(all) Greek to me
Meaning: unintelligible to me.
Example: “It’s Greek to me.”
Focused Idiom Category
Everyday Life Idioms
Everyday life idioms are widely useful expressions that do not belong more strongly to a specialist topic such as money, weather, work, or health. They describe ordinary people, familiar situations, general qualities, common experiences, and practical observations heard in daily English. This category also acts as a carefully controlled home for broad idioms whose meaning is genuinely general, rather than forcing them into an unrelated theme. The short definitions are designed for fast reference, and every idiom includes an example sentence and clear topic context on this page. Readers can move through the collection with the A–Z navigation or continue to a related category when they need more focused vocabulary. These idioms are ideal for building conversational fluency because many appear regularly in informal speech, articles, television, and everyday writing.
90Relevant idioms
A
A Idioms
3 entries(as) large as life (and twice as ugly)
Meaning: an exaggerated way of saying that a person or a thing actually appeared in a particular place.
Example: “The little child just stood there as large as life and laughed very hard.”
as black as one is painted
Meaning: as evil or unpleasant as one is thought to be.
Example: “The landlord is not as black as he is painted.”
B
B Idioms
3 entriesbe poles apart
Meaning: to be very different, especially in opinions or attitudes; to be far from coming to an agreement.
Example: “They are poles apart.”
best bib and tucker
Meaning: one’s best clothing.
Example: “I always put on my best bib and tucker on Sundays.”
beyond the pale
Meaning: unacceptable; outlawed.
Example: “Your behaviour is simply beyond the pale.”
C
C Idioms
1 entriescast in the same mould
Meaning: very similar.
Example: “The two sisters are cast in the same mould—equally mean.”
D
D Idioms
5 entriesdead and buried
Meaning: gone forever.
Example: “Now that Uncle Bill is dead and buried, we can read his will.”
dead centre
Meaning: at the exact centre of something.
Example: “The arrow hit the target dead centre.”
die a natural death
Meaning: to fade away or die down.
Example: “I expect that all this excitement about computers will die a natural death.”
die laughing
Meaning: to laugh very long and hard.
Example: “The joke was so funny that I almost died laughing.”
dirty look
Meaning: a look or glance expressing disapproval or dislike.
Example: “I stopped whistling when I saw the dirty look on her face.”
E
E Idioms
1 entriesescape someone’s notice
Meaning: to go unnoticed; not to have been noticed.
Example: “I suppose my earlier request escaped your notice, so I’m writing again.”
F
F Idioms
7 entriesfair crack of the whip
Meaning: a fair share of something; a fair opportunity of doing something.
Example: “He only wants a fair crack of the whip.”
fall about
Meaning: to laugh heartily.
Example: “The audience were falling about during the last act of the comedy.”
far cry from something
Meaning: a thing which is very different from something else.
Example: “What you did was a far cry from what you said you were going to do.”
feather one’s (own) nest
Meaning: to use power and prestige selfishly to provide for oneself, often immorally or illegally.
Example: “The mayor seemed to be helping people, but was really feathering her own nest.”
feel it beneath one (to do something)
Meaning: to feel that one would be humbling oneself or reducing one’s status to do something.
Example: “Tom feels it beneath him to scrub the floor.”
fiddle while Rome burns
Meaning: to do nothing or something trivial while something disastrous happens.
Example: “It’s fiddling while Rome burns.”
fill the bill
Meaning: to be exactly the thing that is needed.
Example: “It really fills the bill.”
G
G Idioms
3 entriesgame at which two can play
Meaning: a manner of competing which two competitors can use; a strategy that competing sides can both use.
Example: “The mayor shouted at the town council, “Politics is a game at which two can play.” “Flattery is a game at which two can play,” said John as he returned Mary’s compliment.”
get by (on a shoe-string)
Meaning: to manage to live.
Example: “For the last two years, we have had to get by on a shoe-string.”
get into the swing of things
Meaning: to join in the routine or the activities.
Example: “Try to get into the swing of things.”
H
H Idioms
3 entrieshang on by an eyebrow and hang on by one’s eyebrows
Meaning: to be just hanging on or just surviving.
Example: “He hasn’t yet failed, but he is just hanging on by an eyebrow.”
hard on the heels of something
Meaning: soon after something.
Example: “There was a rainstorm hard on the heels of the high winds.”
have a brush with something
Meaning: to have a brief contact with something; to have a brief experience of something, especially with the law.
Example: “Ann had a close brush with the law.”
I
I Idioms
5 entriesin a mad rush
Meaning: in a hurry.
Example: “I ran around all day today in a mad rush looking for a present for Bill.”
in a sense
Meaning: in a way.
Example: “In a sense, cars make life better.”
in at the kill
Meaning: present at the end of some activity, usually an activity with negative results.
Example: “I knew it would be shouted down strongly, and I wanted to be in at the kill.”
in clover
Meaning: with good fortune; in a very good situation, especially financially.
Example: “If I get this contract, I’ll be in clover for the rest of my life.”
in dribs and drabs
Meaning: in small irregular quantities.
Example: “The cheques for the charity are coming in in dribs and drabs.”
J
J Idioms
4 entriesjoking apart
Meaning: being serious for a moment; in all seriousness.
Example: “I know I laugh at him but, joking apart, he’s a very clever scientist.”
jump the gun
Meaning: to start before the starting signal, as in a race.
Example: “We all had to start the race again because Jane jumped the gun.”
jumping-off point
Meaning: a point or place from which to begin a venture.
Example: “The local library is a good jumping-off point for your research.”
just what the doctor ordered
Meaning: exactly what is required, especially for health or comfort.
Example: “Just what the doctor ordered.”
K
K Idioms
3 entrieskeep house
Meaning: to manage a household.
Example: “I hate to keep house.”
keep one’s chin up
Meaning: to keep one’s spirits high; to act brave and confident.
Example: “Keep your chin up, John.”
keep the lid on something
Meaning: to restrain something; to keep something quiet or under control.
Example: “The politician worked hard to keep the lid on the scandal.”
L
L Idioms
6 entrieslast but not least
Meaning: last in sequence, but not last in importance.
Example: “The speaker said, “And now, last but not least, I’d like to present Bill Smith, who will give us some final words.” And last but not least, here is the owner of the firm.”
last-ditch effort
Meaning: a final effort; the last possible attempt.
Example: “I made one last-ditch effort to get her to stay.”
laugh something out of court
Meaning: to dismiss something as ridiculous.
Example: “The committee laughed the suggestion out of court.”
laugh up one’s sleeve
Meaning: to laugh secretly; to laugh quietly to oneself.
Example: “Jane looked very serious, but I knew she was laughing up her sleeve.”
lay down the law
Meaning: to state firmly what the rules are.
Example: “Before the meeting, the managing director laid down the law.”
lead a dog’s life
Meaning: to lead a miserable life.
Example: “Poor Jane really leads a dog’s life.”
M
M Idioms
3 entriesmake a clean breast of something
Meaning: to confess something.
Example: “You’ll feel better if you make a clean breast of it.”
make a point of (doing) something
Meaning: to make an effort to do something.
Example: “Please make a point of posting this letter.”
make oneself at home
Meaning: to make oneself comfortable as if one were in one’s own home.
Example: “Please come in and make yourself at home.”
N
N Idioms
7 entriesnever had it so good
Meaning: [have] never had so much good fortune.
Example: “I’ve never had it so good.”
never in one’s life
Meaning: not in one’s experience.
Example: “Never in my life have I been so insulted!”
new lease of life
Meaning: a renewed and revitalized outlook on life.
Example: “Getting the offer of employment gave James a new lease of life.”
new one on someone
Meaning: something one has not heard before and that one is not ready to believe.
Example: “Jack’s poverty is a new one on me.”
no sooner said than done
Meaning: done quickly and obediently.
Example: “When Sally asked for someone to open the window, it was no sooner said than done.”
none the worse for wear
Meaning: no worse because of use or effort.
Example: “When I got it back, it was none the worse for wear.”
none too something
Meaning: not very; not at all.
Example: “The towels in the bathroom were none too clean.”
O
O Idioms
6 entriesodour of sanctity and air of sanctity
Meaning: an atmosphere of excessive holiness or piety.
Example: “There’s such an odour of sanctity, with Bibles and holy pictures everywhere.”
off-centre
Meaning: not exactly in the centre or middle.
Example: “The arrow hit the target a little off-centre.”
on average
Meaning: generally; usually.
Example: “On average, you can expect about a 10 percent failure.”
one for the record (books)
Meaning: a record-breaking act.
Example: “That’s one for the record books.”
one in a thousand and one in a hundred; one in a million
Meaning: unique; one of a very few.
Example: “He’s one in a million.”
one’s way of life
Meaning: one’s life-style; one’s pattern of living.
Example: “That kind of thing just doesn’t fit into my way of life.”
P
P Idioms
5 entriespaddle one’s own canoe
Meaning: to do by oneself; to be alone.
Example: “I’ve been left to paddle my own canoe since I was a child.”
par for the course
Meaning: typical; about what one could expect.
Example: “Well, that’s about par for the course.”
parrot-fashion
Meaning: without understanding the meaning of what one has learnt, is saying, etc.
Example: “The child learnt the poem by heart and repeated it parrot-fashion.”
part and parcel of something
Meaning: an essential part of something; something that is unavoidably included as part of something else.
Example: “This point is part and parcel of my whole argument.”
pick holes in something
Meaning: to criticize something severely; to find all the flaws or fallacies in an argument.
Example: “The solicitor picked holes in the witness’s story.”
Q
Q Idioms
1 entriesqueue up
Meaning: to get into a queue; to form a queue.
Example: “Will you all please queue up?”
R
R Idioms
6 entriesrained off
Meaning: cancelled or postponed because of rain.
Example: “I hope the picnic isn’t rained off.”
raise one’s sights
Meaning: to set higher goals for oneself.
Example: “When you’re young, you tend to raise your sights too high.”
rant and rave
Meaning: to shout angrily and wildly.
Example: “Bob rants and raves when anything displeases him.”
red tape
Meaning: over-strict attention to the wording and details of rules and regulations, especially by government or public departments.
Example: “Because of red tape, it took weeks for Frank to get a visa.”
right up someone’s street
Meaning: ideally suited to one’s interests or abilities.
Example: “Skiing is right up my street.”
ring down the curtain (on something) and bring down the curtain (on something)
Meaning: to bring something to an end; to declare something to be at an end.
Example: “It’s time to ring down the curtain on our relationship.”
S
S Idioms
4 entriesscratch the surface
Meaning: just to begin to find out about something; to examine only the superficial aspects of something.
Example: “It is thought that the investigators have just scratched the surface.”
see double
Meaning: to see two of everything instead of one.
Example: “I’m seeing double.”
see stars
Meaning: to see flashing lights after receiving a blow to the head.
Example: “I saw stars when I bumped my head on the attic ceiling.”
see the light at the end of the tunnel
Meaning: to foresee an end to one’s problems after a long period of time.
Example: “I had been horribly ill for two months before I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”
T
T Idioms
6 entriestake something in one’s stride
Meaning: to accept something as natural or expected.
Example: “The argument surprised him, but he took it in his stride.”
take something lying down
Meaning: to endure something unpleasant without fighting back.
Example: “You don’t expect me to take that lying down, do you?”
take the rough with the smooth
Meaning: to accept the bad things along with the good things.
Example: “You have to learn to take the rough with the smooth.”
thank one’s lucky stars
Meaning: to be thankful for one’s luck.
Example: “You can thank your lucky stars that I was there to help you.”
thick-skinned
Meaning: not easily upset or hurt; insensitive.
Example: “He’s completely thick-skinned.”
thin end of the wedge
Meaning: a minor or unimportant event or act that is the first stage in something more serious or unfortunate.
Example: “If you let Pam stay for a few days, it will be the thin end of the wedge.”
U
U Idioms
2 entriesup and doing
Meaning: active and lively.
Example: “The children are always up and doing early in the morning.”
upper crust
Meaning: the higher levels of society; the upper class.
Example: “Jane speaks like that because she pretends to be from the upper crust, but her father was a miner.”
W
W Idioms
6 entrieswarts and all
Meaning: including all the faults and disadvantages.
Example: “Jim has many faults, but Jean loves him, warts and all.”
wear out one’s welcome
Meaning: to stay too long; to visit somewhere too often.
Example: “Tom visited the Smiths so often that he wore out his welcome.”
weep buckets
Meaning: to weep a great many tears.
Example: “The girls wept buckets at the sad film.”
whole (bang) shooting match
Meaning: the whole lot.
Example: “They just threw out the whole shooting match.”
with flying colours
Meaning: easily and excellently.
Example: “John passed his geometry test with flying colours.”
within an inch of doing something
Meaning: very close to doing something.
Example: “I came within an inch of losing my job.”
Helpful Answers
Frequently asked questions
What counts as an everyday life idiom?
It is a broadly useful expression about ordinary situations, people, qualities, or experiences that does not fit a more specific topic better.
Are these the most common English idioms?
Many are common, although frequency varies by region, generation, and context. The example sentence helps show normal use.
Can beginners learn these idioms?
Yes. Start with a small group, learn the meanings in context, and use them only when the situation naturally matches.
Why are broad idioms kept in one category?
It prevents weak or misleading topic assignments and makes the specialist categories cleaner and more useful.
How often should I use idioms?
Use them naturally and selectively. Too many idioms in one sentence or paragraph can make communication unclear or forced.
