Idioms | English for EmSAT Achieve PDF Download

Introduction

• Across all languages, idiomatic expressions are prevalent and play a significant role in communication. Translating them can be challenging, as some nuances may be lost in translation. However, equivalents that bridge the gap between languages do exist. In English, there is an extensive array of idiomatic expressions, contributing to the richness and dynamism of the language.
• Idioms serve as the foundation of language and civilization, driving linguistic evolution. Their prevalence adds depth and intrigue to daily speech, offering insights into language usage and thought processes. Idioms inject an element of amusement and mystery into communication.
• The difficulty in understanding idiomatic expressions lies in their non-literal meanings, particularly for non-native speakers. Since idioms rely on symbolism, they can seem strange and perplexing to those learning the language.

Top 10 Common Idioms

Here's a list of the top ten most common English phrases and idioms used globally, along with their meanings and examples:

1. A hot potato

   • Meaning: A controversial issue or situation that is awkward to deal with.
   • Example: Addressing the issue of bullying in our school has become a hot potato.

2. Piece of cake

   • Meaning: Something that is easy to do.
   • Example: Learning English is a piece of cake as long as you do it with our website.

3. Once in a blue moon

   • Meaning: Very rarely.
   • Example: I go to visit my grandfather only once in a blue moon; he lives in a remote farmhouse.

4. A bed of roses

   • Meaning: Easy option.
   • Example: Taking care of my younger sister is no bed of roses; she is very silly.

5. Raining cats and dogs

   • Meaning: Raining very heavily.
   • Example: I wanted to go play outside, but it was raining cats and dogs yesterday.

6. When pigs fly

   • Meaning: Something that will never happen or is impossible.
   • Example: William will keep quiet only when pigs fly.

7. Devil's advocate

   • Meaning: One who presents a counter argument.
   • Example: Hey Jack! You're always playing devil's advocate! Give it a rest and mind your own business.

8. Miss the boat

   • Meaning: Miss the chance.
   • Example: Peter wanted to enter the drawing competition, but he was too late to enter, and he missed the boat.

9. Apple of eye

   • Meaning: Someone very precious or dear.
   • Example: Every kid in the world is the apple of their parents' eye(s).

10. Zip your lip

    • Meaning: To stop talking.
    • Example: I don't want to hear another sound out of you. Now do as you're told and zip your lip.

These idioms are widely used and understood across different English-speaking regions, adding color and expressiveness to everyday language.

Latest Idioms

1. Beyond the veil

   • Meaning: Refers to something hidden or inaccessible, often beyond understanding or perception.
   • Example: The true intentions of the politician remained beyond the veil of public scrutiny.

2. Cat's pajamas

   • Meaning: Excellent or outstanding.
   • Example: Wow, your drawing of a dinosaur is the cat's pajamas.

3. Fall between two stools

   • Meaning: To come between two alternatives and fail to fulfill either of them.
   • Example: This book cannot be an academic one, nor can it be a popular commercial one; it falls between two stools.

4. Sick as a dog

   • Meaning: Refers to extreme physical illness or discomfort.
   • Example: After eating that questionable seafood, he spent the entire night vomiting and feeling as sick as a dog.

5. Forty winks

   • Meaning: A brief nap or short sleep.
   • Example: The bank manager caught the security guard taking forty winks on duty.

6. Call the shots

   • Meaning: To be in charge of what is happening and what should happen.
   • Example: The security forces will call the shots all around during the political gatherings.

7. Bigger fish to fry

   • Meaning: To have other, more important things to do.
   • Example: You are not worth my time or energy; I have bigger fish to fry.

8. Fish rots from the head down

   • Meaning: Poor leadership leads to the decline of an organization.
   • Example: The company was bound to be closed sooner or later, considering the kind of managers they had hired. A fish rots from the head down, after all.

9. Tar with the same brush

   • Meaning: Unfairly associate someone with others who share negative characteristics or behaviors.
   • Example: Hey, don't tar all politicians with the same brush; some are genuinely working for positive change.

10. Safe and sound

    • Meaning: Unharmed or uninjured.
    • Example: After the storm passed, we found our house still standing and our family safe and sound.

These idioms add color and depth to the English language, allowing for more vivid and expressive communication.