Learning a new language can feel like climbing a mountain – challenging, tiring, but also pretty exciting.

Imagine reaching the top, chatting confidently in English, and impressing native speakers with your natural way of speaking. One way to get closer to this goal is by learning idioms. Idioms are phrases with special meanings that you can’t understand just by looking at the words. They make your English sound more natural, almost like you’ve been speaking it forever.

Today, we’ll explore 20 everyday idioms to help you sound more like a native speaker. With a little practice, you’ll start using these phrases without even thinking about it! Below, you’ll find each idiom explained, along with three different examples. Let’s dive in!

20 everyday idioms to sound more natural

1. Break the Ice

When you “break the ice,” you make people feel comfortable, especially when meeting for the first time.

Examples:

1. “To break the ice at the meeting, Sarah started with a funny story.”
2. “We played a game at the party to break the ice.”
3. “Sometimes it takes a smile to break the ice with new classmates.”

2. Under the Weather

Feeling “under the weather” means you’re not feeling well.

Examples:

1. “I think I’ll stay home today; I’m feeling under the weather.”
2. “She looked a bit under the weather, so we didn’t stay out too late.”
3. “John missed the event because he was under the weather.”

3. A Piece of Cake

If something is “a piece of cake,” it’s really easy.

Examples:

1. “Don’t worry about the quiz; it’ll be a piece of cake.”
2. “For her, cooking this dish is a piece of cake.”
3. “Running the mile felt like a piece of cake today!”

4. Hit the Books

“Hit the books” means to study hard.

Examples:

1. “I have exams next week, so I need to hit the books.”
2. “After a long vacation, it’s tough to hit the books again.”
3. “He didn’t join us because he was busy hitting the books.”

5. Bite the Bullet

“Bite the bullet” means to face something difficult with courage.

Examples:

1. “She decided to bite the bullet and finish her work.”
2. “Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and apologize.”
3. “They bit the bullet and paid for the repairs.”

6. Spill the Beans

To “spill the beans” means to reveal a secret.

Examples:

1. “Oops, I spilled the beans about her surprise!”
2. “He didn’t want to spill the beans on the project.”
3. “Be careful not to spill the beans about the party.”

7. Once in a Blue Moon

Something that happens “once in a blue moon” happens very rarely.

Examples:

1. “He visits us once in a blue moon because he’s so busy.”
2. “We go to that restaurant only once in a blue moon.”
3. “Seeing a shooting star is a once-in-a-blue-moon event.”

8. The Ball is in Your Court

When “the ball is in your court,” it’s your turn to decide.

Examples:

1. “I’ve given my opinion, so now the ball is in your court.”
2. “He asked her out; the ball’s in her court.”
3. “You know the situation, so the ball’s in your court.”

9. Jump on the Bandwagon

To “jump on the bandwagon” means to join something popular.

Examples:

1. “Everyone jumped on the bandwagon and bought the new phone.”
2. “She jumped on the bandwagon and started a blog.”
3. “He never jumps on the bandwagon, even with trends.”

10. Pull Someone’s Leg

“Pulling someone’s leg” means joking with them.

Examples:

1. “Are you pulling my leg, or are you serious?”
2. “I thought he was serious, but he was just pulling my leg.”
3. “She loves pulling people’s legs with funny stories.”

11. Break a Leg

“Break a leg” is a way to wish good luck, often for performances.

Examples:

1. “You’re going to do great in the show – break a leg!”
2. “He wished her ‘break a leg’ before her big speech.”
3. “They said ‘break a leg’ before his performance.”

12. Cost an Arm and a Leg

If something “costs an arm and a leg,” it’s very expensive.

Examples:

1. “This watch costs an arm and a leg!”
2. “A vacation there will cost an arm and a leg.”
3. “Some designer clothes cost an arm and a leg.”

13. On the Ball

To be “on the ball” means to be quick and alert.

Examples:

1. “She’s always on the ball in meetings.”
2. “He’s on the ball when it comes to details.”
3. “If you’re on the ball, you’ll notice mistakes fast.”

14. Hit the Sack

“Hit the sack” means to go to bed.

Examples:

1. “It’s late; I’m going to hit the sack.”
2. “After a long day, he hit the sack right away.”
3. “She hit the sack early to wake up fresh.”

15. Cut Corners

“Cutting corners” means doing something quickly by sacrificing quality.

Examples:

1. “We can’t cut corners on safety.”
2. “The company cut corners to save money.”
3. “Cutting corners on homework won’t help.”

16. Throw in the Towel

“Throwing in the towel” means giving up.

Examples:

1. “After trying so hard, she threw in the towel.”
2. “He doesn’t throw in the towel easily.”
3. “They threw in the towel after many attempts.”

17. Burn the Midnight Oil

This means working late into the night.

Examples:

1. “She’s burning the midnight oil for her exams.”
2. “They burned the midnight oil to finish the project.”
3. “I burned the midnight oil to complete my work.”

18. Up in the Air

If something is “up in the air,” it’s uncertain.

Examples:

1. “Our plans are up in the air right now.”
2. “The event’s location is still up in the air.”
3. “Her decision is up in the air.”

19. Speak of the Devil

Used when someone appears just as they are being mentioned.

Examples:

1. “Speak of the devil! We were just talking about you.”
2. “Speak of the devil – he just walked in.”
3. “She arrived right after we mentioned her, speak of the devil!”

20. Let the Cat Out of the Bag

“Letting the cat out of the bag” means revealing a secret.

Examples:

1. “He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise.”
2. “Try not to let the cat out of the bag!”
3. “She accidentally let the cat out of the bag.”

Final Thoughts

Learning these expressions can make your English sound more natural and fun. With these idioms, you’ll feel more confident and fit in easily when speaking with native speakers. So, pick a few idioms, start practicing, and see how they fit into your conversations. Before long, you’ll be impressing everyone with your smooth English skills!

To practice even more, try using the ELSA Speak app. It’s a great tool for improving your pronunciation, and it can help you sound even more natural by giving you feedback on your speaking. Plus, with ELSA Speak, you can practice anytime, anywhere, so it’s easy to build confidence with each new phrase. Happy learning!

More idioms here