Do you ever feel like you know a lot of English words, but your conversations still sound a little… basic? Maybe you can form sentences just fine, but something is missing – that natural, fluent feel that native speakers have.

Well, here’s a secret: it’s not just about knowing words, it’s about knowing phrases!

Native speakers use a ton of common expressions in daily life – things that don’t always translate literally but instantly make you sound more natural and confident.

So, if you want to level up your English, these 20 must-know phrases will help you do just that!

The best part? They’re not too complicated, but they show you really understand the flow of real English conversations.

20 English Phrases to Sound Advanced

1. Throw in the towel

When you give up on something, you throw in the towel.

• After several attempts, he decided to throw in the towel and try something else.
• I tried learning how to cook, but after burning everything, I just threw in the towel.

2. Sit on the fence

If you can’t decide between two options, you’re sitting on the fence.

• She tends to sit on the fence and doesn’t choose a side easily.
• I’m sitting on the fence about getting a new job – I’m not sure if I should stay or leave.

3. Miss the boat

If you miss an opportunity, you miss the boat.

• I didn’t apply in time and missed the boat for the scholarship.
• If you don’t start learning English now, you might miss the boat on your dream job.

4. Call it a day

When you decide to stop working, you can say let’s call it a day.

• After finishing the report, we decided to call it a day.
• It’s already 9 PM! I think we should call it a day and continue tomorrow.

5. Beat around the bush

If someone is avoiding the main topic, they’re beating around the bush.

• Stop beating around the bush and tell me what happened.
• I don’t like when people beat around the bush – just say what you mean.

6. Cut corners

Doing something quickly but poorly? That’s called cutting corners.

• They cut corners when building the house, and now there are problems.
• If you cut corners on your English practice, you won’t improve as fast.

7. Add fuel to the fire

If you make a bad situation even worse, you add fuel to the fire.

• His comments only added fuel to the fire during the debate.
• Yelling at her when she was already upset just added fuel to the fire.

8. Let sleeping dogs lie

Sometimes, it’s better to leave past arguments alone. That’s when you let sleeping dogs lie.

• We decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not discuss the argument again.
• I thought about asking him about the mistake, but I decided to let sleeping dogs lie.

9. Kick the bucket

A more casual way to say someone passed away is kick the bucket.

• Sadly, our old car finally kicked the bucket.
• I hope my laptop doesn’t kick the bucket before I finish this project.

10. Bite the bullet

Facing something difficult or unpleasant? You just have to bite the bullet and do it.

• I decided to bite the bullet and start my own business.
• Going to the dentist is scary, but I just have to bite the bullet and do it.

11. Hit the nail on the head

If someone is exactly right, you can say they hit the nail on the head.

• You hit the nail on the head with your analysis.
• She hit the nail on the head when she said I needed more confidence in English.

12. Burn the midnight oil

If you’re staying up late to work or study, you’re burning the midnight oil.

• She had to burn the midnight oil to finish her project.
• I’ve been burning the midnight oil studying for my English exam.

13. Once in a blue moon

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

• We go out to eat once in a blue moon.
• He calls me once in a blue moon, but when he does, it’s always a long conversation.

14. Pull yourself together

Feeling overwhelmed or emotional? Pull yourself together means to calm down and regain control.

• I know you’re stressed, but take a deep breath and pull yourself together.
• After failing the test, I had to pull myself together and try again.

15. The ball is in your court

When it’s your turn to make a decision, people say the ball is in your court.

• I gave you my opinion, now the ball is in your court.
• They made an offer, so the ball is in our court to accept or negotiate.

16. Take it with a grain of salt

If someone tells you something that may not be completely true, you take it with a grain of salt.

• He’s always exaggerating, so take what he says with a grain of salt.
• That review was a bit too positive—I’d take it with a grain of salt.

17. Throw someone under the bus

If you blame someone else to save yourself, you throw them under the bus.

• He forgot to do his part of the project and threw his teammate under the bus.
• She threw me under the bus to avoid getting in trouble with the boss.

18. Jump on the bandwagon

When you start doing something just because everyone else is doing it, you jump on the bandwagon.

• I don’t really like that brand, but everyone’s buying it, so I might jump on the bandwagon.
• He never watched football before, but now that his team is winning, he’s jumped on the bandwagon.

19. Cut to the chase

If you want someone to get to the point quickly, you tell them to cut to the chase.

• I don’t have much time, so let’s cut to the chase. What do you need?
• Instead of giving us a long speech, she cut to the chase and told us the plan.

20. Go out on a limb

If you take a risk by expressing a different opinion, you go out on a limb.

• I went out on a limb and suggested a completely new idea in the meeting.
• He’s going out on a limb by investing all his savings in one business.

Ready to Sound More Natural in English?

The best way to master these expressions is by practicing them in real conversations. That’s where ELSA Speak can help!

With AI-powered feedback, you’ll learn how to say these phrases correctly and sound more fluent.

Download ELSA Speak today and start speaking like a native!

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