Idioms Are a Piece of Cake!

Take the idiom used in the header above:

Idioms are a piece of cake. When you refer to
something as a piece of cake, youre calling it
easy. In this context, the header is saying that
idioms are easy to understand and use.
While it might seem like idioms are
definitely not a piece of cake, to someone first
learning about them, I can assure you, the more
of them you hear and study, the easier theyll
be to accept as just a natural part of the English
language! Lets take a look at some examples.
List of Idioms and Their Meanings
1. Actions speak louder than words
Definition: Refers to the idea that its
better to do something than just talk
about it.
Example: He always tells his girlfriend
that he loves her, but he never actually
does anything nice for her. Someone
should teach him that actions speak
louder than words.
2. Add fuel to the fire
Definition: Something that worsens an
already bad situation.
Example: I wanted to intervene when
they were yelling at each other, but
that would have just added fuel to the
fire.
3. All bark and no bite
Definition: Being verbally threatening,
but unwilling to do anything significant.
Example: He keeps threatening to shut
down our paper after we ran that
article about him, but I dont think he
will. In my opinion, hes all bark and no
bite.

4. At the drop of a hat
Definition: A willingness to do
something right away.
Example: Our boss expects us to show
up in her office at the drop of a hat,
even when were in a meeting with
clients.
5. Beating around the bush
Definition: Avoiding the main issue.
Example: I kept trying to steer the
conversation back to his alibi, but he
wouldnt stop beating around the bush,
bringing up things totally off-topic.
6. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Definition: Its better to have a small,
secured advantage than the possibility
of a bigger one. Its better to stick with
what you have than risk it for
something greater.
Example: Someone offered me $100
to buy my old TV. I was hoping to sell it
for $200, but I have a feeling this is the
best offer Ill get for a while, and I need
that money now. A bird in the hand is
worth two in the bush, right?
7. Blessing in disguise
Definition: Something good and
beneficial that did not initially seem
that way.
Example: It was raining so hard that
our cab was late, and we were late to
our reservation at the restaurant. Turns
out everyone who ate there that night
got food poisoning. I guess the bad
weather was a blessing in disguise!


8. Break a leg
Definition: Something you say to
someone you want to wish luck on.
Example: Is tonight your big
performance? Break a leg!
9. Chip on your shoulder
Definition: When someone is upset
about something that happened a while
ago.
Example: He has a chip on his shoulder
from years of being bullied as a kid.
10. Come hell or high water
Definition: Possible obstacles in your
path.
Example: I promise you, come hell or
high water, we are going to make it to
your party tonight!
11. Cry over spilt milk
Definition: Complaining about a loss or
failure from the past.
Example: She was mad that he broke
her vase, but it was an accident, and
theres no use crying over spilt milk
anyway, so she forgave him.
12. Cut to the chase
Definition: Skip the irrelevant parts,
and go straight to the main point.
Example: Why dont you just cut to the
chase, and tell me where you hid my
phone!
13. Hit the nail on the head
Definition: Do or say exactly the correct
thing.
Example: I really hit the nail on the
head when I guessed they were getting
married.
14. Piece of cake
Definition: Something that is easy to
understand or accomplish.
Example: My math homework last
night was a piece of cake! I finished it
ten minutes.
15. Slap on the wrist
Definition: A mild punishment, such as
a scolding.
Example: The cop pulled me over for
speeding, but it was my first time so she
just gave me a slap on the wrist.
16. Spill the beans
Definition: Tell a secret.
Example: My three-year-old spilled the
beans about the surprise birthday party
we were planning.
17. Taste of your own medicine
Definition: When someone receives the
same treatment, usually negative, that
they gave someone else.
Example: That kid is always beating up
other kids on the playground. I wish
someone would give him a taste of his
own medicine.





1. Piece of cake No, when someone says
that the assignment they just finished was a
piece of cake, it does not mean that their
professor gave them a red velvet cupcake
for their midterm paper, what piece of cake
actually means is that something is very
easy to complete.

2. Costs an arm and a leg It would be a
strange world we lived in if buying that fancy
shiny purse literally required us to chop off
our body parts to give as tribute to the Louis
Vuitton gods. When something costs an arm
and a leg it actually means that something is
very expensive.

3. Break a leg Oh, look, another idiom
about legs. Youre about to take your
dreaded calculus final and before you head
into your classroom your roommate texts
you, Break a Leg! Why, you think in your
head, would he ever wish that upon me? I
thought we were cool with each other. Well,
your roommate surely doesnt want your
bones to break while walking to your seat in
the exam room thats for sure. Break a leg
actually means good luck!

4. Hit the books If youre a student in an
English speaking environment youre
probably going to be hearing this phrase a
lot. Before you imagine students running into
their campus library and punching, kicking
and wrestling apart the complete works of
Shakespeare, we would just like to say that
hit the books actually means to study. There
there, you can still punch books in your
spare time if you want, we wont judge you.

5. Let the cat out of the bag Why would
someone put their cat in a bag? What did the
cat ever do to them? Our last idiom actually
means to disclose a secret that was
supposed to be kept, well, as a secret. The
next time someone lets the cat out of the bag
do not immediately pick up your phone and
call animal cruelty control.

6. Hit the nail on the head This idiom has
to do with doing or saying something that is
precisely right. If you dont understand this,
just think about that sweet feeling you get
when you swing a hammer at a nail and hit it
perfectly.

7. When pigs fly So, have you ever seen
a pig fly before? Never? Me neither. This
idiom basically means that something will
never happen, like fat little pink mammals
soaring toward the sun!

8. You cant judge a book by its cover
How many awesome books do you think
youve never read in your life just because
the cover did not catch your eye? This idiom
does not only apply to books however, but
can be used for everything in general.
Essentially it means that you should not
decide upon something based just on
outward appearances.

9. Bite off more than you can chew
Imagine your waiter brings you the biggest
juiciest hamburger from your favorite
American restaurant. In your hunger, you
grab it quickly and take a giant bite out of it.
Unfortunately, the bite youve taken is too
big, and you end up looking like an idiot
trying to shove this bite down your throat
while drinking water and trying not to choke.
That is the most literal sense of the meaning,
but in general it just means to attempt to take
on a task that is too much for you to handle.

10. Scratch someones back We all know
how difficult it is to scratch that itch on your
back that your hand just arent flexible
enough to reach, so why would you want to
scratch some random persons smelly back?
Because if you do, they may eventually be
willing to scratch your own smelly back when
you need it! What this idiom means is to help
someone out with the assumption that they
will return the favor in the future!