Ten Idioms You Need To Know

Idioms are expressions where the meaning isn't obvious from the individual words. Learning them is key to understanding and sounding more like a native speaker. Here are ten common idioms you need to know.

1. "Bite the bullet"

This means to face a difficult or unpleasant situation with courage and endurance. It comes from the old practice of giving soldiers a lead bullet to clench between their teeth during painful surgery without anesthesia.

• Example: "I don't want to work late, but I need to bite the bullet and finish this report."

2. "Break a leg"

This is a common way to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance like a play or a concert. The origin is believed to be from a theatrical superstition where wishing "good luck" was thought to bring bad luck.

• Example: "You have your big presentation today. Break a leg!"

3. "Cost an arm and a leg"

This idiom means something is very expensive. It's thought to have originated from the high cost of life during wartime or from the price of a portrait, where including a subject's arms and legs made the painting more expensive.

• Example: "That fancy new phone costs an arm and a leg."

4. "Get a taste of your own medicine"

This means to be treated in the same unpleasant way that you have treated other people. It's a form of poetic justice.

• Example: "He's always rude to others, so it was good for him to get a taste of his own medicine when his boss yelled at him."

5. "Hit the nail on the head"

This means to describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem. The imagery is of striking a nail perfectly with one blow.

• Example: "When you said the company's biggest problem is communication, you really hit the nail on the head."

6. "Let the cat out of the bag"

This means to accidentally reveal a secret. The origin may be from a scam where a piglet in a bag (a "poke") was swapped for a cat, and the secret was revealed when the "cat" was let out.

• Example: "I was planning a surprise party for him, but my sister let the cat out of the bag."

7. "Pull someone's leg"

This means to joke with someone by trying to make them believe something that isn't true.

• Example: "Is that your new car? No way! Are you just pulling my leg?"

8. "Speak of the devil"

This phrase is used when the person you were just talking about unexpectedly appears. It's often said in a lighthearted, surprised manner.

• Example: "Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you."

9. "The last straw"

This refers to the final minor difficulty that makes a situation unbearable. It comes from the longer idiom, "the straw that broke the camel's back," which suggests that even a small addition to an already heavy load can be too much.

• Example: "He was late again, and that was the last straw. I had to fire him."

10. "Under the weather"

This means to feel unwell or sick. The origin is nautical, with sailors who felt seasick being sent "under the weather" side of the ship to avoid the spray.

• Example: "I can't come to work today. I'm feeling a bit under the weather."