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Working with Idioms

An idiom is an expression that means something different from what the literal meaning of the words would suggest. We use them every day, sometimes without even realising that what we’re saying is nonsensical without the implied and widely accepted meaning behind it.

An illustration showing a boy burying his head in the sand. The rest of the body is visible. — What does it mean 'to have your head in the sand'? Image: NTB, iimages / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Idioms are commonly used in everyday English to express certain ideas or opinions. They are an essential component of the English language, and all English language learners should develop an understanding of, and fluency with, idioms.

The English language has approximately 25 000 idiomatic expressions. Clearly, it will be impossible to master them all. But there are several reasons why you should aim to develop a better understanding of the most common idioms:

They enrich our language by providing concise meaning that alternative wording lacks, and they allow you to say a lot with a few words.
They make conversations smarter, funnier, more creative, and less monotonous.
English native speakers use idioms as a natural part of their conversation.

Idioms may seem complicated at first, but they can actually be a lot of fun to learn.

Act out:

Divide the class into groups. Study the list of 30 idioms.

In turn, pick a random idiom from the list. Don't tell the others which one you choose. Act out the idiom for the other students.
The person who's able to guess the idiom AND explain the meaning of the idiom will get a point.

30 idioms

to cry over spilt milk
to put your foot in your mouth
when pigs fly
to let the cat out of the bag
to speak of the devil
to have your head in the sand
to cost an arm and a leg
to feel under the weather
to cut corners
to judge a book by its cover
it's a piece of cake
to break a leg
to be on cloud nine
to hit the road
to beat around the bush
it's not rocket science
to miss the boat
to wrap your head around something
to hit the sack
to run around in circles
to be left out in the cold
to keep an ear to the ground
hook, line, and sinker
to blow off steam
to live life in the fast line
to go the extra mile
to loose your marbles
to rain on someone's parade
to go cold turkey
to stab someone in the back

Find out:

Usually, an idiom is figurative in modern contexts but once had a literal meaning.

In the text box, you will find a list of different idioms. Work together in pairs or small groups and divide the idioms between you. Find out what they mean today and where they originally came from. In some cases, you may find several explanations.

Explain the modern and the original meaning to your partner.

let the cat out of the bag
barking up the wrong tree
cost an arm and a leg
bite the bullet
turn a blind eye
feeling under the weather
beat around the bush
steal someone's thunder
white elephant
close, but no cigar
give the cold shoulder
till the cows come home
hear it through the grapevine
bigwig

Quiz:

In this task, you are given three sentences containing idioms where only one sentence is correct. Are you able to identify the correct sentences?

Bend the truth:

Work together in groups of three.

Every group chooses a different idiom. You may want to choose an idiom that you have never heard before, just to make it a bit more difficult for the rest of the class.

Write down a detailed description of the meaning of the idiom. In addition, make two other incorrect definitions, equally detailed. Also, create three sentences, one for each definition, where the idiom is included for context.

The three students present one definition each for the class. The aim is to convince the class that their definition is the correct one. Is the class able to identify the correct definition?

Here are two lists with various idioms that you can choose from:

Link to 150 Common & Difficult Idioms with Examples

Link to A-Z idioms

Act out:

Find out:

Quiz:

Bend the truth:

Rules for use of text "Working with Idioms"