IDIOMS AND METAPHORS
Idioms must not be taken literally. They can be quite colourful and descriptive, whilst difficult to understand if you are a non-English speaker.
Common Idioms
- A chip on your shoulder .................. hold a grudge
- Rubbing someone up the wrong way .. making someone annoyed
- Barking up the wrong tree .................looking in the wrong place / accusing the
wrong person
- Best of both worlds ......................... the best of everything / every advantage
- Hit the nail on the head ................... say or do something correctly
- Kill two birds with one stone ............. to achieve two different things at the same
time
- Once in a blue moon ....................... happens very rarely
Common Idioms
- A chip on your shoulder .................. hold a grudge
- Rubbing someone up the wrong way .. making someone annoyed
- Barking up the wrong tree .................looking in the wrong place / accusing the
wrong person
- Best of both worlds ......................... the best of everything / every advantage
- Hit the nail on the head ................... say or do something correctly
- Kill two birds with one stone ............. to achieve two different things at the same
time
- Once in a blue moon ....................... happens very rarely
Metaphors are used to make a comparison between two animals, people, places or things. These can also be quite colourful - and again, can be difficult to understand for a non-English speaker.
- You are a star ................................... you are wonderful
- She gobbled up her dinner .................. she ate too fast
- The storm eased off ........................... the weather is improving
- We must knuckle under ...................... we must do as we are told
- Don't judge the book by its cover .......... don't judge things/people by the way they
look
- Left high and dry ................................. left without a solution or help in a situation
- Saved by the bell ................................ a very lucky escape
- You are a star ................................... you are wonderful
- She gobbled up her dinner .................. she ate too fast
- The storm eased off ........................... the weather is improving
- We must knuckle under ...................... we must do as we are told
- Don't judge the book by its cover .......... don't judge things/people by the way they
look
- Left high and dry ................................. left without a solution or help in a situation
- Saved by the bell ................................ a very lucky escape