Play 50 Common English Idioms

As easy as pie

very easy, "piece of cake"

be sick and tired of

"I hate" (also "can't stand")

Bend over backwards

try very hard to please someone

Bite off more than one can chew

To try to do or eat more than you can manage.

Broke

"to have no money

Change one's mind

"decide to do something different from what had been <br>decided earlier"

Cut it out

"stop doing something bad"

Drop someone a line

to mail a letter to someone or give them a call

Figure something out

"come to understand a problem"

Fill in for someone

"do their works while they are away"

In ages

"for a very long time"

Give someone a hand

helps

Hit the hay

go to bed or go to sleep

In the black

"the business is making money, it is profitable"

In the red

"the business is losing money, it is unprofitable"

In the nick of time

"not too late, but very close!"

Keep one's chin up

"remain brave and keep on trying"

Know something like the back of your hand

"know something very, very <br>well"

Once in a while

"sometimes, not very often"

Sharp

"exactly at a that time"

sleep on it

"think about something before making a decision"

take it easy

relax

to get the ball rolling

"start something, especially something big"

up to the minute

"the most recent information"

twenty-four/seven

"every minute of every day, all the time"

All of a sudden

"unexpectedly"

all ears

"eager and ready to listen"

Be fed up with

to hate something now, even though I may have liked it <br>before

to bug

"to bother someone"

a cinch

something that is very easy to do

Cost an arm and a leg

"very expensive"

To cram

"to study hard a few days before a test"

Fresh out of something

"to have no more of something"

To get it

"to understand"

Got a minute?

"Do you have time right now?"

Give someone a hand

"help someone"

Grab a bite to eat

quickly go get something to eat

Drive someone up a wall

drive someone crazy

To hang on

"to wait"

Hard headed

"stubborn" or "unwilling to change an opinion or idea

Have a change of heart

"change a previous decision"

Have mixed feelings about something

"to be uncertain"

Head out for

"to start on a long trip" (but it could be within a big city)

How come?

Why

keep in touch

(or "stay in touch") means "do not stop communicating - send letters or call sometimes"

Be kidding

"to joke or tease someone in a playful way"

Look down on

"think someone or something is not good enough"

Make ends meet

(often used negatively) means "to have enough money to buy <br>everything we need"

Miss the boat

"to miss an opportunity"

next to nothing

"to cost very little"