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Common Idioms used on IELTS
Common Idioms List
Set 1
| Common Idioms | Definitions |
| It cost me an arm and a leg to take my trip to Australia. | Very expensive |
| I was over the moon when he asked me to marry him. | Extremely pleased or happy |
| You are taking your IELTS test next week?? Aren’t you jumping the gun. You’ve only just started studying. | Doing or starting something too early |
| He comes round to see me once in a blue moon. | Happening very rarely |
| He’s got a chip on his shoulder. | Feeling inferior or having a grievance about something |
| I reckon getting a band 7 in IELTS will be a piece of cake! I’m very good at English. | Very easy |
| The money sent by comic relief to help poverty in Africa is just a drop in the ocean. They need far more than this. | A very small part of something much bigger |
| Getting a low score the first time I took IELTSwas a blessing in disguise. It forced me to study extremely hard so I got a much better score the next time. | Something positive that isn’t recognized until later |
| We have to actually do something about global warming. Actions speak louder than words. | It’s better to actually do something rather than just talking about it |
| I bumped into Jenny in town the other day. It’s a small world. | Meeting someone you would not have expected to |
Set 2
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| Common Idioms | Definitions |
| Oh well, I got 5.5 in IELTS again. Back to the drawing board! | When an attempt to do something fails and it’s time to start all over again using different methods |
| I hate my job so much I can’t bare going to work, but if I quit I don’t think I can get another job. I’m really stuck / caught between a rock and a hard place. | Having two very bad choices.
(note: stuck/caught can be omitted) |
| I have to bite my tongue so I don’t say what I really think of him! | Wanting to say something but stopping yourself. |
| Come on, cut to the chase. We haven’t got all day! | Leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point |
| Are you putting all of your savings into that company? Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. | Putting all of ones resources into one possibility |
| Try not to worry about it. Every cloud has a silver lining. | Believing that every bad situation has a positive side / eventually leads to something good |
| It was difficult when I moved to another country but I eventuallyfound my feet. | To become comfortable in what you are doing |
| My parents are very fixed in their ways. They won’t start using the internet. | Not wanting to change from the normal ways of doing things |
| I think he got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. He is in a terrible mood. | To refer to someone who is having a bad day |
| My mother will always go the extra mile to help people. | Doing much more than is required when doing something |
Set 3
| Common Idioms | Definitions |
| I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. That’s the reason he didn’t get the job. | Say exactly the right thing |
| Today’s going so badly. If it’s not one thing, it’s the other. | When everything seems to be going wrong |
| I just said it in the heat of the moment. I was angry. I know I shouldn’t have. | Saying or doing something suddenly without thinking about it |
| Keep an eye on him. I think he may cheat in the exam. | Watch someone or something carefully |
| Have you heard? John down the road has kicked the bucket. | Died |
| I don’t want to argue with him again. It’s better to let sleeping dogs lie. | Avoid a conflict |
| I told him what gift you have bought him for his birthday. Sorry, I didn’t mean to let the cat out of the bag. | Tell someone something that you were not supposed to |
| Don’t tell her what you really think of her if she’s helping you with your English! Don’t bite the hand that feeds you. | Hurt or upset someone who is helping you |
| I’m not sure which party he is going to vote for. He’s sitting on the fence. | Not making a firm decision between different choices |
| Everything she does is very over the top. She can’t just have a few drinks – se has to get really drunk. | Excessive |
Set 4
| Common Idioms | Definitions |
| Let’s keep studying for IELTS. Practice makes perfect. | Continuously doing something to improve |
| Don’t get upset about what he said. He’s just pulling your leg. | Joking around |
| Sorry but I think I’ll take a rain check on that. | To decline an offer that you will take up later |
| As a rule of thumb, I don’t study at weekends. I spend the time with my family. | Principal that is strictly adhered / kept to |
| I can smell a rat. He said he has a PhD but he can’t even remember which university he studied at. | To sense that something is not right |
| She’s the spitting image of her mother. | To look exactly like someone else |
| The ball’s in your court now. What are you going to do? | Telling someone it’s now their turn to make a decision |
| Unfortunately I think he’ll be studying forIELTS until the cows come home. His English is very poor. | For a very long time |
| It was all tongue-in-cheek. He didn’t really mean what he said. | Something said in humour rather than seriously |
| She’s feeling under the weathertoday so she won’t be going to work. | Unwell |
Set 5
| Common Idioms | Definitions |
| We’ve had some big disagreements over the years, but it’s all water under the bridge now. We get on fine. | Things from the past that are not important anymore |
| You are what you eat so it’s better to have a healthy diet. | If you eat bad food, you’ll be unhealthy, if you eat good food, you’ll be healthy |
| You can’t judge a book by its cover. I need to get to know him before I decide what he is like. | The belief that outside appearances do not reveal what someone or something is really like |
| We’re really working against the clock now. We must hurry. | Not having enough time to do something |
| Why are we bothering? We’re flogging a dead horse. Our online business is making no money, so we should move on and do something else. | Attempting to continue with something that is finished / over |
| I bent over backwards to help him. I hope he appreciates it. | Doing all you can to help someone |
| So you have the IELTS test today?? Break a leg. | Good luck |
| Ok, I’m playing devil’s advocatehere, but if marijuana is legalized, isn’t it more likely young people will smoke it? | To put forward a side in an argument that may not be your own in order to show the counter-argument / ensure all sides are discussed |
| Hold your horses! We haven’t won anything yet. | Telling someone who is getting ahead of themselves to wait / be patient |
| She is driving me up the wall. She won’t stop talking. | Annoying or irritating somebody |