American Idioms to Know as a Non-Native Speaker
A bitter pill to swallow
A fact or situation that is difficult to accept.
Being rejected from the audition was a bitter pill to swallow.
A fish out of water
A person who feels awkward or uncomfortable in an unfamiliar situation.
He felt like a fish out of water at the fancy dinner party.
A memory like a sieve
A poor memory.
I can never remember anything; I have a memory like a sieve.
Above board
Done in an honest way, according to rules or laws.
We made sure all our transactions were above board.
Against all odds
Despite success being very unlikely.
Against all odds, she completed the marathon.
Ahead of one's time
Too advanced or modern to be understood or appreciated at the time.
Her ideas were ahead of her time.
All along
From the beginning or the whole time.
She knew all along that he was lying.
All but
All except for.
He ate all but one of the cookies.
All in all
Overall.
All in all, it was a good day.
All the same
Nevertheless.
It was raining, but we enjoyed the picnic all the same.
As the crow flies
In a direct or straight line.
The town is 50 miles away as the crow flies.
As thick as a brick
Very stupid.
Sarah's brother is as thick as a brick; he couldn't figure out how to use the new computer despite multiple tutorials.
At large
At liberty; not yet captured.
The suspect is still at large.
Bear fruit
To be successful, especially after a lot of work.
Her hard work will eventually bear fruit.
Behind the scenes
In secret, in private, or not openly shown.
A lot happens behind the scenes in politics.
Born yesterday
Ignorant or easy to deceive.
You can't fool me; I wasn't born yesterday.
Call it quits
To stop or end something.
After years of disagreement, they finally decided to call it quits and end their business partnership.
Catch somebody red-handed
To discover somebody while they are in the act of doing something bad or illegal.
The police caught him red-handed.
Come clean
To tell the truth about something that one had been keeping secret.
She decided to come clean about the mistake.
Come to terms with something
To gradually accept a difficult situation.
He finally came to terms with his loss.
Don't hold your breath
Don't be too hopeful or optimistic about something.
He said he'd help, but don't hold your breath.
Donkey's years
A very long time.
They've known each other for donkey's years.
Down the drain
Wasted or lost, especially time or money, or in a state of failure.
All our efforts went down the drain.
Drive somebody nuts
To annoy or frustrate somebody a lot.
His constant talking is driving me nuts.
Every nook and cranny
Every part of a place.
I searched every nook and cranny for my keys.
Fair and square
In a completely honest way, without cheating.
They won the game fair and square.
Feel something in one's bones
To feel something strongly or instinctively.
I can feel it in my bones that something good will happen.
Few and far between
Rare or scarce.
Opportunities like this are few and far between.
Get a move on
To hurry.
We need to get a move on if we want to catch the train.
Get out of hand
To become chaotic or difficult to control.
The party got out of hand after midnight.
Get the hang of something
To learn to do something new, especially something that requires a bit of practice.
I finally got the hang of using the new software.
Head over heels
Very much in love.
They fell head over heels in love.
In the dark
Unaware or uninformed.
I was completely in the dark about the plans.
In the know
Having knowledge about something that most people do not have.
Only a few people are in the know about the project.
In the same boat
In the same difficult situation as others.
We're all in the same boat now.
In somebody's shoes
In someone else's position or situation.
It's hard to understand until you walk in their shoes.
In/of two minds about something
Uncertain or undecided about something.
I'm in two minds about accepting the job offer.
Keep a straight face
To avoid laughing or smiling, even though something is funny.
He tried to keep a straight face during the joke.
Last resort
The last option when all others have failed.
They tried every treatment available, and surgery was the last resort.
Night owl
A person who stays up late.
He's always been a night owl, working late into the night.
Old wives' tale
A traditional belief or story, often considered untrue or superstitious.
Eating carrots improves your night vision — it's just an old wives' tale.
On/in the cards
Likely or expected to happen.
A promotion might be on the cards for her.
Second to none
The best, better than all others.
Her cooking is second to none.
Sound asleep
Sleeping deeply.
He was sound asleep when I called.
Spitting image of somebody
Looking exactly like someone else.
She's the spitting image of her mother.
Throw somebody off balance
To confuse or surprise somebody.
The sudden question threw him off balance.
Trial and error
A method of solving problems by trying various methods until finding one that works.
We fixed the problem through trial and error.
Up and about
Being active and moving around after a period of inactivity, illness, or rest.
She was up and about soon after the surgery.
Up in arms
Very angry or upset.
The community is up in arms about the new policy.