Casual English: 100 Common Idioms
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Casual English: 100 Common Idioms |
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Learn everyday expressions and speak casually. | Sign in |
| Idiom |
Definition |
Sense |
Example |
| child's play |
easy |
positive |
I'm not worried about the exam. It'll be child's play. |
| the big picture |
the larger perspective or purpose |
neutral |
You work hard on your projects,
but you don't see the
big picture. If you had a better sense of
purpose, your work would be more productive. |
| give ___ a run for
___ money |
compete |
positive |
Don't worry about the new business across the
street. We'll give
them a run for their money! |
| dig in ____
heels |
to continue working in the same way, but work
harder; from the idea of spurring a horse to run faster |
neutral |
Since
the new restaurant opened across the street, our own
restaurant has
been struggling. We have to dig in our heels and show them that we
can
beat their deals! |
| get a kick out of it |
to get enjoyment, to get a laugh |
positive |
Ben Stiller is one of my favorite actors. I
always get a kick
out of his comedies. |
| have a lot on
________ plate |
to have a lot of responsibilities |
neutral to negative |
I
know your brother has not returned your phone calls, but
don't be
frustrated. He has a
lot on his plate right now, and he might have
honestly forgotten. |
| kick the bucket |
to die |
neutral--negative, yet humorous |
My fourteen year old cat finally kicked the bucket,
poor thing. |
| let someone go |
to fire someone |
negative |
Did you hear about Mike? The boss decided to let him go last
week. |
| make ends meet |
to manage on a limited budget; similar idiom: to
make do |
neutral--practical |
My son just got married. He and his wife are
doing okay, but every month, they have to make ends meet. |
| cutting edge |
the latest, the newest |
positive |
Since you have a competitive job, you should buy
a new phone with cutting
edge technology. |
100 Common Idioms Class |
Idioms 1-20 Main Page |