British English · B2 · Unit 20
Idioms and sayings
Idioms and sayings
By the end you can
- Use common idioms naturally
- Explain what a saying means
- Understand idioms in speech
Words and phrases
| British English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a piece of cake | very easy | Don't worry, the test is a piece of cake. |
| under the weather | a bit ill | I'm feeling a bit under the weather. |
| break the ice | make people feel relaxed at the start | He told a joke to break the ice. |
| not my cup of tea | not the kind of thing I like (British) | Opera's not my cup of tea. |
| cost an arm and a leg | be very expensive | That car must have cost an arm and a leg. |
| once in a blue moon | very rarely | We only go out once in a blue moon. |
| hit the nail on the head | say exactly the right thing | You've hit the nail on the head. |
| the ball is in your court | it's your decision now | I've made my offer. The ball is in your court. |
| bite the bullet | do something unpleasant you've been avoiding | I'll just have to bite the bullet and call him. |
| better late than never | it's good it happened, even if it's late | You finally replied! Better late than never. |
| every cloud has a silver lining | something good comes from every bad situation | Well, every cloud has a silver lining. |
| as the saying goes | as people often say | As the saying goes, you can't have your cake and eat it. |
Then talk it through
A friend uses a saying you don't know and explains it. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.