Idioms
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Free EFL/ESL Lesson Plan: Teaching Slang and Idioms to Business English StudentsEFL/ESL Business English students often say they don't understand native English speakers because of the slang and idioms we use. Here's a free EFL lesson plan to give your students a bit more of a chance. -
Idioms with Biblical OriginsThe Bible has given rise to not only proverbs, but many popular sayings or idioms. Here is a selection.
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All for the Cat? German Idioms for Fun and PlayIdioms are word combinations that let you get a message across. Often meant to be humorous in the first place, they become all the funnier (and stranger) when translated literally into another language. Here are a few German idioms for fun and play.
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Useful Chinese IdiomsSome common Chinese idioms explained.
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A New Twist on Old American Idioms About Cheating and MoreSpousal infidelity is centuries old and fodder for many idioms over the last century. Maybe the time has come to dust off a few dying American idioms and re-purpose their words in our everyday rhetoric? -
Resources for Teaching IdiomsIdioms are tough to teach and difficult for some children to understand. Here is a list of resources for teaching idioms.
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Dog-Related Idioms in the ESL ClassroomSeveral dog-related idioms and how to teach them to ESL students -
The Wisdom in Sports Idioms, Sports Sayings, and Sports MetaphorsThere's a lot of wisdom in sports idioms and sports sayings, because sports are a great metaphor for life. Learn how your life relates to the world of sports.
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The Top 5 Italian Idioms Containing the Word CatIdioms are fun. It can be fun to learn the idioms of other languages. Italian has a few idioms that contain the word cat. -
Spanish Idioms TutorialThe goal of this Spanish idioms tutorial is to introduce you to what an idiom is and get you started in the use of Spanish language idioms. -
Idioms with "Run": A Guide for ESL StudentsLearn these English idioms with "Run" to expand your vocabulary and become and become a more proficient English speaker.
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Asperger Syndrome: Five Tips for Explaining IdiomsExplaining idioms to your son with Asperger Syndrome can be fun so "lend me your ear." Learn five tips for explaining these odd sayings that may puzzle your son who takes things literally.
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Idioms that Irritate - Eight Expressions that Must DieAnnoying sayings and idioms in particular really irritate me for some reason. I guess it is because they end up getting used by everyone, and half of the people do not even know the meaning of the idiom itself.
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List of Common Idioms and What They MeanIdioms are those weird phrases that people make that seem to pose no relevance to the situation for example; break a leg, or zip your lip, surely these words are not meant to be taken literally,
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Commonly Used Idioms in American CultureUnderstanding idioms can be a difficult task for someone not native of America. Here are several popular idioms used in American culture, and the literal meaning behind them.
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Idioms Unpacked: Get Off Your High Horse"Get off your high horse." Folks may talk themselves hoarse, telling others to get down off their high horses, but they are not talking about equines at all. Let's see if we can rein in the significance of this metaphorical and idiomatic figure of speech. -
Idioms Unpacked: I'll Be a Monkey's Uncle"Well, I'll be a Monkey's Uncle!" Occasionally, we may hear this exclamation. What is the metaphorical meaning of this popular phrasing? Why would anyone claim apish family ties or monkey relatives? -
Idioms Unpacked: Long in the Tooth"The leading lady was a little long in the tooth for that role." Is this a dental description or metaphorical evaluation? What is "long in the tooth"? This phrase chews someone out, at least indirectly, but what is the definition of this biting criticism? -
Idioms Unpacked: Getting a Leg Up"Because he knew the city, he was able to get a leg up on the other tour guides." What is the intention of the idiomatic phrasing, "getting a leg up"? When we say we get a leg up, are we conversing of calisthenics, expressing aggression or what? -
Idioms Unpacked: Monkey on My BackWhat would it feel like to have a monkey on your back? Monkeys are playful animals, but they can also be bothersome. When someone says, "I have a monkey on my back," what do they mean? What is the intent of this idiomatic expression? -
Idioms Unpacked: Passing the Buck"Don't count on old Jake for it. He's always passing the buck." What happens when someone passes the buck? What is the buck, and what sort of dirty dealing is this, anyway? What is the meaning of the popular phrase, "passing the buck"? -
Idioms Unpacked: Eat Your WordsHave you ever had to eat your own words? How do words actually taste? Are verbs spicier than nouns or adjectives? Which phrasings may be hardest to swallow? What does it mean to eat your words, and where did this popular idiomatic expression originate? -
Idioms Unpacked: Under the Weather"Muriel could not come to work. She's under the weather today." We often hear this idiomatic phrasing, which seems to have little to do with meteorological conditions. What does it mean to be under the weather? What precipitated this popular expression? -
Idioms Unpacked: Let the Cat Out of the Bag"The celebration was supposed to be a surprise, but Uncle Elmo let the cat out of the bag." What cat? What bag? Who is Uncle Elmo, and why was the cat in the bag, anyway? What is the meaning of the popular phrase, "let the cat out of the bag"? -
Idioms Unpacked: Well-Heeled"Only the most well-heeled shop in that upscale boutique." Who are the most well-heeled individuals, and what makes them well-heeled? When we say a person is well-heeled, what are we really saying? What is the meaning of the popular phrase, "well-heeled?" -
Idioms Unpacked: Skeletons in the ClosetWhat's in your closet? Murder mysteries and ghost stories often dwell upon a common theme of skeletons in closets or bodies buried in unusual places. What does the popular phrase, "skeletons in the closet," really mean? Is it villainous or metaphorical? -
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Idioms Unpacked: Bet the Ranch"Are you in, Slim?" "Shore thing. I'll be the ranch on this one." Bet the ranch? What in tarnation is the meaning of this old-time saying? Does someone have to actually own a ranch to bet the ranch? Why would someone offer to bet the ranch, anyway? -
Idioms Unpacked: Riding Roughshod"I couldn't stand my last job. My old boss was always riding roughshod over his workers." What is riding roughshod? Do people really ride over others, and what do they ride upon? What is the intent and origin of this familiar wording, "riding roughshod?" -
Idioms Unpacked: Breaking the Ice"Let's start by breaking the ice." What does it mean to break the ice? Usually, ice breaking has little to do with actual frozen water, or ice, at all. Breaking the ice most often refers idiomatically to an altogether different sort of coldness. -
Idioms Unpacked: Hell Bent for Leather"Better stand back. Zeke is hell bent for leather." What in tarnation could be the meaning of this metaphorical statement, "hell bent for leather"? Let's see if we can whip out the truth about this idiomatic expression. -
Idioms Unpacked: "Eat Like a Horse""Why doesn't Charlie ever seem to gain any weight? He eats like a horse." For generations, folks have described other people this way. When we say, "He eats like a horse," what is our intent? How do horses eat, anyway? -
Idioms Unpacked: Horse of a Different Color"Now that's a horse of a different color." Have you heard this old expression before? Usually, when folks speak of "a horse of a different color," they are not speaking of horses at all. What is the meaning of "a horse of a different color"? -
Idioms Unpacked: Starting from Scratch"We'll have to start from scratch." What does it mean to start from scratch? Folks who may not understand this idiomatic expression may be itching to know what starting from scratch really entails. What is the meaning of "starting from scratch"? -
Idioms Unpacked: Putting the Cart Before the HorseWhat does it mean, when we speak of "putting the cart before the horse"? This popular phrasing, with clear ties to equestrian driving, is used for a proverbial purpose. Let's look at this idiomatic saying and see what meanings may be pulled from it. -
Idioms Unpacked: You Can Lead a Horse to Water ..."You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." What does this proverb mean? From a horse management standpoint, the truth of this saying is clear. Metaphorically, however, what does the horse and water proverb mean, and where did it start? -
Idioms Unpacked: Straight from the Horse's Mouth"It must be true. I heard it straight from the horse's mouth." What do we mean, when we say, "straight from the horse's mouth"? The idiomatic phrase, "straight from the horse's mouth," may come from any of several possible origins. -
Idioms Unpacked: "Eager Beaver""Let's ask Bucky to do it. He's such an eager beaver." Have you heard this animal expression before? Does an eager beaver really represent a buck-toothed beast? What does it mean when we call someone "an eager beaver"? -
More American Idioms - The Origins of Common American Words and PhrasesThink about the words and phrases that we now use in American culture that will stand the test of time. Which ones will survive, and why? We don't know - because we don't choose. It's a though they choose us! -
Idioms Unpacked: Beating a Dead Horse"Don't bother. You're just beating a dead horse." Horse lovers everywhere cringe to hear this old adage. This idiomatic phrasing points not at mistreating horses, dead or alive. What is the meaning of the popular phrase, "beating a dead horse"?
