Idioms & Expressions Vocabulary

very common and of little value

“Good ideas are a dime a dozen; execution is what matters.”

to make a bad situation worse

“They fired him and, to add insult to injury, escorted him out.”

at the last possible moment

“The deal was saved at the eleventh hour.”

returning to the starting point after a setback

“The project failed, so we're back to square one.”

pursuing a mistaken or misguided course

“If you think I took your keys, you're barking up the wrong tree.”

to avoid getting to the point; speak evasively

“Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.”

to take on more responsibility than you can handle

“By accepting three projects, she bit off more than she could chew.”

to endure a painful situation with courage

“I decided to bite the bullet and have the difficult conversation.”

to initiate conversation in a social setting

“His joke helped break the ice at the awkward meeting.”

to destroy relationships or opportunities permanently

“Don't burn bridges—you might need those contacts later.”

to work late into the night

“She burned the midnight oil to finish the proposal.”

to make peace; end a conflict

“After years of feuding, they finally buried the hatchet.”

just barely; by a very narrow margin

“He passed the exam by the skin of his teeth.”

a paradoxical situation with no escape due to contradictory rules

“It's a catch-22: you need experience to get hired, but you need a job to get experience.”

to do something in the easiest or cheapest way

“The contractor cut corners, and the building had problems.”

to get to the point without wasting time

“Let's cut to the chase—what's your offer?”

one who argues against something for the sake of debate

“Let me play devil's advocate and challenge your assumptions.”

don't waste time worrying about things that can't be changed

“The mistake is done—don't cry over spilled milk.”

an obvious problem that everyone ignores

“The company's debt was the elephant in the room.”

to become nervous and hesitate before doing something

“He got cold feet and canceled the wedding.”

to become uncontrolled or unmanageable

“The protest got out of hand quickly.”

to describe exactly what is causing a situation

“You hit the nail on the head—that's exactly the problem.”

in trouble or in a difficult situation

“He's in hot water with his boss after missing the deadline.”

to join others in doing something fashionable

“Every company jumped on the AI bandwagon.”

remain cheerful in difficult circumstances

“Keep your chin up—things will improve.”

to accomplish two things with a single action

“Biking to work lets me kill two birds with one stone—exercise and commuting.”

to reveal a secret accidentally

“She let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.”

to miss an opportunity

“If you don't invest now, you'll miss the boat.”

in agreement; having the same understanding

“Let's make sure we're all on the same page before proceeding.”

very rarely

“He only visits once in a blue moon.”

something very easy to do

“The test was a piece of cake.”

to risk everything on a single venture

“Diversify your investments—don't put all your eggs in one basket.”

raining very heavily

“We can't go outside—it's raining cats and dogs!”

to understand the hidden meaning

“Read between the lines—she's not happy here.”

to reveal secret information

“Who spilled the beans about the merger?”

to view something with skepticism

“Take his claims with a grain of salt.”

it's your turn to take action

“I've made my offer—the ball is in your court.”

the final problem that makes a situation unbearable

“The pay cut was the last straw—she resigned.”

to give up; admit defeat

“After three failures, he threw in the towel.”

feeling ill or unwell

“I'm feeling a bit under the weather today.”

uncertain; not yet decided

“The project timeline is still up in the air.”

a good thing that seemed bad at first

“Losing that job was a blessing in disguise as it led to a better career.”

a situation where you have the advantages of two different things

“Working part-time gives her the best of both worlds: income and free time.”