Common Idioms
Spoken Description
Learn common idioms for everyday English: idiomatic expressions, cultural context, and usage tips. Improve your spoken and written English with practical, memorable phrases used by native speakers.
Découvrez des idiomes courants pour l'anglais : expressions idiomatiques, contexte culturel et conseils d'usage. Améliorez votre anglais parlé et écrit avec des phrases pratiques et faciles à mémoriser.
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Idioms are fixed expressions whose meaning is not literal, so learning them helps you sound natural and understand native speakers. This guide covers some widely used idioms with clear examples.
Time
Time idioms often use everyday activities as metaphors for managing moments, deadlines, or routines. They show how we value and talk about time.
| English Idiom | Explanation | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| at the eleventh hour | very last moment | They submitted the report at the eleventh hour. | |
| beat the clock | finish before time runs out | We need to beat the clock to catch the train. | |
| around the clock | all day and night | The hospital works around the clock. | |
| in the nick of time | just before it's too late | He arrived in the nick of time to save us. |
They submitted their application(last moment).
Değerlendirmelerini son anda gönderdiler.
They submitted their application ___ (last moment).
Animals
Animal idioms use traits or sounds of animals to describe human behavior or situations, often colorfully. They rely on familiar imagery.
| English Idiom | Explanation | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| let the cat out of the bag | reveal a secret | She let the cat out of the bag about the party. | |
| hold your horses | wait or be patient | Hold your horses; the show starts soon. | |
| kill two birds with one stone | achieve two things at once | I killed two birds with one stone by shopping near work. | |
| raining cats and dogs | raining heavily | It's raining cats and dogs outside. |
She(reveal the secret) about the surprise party.
O gizli parti hakkında sırrı ağzından kaçırdı.
She ___ (reveal the secret) about the surprise party.
Food
Food idioms compare situations to eating or cooking, making abstract ideas more tangible and often more vivid. They are common in casual speech.
| English Idiom | Explanation | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| bite off more than you can chew | take on too much | He bit off more than he could chew with that project. | |
| bring home the bacon | earn money | She brings home the bacon for the family. | |
| spill the beans | reveal a secret | Don't spill the beans about the surprise. | |
| the icing on the cake | extra good thing | Getting a bonus was the icing on the cake. |
He(take on too much) with three jobs at once.
Üç işi birden yapmaya çalışarak boyundan büyük iş aldı.
He ___ (take on too much) with three jobs at once.
Money
Money idioms use financial terms to talk about value, spending, saving, or effort. They often highlight risk, reward, or priorities.
| English Idiom | Explanation | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| cost an arm and a leg | very expensive | That car costs an arm and a leg. | |
| break the bank | use up all your money | The trip didn't break the bank. | |
| pay through the nose | pay too much | I had to pay through the nose for repairs. | |
| money doesn't grow on trees | money is limited | Money doesn't grow on trees, so save wisely. |
That designer bag(very expensive).
O tasarım çanta çok pahalıya mal oluyor.
That designer bag ___ (very expensive).
Colors
Color idioms use associations with colors to express emotions, status, or reactions. They make descriptions more expressive.
| English Idiom | Explanation | Usage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| green with envy | very jealous | She was green with envy over his new car. | |
| in the red | losing money | The company has been in the red for months. | |
| tickled pink | very pleased | I was tickled pink by their compliments. | |
| see red | become very angry | He saw red when they criticized his work. |
She was(very pleased) when she heard the good news.
İyi haberi duyduğunda çok mutlu oldu.
She was ___ (very pleased) when she heard the good news.
Summary
Idioms pack cultural meaning into short phrases, so learning them improves both comprehension and speaking. Focus on common ones from everyday categories like time, animals, food, money, and colors, and pay attention to practice how they fit naturally in conversation.
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