50 Idioms About Knowledge
Idioms are an integral part of the English language, and they add color and depth to conversations and writing. In this blog post, we will explore 50 idioms about knowledge, their meanings, and examples of how to use them in everyday conversation.
- A penny for your thoughts – a way of asking someone what they are thinking
Example: “You seem lost in thought, a penny for your thoughts?” - A picture is worth a thousand words – a picture can convey more information or emotion than words can
Example: “I can describe the scene to you, but seeing it is better, a picture is worth a thousand words.” - All ears – being attentive and listening carefully
Example: “I’m all ears, tell me what happened.” - All thumbs – clumsy or awkward with one’s hands
Example: “I tried to fix the computer, but I’m all thumbs when it comes to technology.” - Book smart – having knowledge gained from reading and studying
Example: “He’s book smart, but he lacks common sense.” - Brainstorm – a group discussion to generate ideas or solutions to a problem
Example: “We need to brainstorm some new marketing ideas.” - Can’t make heads or tails of it – not being able to understand or make sense of something
Example: “I read the manual, but I still can’t make heads or tails of this machine.” - Clueless – not having any knowledge or understanding about something
Example: “He’s clueless about what’s going on.” - Don’t have a clue – not having any knowledge or understanding about something
Example: “I don’t have a clue how to solve this problem.” - Drop a hint – subtly suggest or imply something
Example: “She dropped a hint that she wants to go on vacation.” - Figure out – to solve or understand something
Example: “I need to figure out how to fix the leaky faucet.” - Food for thought – something that makes you think or consider a new perspective
Example: “Her comment was food for thought.” - Get the hang of it – to become familiar or skilled with something
Example: “It took me a while to get the hang of using chopsticks.” - Give the benefit of the doubt – to believe someone’s claim without proof
Example: “I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he’s telling the truth.” - Go in one ear and out the other – to not remember or pay attention to what someone is saying
Example: “I tried to explain it to him, but it went in one ear and out the other.” - Hit the books – to study or do homework
Example: “I need to hit the books and prepare for the exam.” - In the dark – not having any knowledge or understanding about something
Example: “I’m in the dark about what happened.” - Know something inside out – to know something very well
Example: “I know this city inside out.” - Learn the ropes – to become familiar with a new job or task
Example: “It took me a few weeks to learn the ropes of my new job.” - Let the cat out of the bag – to reveal a secret
Example: “I accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.” - Mind-blowing – something that is incredible or amazing
Example: “The view from the mountaintop was mind-blowing.” - No brainer – something that is obvious or easy to understand
Example: “The answer is a no-brainer, we should take the job offer.” - Off the top of my head – saying something without giving it much thought or research
Example: “Off the top of my head, I can think of a few possible solutions.” - On the ball – being alert and able to think quickly
Example: “She’s always on the ball and ready to respond to any challenge
- Out of the loop – not being informed or aware of something
Example: “I feel out of the loop since I haven’t been at work for a week.” - Piece of cake – something that is easy to do
Example: “The task was a piece of cake, I finished it in no time.” - Put two and two together – to understand something by making connections or deductions
Example: “When she didn’t show up, I put two and two together and realized she wasn’t coming.” - Rack your brain – to think very hard about something
Example: “I’ve been racking my brain trying to come up with a solution.” - Read between the lines – to infer or understand something that is not explicitly stated
Example: “Her tone of voice made me read between the lines and suspect that she was unhappy.” - Ring a bell – to trigger a memory or recognition
Example: “That name doesn’t ring a bell, I don’t remember meeting him.” - Shed light on – to provide information or clarity on something
Example: “Can you shed some light on what happened?” - Smart cookie – someone who is intelligent or clever
Example: “She’s a smart cookie, she always knows how to solve a problem.” - Straight from the horse’s mouth – getting information directly from the source
Example: “I heard straight from the horse’s mouth that the company is going bankrupt.” - Take with a grain of salt – to be skeptical or not fully believe something
Example: “I take his story with a grain of salt, he tends to exaggerate.” - The ball is in your court – it’s your turn to take action or make a decision
Example: “I’ve given you all the information, now the ball is in your court to make the decision.” - The devil is in the details – small details can be important or problematic
Example: “We need to pay attention to the details, the devil is in the details.” - The elephant in the room – an obvious issue that is being ignored or avoided
Example: “Nobody wants to talk about the elephant in the room, which is the budget deficit.” - The whole nine yards – going all out or giving full effort
Example: “We’re going to give this project the whole nine yards.” - Turn a blind eye – to ignore or overlook something
Example: “The manager turned a blind eye to the employee’s unethical behavior.” - Up to speed – being fully informed or knowledgeable about something
Example: “Can you get up to speed on the latest developments?” - Use your noodle – use your brain to think and solve problems
Example: “Use your noodle and come up with a solution to this problem.” - When in Rome – to follow local customs or traditions when visiting a new place
Example: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” - Without batting an eye – not showing any reaction or emotion
Example: “He asked for a raise without batting an eye.” - Wrap your head around – to understand something that is difficult or complex
Example: “It’s hard to wrap your head around the idea of space-time curvature.” - You can’t teach an old dog new tricks – it’s difficult to teach someone new skills or habits when they are set in their ways
Example: “He’s been doing things his way for so long, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” - Your guess is as good as mine – not knowing the answer or solution to a problem
Example: “I don’t know what happened, your guess is as good as mine.” - Zip it – be quiet or stop talking
Example: Just zip it – I’m tired of listening to you complain.
- You’re a sight for sore eyes – a welcome and pleasant surprise after a long absence
Example: “Seeing her after so long was a sight for sore eyes.” - You’re a walking encyclopedia – someone who knows a lot about a variety of topics
Example: “He’s a walking encyclopedia, he knows something about almost everything.” - You’re on the right track – making progress and heading in the right direction
Example: “Keep up the good work, you’re on the right track to success.”
learning and incorporating idioms into your language can help you sound more fluent and natural in English. These idioms about knowledge are just a small sample of the vast collection of idiomatic expressions in the English language. So, the next time you want to impress someone with your language skills, try using some of these idioms to show off your knowledge!
