VOCABULARY - IDIOMS

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Meaning: What you have is worth more than what you might have later

A penny for your thoughts

Meaning: Tell me what you're thinking

A penny saved is a penny earned

Meaning: Money you save today you can spend later

A perfect storm

Meaning: the worst possible situation

A picture is worth 1000 words

Meaning: Better to show than tell

Actions speak louder than words

Meaning: Believe what people do and not what they say

Add insult to injury

Meaning: To make a bad situation worse

Barking up the wrong tree

Meaning: To be mistaken, to be looking for solutions in the wrong place

Birds of a feather flock together

Meaning: People who are alike are often friends

Bite off more than you can chew

Meaning: Take on a project that you cannot finish

Break the ice

Meaning: Make people feel more comfortable

By the skin of your teeth

Meaning: Just barely

Comparing apples to oranges

Meaning: Comparing two things that cannot be compared

Do something at the drop of a hat

Meaning: Do something without having planned beforehand

Don’t cry over spilt milk

Meaning: There’s no reason to complain about something that can’t be fixed

Get a taste of your own medicine

Meaning: Get treated the way you’ve been treating others (negative)

He has bigger fish to fry

Meaning: He has bigger things to take care of than what we are talking about now

Ignorance is bliss

Meaning: You’re better off not knowing

Kill two birds with one stone

Meaning: Get two things done with a single action

Look before you leap

Meaning: Take only calculated risks

Play devil’s advocate

Meaning: To argue the opposite, just for the sake of argument

Saving for a rainy day

Meaning: Saving money for later

Take a rain check

Meaning: Postpone a plan

The best thing since sliced bread

Meaning: A really good invention

The elephant in the room

Meaning: The big issue, the problem people are avoiding

There’s a method to his madness

Meaning: He seems crazy but actually he’s clever

Throw caution to the wind

Meaning: Take a risk; To act in a daring way, without forethough

You can’t judge a book by its cover

Meaning: This person or thing may look bad, but it’s good inside

There’s no such thing as a free lunch

Meaning: Nothing is entirely free

The whole nine yards

Meaning: Everything, all the way.

The devil is in the details

Meaning: It looks good from a distance, but when you look closer, there are problems

The ball is in your court

Meaning: It’s your decision

Spill the beans

Meaning: Reveal a secret; Give away a secret

Once in a blue moon

Meaning: Rarely; The phrase once in a blue moon is an idiomatic expression that means not very often or very rarely.

On thin ice

Meaning: On probation. If you make another mistake, there will be trouble.

It takes one to know one

Meaning: You’re just as bad as I am

He’s a chip off the old block

Meaning: The son is like the father

Go on a wild goose chase

Meaning: To do something pointless

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

Meaning: What you’re doing is too risky

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

Meaning: Treat people fairly. Also known as “The Golden Rule”

Add insult to injury

Meaning: To make a bad situation worse

A penny saved is a penny earned

Meaning: Money you save today you can spend later

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Meaning: What you have is worth more than what you might have later

The whole nine yards

Meaning: Everything, all the way.

There are other fish in the sea

Meaning: It's ok to miss this opportunity. Others will arise.

There's a method to his madness

Meaning: He seems crazy but actually he's clever

There's no such thing as a free lunch

Meaning: Nothing is entirely free

Throw caution to the wind

Meaning: Take a risk; To act in a daring way, without forethough

You can't have your cake and eat it too

Meaning: You can't have everything

You can't judge a book by its cover

Meaning: This person or thing may look bad, but it's good inside