Idioms and figurative expressions

An idiom is a group of words with a meaning that is different from the meanings of the single words. ⟦It's raining cats and dogs.⟧ doesn't mean animals are falling: it means it is raining very heavily. You learn idioms as whole phrases.

Key facts

• Feelings: ⟦over the moon⟧ and ⟦on cloud nine⟧ (very happy), ⟦feel blue⟧ (feel sad), ⟦under the weather⟧ (a little ill), ⟦get cold feet⟧ (suddenly feel too nervous to do something).
• Easy, hard and money: ⟦a piece of cake⟧ (very easy), ⟦cost an arm and a leg⟧ (be very expensive), ⟦cut corners⟧ (do something badly to save time or money).
• Secrets and talking: ⟦spill the beans⟧ (tell a secret), ⟦let the cat out of the bag⟧ (tell a secret by mistake), ⟦break the ice⟧ (make people feel relaxed when they first meet), ⟦pull someone's leg⟧ (joke with someone).
• Time and chances: ⟦once in a blue moon⟧ (very rarely), ⟦when pigs fly⟧ (never), ⟦call it a day⟧ (stop working), ⟦miss the boat⟧ (miss a chance), ⟦hold your horses⟧ (wait and be patient).
• Use the context to work out an idiom: what is the speaker really saying? Idioms are usually informal, so use them in speech and stories rather than in formal writing.

Worked examples