Common and Useful English Idioms

1. a piece of cake - something very easy

2. to see something eye to eye - to agree with someone

3. to toot your own horn - to tout oneself, to brag or boast

4. to swim against the tide - to do something that is in opposition to the prevailing opinion

5. to catch a second wind - a feeling of new energy after feeling tired

6. bright-eyed and bushy-tailed - happy and fully of energy

7. to piggyback- to use something that someone else has made or done in order to get an advantage

8. to hit the ground running - to begin something energetically and successfully

9. between a rock and a hard place - faced with a tough choice between two options

10. to spill the beans - to (accidentally) share information/a secret

11. to rock the boat - to disturb an existing situation

12. to nip something in the bud - to stop a bad situation from getting worse by taking early action

13. to be in hot water - to be in (serious) trouble

14. to go with the flow - to be relaxed and accept a situation

15. to be down to earth - to be practical and realistic

16. to bark up the wrong tree - to do something that won't give you the results you want

17. to walk on eggshells - to be very careful about what you say or do to someone

18. to fly off the handle - to lose control of one's emotions

19. to be thrown in the deep end - to be put in a completely new situation without any help or preparation

20. to burn the midnight oil - to work late into the night

21. to shoot from the hip - to react or speak suddenly or without careful consideration

22. to take a raincheck - to cancel or reschedule

23. to run something into the ground- to ruin or destroy something

24. to fly under the radar - to go without being noticed, detected, or addressed

25. to cut corners - to do something in the easiest, cheapest or fastest way

26. to break the ice - to do something to reduce shyness/tension

27. to miss the boat - to miss your chance to do something

28. to bite the bullet - to force yourself to do something unpleasant

29. to hit the nail on the head - to do or say something precisely right

30. to be/sit on the fence - to be unable to make a decision, to be undecided

31. to join the bandwagon - to join a popular trend, activity, or opinion

32. to take something with a grain of salt- to view something with skepticism

Want to learn more phrases that will have you sounding like a native speaker in no time? Check out our classes with expert teachers!