American idioms are used on a daily basis in television shows, in normal conversations, and in all types of other interactions. Below are some of the most popular used American idioms and their meanings. Learning these idiomatic phrases in America will help you to understand and communicate efficiently.
What Are American Idioms?
To someone who lives outside of the United States, sometimes the way that Americans express themselves can sound like we are talking in tongues. This is because we have a way of putting two or more words together that don’t make sense according to the literal definition to people who haven’t grown up listening to such phrases and don’t know they are not to be taken literally.
Sometimes the meanings of these phrases known as idioms are easy to figure out from the context of how they are used. However, others are quite a bit more complicated to determine the meaning of. It is important to learn that words don’t always follow there literal meaning here in America in order to communicate effectively in this country and understand what is going on around you.
Common American Idioms with Meaning
Here are 150 of some of the most common American idioms and what they mean.
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A blessing in disguise | A good thing that seemed bad at first |
| A dime a dozen | Something common |
| A penny for your thoughts | A way of asking what someone is thinking |
| A piece of cake | Something very easy to do |
| A tough nut to crack | A difficult problem or a difficult person |
| Absence makes the heart grow fonder | Being away from someone makes you like them more |
| Act your age | Behave maturely and not childishly |
| Actions speak louder than words | What you do is more significant than what you say |
| Add fuel to the fire | Worsen an already bad situation |
| Add insult to injury | To make a bad situation worse |
| All ears | Fully listening |
| All thumbs | Clumsy or awkward with one’s hands |
| An arm and a leg | Very expensive or costly |
| At the drop of a hat | Without any hesitation; instantly |
| Back to square one | Having to start all over again |
| Back to the drawing board | When an attempt fails and it’s time to start all over |
| Ballpark figure | Rough estimate |
| Barking up the wrong tree | Looking in the wrong place; accusing the wrong person |
| Beat a dead horse | To waste time doing something that has already been attempted |
| Beat around the bush | Avoiding the main topic; not speaking directly about the issue |
| Bend over backwards | Do whatever it takes to help |
| Better late than never | Better to arrive late than not to come at all |
| Between a rock and a hard place | Stuck between two very bad options |
| Big fish in a little sea | A person who is important in a small place |
| Bite the bullet | To get something over with because it is inevitable |
| Bite to eat | A snack or small meal |
| Biting off more than you can chew | Taking on a task that is way too big |
| Blow off steam | To express anger or frustration |
| Break a leg | Good luck (often said to actors before they go on stage |
| Break the ice | To initiate a social conversation or interaction |
| Breaking ground | To start a new venture or phase; to pioneer |
| Burn the midnight oil | To work late into the night, especially studying |
| Burst into tears | To suddenly start crying |
| Burst your bubble | To destroy someone’s illusion or delusion |
| By the skin of your teeth | Just barely; by the narrowest of margins |
| Call it a day | To stop working for the rest of the day |
| Can’t cut the mustard | Not able to handle the task or meet the standard |
| Catch someone’s eye | To attract someone’s attention |
| Catch your eye | Something that grabs your attention |
| Chew the fat | To chat or gossip |
| Cold feet | Nervous just before a big event |
| Cold turkey | To suddenly stop an addictive habit without tapering off |
| Come out of the closet | To reveal a secret about oneself, especially one’s sexuality |
| Come what may | Whatever happens |
| Cost an arm and a leg | Very expensive or costly |
| Cry over spilt milk | To be upset about something that cannot be undone |
| Cry wolf | To raise a false alarm |
| Cut class | To skip a class without permission |
| Cut corners | To do something poorly or cheaply |
| Cut loose | To relax or behave in an unrestrained way |
| Cut to the chase | To get to the point; to skip unnecessary details |
| Cutting corners | Doing something poorly or omitting steps to save time or money |
| Dead ringer | A person or thing that looks exactly like another |
| Dirt cheap | Very inexpensive |
| Don’t bite the hand that feeds you | Don’t hurt or anger someone who is helping you or paying for you |
| Don’t count your chickens before they hatch | Don’t plan on benefits that haven’t materialized yet |
| Don’t get bent out of shape | Don’t get upset |
| Down in the dumps | Feeling sad or depressed |
| Drive someone up the wall | To irritate or annoy someone greatly |
| Drop in the bucket | A very small part of something much bigger |
| Drown your sorrows | To drink alcohol to forget your problems |
| Easier said than done | More difficult than you think |
| Easy as pie | Very easy (similar to “a piece of cake”) |
| Easy come, easy go | When something, especially money, is easily gotten and then lost |
| Eat crow | To admit you were wrong about something you defended |
| Eat your heart out | To feel extremely jealous about something |
| Eat your words | To take back what you said |
| Elbow room | Enough space to move comfortably |
| Every cloud has a silver lining | There’s something good in every bad situation |
| Everything but the kitchen sink | Almost everything and anything has been included |
| Face the music | To confront the consequences of one’s actions |
| Fall on deaf ears | When a suggestion or warning is ignored |
| Feel a bit under the weather | Feeling slightly ill |
| Feel like a new person | Feeling much better in health or spirit |
| Fit as a fiddle | In good physical health |
| Flash in the pan | Something that shows potential or looks promising in the beginning but fails to deliver anything in the end |
| Fly by the seat of your pants | To do something by instinct without proper planning |
| Follow your heart | To do what you believe is right |
| Full plate | To have a lot of things to deal with or a lot of tasks to perform |
| Get a taste of your own medicine | To experience the same unpleasantness that you’ve given others |
| Get carried away | To be overly excited and lose control |
| Get cold feet | To become nervous or fearful about something that you planned to do |
| Get out of hand | To become difficult to control |
| Get something off your chest | To talk about something that has been bothering you |
| Give someone the cold shoulder | To intentionally ignore someone or treat them unfriendly |
| Give you the benefit of the doubt | To believe someone’s statement, without proof |
| Go Dutch | Each person pays for themselves |
| Go back to square one | To start over because of a failure or lack of success |
| Go back to the drawing board | To start a task over because the last try failed |
| Go for broke | To risk everything in one big effort |
| Go over with a fine-tooth comb | To examine or look for something very carefully |
| Golden opportunity | An outstanding chance to do or achieve something |
| Hand-me-down | An item that is passed down from one person to another |
| Hands full | Very busy |
| Hang in there | Persevere, not give up |
| Hit a snag | Encounter an unexpected problem |
| Hit the nail on the head | Describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem |
| Hit the sack | Go to bed |
| Hit the spot | Satisfy a need or desire |
| Ill at ease | Feeling uncomfortable or worried about something |
| In hot water | In trouble |
| In mint condition | In perfect condition, like new |
| In the same boat | In the same situation; similarly situated |
| It takes two to tango | Actions or communications need more than one person |
| It’s not rocket science | Not very complicated; easy to understand |
| Jack of all trades | A person who can do many different types of work |
| Jump on the bandwagon | Join others in doing something that is becoming fashionable |
| Just what the doctor ordered | Exactly what is needed or wanted |
| Keep your chin up | Remain cheerful in a difficult situation |
| Keeping a low profile | Staying out of public notice, avoiding attention |
| Kick back | To relax or recline |
| Kick the bucket | To die |
| Kill two birds with one stone | To solve two problems with one action |
| Knock on wood | To express a hope for one’s good luck to continue |
| Let the cat out of the bag | To reveal a secret unintentionally |
| Let you off the hook | To not hold someone responsible for something |
| Make a long story short | Tell something briefly without unnecessary details |
| Miss the boat | To miss an opportunity |
| No pain, no gain | You have to work hard for something you want |
| On the ball | Doing a good job, being prompt, or being responsible |
| Once in a blue moon | Very rarely |
| Out of the blue | Something happening unexpectedly |
| Over the moon | Extremely pleased or happy |
| Piece of cake | Something that is very easy to do |
| Pull someone’s leg | To joke with someone |
| Pulling your leg | Teasing someone with a story or a joke |
| Put all your eggs in one basket | To risk everything on a single venture |
| Rain on someone’s parade | To ruin someone’s plans or dampen their enthusiasm |
| Rock the boat | To cause problems within a group or organization |
| Run out of steam | To lose energy or enthusiasm |
| Saved by the bell | Rescued from an unpleasant situation at the last moment |
| See eye to eye | To agree with someone |
| Sit on the fence | To not take sides in a dispute; to remain neutral |
| So far, so good | Things are going well so far |
| Speak of the devil | The person we were just talking about has appeared |
| Spill the beans | To reveal a secret |
| Take it with a grain of salt | To not take what someone says too seriously |
| That’s the last straw | The final problem in a series of problems |
| The ball is in your court | It is your decision this time |
| The best of both worlds | A situation wherein one can enjoy two different opportunities |
| The bigger they are, the harder they fall | The more powerful a person is, the more difficult their fall can be |
| The early bird catches the worm | The person who takes the earliest opportunity will gain the advantage |
| The last straw | The final problem in a series that causes one to finally lose patience |
| The whole nine yards | Everything; all of it; the full extent |
| There’s no such thing as a free lunch | Everything comes with a cost; nothing is given for free |
| Throw in the towel | To give up; to admit defeat |
| Time flies when you’re having fun | You don’t notice how long something lasts when it’s enjoyable |
| Under the weather | Feeling ill or sick |
| Up in the air | Uncertain or unresolved |
| We’ll cross that bridge when it gets here | We’ll deal with that problem when it actually happens |
| When pigs fly | Something that will never happen |
| Wrap your head around it | To come to understand something complicated or unusual |
| You can’t judge a book by its cover | You shouldn’t judge something or someone by appearance alone |
Common American Idioms with Example
| Idiom | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| A blessing in disguise | Losing that job was a blessing in disguise because it led me to start my own business. |
| A dime a dozen | Those antique plates are beautiful, but they’re a dime a dozen at flea markets. |
| A penny for your thoughts | You’ve been quiet all night—a penny for your thoughts? |
| A piece of cake | I thought the test would be difficult, but it was a piece of cake. |
| A tough nut to crack | The new client is a tough nut to crack, but I think we’ll eventually win them over. |
| Absence makes the heart grow fonder | I used to hate the time apart, but they say absence makes the heart grow fonder. |
| Act your age | Stop throwing a tantrum and act your age! |
| Actions speak louder than words | Don’t just tell me you’re going to change; actions speak louder than words. |
| Add fuel to the fire | Arguing about politics will just add fuel to the fire at family dinners. |
| Add insult to injury | After he was late, he added insult to injury by forgetting his promise. |
| All ears | Tell me about your day—I’m all ears! |
| All thumbs | I can’t seem to fix this—I’m all thumbs today. |
| An arm and a leg | That designer dress cost me an arm and a leg. |
| At the drop of a hat | She’s always ready to help out at the drop of a hat. |
| Back to square one | The deal fell through, so it’s back to square one for us. |
| Back to the drawing board | Our plan didn’t work, so it’s back to the drawing board. |
| Ballpark figure | Can you give me a ballpark figure of the project’s cost? |
| Barking up the wrong tree | If you think I stole your ring, you’re barking up the wrong tree. |
| Beat a dead horse | Let’s not beat a dead horse; we’ve already discussed this issue at length. |
| Beat around the bush | Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you really think. |
| Bend over backwards | She bent over backwards to make sure her guests felt comfortable. |
| Better late than never | I’m sorry I’m late to your birthday party, but better late than never, right? |
| Between a rock and a hard place | I’m caught between a rock and a hard place with the decision between two bad options. |
| Big fish in a little sea | He prefers to be a big fish in a little sea, so he’s staying at the local firm. |
| Bite the bullet | I guess I just have to bite the bullet and get these taxes done. |
| Bite to eat | Let’s grab a bite to eat before the movie starts. |
| Biting off more than you can chew | She bit off more than she could chew by taking on that extra project. |
| Blow off steam | Going for a run helps me blow off steam after a stressful day. |
| Break a leg | Break a leg at the audition today! |
| Break the ice | I’ll tell a joke to break the ice at the meeting. |
| Breaking ground | The company is breaking ground on a new research facility. |
| Burn the midnight oil | I have to burn the midnight oil to finish this report by tomorrow. |
| Burst into tears | She burst into tears when she heard the sad news. |
| Burst your bubble | I hate to burst your bubble, but you didn’t actually win the lottery. |
| By the skin of your teeth | He escaped the accident by the skin of his teeth. |
| Call it a day | We’ve been working for ten hours straight. Let’s call it a day. |
| Can’t cut the mustard | If he can’t cut the mustard, we’ll need to find someone else for the job. |
| Catch someone’s eye | The beautiful painting caught my eye as soon as I entered the gallery. |
| Catch your eye | Did anything catch your eye at the store? |
| Chew the fat | Old friends met up to chew the fat over a cup of coffee. |
| Cold feet | He got cold feet before his wedding and decided to postpone it. |
| Come out of the closet | After years of hiding, he finally came out of the closet to his family. |
| Come what may | I’ve made my decision, and come what may, I’ll stick to it. |
| Cost an arm and a leg | This car repair is going to cost an arm and a leg. |
| Cry over spilt milk | There’s no use crying over spilt milk—let’s just move on and try again. |
| Cry wolf | If you keep calling for help when you don’t need it, people will think you’re crying wolf. |
| Cut class | He was caught cutting class and got detention. |
| Cut corners | You won’t pass the inspection if you cut corners on the construction. |
| Cut loose | After the exams, everyone was ready to cut loose and relax. |
| Cut to the chase | Enough small talk. Cut to the chase and tell me what you really want. |
| Cutting corners | Cutting corners on this project could lead to safety issues later on. |
| Dead ringer | He’s a dead ringer for the actor we saw in that movie last week. |
| Dirt cheap | I found this dress at a thrift store for dirt cheap. |
| Don’t bite the hand that feeds you | Be careful not to criticize your boss—that’s like biting the hand that feeds you. |
| Don’t count your chickens before they hatch | Don’t count your chickens before they hatch; the deal isn’t finalized yet. |
| Don’t get bent out of shape | Don’t get bent out of shape over a little mistake. |
| Down in the dumps | He’s been down in the dumps since his team lost the championship. |
| Down to the wire | The project went right down to the wire, but we finished on time. |
| Drive someone up the wall | The constant drilling is driving me up the wall. |
| Drop in the bucket | The money we’ve raised so far is just a drop in the bucket compared to what’s needed. |
| Drown your sorrows | After the breakup, he went to the bar to drown his sorrows. |
| Easy as pie | Once you get the hang of it, using this software is easy as pie. |
| Easy come, easy go | He’s not too bothered about losing the money—easy come, easy go. |
| Eat crow | After bragging about his skills, he had to eat crow when he was beaten in the first round. |
| Eat your heart out | Eat your heart out, I got tickets to the sold-out concert! |
| Eat your words | When she saw his success, she had to eat her words for doubting him. |
| Elbow room | Can we go somewhere else? There’s hardly any elbow room in this bar. |
| Every cloud has a silver lining | Remember that every cloud has a silver lining, even when things seem tough. |
| Everything but the kitchen sink | She packed everything but the kitchen sink for her weekend trip. |
| Face the music | He knew he’d made a mistake and it was time to face the music. |
| Fall on deaf ears | His warnings about the storm fell on deaf ears and no one was prepared. |
| Feel a bit under the weather | I’m going to take a sick day since I’m feeling a bit under the weather. |
| Feel like a new person | After a good night’s sleep, I felt like a new person. |
| Fit as a fiddle | Even at 80 years old, my grandfather is fit as a fiddle. |
| Flash in the pan | His success was just a flash in the pan; he couldn’t replicate it. |
| Flat out like a lizard drinking | I’ve been flat out like a lizard drinking all week at work. |
| Fly by the seat of your pants | Without any planning, we flew by the seat of our pants and booked a last-minute trip. |
| Follow your heart | When it comes to love, it’s best to follow your heart. |
| Full plate | I can’t take on another project right now; I’ve got a full plate. |
| Get a taste of your own medicine | After teasing his sister, he got a taste of his own medicine when she pranked him back. |
| Get carried away | He got carried away at the auction and ended up buying more than he intended. |
| Get cold feet | She was excited about skydiving, but got cold feet when the plane took off. |
| Get out of hand | The party got out of hand and the neighbors called the police. |
| Get something off your chest | If something’s bothering you, just get it off your chest. |
| Get your act together | You need to get your act together if you’re going to pass this class. |
| Give someone the cold shoulder | She gave him the cold shoulder at the party after their argument. |
| Give you the benefit of the doubt | I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt this time, but please don’t be late again. |
| Go Dutch | We didn’t want either of us to pay for the whole date, so we decided to go Dutch. |
| Go back to square one | The project failed, so we have to go back to square one. |
| Go back to the drawing board | Our ideas were rejected, so it’s time to go back to the drawing board. |
| Go for broke | He went for broke and bet all his money on the last horse race. |
| Go over with a fine-tooth comb | The editor went over the manuscript with a fine-tooth comb. |
| Golden opportunity | This job offer is a golden opportunity for me to advance my career. |
| Hand-me-down | My little brother always gets my hand-me-down clothes. |
| Hands full | She’s got her hands full with the new twins. |
| Hang in there | Times are tough right now, but hang in there and things will get better. |
| Hit a snag | We hit a snag in the plans when we realized we were out of funding. |
| Hit the nail on the head | You hit the nail on the head when you said the problem was the power supply. |
| Hit the sack | I’m exhausted after today’s work; it’s time to hit the sack. |
| Hit the spot | That cold drink really hit the spot after the long hike. |
| Ill at ease | He felt ill at ease in the formal attire at the casual party. |
| In hot water | She’s in hot water now that the boss found out about the mistake. |
| In mint condition | I bought a vintage car that’s still in mint condition. |
| In the same boat | We’re all in the same boat when it comes to these new company policies. |
| It takes two to tango | They’re both to blame for the argument; it takes two to tango. |
| It’s not rocket science | You don’t need to be a genius to understand it; it’s not rocket science. |
| Jack of all trades | He’s a jack of all trades, skilled at carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work. |
| Jump on the bandwagon | Once the product went viral, everyone jumped on the bandwagon to buy it. |
| Just what the doctor ordered | This vacation is just what the doctor ordered for relieving my stress. |
| Keep your chin up | Even though you didn’t win, keep your chin up and be proud of how well you did. |
| Keeping a low profile | After the media scandal, he’s been keeping a low profile. |
| Kick back | Let’s kick back and relax this weekend at the lake house. |
| Kick the bucket | My old car finally kicked the bucket, so now I need a new one. |
| Kill two birds with one stone | By biking to work, I get some exercise and save money on gas—killing two birds with one stone. |
| Knock on wood | I’ve never had a car accident, knock on wood. |
| Let the cat out of the bag | He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party. |
| Let you off the hook | I’ll let you off the hook this time, but please don’t do it again. |
| Make a long story short | To make a long story short, we got lost but eventually found our way home. |
| Miss the boat | If you don’t buy the tickets now, you’ll miss the boat on the early bird discount. |
| No pain, no gain | You have to train hard to win the marathon—no pain, no gain. |
| On the ball | She’s really on the ball with responding to client requests. |
| Once in a blue moon | I only see him once in a blue moon since he moved abroad. |
| Out of the blue | He decided to move to Canada out of the blue. |
| Over the moon | She was over the moon when she found out she was pregnant. |
| Piece of cake | The test was a piece of cake; I finished it in no time. |
| Pulling your leg | Don’t get upset; I was just pulling your leg with that joke. |
| Put all your eggs in one basket | Investing all your money in one company is like putting all your eggs in one basket. |
| Rain on someone’s parade | I don’t want to rain on your parade, but I heard that concert might be canceled. |
| Rock the boat | Don’t rock the boat by bringing up that topic at dinner. |
| Run out of steam | After the first ten miles, I ran out of steam and had to walk. |
| Saved by the bell | He was about to answer a difficult question when the bell rang, saved by the bell. |
| See eye to eye | We don’t see eye to eye on many issues, but we’re still good friends. |
| Sit on the fence | You need to make a decision and stop sitting on the fence. |
| So far, so good | The project is progressing well; so far, so good. |
| Speak of the devil | Speak of the devil, here comes John now! |
| Spill the beans | Come on, spill the beans! What’s the surprise? |
| Take it with a grain of salt | I’ve heard the rumor, but I’m taking it with a grain of salt until I see proof. |
| That’s the last straw | Him coming home late again was the last straw, and she decided to leave him. |
| The ball is in your court | I’ve done all I can do, now the ball is in your court. |
| The best of both worlds | Working part-time and taking care of my kids gives me the best of both worlds. |
| The bigger they are, the harder they fall | He was a top executive, but the bigger they are, the harder they fall. |
| The crack of dawn | We’ll need to leave at the crack of dawn to avoid traffic. |
| The early bird catches the worm | Let’s start early on this project—the early bird catches the worm. |
| The last straw | The car breaking down was the last straw, so I decided to sell it. |
| The whole nine yards | When she throws a party, she goes for the whole nine yards with decorations. |
| There’s no such thing as a free lunch | You may have received a free ticket, but remember, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. |
| Throw in the towel | After several failed attempts, he threw in the towel and accepted defeat. |
| Time flies when you’re having fun | I can’t believe the party is over already; time flies when you’re having fun. |
| Under the weather | I’m feeling a bit under the weather today, so I’ll stay home. |
| Up in the air | The decision about the merger is still up in the air. |
| We’ll cross that bridge when we get there | Don’t worry about potential problems; we’ll cross that bridge when we get there |
