PagineGrades K–2
- a piece of cake
- Very easy.
- “The spelling test was a piece of cake.”
- raining cats and dogs
- Raining very hard.
- “Bring an umbrella; it’s raining cats and dogs.”
- hold your horses
- Wait a moment; be patient.
- “Hold your horses! We leave in five minutes.”
- under the weather
- Feeling a little sick.
- “Ava stayed home because she was under the weather.”
Grades 3–5
- let the cat out of the bag
- Tell a secret by accident.
- “Leo let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.”
- break the ice
- Help people relax and start talking.
- “Our teacher told a joke to break the ice on the first day.”
- hit the books
- Study hard.
- “I need to hit the books before the science test.”
- once in a blue moon
- Very rarely.
- “We eat at that restaurant once in a blue moon.”
- cost an arm and a leg
- Be very expensive.
- “That new bike costs an arm and a leg.”
- in hot water
- In trouble.
- “Sam was in hot water for forgetting his homework again.”
- spill the beans
- Reveal a secret.
- “Don’t spill the beans about the ending!”
- on cloud nine
- Extremely happy.
- “Maya was on cloud nine after winning the art prize.”
- a blessing in disguise
- Something that seems bad at first but turns out good.
- “Missing the bus was a blessing in disguise; I found my lost book on the walk.”
Grades 6–8
- the ball is in your court
- It is your turn to decide or act.
- “I’ve said sorry. Now the ball is in your court.”
- bite off more than you can chew
- Take on more than you can manage.
- “Joining four clubs was biting off more than I could chew.”
- cut corners
- Do something badly to save time or money.
- “If you cut corners on the project, it will fall apart.”
- get cold feet
- Become nervous and want to back out.
- “He got cold feet right before the speech.”
- hit the nail on the head
- Describe exactly what is causing a situation.
- “You hit the nail on the head: we need more practice time.”
- on the fence
- Undecided.
- “I’m still on the fence about which book to read next.”
- the last straw
- The final problem that makes you lose patience.
- “When the printer jammed again, it was the last straw.”
- see eye to eye
- Agree.
- “My brother and I don’t always see eye to eye.”
- steal someone’s thunder
- Take attention or credit from someone else.
- “She stole my thunder by announcing the news first.”
- beat around the bush
- Avoid saying something directly.
- “Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.”
- burn the midnight oil
- Work or study late into the night.
- “She burned the midnight oil to finish her essay.”
- a dime a dozen
- Very common and not special.
- “Phone chargers are a dime a dozen these days.”
Grades 9–12
- add insult to injury
- Make a bad situation worse.
- “To add insult to injury, it started to rain after we lost.”
- a double-edged sword
- Something with both good and bad effects.
- “Fame can be a double-edged sword.”
- the elephant in the room
- An obvious problem that no one mentions.
- “The budget cut was the elephant in the room at the meeting.”
- a wolf in sheep’s clothing
- Someone who hides bad intentions behind a friendly appearance.
- “The charming salesman turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
- by the skin of your teeth
- Only just; very narrowly.
- “We caught the train by the skin of our teeth.”
- throw caution to the wind
- Take a risk without worrying.
- “For once, she threw caution to the wind and auditioned.”
- the tip of the iceberg
- A small, visible part of a much larger problem.
- “The leaky tap was just the tip of the iceberg.”
Advanced
- a Pyrrhic victory
- A win that costs so much it is almost a defeat.
- “Winning the argument but losing the friendship was a Pyrrhic victory.”
- Achilles’ heel
- A weakness in someone otherwise strong.
- “Time management is his Achilles’ heel.”
- cross the Rubicon
- Pass a point of no return.
- “By signing the lease, they had crossed the Rubicon.”
- a Herculean task
- A job that needs enormous effort.
- “Cleaning out the attic was a Herculean task.”
- to have a chip on your shoulder
- To hold a grudge or feel resentful.
- “He has had a chip on his shoulder since he lost the election.”
- to read between the lines
- To understand a hidden meaning.
- “Reading between the lines, the email was a polite no.”
More word fun
Frequently asked questions
What is an idiom?
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning is different from the meanings of its words. “It’s raining cats and dogs” has nothing to do with pets; it means it is raining hard.
Why are idioms hard to learn?
You can’t work them out word by word, and many come from old customs or stories. Reading widely, and noticing idioms in context, is the best way to learn them.
Where do idioms like “Achilles’ heel” come from?
Some come from myths and history. In Greek legend, the hero Achilles could only be wounded in his heel, so an Achilles’ heel is a weak spot.
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