English Idioms

“Down and out”

Without money, work, or hope.

“Change your tune”

To change your opinion or attitude.

“The elephant in the room”

An obvious problem that people avoid talking about.

“An uphill battle”

A very difficult challenge.

“A long way off”

Far in the future or far from being ready.

“Fight fire with fire”

To use the same methods as your opponent.

“At arm’s length”

At a safe distance, emotionally or physically.

“Rule of thumb”

A simple practical rule based on experience.

“Change hands”

To pass from one owner to another.

“In the heat of the moment”

While feeling strong emotion, without thinking calmly.

“Eat your words”

To admit that what you said was wrong.

“Carry the day”

To win or succeed.

“Think outside the box”

To think creatively and differently from usual.

“The final straw”

The last problem that makes a situation unacceptable.

“Lose ground”

To become less successful or fall behind.

“Jump the gun”

To do something too early before the right time.

“Get in on the act”

To join an activity that others are doing successfully.

“Come to terms with”

To accept a difficult reality.

“Take a rain check”

To postpone an invitation or plan for another time.

“In the driver’s seat”

In control of a situation.

“Butter someone up”

To praise someone too much in order to get something.

“The calm before the storm”

A quiet period before trouble or intense activity begins.

“Start from scratch”

To begin again from the very beginning.

“Bring out the best in”

To help someone show their best qualities.