An English idiom is a phrase or expression whose meaning cannot be derived literally from the individual words it contains. They are common in everyday language and often convey a figurative meaning. Understanding and using idioms can improve your English communication skills and make you sound more natural. 

Watch this video to listen to some idioms

English Idioms – Symphony in Slang

After learning the idiomatic expressions watch the video again and you will enjoy it more.

Idiom	Meaning
Born with a silver spoon in my mouth	Born into wealth and privilege.
Grew up overnight	Matured or aged very quickly.
At the crack of dawn	Very early in the morning.
Got up with the chickens	Woke up very early.
Slinging hash	Working as a cook or server in a cheap restaurant.
Short-handed	Having fewer staff than needed.
Couldn’t cut the mustard	Unable to meet the required standard or perform adequately.
Gave me the gate	Fired me from the job.
Hole in the wall	A small, run-down place.
Beside myself with anger	Extremely angry; overcome with rage.
Made some dough	Earned some money.
Punching cattie	(Likely a regional or dated term) Possibly working with cattle or on a ranch.
Stepped into the picture	Became involved in the situation.
Our eyes met	We looked at each other.
My breath came in short pants	I was very excited or nervous.
Got goose pimples	Developed bumps on the skin due to excitement, fear, or cold.
All thumbs	Clumsy and awkward with one’s hands.
Fit her like a glove	Fit her perfectly.
Good-looking pins	Attractive legs.
Put on my white tie and tails	Dressed in very formal evening wear.
Put on the dog	Dressed very elegantly and impressively.
Painting the town red	Going out and enjoying oneself in a lively way.
Let her hair down	Became relaxed and informal.
Ate like a horse	Ate a very large amount of food.
Money was running out on me	I was running out of money.
Wrote a check	Issued a written order to a bank to pay a certain amount.
It bounced	The check was refused by the bank due to insufficient funds.
In a pickle	In a difficult or awkward situation.
Gave him the slip	Escaped from him.
In no time	Very quickly; soon.
The law was on my heels	The police were pursuing me closely.
Pump me	Try to get information from me by persistent questioning.
Put my foot in it	Said something tactless or embarrassing.
Sent me up the river	Sent me to prison.
Do a stretch in the jug	Serve a period of time in jail.
Up against it	Facing difficult circumstances or problems.
Going to pot	Deteriorating or becoming ruined.
Raised the big stink	Made a strong protest or complaint.
Red tape	Excessive bureaucracy or complicated procedures.
Sprung me	Arranged for my release (from prison).
Stretch my legs	Go for a walk or move around after being in a confined space.
Dropped in on	Visited unexpectedly.
Threw myself at her feet	Humbly begged or pleaded with her.
Turned her back on me	Refused to pay attention to me; rejected me.
Got on her high horse	Became arrogant or haughty.
Couldn’t touch her with a ten-foot pole	Found her unapproachable or unwilling to interact.
Cat had her tongue	Unable or unwilling to speak.
Walked out on her	Left her abruptly.
Went to pieces	Became emotionally distraught.
Hanging around	Spending time in a place without a specific purpose.
Played by ear	Played music without reading sheet music.
Tug at my elbow	Gently pulled my arm to get my attention.
Chewed the rag	Had a casual conversation.
Heard from the grapevine	Heard information through informal communication channels or rumors.
Old flame	A former romantic partner.
Burned me up	Made me very angry or jealous.
Feeding her a line	Deceiving her with insincere talk.
Spent his money like water	Spent money very freely and wastefully.
Chisel in	Force one’s way into a conversation or situation.
Got in my hair	Annoyed or irritated me.
Raining cats and dogs	Raining very heavily.
Feeling mighty blue	Feeling very sad or depressed.
Everything looked black	The situation seemed hopeless or negative.
Carried on	Continued despite difficulties.
Beachcomber	A person who walks along beaches collecting things.
A tear ran down my cheek	I was crying.
Send her a cable/wire	Sent her a telegram.
Hotfooted it	Went somewhere very quickly.
Had his hands full	Was very busy.
Died laughing	Found something extremely funny.
Has the cat got your tongue?	Why aren’t you speaking?

Go to Gen Z & Gen Alpha Idioms