Here’s a list of 200 idioms you must know that are commonly used in the UK with simple definitions.
What is an idiom?
An idiom is a figurative (not literal) saying that is well known and used often by people such as “fingers crossed” (which means hoping for good luck) or “actions speak louder than words” (which means what you do is more important than what you say).
They are mainly metaphors but can also be other imagery (figurative) techniques like personification or symbolism.
They can also be old proverbs (wise sayings) such as “curiosity killed the cat” (which means Being too curious can get you into trouble).
Can you work you work out what idioms mean?
Most of the time, words are used metaphorically so you can work them out by exploring the ideas in the keywords. Sometimes, it’s quite hard to understand why they mean what they do because they are based on things we used to do in the past as a society or old versions of English.
For instance, ‘Burn the candle at both ends’ means to do too much and get very tired because a person will burn out (run out of energy) quicker if they do more work than they can handle. (We don’t use candles as much as we used to these days.)
Whereas to ‘miss the boat’ means to miss an opportunity because if a boat leaves without you in real life then you missed your opportunity to go somewhere or do something.
A list of 134 of the most commonly used idiom in UK English.
| UK idioms beginning with the letter A | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A penny for your thoughts. | Asking someone what they are thinking. |
| A taste of your own medicine. | When someone does the same bad thing to you that you did to them. |
| Ace up your sleeve. | A secret plan or advantage. |
| Actions speak louder than words. | What you do is more important than what you say. |
| Add insult to injury. | Making a bad situation worse. |
| All bark and no bite. | Someone who talks tough but doesn’t act on it. |
| All hands on deck. | Everyone needs to help or be involved. |
| All in the same boat. | Everyone is in the same situation, especially when it’s difficult. |
| Apple of your eye. | Someone you love and care about very much. |
| At the drop of a hat. | Doing something immediately without waiting. |
| At your wits’ end. | Feeling very upset or worried because you don’t know what to do. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter B | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Back to square one. | Starting again from the beginning. |
| Barking up the wrong tree. | Looking in the wrong place or accusing the wrong person. |
| Beating around the bush. | Avoiding the main point or not saying what you really mean. |
| Bend over backwards. | Trying very hard to help someone or make them happy. |
| Best of both worlds. | Having the advantages of two different things at the same time. |
| Bite off more than you can chew. | Trying to do something that is too difficult. |
| Blessing in disguise. | Something that seems bad at first but turns out to be good. |
| Break a leg. | Wishing someone good luck, especially before a performance. |
| Break the bank. | Spend more that you have ever done before or to spend a lot of money to achieve something. |
| Break the ice. | To start a conversation in a way that makes new people feel comfortable. |
| Burn the candle at both ends. | Working too hard and getting very tired.. |
| Burn the midnight oil. | Staying up very late to work or study. |
| Bury the hatchet. | To make peace with someone after an argument. |
| Burst your bubble. | Ruin someone’s happy moment or surprise. |
| By the book. | Doing something exactly as the rules say. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter C | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Call a spade a spade. | To speak honestly about something, even if it’s unpleasant. |
| Call it a day. | To stop working or finish for the day. |
| Caught between a rock and a hard place. | Being in a situation with two bad choices. |
| Caught red-handed. | Being caught doing something wrong. |
| Chip on your shoulder. | Feeling upset because of something that happened in the past. |
| Climbing the walls. | Feeling very anxious or bored. |
| Cold feet. | Feeling nervous about something you planned to do. |
| Cost an arm and a leg. | Something very expensive. |
| Cross that bridge when you come to it. | Deal with a problem when it happens, not before. |
| Cry over spilt milk. | Being upset over something that has already happened and can’t be changed. |
| Curiosity killed the cat. | Being too curious can get you into trouble. |
| Cut and dried. | Something that is clear and doesn’t need more explanation. |
| Cutting corners. | To do something quickly and not as well as you should. |
| Cut to the chase. | To get to the main point without wasting time. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter D | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Diamond in the rough. | Someone or something that is good but needs improvement. |
| Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. | Don’t be mean to people who help you. |
| Don’t burn your bridges. | Don’t ruin relationships with people so you can’t go back to them. |
| Don’t count your chickens before they hatch. | Don’t assume something good will happen before it actually does. |
| Don’t cry over spilt milk. | Don’t be upset over something you can’t change. |
| Don’t judge a book by its cover. | Don’t judge people or things just by how they look. |
| Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. | Feeling nervous about something you planned to do. |
| Don’t put the cart before the horse. | Don’t do things in the wrong order. |
| Down in the dumps. | Feeling very sad or depressed. |
| Down to earth. | Someone who is practical and sensible. |
| Draw the line. | To set a limit on what you will accept. |
| Drive a wedge between. | To cause a problem between people. |
| Drive someone up the wall. | To make someone very annoyed. |
| Dutch courage. | Feeling brave after drinking alcohol. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter E | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Elephant in the room. | A big problem everyone is ignoring. |
| Every cloud has a silver lining. | There is something good in every bad situation. |
| Every dog has its day. | Everyone gets their chance to be successful. |
| Every man for himself. | Everyone looks out for themselves and not for others. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter F | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Face the music. | To accept the punishment or consequences for something you’ve done. |
| Fall on deaf ears. | When someone ignores what you say. |
| Fight fire with fire. | To use the same methods as someone else, even if they are bad. |
| Fingers crossed. | Hoping for good luck. |
| Fly off the handle. | To suddenly get very angry. |
| Food for thought. | Something to think seriously about. |
| From the horse’s mouth. | Getting information directly from the source. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter G | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Getting out of hand. | To get out of control. |
| Give someone the benefit of the doubt. | To trust someone if you’re not sure about them. |
| Give someone the cold shoulder. | To ignore someone on purpose. |
| Go down in flames. | To fail in a dramatic way. |
| Go out on a limb. | To take a risk or do something risky. |
| Go the extra mile. | To make a special effort to do something well. |
| Grin from ear to ear. | To smile very widely because you are very happy. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter H | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Have an axe to grind. | To have a personal reason for complaining or arguing. |
| Head in the clouds. | To be daydreaming or not paying attention. |
| Heart of gold. | To be very kind and generous. |
| Hit below the belt. | To say something unfair or mean. |
| Hit the books. | To study hard. |
| Hit the ground running. | To start something and do very well right away. |
| Hit the nail on the head. | To say or do something exactly right. |
| Hit the road. | To leave or start a journey. |
| Hit the sack. | To go to bed. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter I | Meaning |
|---|---|
| If the shoe fits, wear it. | If a comment applies to you, accept it. |
| I’m all ears. | Listening carefully and paying attention. |
| In a nutshell. | In a few words, or in summary. |
| In a pickle. | In a difficult situation. |
| In hot water. | In trouble. |
| In over your head. | In a situation that is too difficult for you. |
| In the bag. | Certain to be successful. |
| In the doghouse. | To leave or start a journey. |
| Hit the sack. | When someone is angry with you. |
| In the nick of time. | Just in time before it’s too late. |
| In the same boat. | Being in the same difficult situation as others. |
| It takes two to tango. | Both people are responsible or at fault in a situation. |
| It’s not rocket science. | It’s not very difficult to understand. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter J | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Jump on the bandwagon. | To join others in doing something popular. |
| Jump the gun. | To start doing something too soon. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter K | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Keep your chin up. | Stay cheerful, even when things are difficult. |
| Keep your fingers crossed. | To hope for good luck. |
| Kick the bucket. | A funny way of saying someone has died. |
| Kill two birds with one stone. | To do or achieve two things at the same time with the same action. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter L | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Last straw. | The final problem that makes someone lose patience. |
| Learn the ropes. | To understand how things work. |
| Lend an ear. | To listen to someone carefully. |
| Let sleeping dogs lie. | Don’t bring up old problems. |
| Let the cat out of the bag. | To tell a secret by mistake. |
| Let the chips fall where they may. | To let things happen without worrying about the outcome. |
| Let the grass grow under your feet. | To waste time by not doing anything. |
| Let your hair down. | To relax and have fun. |
| Like a fish out of water. | Feeling out of place. |
| Like two peas in a pod. | Two people who are very similar. |
| Look before you leap. | Think carefully before doing something. |
| Loose cannon. | Someone who behaves unpredictably. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter M | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Make a mountain out of a molehill. | To make a small problem seem bigger than it is. |
| Make ends meet. | To manage to live on what you earn. |
| Miss the boat. | To miss an opportunity. |
| Money doesn’t grow on trees. | You should be careful with money because it is not easy to get. |
| Not a bed of roses | Not an easy or pleasant situation. |
| Let the chips fall where they may. | To let things happen without worrying about the outcome. |
| Let the grass grow under your feet. | To waste time by not doing anything. |
| Let your hair down. | To relax and have fun. |
| Like a fish out of water. | Feeling out of place. |
| Like two peas in a pod. | Two people who are very similar. |
| Look before you leap. | Think carefully before doing something. |
| Loose cannon. | Someone who behaves unpredictably. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter N | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not a bed of roses | Not an easy or pleasant situation. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter O | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Off the hook. | Free from trouble or blame. |
| Off the top of your head. | Saying something without thinking about it carefully. |
| On cloud nine. | To be very happy |
| On the ball. | To be alert and doing well. |
| On the same page. | Agreeing or understanding things in the same way. |
| On the tip of your tongue. | You know the answer but can’t remember it. |
| On thin ice. | In a risky or dangerous situation or close to getting in trouble with someone. |
| Once in a blue moon. | Someone who behaves unpredictably. |
| Out of the blue. | Something that happens unexpectedly. |
| Out of the frying pan into the fire. | Going from a bad situation to an even worse one. |
| Out of the woods. | No longer in danger or trouble. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter P | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Paint the town red. | To go out and have a good time. |
| Piece of cake. | Something very easy to do. |
| Playing Devil’s advocate. | Pretending to argue against something just to test it. |
| Play it by ear. | To do something without planning and see how it goes. |
| Pulling a fast one. | To trick someone. |
| Pull yourself together. | To calm down and control your feelings. |
| Put two and two together. | To figure something out. |
| Put your foot in your mouth. | To say something embarrassing by mistake. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter R | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Rain on your parade. | To spoil someone’s plans or fun. |
| Raining cats and dogs. | Raining very heavily. |
| Rock the boat. | To cause trouble or disrupt a situation that is already going well. |
| Rome wasn’t built in a day. | Important things take time to happen. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter S | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Saved by the bell. | Being saved from trouble or embarrassment at the last moment. |
| Sit on the fence. | Not making a decision or not taking sides. |
| Sit tight. | To wait patiently and not take action until the right time. |
| Skeleton in the closet. | A hidden secret from the past. |
| Spill the beans. | To tell a secret. |
| Steal someone’s thunder. | To take credit for someone else’s idea or success. |
| Storm in a teacup. | Making a big deal out of a small problem. |
| Straight from the horse’s mouth. | Getting information directly from someone who knows. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter T | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Take the bull by the horns. | To face a difficult situation bravely. |
| Take with a pinch of salt. | Don’t believe everything you hear; be careful before accepting it as true. |
| The ball is in your court. | It’s your turn to make a decision or take action. |
| The calm before the storm. | A quiet time before something difficult or bad happens. |
| The early bird catches the worm. | People who start early have the best chance to succeed. |
| The elephant in the room. | An obvious problem that everyone is ignoring. |
| The grass is always greener on the other side. | Thinking other people’s lives are better than yours. |
| The sky’s the limit. | There is no limit to what you can do or achieve. |
| The tip of the iceberg. | A small part of a much bigger problem. |
| The whole nine yards. | Doing everything possible to complete something. |
| Throw caution to the wind. | To take a big risk without worrying about the consequences. |
| Throw in the towel. | To give up or quit. |
| Tie the knot. | To get married. |
| Too many cooks spoil the broth. | When too many people try to do something, it can go wrong. |
| Turn a blind eye. | To pretend not to notice something wrong. |
| Turn over a new leaf. | To start behaving in a better way. |
| Two heads are better than one. | Working together is better than working alone. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter U | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Under the weather. | Feeling ill or unwell. |
| Up in the air. | Something that is uncertain or not decided yet. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter W | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Walk on eggshells. | Being very careful not to upset someone. |
| Water under the bridge. | Something that has already happened and can’t be changed, so it’s best to forget about it. |
| When it rains, it pours. | When something bad happens, a lot of bad things happen at once. |
| When pigs fly. | Something that will never happen. |
| Wipe the slate clean. | To forget past mistakes and start again. |
| With a grain of salt. | To take something with a little doubt and not believe it completely. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter Y | Meaning |
|---|---|
| You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. | You can show someone how to do something, but you can’t make them do it. |
| You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. | If you help me and I will help you in return. |
| Your guess is as good as mine. | I don’t know the answer either. |
| UK idioms beginning with the letter Z | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Zero hour. | The moment when something important is about to happen. |
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