Idioms and Proverbs Examples in English with Pictures

Idioms and proverbs are common expressions in English that make communication more meaningful, interesting, and expressive. Idioms often have figurative meanings that differ from the literal meanings of their words, such as “break the ice” and “a piece of cake.” Proverbs, on the other hand, share wisdom, advice, or lessons about life, such as “Actions speak louder than words.” Learning idioms and proverbs in English can help improve vocabulary, reading comprehension, and everyday communication. In this article, you will learn idioms and proverbs examples in English with pictures, along with their meanings, helping kids, students, teachers, and English learners understand and use these expressions correctly.

Common Idioms and Proverbs in English

Idioms	Proverbs
A blessing in disguise	Actions speak louder than words
A piece of cake	Practice makes perfect
Break the ice	Honesty is the best policy
Hit the nail on the head	Where there is a will, there is a way
Once in a blue moon	Better late than never
Spill the beans	Two heads are better than one
Under the weather	The early bird catches the worm
Cost an arm and a leg	Look before you leap
Let the cat out of the bag	All that glitters is not gold
Bite the bullet	Rome was not built in a day
Burn the midnight oil	No pain, no gain
Call it a day	Every cloud has a silver lining
Get cold feet	Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
In hot water	A stitch in time saves nine
Keep an eye on	Necessity is the mother of invention
Miss the boat	Beggars can’t be choosers
On cloud nine	A friend in need is a friend indeed
Pull someone’s leg	Birds of a feather flock together
Speak of the devil	Don’t judge a book by its cover
The ball is in your court	Haste makes waste
Through thick and thin	Knowledge is power
Add fuel to the fire	Many hands make light work
Back to square one	Out of sight, out of mind
Beat around the bush	Slow and steady wins the race
By the skin of your teeth	The pen is mightier than the sword
Get out of hand	Time and tide wait for no one
Give someone a hand	Two wrongs don’t make a right
Keep your fingers crossed	Waste not, want not
Make ends meet	When in Rome, do as the Romans do
Sit on the fence	You can’t have your cake and eat it too

Common Idioms and Proverbs in English

Daily Use Idioms and Proverbs Examples

Idioms	Proverbs
A dime a dozen	All good things must come to an end
A hard nut to crack	A bad workman blames his tools
A fish out of water	A chain is only as strong as its weakest link
A storm in a teacup	A fool and his money are soon parted
At the drop of a hat	A leopard cannot change its spots
Bark up the wrong tree	A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
Be in the same boat	A rolling stone gathers no moss
Blow off steam	A watched pot never boils
Cut corners	An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Cry over spilled milk	Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Down to earth	Charity begins at home
Draw the line	Curiosity killed the cat
Get the hang of it	Discretion is the better part of valor
Go the extra mile	Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Have a change of heart	Empty vessels make the most noise
In the nick of time	Fortune favors the bold
Jump the gun	Good things come to those who wait
Keep something at bay	Great minds think alike
Leave no stone unturned	Laughter is the best medicine
Make a long story short	Money doesn’t grow on trees
Off the hook	Nothing ventured, nothing gained
On the tip of my tongue	One good turn deserves another
Play it by ear	Pride comes before a fall
Put all your cards on the table	The best things in life are free
Read between the lines	The grass is always greener on the other side
See eye to eye	The proof of the pudding is in the eating
Take it with a grain of salt	There’s no smoke without fire
The last straw	Too many cooks spoil the broth
Up in the air	United we stand, divided we fall
Wrap your head around something	You reap what you sow

Daily Use Idioms and Proverbs Examples

Short Idioms and Proverbs list

Idioms	Proverbs
All ears	A penny saved is a penny earned
As busy as a bee	A place for everything and everything in its place
At your fingertips	A problem shared is a problem halved
Be on cloud nine	A rising tide lifts all boats
Bite off more than you can chew	An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Break a leg	Better safe than sorry
Catch someone’s eye	Blood is thicker than water
Come rain or shine	Cleanliness is next to godliness
Cross that bridge when you come to it	Don’t bite the hand that feeds you
Get a taste of your own medicine	Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill
Give the benefit of the doubt	Early to bed and early to rise makes a person healthy, wealthy, and wise
Go with the flow	Familiarity breeds contempt
Have bigger fish to fry	Good fences make good neighbors
Keep a low profile	He who laughs last laughs longest
Leave someone in the lurch	If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
Make a beeline for	If wishes were horses, beggars would ride
On thin ice	It is never too late to learn
Out of the blue	Let sleeping dogs lie
Play with fire	Like father, like son
Put your foot in your mouth	Make hay while the sun shines
Rock the boat	Misery loves company
See the light	No news is good news
Take the plunge	Old habits die hard
The best of both worlds	One man’s trash is another man’s treasure
Throw in the towel	People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
Turn a blind eye	The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
Walk on eggshells	The road to hell is paved with good intentions
Weather the storm	There’s no place like home
Your guess is as good as mine	Well begun is half done
Zip your lip	You can’t teach an old dog new tricks

Short Idioms and Proverbs list

List of Idioms and Proverbs

Idioms	Proverbs
A breath of fresh air	A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
A close call	A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
A far cry from	A drowning man will clutch at a straw
A golden opportunity	A house divided against itself cannot stand
A wild goose chase	A soft answer turns away wrath
Against the clock	An empty sack cannot stand upright
At sixes and sevens	As you make your bed, so you must lie in it
Be all thumbs	Better to be alone than in bad company
Be in a pickle	Experience is the best teacher
Bend over backward	First come, first served
Blow your own trumpet	Give credit where credit is due
Bring home the bacon	Half a loaf is better than none
Burn bridges	He who hesitates is lost
Cut to the chase	If you want a thing done well, do it yourself
Get your act together	It takes two to tango
Give someone the cold shoulder	Let bygones be bygones
Go down in flames	Look before you leap, but leap before you look too long
Have a heart of gold	No man is an island
Keep something under wraps	One swallow does not make a summer
Leave someone high and dry	Opportunity knocks but once
Make a mountain out of a molehill	The bigger they are, the harder they fall
On the same wavelength	The end justifies the means
Put your best foot forward	The more, the merrier
Run out of steam	The squeaky wheel gets the grease
Save face	There are two sides to every story
Take a back seat	Those who live by the sword die by the sword
The whole nine yards	To err is human, to forgive divine
Turn over a new leaf	Truth is stranger than fiction
Wear your heart on your sleeve	What goes around comes around
Your heart sinks	You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink

List of Idioms and Proverbs

Most Common Idioms and Proverbs

Idioms	Proverbs
A bad egg	A good beginning makes a good ending
A ballpark figure	A man is known by the company he keeps
A bone to pick	A little help goes a long way
A feather in your cap	A mother’s love never grows old
A slap on the wrist	All is well that ends well
At the end of your rope	All roads lead to Rome
Be a pain in the neck	An ill wind blows nobody any good
Be on the ball	Better to bend than to break
Between a rock and a hard place	Do as you would be done by
Bring something to the table	Don’t cross the bridge until you come to it
By word of mouth	Every dog has its day
Come to grips with	Good wine needs no bush
Get a move on	He who pays the piper calls the tune
Give it a shot	If you can’t beat them, join them
Go out on a limb	If you play with fire, you get burned
Have a lot on your plate	It is easy to be wise after the event
In black and white	Keep your friends close and your enemies closer
Keep your chin up	Little strokes fell great oaks
Know the ropes	Love is blind
Make a fuss	Many a little makes a mickle
Not my cup of tea	One man’s meat is another man’s poison
Pull yourself together	Patience is a virtue
Put two and two together	The best-laid plans often go awry
Ring a bell	The darkest hour is just before dawn
Run the show	The exception proves the rule
See red	The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know
Take a rain check	There’s many a slip between cup and lip
The icing on the cake	Time heals all wounds
Under your nose	What is done cannot be undone
Walk the talk	Where there’s muck, there’s brass

Most Common Idioms and Proverbs

Idioms and Proverbs difference

Idioms	Proverbs
A chip on your shoulder	A bad penny always turns up
A dark horse	A cat has nine lives
A flash in the pan	A friend to all is a friend to none
A grey area	A good name is better than riches
A head start	A hungry man is an angry man
A hot potato	A soft tongue can break hard bones
A pain in the neck	All are not thieves that dogs bark at
At your wit’s end	All things are difficult before they are easy
Be on the fence	An honest man’s word is as good as his bond
Bite the dust	As you sow, so shall you reap
Break someone’s heart	Better an open enemy than a false friend
Cast pearls before swine	Don’t change horses in midstream
Come full circle	Don’t put the cart before the horse
Get the ball rolling	Every little helps
Go belly up	Fools rush in where angels fear to tread
Have a whale of a time	God helps those who help themselves
In cold blood	He that knows nothing doubts nothing
Keep your head above water	It is better to give than to receive
Leave well enough alone	Money is a good servant but a bad master
Make a clean sweep	No rose without a thorn
Not bat an eye	Nothing succeeds like success
Off the beaten track	One cannot make an omelet without breaking eggs
Pull strings	The early bird gets the worm
Put your money where your mouth is	The first step is the hardest
Run in the family	The more haste, the less speed
Take someone for a ride	The truth will out
The elephant in the room	There is no accounting for taste
Throw caution to the wind	Where ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise
Turn the tables	You cannot make bricks without straw
Wear many hats	You cannot win them all

Idioms and Proverbs difference

Difference between Idioms and Proverbs

Idioms	Proverbs
A bed of roses	A clear conscience is a soft pillow
A breath of fresh air	A good example is the best sermon
A cash cow	A little fire burns up a great deal of corn
A couch potato	A man is as old as he feels
A cut above	A sound mind in a sound body
A drop in the ocean	All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
A fool’s paradise	An early bird catches the worm
A ray of hope	Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness
At a crossroads	Don’t put new wine into old bottles
Be worth your salt	Every man is the architect of his own fortune
Behind closed doors	Fair words butter no parsnips
By leaps and bounds	He laughs best who laughs last
Call the shots	If the cap fits, wear it
Come clean	If you want peace, prepare for war
Face the music	It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive
Get wind of something	Let the buyer beware
Give someone a break	No man can serve two masters
Go back to the drawing board	One today is worth two tomorrows
Have second thoughts	The best defense is a good offense
In a nutshell	The cobbler should stick to his last
Keep your cool	The customer is always right
Make a mountain of something	The end crowns the work
No strings attached	The fish always rots from the head down
On the right track	The more the merrier
Play it safe	The remedy may be worse than the disease
Put your foot down	There is honor among thieves
Rise and shine	Too much of a good thing is good for nothing
Speak your mind	Virtue is its own reward
Take your time	You cannot please everyone
Turn a deaf ear	You cannot unscramble an egg

Difference between Idioms and Proverbs

Proverbs and Idioms for Students

Idioms	Proverbs
A big fish	A bad beginning makes a bad ending
A breath of life	A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle
A clean bill of health	A drowning man catches at a straw
A dog’s life	A good turn deserves another
A drop in the bucket	A man proposes, God disposes
A new lease on life	A poor workman quarrels with his tools
All bark and no bite	A rolling stone gathers no moss
At arm’s length	An enemy’s mouth seldom speaks well
Be beside yourself	An old ox makes a straight furrow
Behind the times	Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow
Break even	Every man has his price
Bring to light	Fine feathers make fine birds
Come to a head	He who is content is rich
Cut no ice	If you chase two rabbits, you will catch neither
Down in the dumps	It is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back
Get your wires crossed	Let the cobbler stick to his last
Go cold turkey	Little pitchers have big ears
Have a field day	Love makes the world go round
Keep a straight face	Make the best of a bad bargain
Leave a bad taste in your mouth	No gains without pains
Make a killing	One hand washes the other
On borrowed time	People in glass houses should not throw stones
Out of the frying pan and into the fire	The best is yet to come
Put the cart before the horse	The buyer needs a hundred eyes; the seller only one
Run around in circles	The darkest place is under the candlestick
Take a leaf out of someone’s book	The pot calls the kettle black
The bottom line	The wise man has long ears and a short tongue
Throw someone under the bus	There’s no time like the present
Turn a blind eye	You cannot get blood out of a stone
Up to your ears	You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs

Proverbs and Idioms for Students

Simple Idioms and Proverbs for Everyday Use

Idioms	Proverbs
A bitter pill to swallow	A good beginning is half the battle
A breath of wind	A guilty conscience needs no accuser
A golden handshake	A man is the architect of his own fortune
A labor of love	A small leak can sink a great ship
A lucky break	A tree is known by its fruit
A quick fix	All that glitters is not gold
At face value	An idle brain is the devil’s workshop
Be in two minds	Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all
Blow your top	Don’t throw good money after bad
Break new ground	Fortune favors the brave
Bring someone to book	He who lives by hope will die by hunger
By the book	If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas
Come to blows	It is better to be safe than sorry
Get your feet wet	Keep no more cats than will catch mice
Give someone a piece of your mind	Let well alone
Go haywire	Little by little, one travels far
Have a ball	No one is a prophet in their own country
In deep water	One man’s loss is another man’s gain
Keep tabs on	Opportunity makes a thief
Leave someone speechless	The early bird catches the worm
Make a scene	The eye is bigger than the stomach
On the spur of the moment	The last straw breaks the camel’s back
Out of line	The mouse that has but one hole is quickly taken
Put a damper on	The more the merrier
Run a tight ship	The pen is mightier than the sword
Take a nosedive	The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach
The tip of the iceberg	There’s safety in numbers
Throw a fit	What can’t be cured must be endured
Under the table	Where there is life, there is hope
Walk on air	You cannot have it both ways

Simple Idioms and Proverbs for Everyday Use

100 Idioms and Proverbs for kids

Idioms	Proverbs
A bone of contention	A bad excuse is worse than none
A breath of life	A friend is easier lost than found
A dead end	A good payer is master of another’s purse
A dime’s worth	A man can die but once
A double-edged sword	A promise is a promise
A fair-weather friend	A small spark makes a great fire
A golden rule	An ounce of practice is worth a pound of theory
A labor of love	As the twig is bent, so grows the tree
A needle in a haystack	Better to wear out than to rust out
A red-letter day	By learning you will teach; by teaching you will learn
At loggerheads	Don’t make a rod for your own back
Be in someone’s good books	Empty pockets never held anyone back
Break the bank	Faint heart never won fair lady
Bring the house down	He who is silent is understood to consent
Cut someone some slack	If you want a thing well done, do it yourself
Get a raw deal	It is a long lane that has no turning
Go to great lengths	Little and often fills the purse
Have an axe to grind	Make the most of what you have
In the limelight	Nothing is impossible to a willing heart
Keep your cards close to your chest	One cannot live by bread alone
Make a splash	The higher the monkey climbs, the more he shows his tail
Not hold a candle to	The longest way round is the shortest way home
On the back burner	The more laws, the more offenders
Out of pocket	There is no fool like an old fool
Put on a brave face	There is no place like home
Read the riot act	What is learned in the cradle lasts to the grave
Run for your money	Where the shoe pinches, there is the rub
Take the bull by the horns	You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear
The writing on the wall	You cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds
Turn up trumps	You never miss the water till the well runs dry

100 Idioms and Proverbs for kids

Learn Idioms and Proverbs for Daily Use

Idioms	Proverbs
A blank check	A bad bush is better than the open field
A breath of fresh air	A bird is known by its song
A can of worms	A good beginning makes a good ending
A close shave	A little body often harbors a great soul
A cock-and-bull story	A man without money is a bow without an arrow
A fool’s errand	A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse
A house of cards	A kind word is never wasted
A storm is brewing	A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will
At the eleventh hour	All clouds bring not rain
Be on pins and needles	All is fair in love and war
Break the mold	An empty purse frightens away friends
Bring something home	Better to ask the way than to go astray
Cut and dried	Don’t let the grass grow under your feet
Get the wrong end of the stick	Every path has its puddle
Go down the drain	He that travels far knows much
Have a screw loose	If you cannot bite, never show your teeth
In a tight spot	It is no use crying over spilt milk
Keep the wolf from the door	Little enemies and little wounds should not be despised
Leave no room for doubt	No man is wise at all times
Make light of something	One cannot whistle and drink at the same time
Not worth a dime	The best mirror is an old friend
On tenterhooks	The higher the climb, the harder the fall
Out of your depth	The remedy is worse than the disease
Put your cards on the table	The weakest goes to the wall
Run out of luck	Too much familiarity breeds contempt
Take a dim view	What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander
The ball of one’s foot	When poverty comes in at the door, love flies out of the window
Throw in your lot with	Where there is a will, there is a way
Turn the corner	You cannot eat your cake and have it too
Walk a tightrope	You must spoil before you spin

Learn Idioms and Proverbs for Daily Use

Examples of Idioms and Proverbs

Idioms	Proverbs
A breath of life	A good beginning is half the work
A clean slate	A man’s home is his castle
A hard act to follow	A miss is as good as a mile
A shot in the arm	A still tongue makes a wise head
A sight for sore eyes	A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor
All in a day’s work	Better to ask twice than to lose your way once
At cross purposes	Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face
Be out of sorts	Good words cost nothing
Break someone’s stride	He who seeks finds
Bring to heel	If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all
Come up roses	If you want to know a man, travel with him
Cut the mustard	It is better to be born lucky than rich
Get in someone’s hair	Keep something seven years and you will find a use for it
Give someone a lift	One cannot clap with one hand
Go against the grain	One man’s fault is another man’s lesson
Have your hands full	The best-laid schemes of mice and men often go wrong
In full swing	The camel does not see its own hump
Keep your nose clean	The darkest hour has only sixty minutes
Make a virtue of necessity	The remedy for injuries is not to remember them
No love lost	The wise learn from the mistakes of others
On the house	There’s many a good tune played on an old fiddle
Out of sorts	What is bred in the bone will come out in the flesh
Put a spoke in the wheel	When one door shuts, another opens
Run a risk	You cannot make a crab walk straight
Take someone to task	You never know what you can do until you try
The die is cast	You should not judge a man by his clothes
Throw good money after bad	Youth is wasted on the young
Turn over a new leaf	Wisdom is better than strength
Walk out on someone	Words are easier said than done
Work against the clock	You cannot get blood from a turnip

Examples of Idioms and Proverbs

Basic Idioms and Proverbs Examples

Idioms	Proverbs
A bird’s-eye view	A bad penny always comes back
A clean break	A good deed is never lost
A cold fish	A man is judged by his deeds, not his words
A fishy story	A man’s word is his bond
A flash in the pan	A rich man’s joke is always funny
A free hand	A small leak will sink a great ship
A green thumb	A wise man thinks before he speaks
A loose cannon	All things come to those who wait
At a snail’s pace	An honest answer is the sign of true friendship
Be in the doghouse	Better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion
Break the news	By doing nothing, we learn to do ill
Bring down the house	Don’t put all your hopes on one thing
Come to terms	Good things come in small packages
Cut the ground from under someone’s feet	He who knows most speaks least
Get the green light	If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together
Give someone a heads-up	It is better to prevent than to cure
Go to pieces	Let every man praise the bridge he goes over
Have a soft spot for	No man can serve two masters
In the bag	One good turn deserves another
Keep your wits about you	The early bird catches the worm
Make a point of something	The more you give, the more you receive
Not lift a finger	The truth needs no color
On the dot	There is no accounting for tastes
Out of practice	Time is money
Put your nose to the grindstone	Too many cooks spoil the broth
Run a temperature	United we stand, divided we fall
Take heart	Well done is better than well said
The last laugh	What you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts
Throw cold water on	You cannot teach an old dog new tricks
Under a cloud	You reap what you sow

Basic Idioms and Proverbs Examples

Everyday Idioms and Proverbs for Practical English Learning

Idioms	Proverbs
A bitter end	A good beginning makes a good ending
A breath of life	A man is known by his friends
A catnap	A quiet conscience sleeps in thunder
A dead ringer	A stitch in time saves nine
A dog-eat-dog world	An empty mind is the devil’s workshop
A fool’s paradise	Better to have tried and failed than never to have tried
A full plate	Every man has his faults
A golden opportunity	Good words are worth much and cost little
A hot streak	He who knows nothing doubts nothing
A knee-jerk reaction	If you want something done right, do it yourself
A long face	It is better to give than to take
A tough cookie	Kindness begets kindness
At a loss	Little by little does the trick
Be in deep trouble	No pain, no gain
Break the ice	One man’s meat is another man’s poison
Bring to the fore	Practice what you preach
Come to light	The best things come in small packages
Cut a long story short	The early bird gets the worm
Get a grip	The pen is mightier than the sword
Give someone a hand	There is no smoke without fire
Go down swinging	To know everything is to know nothing
Have a go	Two heads are better than one
In the long run	When in doubt, tell the truth
Keep your shirt on	Where there’s a will, there’s a way
Make a quick buck	You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs
Not for love or money	You cannot judge a book by its cover
On the edge of your seat	You cannot have too much of a good thing
Out of the woods	You cannot win every battle
Put your best foot forward	You must learn to walk before you can run
Take the rough with the smooth	Youth and age will never agree

Everyday Idioms and Proverbs for Practical English Learning

Short Idioms and Proverbs for Daily English Practice

Idioms	Proverbs
A close-knit family	A little learning is a dangerous thing
A dead loss	A man is known by his deeds
A golden age	A watched pot never boils
A happy medium	All good things come to those who wait
A long shot	An apple never falls far from the tree
A sore point	Better to be poor and healthy than rich and sick
A tall order	Every man for himself
At first glance	He who laughs last laughs longest
Be in the clear	If you want peace, prepare for war
Break the silence	It is better to be safe than sorry
Bring home the bacon	Knowledge is power
Come out on top	Let sleeping dogs lie
Cut both ways	Make hay while the sun shines
Get the message	No man is an island
Give it a miss	One good turn deserves another
Go off the rails	Prevention is better than cure
Have a rough time	Slow and steady wins the race
In the same breath	The best defense is a good offense
Keep a cool head	The customer is always right
Make a comeback	The early bird catches the worm
Not the end of the world	The grass is always greener on the other side
On the mend	The proof of the pudding is in the eating
Out of the question	There’s no time like the present
Put on airs	Time and tide wait for no man
Run into trouble	Too many cooks spoil the broth
Take a chance	United we stand, divided we fall
The bottom falls out	Waste not, want not
Throw a curveball	What goes around comes around
Turn heads	Where there is smoke, there is fire
Up to scratch	You reap what you sow

Short Idioms and Proverbs for Daily English Practice

Essential Idioms and Proverbs for English Students

Idioms	Proverbs
A backseat driver	A bad workman blames his tools
A ball of fire	A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
A bitter pill	A fool and his money are soon parted
A clean sweep	A friend in need is a friend indeed
A dog’s breakfast	A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
A fair shake	A leopard cannot change its spots
A gut feeling	A rolling stone gathers no moss
A long face	All that glitters is not gold
At a crossroads	An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Be a wet blanket	Better late than never
Break the mold	Birds of a feather flock together
Bring to life	Charity begins at home
Come to your senses	Don’t bite the hand that feeds you
Cut someone down to size	Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
Get a second wind	Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Give someone the slip	Every cloud has a silver lining
Go for broke	Fortune favors the bold
Have a field day	Good things come to those who wait
In the same boat	Honesty is the best policy
Keep your distance	If wishes were horses, beggars would ride
Make a mountain out of a molehill	Look before you leap
Not have a leg to stand on	Money doesn’t grow on trees
On the warpath	Necessity is the mother of invention
Out of hand	Nothing ventured, nothing gained
Put your foot in it	Old habits die hard
Run the gauntlet	Practice makes perfect
Take the plunge	Rome was not built in a day
The last word	The squeaky wheel gets the grease
Throw in the towel	Two wrongs don’t make a right
Walk the plank	You can’t have your cake and eat it too

Essential Idioms and Proverbs for English Students

Idioms and Proverbs for Better Communication

Idioms	Proverbs
A chip off the old block	A bad penny always turns up
A cut above the rest	A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
A different kettle of fish	A man is judged by his company
A face like thunder	A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor
A feather in one’s cap	An honest man’s word is his bond
A fish out of water	Better to bend than to break
A flash in the pan	Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill
A hard nut to crack	Every dog has its day
A means to an end	Good fences make good neighbors
At the drop of a hat	He who hesitates is lost
Be all ears	If you can’t beat them, join them
Bite the bullet	If the shoe fits, wear it
Blow your own trumpet	It is never too late to mend
Break the bank	Let bygones be bygones
Bring someone around	Little strokes fell great oaks
Come rain or shine	Make hay while the sun shines
Cut corners	No news is good news
Get cold feet	One swallow does not make a summer
Go the extra mile	Pride goes before destruction
Have a heart of gold	The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
Keep an eye on	The best things in life are free
Leave someone high and dry	The end justifies the means
Make ends meet	The more, the merrier
On cloud nine	The road to hell is paved with good intentions
Pull someone’s leg	There’s no smoke without fire
Read between the lines	Time heals all wounds
See eye to eye	Too many cooks spoil the broth
Take with a grain of salt	Two heads are better than one
Under the weather	Where there’s a will, there’s a way
Wrap your head around it	You can’t teach an old dog new tricks

Idioms and Proverbs for Better Communication

English Idioms and Proverbs

Idioms	Proverbs
A blessing in disguise	A good name is better than riches
A dime a dozen	A house divided against itself cannot stand
A drop in the ocean	A penny saved is a penny earned
A hard day’s work	A problem shared is a problem halved
A hot potato	A rising tide lifts all boats
A storm in a teacup	All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
At your fingertips	An idle brain is the devil’s workshop
Back to square one	Better safe than sorry
Be on the ball	Blood is thicker than water
Break the ice	Curiosity killed the cat
Burn the midnight oil	Don’t judge a book by its cover
Call it a day	Don’t put the cart before the horse
Cry over spilled milk	Empty vessels make the most noise
Get the hang of it	Experience is the best teacher
Go with the flow	Familiarity breeds contempt
Hit the nail on the head	God helps those who help themselves
In hot water	Haste makes waste
Keep your fingers crossed	It takes two to tango
Let the cat out of the bag	Laughter is the best medicine
Miss the boat	Many hands make light work
Off the hook	No pain, no gain
On the tip of your tongue	Out of sight, out of mind
Play it by ear	Patience is a virtue
Spill the beans	The darkest hour is just before dawn
Take a back seat	The fish rots from the head down
The last straw	The pot calls the kettle black
Through thick and thin	The truth will out
Turn a blind eye	Time is money
Up in the air	Well begun is half done
Your guess is as good as mine	You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink

English Idioms and Proverbs

Idioms and Proverbs in English for Vocabulary Building

Idioms	Proverbs
A bird’s-eye view	A bad tree does not yield good fruit
A clean break	A candle loses nothing by lighting another
A close call	A fool may ask more questions in an hour than a wise man can answer in seven years
A cold shoulder	A good deed is never lost
A golden handshake	A man is known by the company he keeps
A long shot	A small leak can sink a great ship
A narrow escape	A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will
A red-letter day	All roads lead to Rome
At a snail’s pace	Better to light a candle than curse the darkness
Be in someone’s shoes	Don’t bite off more than you can chew
Break new ground	Don’t change horses in midstream
Bring to the table	Every man has his price
Come full circle	Fair words butter no parsnips
Cut to the chase	He who pays the piper calls the tune
Get your act together	If you want a thing done well, do it yourself
Give someone the cold shoulder	It is easy to be wise after the event
Go out on a limb	Keep your friends close and your enemies closer
Have a lot on your plate	Little pitchers have big ears
In black and white	Love is blind
Keep your chin up	No man is an island
Make a clean sweep	One man’s trash is another man’s treasure
Not bat an eye	People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
On the back burner	The best things come in small packages
Out of the blue	The proof of the pudding is in the eating
Put your foot down	The squeaky wheel gets the grease
Run out of steam	There is no fool like an old fool
Take a rain check	There’s no place like home
The whole nine yards	To err is human, to forgive divine
Throw caution to the wind	What is done cannot be undone
Walk on eggshells	You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear