English idioms and situations for them. What you didn't know about English idioms

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Expressions that should not be taken literally.

Anyone who wants to improve their level of spoken English and understand what is being said in conversations, films or books should know these phrases.

website collected frequently occurring English language idioms that should not be translated literally to avoid getting into an awkward position.

Against the clock- practically overtake time - this means “to do something very quickly”, in a short time.
To eat one's word- you cannot eat your words, but you can take your words back completely.
Break a leg- sometimes in films you can hear someone advising the hero to “break a leg”, in fact this is a wish for good luck: no feathers, no feathers!
The apple of one's eye- the literal translation is scary, but the phrase means something like “the diamond of my soul,” to love someone very much and cherish them like the apple of your eye.
To feel it in one's bones- this is the case when you feel in your gut that something will happen. In Russian, premonition is felt in another place, in English - in the bones.
When pigs fly- the phrase about flying pigs will remind many of the situation “when the crayfish whistles on the mountain” or “after the rain on Thursday.” That is, never.
To scratch someone’s back and that someone will scratch in return- this expression can be literally translated as “scratch the back of another so that he scratches you in return,” that is, a favor for a favor: to do a good deed to a person in the expectation that he will respond in kind.
To walk a mile in my shoes- this is not an offer to walk in someone else’s shoes, you are asked to “be in my shoes”, to imagine yourself in someone else’s place.
To cost an arm and a leg- that's what they say when something costs too much. You literally have to sell a body part to afford this item.
To count one's chickens before they hatch- count on success ahead of time, when nothing is clear yet. We have a similar expression: “chickens are counted in the fall.”
It's raining cats and dogs- It’s funny to imagine rain of cats and dogs, but that’s what they say when it’s pouring like buckets.
Rat race- “rat race” is, by and large, our whole life. This means “to be in a constant state of haste and competition”, to chase success/money - whatever.
In a nutshell - if you want to tell something briefly, then this expression is perfect to express it in a nutshell.
The grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence)- can be translated as “it’s good where we are not.” Many people have noticed that their neighbor’s grass is always greener - this is the same feeling.
Quick and dirty - in our language there is the same capacious expression “cheap and cheerful”.
To shake a leg- this is what they say when you need to hurry up and do something faster: “move!”
Not your cup of tea - « this is not your element,” when the soul is not in the mood for something or something cannot be done. Literally “not your cup of tea,” and you need to find yours.
Curiosity killed the cat- an overly curious person can often hear this. In Russian - curious Varvara's nose was torn off at the market, not a single cat was harmed.
To take the cake- don’t rush to take the pie, it means “outdoing everyone” (in a good or bad sense). It vaguely resembles the Russian “take a pie from the shelf.”
A leopard cannot change its spots- just as a person cannot change his nature, he is “as he is,” so a leopard cannot change the spots on his skin. A good argument for those who don't want to change.
Blood, sweat, and tears- the expression means great effort or hard work. Literally "blood, sweat and tears": in Russian there is a close "seven sweats came down".
Pushing the envelope - this is an expression about a person who always offers something new and goes beyond the usual.
To save your breath - literally “save your breath” means that you should not waste your energy and talk about what will not bring benefit. It’s better to remain silent and not make a fuss.
To know where the bodies are buried - when you hear this, don’t be alarmed - there is nothing in this sentence about real burials, the Russian analogue: “that’s where the dog is buried” means to understand what the essence of the matter is.

How to successfully work with idioms in English.

Let's look at some of the popular expressions that we all often use in our Russian speech, which means that sooner or later we will want to know them in English.

After all, quite often it is necessary not only to translate, but to find an equivalent of our Russian thought in English. All languages have all our “apples and apple trees” paired with “buried dogs”. You just need to know exactly how a foreigner will say it.

Russian set phrase	English equivalent
Fight like a fish on ice	To pull the devil by the tail
Be in seventh heaven	To tread on air or To be in the seventh heaven
Fool around	Act the fool Play the fool
Written on the water with a pitchfork	It's still all up in the air It is a castle in the air It is waiting for dead men's shoes
To lead someone by the nose (to rub someone's glasses in)	To draw the wool over someone's eyes
Hungry as wolf	As hungry as a hunter (as hungry as a wolf)
To make mountains out of molehills	To make a mountain out of a molehill
Money is not a thing for money (to drown in luxury, swim in gold)	Rolling in money
The soul sank to its feet	One’s heart sank into one’s boots or My heart was in my mouth
Nick down	Put that in one's pipe and smoke it
There aren't enough stars in the sky	He (she) would not set the Thames on fire
What kind of fly bit you?	What's bitten him?
Like two and two are four	As plain as the nose on your face or As sure as eggs is eggs
Buy a pig in a poke	To buy a pig in a poke
It's pouring out like a bucket	It rains cats and dogs
It's a small world	It's a small world
Calling a spade a spade	To call a spade a spade
Pour from empty to empty	Mill the wind or Fish in the air
Then soup with a cat	Later-alligator (lit.: “Later - alligator”, a rhyming response to the word “later”)
Similar as two peas in a pod	As like as two peas
Kill two birds with one stone	To kill two birds with one stone
To beat around the bush	To beat about the bush
A drop in the sea	A drop in the bucket or A drop in the ocean
Drunk as hell	As drunk as a lord
It's better not to joke with him	He is not a man to be trifled with
Get out of bed on the wrong side	To get out of bed on the wrong side
Like peas hitting a wall	You might as well talk to a brick wall
As if taken off by hand	It has vanished as if by magic
Knock out a wedge with a wedge	Fight fire with fire
After the rain on Thursday	When hell freezes over
When the cancer on the mountain whistles	Once in a blue moon
Dumb like a fish	One keeps mum as fish
Neither to the village nor to the city	Neither here nor there
Promise mountains of gold	To promise the moon
Shot sparrow	A knowing old bird

Advice on how to work with this list: if you decide to memorize all this in joy, saying that it will be useful in the future, then in the future it will most likely simply be forgotten.

Solution: Over the next days, listen to yourself, to your Russian speech, what and how you say during the day. And, most likely, you will use some of these expressions. So your task will not be just to “insert” the English equivalent into your Russian offer, and build this equivalent correctly, according to tenses and persons, if the design requires it. Roughly speaking, there is no need to close the left column and cram the right one, and vice versa. All this needs to be immediately sewn specifically into your style, into your proposals, into your reality.

However, there are also phraseological units that are translated from Russian into English almost word for word, which means that it will be much easier to remember them. Let's look at them!

Russian variant	English version
Play with fire	To play with fire
Burn one's boats	To burn bridges
There is no smoke without fire	There is no smoke without fire
Hardworking like a bee	Be as busy as a bee
Lead a cat and dog life	To lead a cat and dog life to fight like cat and dog
A matter of honor	Point of honor
The cream of society	The cream of society
The game is worth the candle	The game is worth the candle
The other side of the coin	The reverse (side) of the medal
Daily bread	Daily bread
Poverty is not a vice	Poverty is no sin
They do not look at a given horse's teeth	Don't look a gift horse in the mouth
Storm in a teacup	A storm in a teacup

Often in English speech You may hear phrases or expressions that confuse any foreigner whose first language is not English. These are idioms, or phraseological units, which for English-speaking people are an integral part of daily communication. And if you decide to improve your English skills, pay attention to 20 idioms that are found quite often. Some of them will make you smile.

20 common idioms

A Chip on Your Shoulder

No, this does not mean that a piece of something fell on your shoulder. “To have a chip on one’s shoulder” means resentment for a past failure, as if having passed through a destroyed building, a piece of it remained with the person for many years.

Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

This idiom means something akin to when you take a huge bite of a sandwich and end up unable to move your jaws to chew it. That is, you take on more than what you can handle successfully. For example, your agreement to create 10 websites in a week, while usually you can only do 5.

You Can't Take It With You

The meaning of this idiom is that you can't take anything with you when you die, so you shouldn't constantly deny yourself everything, or save things for a special occasion. You Can't Take It With You encourages you to live now because eventually your things will outlive you.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink

This expression means that almost everything has been packed/taken/stolen. For example, if someone says “The thieves stole everything but the kitchen sink!” this means that the thieves stole everything they could take with them. In fact, it is very difficult to lift and carry the sink with you.

Over My Dead Body

Most of us will understand this phrase. An idiom that has the same meaning as Russian expression"Only over my dead body".

Tie the Knot

Meaning: to get married. The phrase remains from the tradition of tying the hands of newlyweds with a ribbon so that their lives are sealed together for many years to come.

Don't Judge a Book By Its Cover

This phrase can be literally translated as “don’t judge a book by its cover.” It is used in cases where they want to explain that things are not always what they seem at first glance, and even if the first impression was not positive, sometimes you should give it another chance.

When Pigs Fly

Akin to our phrase “when the cancer whistles on the mountain,” only with a different hero. The idiom means "never".

A Leopard Can't Change His Spots

The meaning of the phrase: “you are who you are.” A person cannot change who he really is deep down in his soul, just as a leopard cannot change the pattern on his skin.

Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve

That is, express your emotions freely, as if your heart was outside your body.

Bite Your Tongue!

Another great phrase is “bite your tongue” (an understatement). Used when it is recommended to a person. Goes in step with the following idiom.

Put a Sock In It

And this expression is sharper - it means “shut up.” The idea is clear - if you put a sock in your mouth, a person will not be able to speak. It's probably used when the previous idiom didn't work.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

The idea is that if several dogs are sleeping peacefully after a fight, it is better to leave them alone. The idea is that you should not bring up old disputes/thorny topics, as they can start a quarrel again.

Foam at the Mouth

Describes a state where a person hisses and growls with foam at the mouth, like a rabid dog. Our equivalent is “to be furious.”

A Slap on the Wrist

Means a very mild punishment. A slap on the wrist will not cause much pain, but will be a good deterrent to misbehaving again.

You Are What You Eat

An idiom, the literal translation of which is firmly established in our language. "You are what you eat".

It's a Piece of Cake!

Means it's incredibly easy. What could be easier than eating a piece of pie?

It Takes Two to Tango

The point is that one person cannot dance tango. So, if something happened in a case in which 2 people took part, and two people are responsible for the result.

Head Over Heels

The idiom means “to be incredibly joyful and in a given mood, especially in love (close meaning is “head over heels”). How to go down a hill on wheels, fly upside down.

An Arm and a Leg

A great phrase that means paying too much for something. When the price is so high that you have to sell part of your body to afford it.

Do you like idioms?

Personally, I love idioms, because with their help you can “dig” into the language and get acquainted with the characteristics of the people who came up with these strange expressions. I often draw a picture in my head of what an idiom means, and next to it a picture of the literal translation. In addition to the fact that the results are often uplifting, this method also helps to visually memorize new expressions and then use them in speech.

Do you have anything to add? Write your favorite (or not so favorite) idioms in the comments.

How often have you come across expressions in English that simply didn’t make sense when translated into Russian? For example, when you heard the phrase “horse around,” you probably thought of a horse first. In reality, it was about fooling around.

And there are many such examples that can be given. Such expressions are called idioms, and the British use them quite often. By remembering the most common ones, you can make your speech brighter and more lively.

So, let's look at some idioms that are most often found in English speech. Let's divide them by topic.

Weather

"When two Englishmen meet, they first talk about the weather." This saying of Samuel Johnson, expressed several centuries ago, is still relevant today. It is not surprising that a considerable part of the idioms is related to the topic of weather.

rain cats and dogs- pour like a bucket
face like thunder- darker than the clouds
storm in a teacup- a storm in a teacup, much ado about nothing
chase rainbows- chasing the unattainable
lightning-fast- lightning fast
have one's head in the clouds- have your head in the clouds
be snowed under- be overloaded with work
be under the weather - feel unwell
twist in the wind- languish
under the cloud- under suspicion
as right as rain- All right
for a rainy day- for a rainy day
bolt from the blue- out of the blue
throw caution to the winds- stop being careful
weather the storm- survive difficult times
sail close to the wind- walk on the edge of an abyss
on cloud nine- on the seventh heaven
shoot the breeze- chat about trifles
in a fog- confused
go down a storm- succeed

Money

An equally popular topic of interest is, of course, money. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the most common “money” idioms.

a piece of the pie- share
gravity train- Easy Money
bring home the bacon- provide for family, prosper
make ends meet- make ends meet
hit the jackpot- hit the jackpot
be in the red- to be in debt
make a bundle- make a lot of money
bet your bottom dollar- guarantee something
look like a million dollars- look your best
cost a pretty penny- cost a lot of money
go Dutch- pay your share
nest egg- stash
golden handshake- large severance pay
cheapskate- miser
be flushed with money- bask in luxury
at all costs- at any cost
live beyond one's means- live beyond your means
break the bank- spend a lot
cost a fortune- cost a fortune
on the breadline- below the poverty line

Time

"Time is money". This famous saying can often be heard among the English. It confirms their extremely careful attitude to time. It is not for nothing that many idioms are dedicated to him.

once in a blue moon- very rarely
behind the times- outdated
time flies- time flies
the big time- big success
around the clock- around the clock
dwell on the past- live in the past
have the time of one's life- have a great time
crack of dawn- at sunrise
run out of time- run out
in the blink of an eye- in an instant
like clockwork- without interruption
for donkey's years- since time immemorial
pressed for time- be in a hurry
give someone a hard time- reprimand
be ahead of time- get ahead
to have a whale of a time- have a great time
go with the times- to keep up with the times
on the spur of the moment- from a swoop
in broad daylight- in broad daylight
catch unawares- take by surprise

Animals

There are hardly any people who love pets more than the British. Therefore, animals occupy a place of honor not only in English homes, but also in speech.

monkey business- meaningless work
smell a rat- smell bad
top dog- winner
cash cow- source of funds, cash cow
eager beaver- hard worker, business sausage
black sheep- White crow
elephant in the room- I didn’t even notice the elephant, that’s obvious
when pigs fly- when the cancer hangs down
like a cat on a hot tin roof- to be out of place
in the doghouse- out of favor
be as busy as a bee- work like a bee
let a cat out of the bag- let the cat out of the bag
horse around- fool around
as poor as a church mouse- poor as a church mouse, penniless
lion's share of something- lion's share
eat like a horse- have a voracious appetite
have a tiger by the tail- challenge fate
hear it straight from the horse's mouth- from the original source
butterflies in the stomach- neither alive nor dead
like water off a duck's back- like water off a duck's back

Dialogue

Original

Translation

- Mark, who do you think we should give some bonus for the previous month?
- I don't know. Who are the main candidates?
- So, there are Lucy, Michael and Judy.
- I think that Lucy works a lot, but she is a black sheep of the team.
- Yes, I agree with you. What do you think about Michael?
- It seems to me that he is an eager beaver.
- But he is in the doghouse, isn't he?
- Yes, our boss doesn't like him. And what about Judy?
- I like her. She is always as busy as a bee.
- You're right. She deserves our company's bonus.

- Mark, who do you think we should give the bonus for the last month?
- I don't know. Who are the main contenders?
- So, this is Lucy, Michael and Judy.
- I think Lucy works a lot, but she White crow in a team.
- Yes, I agree with you. What do you think about Michael?
- It seems to me that he hard worker.
- But he out of favor, is not it?
- Yes, our boss doesn't like him. What about Judy?
- I like her. She always works like a bee.
- You are right. She deserves company bonuses.

Food

Despite the fact that English cuisine does not shine with variety, the number of idioms dedicated to food is considerable. We present you the most common “delicious” idioms.

egghead- smart ass
big cheese- influential person
couch potato- slacker
tough cookie- hooligan
top banana- leader
bad apple- scoundrel
eat one's words- take back your words
the apple of one's eye- the apple of my eye
hard nut to crack- a difficult task, a tough nut to crack
in a nutshell- in brief
have an egg on one's face- look stupid
as cool as a cucumber- cold-blooded
be full of beans- be energetic
as slow as molasses- very slow
chew the fat- sharpen laces
sell like hot cakes- be selling like hot cakes
take something with a pinch of salt- not to trust
bite off more than one can chew- overestimate your capabilities
cry over spilled milk- grieve about the irreparable
hot potato- actual topic

Dialogue

Original

Translation

- Tom, who do you think may be in charge of this project?
- I'm not sure, but I think that Jack will cope with it easily.
- If I were you, I wouldn't be so sure. Sometimes he is a coach potato.
- Yes, but last time he tried to solve a very big problem of the company.
- I agree. However, I think that he bit off more than he could chew.
- But he has great advantages. He is a very sociable and reliable person.
- Ok, I will think about his nomination.

- Tom, who do you think can lead this project?
- I'm not sure, but I think Jack can easily deal with him.
- If I were you, I wouldn’t be so sure. He sometimes idle.
- Yes, but last time he tried to solve a very big problem in the company.
- Agree. However, I think that he overestimated his capabilities.
- But it also has great advantages. He is a very sociable and reliable person.
- Okay, I'll think about his appointment.

We hope that these idioms will help you diversify your speech. And our school’s teachers will be happy to explain to you all the intricacies of their use.

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