35 Idioms You Need to Know ...

You’ve probably heard this one several times. It refers to a person who spoils all the fun. This is one of the idioms you need to know, because it’s possible you’ve been called a wet blanket and didn’t realize it meant that you were ruining everyone’s good time. Join the laughs, and don’t be a wet blanket!

It’s easy to guess what this means, because when will pigs fly? Never.

This idiom means that the more things you experience, the more exciting life will be.

When you turn a blind eye, it means to ignore something you know is real. For example, if there weren’t late fees attached, I’d try to turn a blind eye to my student loans.

This means that you can’t accomplish something without the necessary tools to do it.

The next time you’re talking to someone and they say, "something smells fishy" you don’t have to smell your breath! It means that something doesn’t seem right about the situation. You’ll probably hear this idiom a lot in detective or crime shows.

When someone cries insincere tears, those tears are called crocodile tears.

Skid Row is a poor, rundown neighborhood where drug users and the homeless live. When someone says, "Don’t go to her house, she lives on Skid Row," don’t go! Invite her over for dinner instead!

When someone is said to have gotten a slap on the wrist, it doesn’t necessarily mean they were slapped on the wrist. It means they got a mild punishment.

It’s called sour grapes when you act like something is undesirable just because you can’t get it. Whenever you hear someone say, "I didn’t want the million dollars anyway…" it’s sour grapes.

You call a task a piece of cake when it can be easily accomplished.

This is my most used idiom. People are always cracking me up. When you crack someone up, it means that you’re making him or her laugh.

People who are sick of hearing talk and no action use this idiom commonly. The expression means that what you do weighs more that what you say.

When someone spills the beans, it means they’ve revealed a secret. Once I told my friend not to spill the beans, and she asked, "What beans?" For this reason, this idiom is included on the list of idioms you need to know!

This expression is used when someone gets too scared to do something in the moment it has to be done. People usually get cold feet when they have to do something in public or make a big change in their lives, like get married, perform on stage, or go on a trip.

I’ve only recently heard this idiom, it means to be ungrateful and criticize a gift that some gives you. For instance, if your friend buys you a nice sweater, and you respond saying, "Ugh. I hate the color." Be grateful, and say thank you!

This idiom refers to the willingness to do something immediately.

A backseat driver is a person on the sidelines who gives unwanted advice about your situation, similar to a person sitting in the backseat you car, critiquing your driving. Annoying!

A fair-weather friend is someone who’s around when everything’s great, but when the going gets tough, they’re nowhere to be found!

When you wash dirty laundry in public, it means you’re discussing things out in the open that should be kept private.

When someone tells you not to bite off more than you can chew, they mean don’t take on more than you can handle.

Taking the bull by the horn means to face a problem head on! Just like taking an actual bull by the horns, facing your problems directly can be scary, but sometimes it’s the best way.

I was always confused by this idiom. I would always hear people talking about someone and how they are trying to save face, but I never knew exactly what they were talking about. When you save face, it means that you are doing something to keep your reputation and the respect of others, even if it’s not what you believe is the best thing to do.

This idiom refers to a situation that goes from bad to worse.

This expression simply means to make peace.

I say this idiom frequently when people don’t say what they really mean. When you beat around the bush, it means that you talk around a point, rather that explicitly stating it.

This means that everyone is in the same situation or facing the same challenges. If your whole class doesn’t know where to start on the homework assignment, then you’re all in the same boat.

A dozen is twelve, but a baker’s dozen is thirteen.

Much like spilling the beans, letting the cat out of the bag is revealing a secret that shouldn’t have been shared.

This is another idiom frequently used by moi! Once in a blue moon means very rarely. If someone asks how often you bathe, hopefully your answer isn’t "once in a blue moon"!

To bring home the bacon, is to earn a living or bring home money to provide for a family. My husband and I don’t eat pork so, instead he say he brings home the turkey bacon! It always "cracks me up"!

This expression means that asking questions and being curious can sometimes get you in a dangerous position.

When someone says, "It’s all Greek to me," they mean that they don’t understand. This idiom is commonly used when trying to read a map or instructions. If it doesn’t make sense to the reader, it might as well be Greek (assuming that the reader doesn’t know Greek).

When you’re given a taste of your own medicine, it means that you’re being treated how you treat others.

Finally, there’s "last but not least" which is an introduction to something or someone. With this idiom, the speaker is informing the audience that even though the item or person is listed last, it doesn’t mean that the person or thing is less important than the rest.

Because people use idioms in their everyday speech so often, it’s important to be familiar with the idioms that are commonly used! I don’t know about you, but I hear at least 7 or 8 idioms a day, and if I didn’t know what they meant, it would be a lot harder for me to comprehend natural everyday speech. What are your most commonly used idioms? Are there any more idiom meanings you’d like to share?