep an eye on | watch, look after | Keep an eye on my laptop for a minute. |
| pull someone's leg | joke with somebody, not seriously | Don't worry, I'm just pulling your leg. |
| off the top of my head | without checking, from memory | Off the top of my head, about fifty. |
| get cold feet | become too nervous to do something | He got cold feet the day before the wedding. |
| see eye to eye | agree | We don't see eye to eye about politics. |
| a pain in the neck | an annoying person or thing | Filling in these forms is a pain in the neck. |
| cost an arm and a leg | be very expensive | That phone cost an arm and a leg. |
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| under the weather | slightly ill | I'm feeling a bit under the weather today. |
| once in a blue moon | very rarely | We only meet once in a blue moon. |
| out of the blue | suddenly, with no warning | She called me out of the blue after five years. |
| over the moon | extremely happy | He was over the moon about the results. |
| break the ice | make people feel less shy | He told a joke to break the ice. |
| it's raining cats and dogs | it is raining very hard | Take an umbrella — it's raining cats and dogs. |
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a piece of cake | very easy | The test was a piece of cake. |
| not my cup of tea | not something I enjoy | Horror films aren't my cup of tea. |
| spill the beans | tell a secret | Come on, spill the beans — what happened? |
| in hot water | in trouble | He's in hot water with his boss. |
| hold your horses | wait, slow down | Hold your horses — let me finish. |
| let the cat out of the bag | tell a secret by accident | She let the cat out of the bag about the party. |
| a night owl | somebody who stays up late | I'm a night owl — I work best at midnight. |
| an early bird | somebody who gets up early | My father is an early bird. |
1 more vocabulary section in the full unit.
This is the free sample from this unit. The full unit adds 1 more reading passage, comprehension questions with an answer key, the listening exercises, flashcards for the vocabulary above, and a speaking task — with your progress tracked so the next unit unlocks when you are ready for it.
Common questions
What level is this unit?
Pre-intermediate to Intermediate — roughly CEFR A2–B1. If you are not sure of your level, the course places you with a short diagnostic before you start rather than making you guess.
Do I need to pay to use this?
The reading passage and vocabulary on this page are free to read. The rest of the unit — the remaining passages, the exercises, the listening, the answer key and the progress tracking — is part of the paid General English course.
Is this British or American English?
British English spelling and vocabulary, which is what most learners in Azerbaijan are taught and what IELTS expects, though both are accepted in the exam.