An “Idiom” is a group of words with a meaning that’s different from its literal meaning. You’ll often find them in TV shows and movies because they add “color” to the conversation. They are a great way to add “color” to your own conversations when you speak English. Here are some popular idioms for you to learn:

  1. Under the weather
    Meaning: to not feel well

    How do you use it?
    If someone says they’re feeling “under the weather”, don’t give them an umbrella! Instead, tell them to feel better soon.

    Example: “I am feeling under the weather today. I might be getting a cold.”
  2. Break a leg
    Meaning: to wish someone good luck

    How do you use it?
    Used before a performance to wish someone “good luck” on stage. If you have a friend who will be performing onstage, next time, tell them to ‘break a leg’!

    Example: “Your first stage performance is scheduled tomorrow. Break a leg!”
  3. Once in a blue moon
    Meaning: rarely or not often

    How do you use it?
    A blue moon is an actual but rare event, and it happens only every 2 to 3 years. When someone says that something happens “once in a blue moon,” it means it happens very rarely.

    Example: “I work abroad so I get to see my family back home once in a blue moon.”
  4. Go down in flames
    Meaning: to end spectacularly or to a great degree

    How do you use it?
    If something ends or fails suddenly, it “goes down in flames.”

    Example: “My project went down in flames after we got all our information wrong.”
  5. Beat around the bush
    Meaning: to avoid saying something important

    How do you use it?
    When you want to avoid giving a direct answer to a question, you “beat around the bush.” To “beat around the bush” means to avoid a topic or to not speak directly about it.

    Example: “Stop beating around the bush and get straight to the point.”

 

Reference: EnglishCentral magazine

 

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