25 Phrases with Meaning in English
1) A piece of cake
Meaning: Something incredibly simple and easy to accomplish.
Example: Solving that math problem is a piece of cake for her.
2) All in the same boat
Meaning: Everyone experiencing an identical situation or challenge.
Example: In times of economic crisis, we are all in the same boat, struggling to make ends meet.
3) Break the ice
Meaning: To initiate conversation or alleviate tension.
Example: The comedian’s joke helped break the ice at the tense business meeting.
4) Bread and butter
Meaning: Primary source of income or livelihood.
Example: Teaching is her bread and butter, supporting her family’s financial needs.
5) Brush up on
Meaning: Enhance or improve one’s skills or knowledge.
Example: Before the presentation, I decided to brush up on my knowledge of the topic.
6) Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: To work late into the night.
Example: The students burned the midnight oil to prepare for the upcoming exams.
7) Drives me up the wall
Meaning: Inflicts extreme annoyance or frustration.
Example: It drives me up the wall when people talk loudly on their phones in public places.
8) Draw a longbow
Meaning: To exaggerate or fabricate stories.
Example: He tends to draw a longbow when recounting his achievements.
9) Figure out
Meaning: Grasp or discover the solution.
Example: Give me a moment to figure out how to fix this technical issue.
10) Get rid of
Meaning: Dispose of or eliminate.
Example: While discarding old clothes, consider donating them instead of getting rid of them.
11) Kettle of fish
Meaning: A challenging or awkward situation.
Example: Explaining the complex scientific concept turned out to be a kettle of fish for the teacher.
12) Kicking myself
Meaning: Regretting a decision or action.
Example: I’m kicking myself for not investing in that stock when it was low.
13) Lose your marbles
Meaning: To become crazy or lose mental composure.
Example: After the stressful week, I felt like I was about to lose my marbles.
14) Make fun of
Meaning: Ridicule or mock someone or something.
Example: It’s not acceptable to make fun of others based on their appearance or abilities.
15) Once in a blue moon
Meaning: An event that occurs very rarely.
Example: I indulge in chocolate only once in a blue moon to maintain a healthy diet.
16) On pins and needles
Meaning: In a state of anxiety or suspense.
Example: Waiting for the exam results, I was on pins and needles the entire week.
17) Out of the blue
Meaning: Unexpectedly and suddenly.
Example: The job offer came out of the blue, and I was thrilled.
18) Pull over
Meaning: Move a vehicle to the side of the road and stop.
Example: The driver was instructed to pull over for a routine check by the traffic police.
19) Put your best foot forward
Meaning: Strive to make a positive impression.
Example: I’ll put my best foot forward during the job interview to secure the position.
20) Raining cats and dogs
Meaning: Describing very heavy rain.
Example: We had to delay the open-air concert because it started raining cats and dogs unexpectedly.
21) Spill the beans
Meaning: Disclose or reveal a secret.
Example: She couldn’t resist and spilled the beans about the surprise party.
22) Take care of
Meaning: Attend to or look after something/someone.
Example: I promised to take care of my friend’s plants while they were away on vacation.
23) The time is ripe
Meaning: The opportune or suitable time to do something.
Example: The time is ripe for us to launch the new product, considering market trends.
24) Think outside the box
Meaning: Engage in creative and unconventional thinking.
Example: To address the climate crisis, scientists need to think outside the box and explore innovative solutions.
25) To get the ball rolling
Meaning: Initiate or start something.
Example: With the agenda set, let’s get the ball rolling on our team meeting.