The Pronunciation
800 Most Commonly Used Idioms
Workshop Manual in- America
Session 1
The 800 Most Commonly
Used Idioms in America
( i n a l p h a b e t i c a l o r d e r )
1. above board – legitimate, legal. She knows it shouldn’t be kept a
secret. She wants to keep everything above board.
2. across the board – including everyone or everything. The
company had a successful year. All salaries were increased by 10%
across the board.
3. air one’s dirty laundry in public – discuss personal problems
openly. He is a very private person. If he has a problem in his family he
doesn’t want to air his dirty laundry in public.
4. all along – all the time. She was accepted into the university, but
she knew all along that she’d get in.
5. all ears – eager to listen. I was excited to hear about her vacation.
When she told me about it, I was all ears.
6. all thumbs – clumsy, unable to fix things. Don’t ask me to put that
clock back together. I’m all thumbs.
7. an arm and a leg – a large amount of money. It cost an arm and a
leg to fix the stove.
8. ants in one’s pants – nervous, anxious. He wasn’t sure if he would
be chosen to win the award. He had ants in his pants.
9. apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, the – being similar to
a parent or family member. He acts just like his father. You know, the
apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
10. apple of one’s eye – someone special, usually a son or daughter.
Although he loves his son, his daughter is the apple of his eye.
11. at fault – responsible for making errors. He is at fault for all the
errors on the computer.
12. at odds – in disagreement. He is at odds with his boss.
13. at one’s beck and call – always ready to do what is ordered.
Whenever she calls him, he’s always helping her. He is at her beck and call.
© 2005 - 2007 PronunciationWorkshop.com, LLC – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, The Pronunciation
800 Most Commonly Used Idioms
Workshop Manual in- America
Session 1
14. at one’s wit’s end – anxious, frantic. I need to speak with him to
finish the report by tomorrow but he’s not available. I’m at my wit’s end!
15. at the end of one’s rope – desperate, with nowhere to turn. I’ve
tried every which way to figure out this problem but I can’t. I’m at the
end of my rope!
16. back on one’s feet – financially or physically healthy again. Since
sales improved, he is doing better and he’s getting back on his feet.
17. back out of – withdraw, end an obligation or promise. I made a
deal with my friend to help him at work. When I became too busy, I
had to back out of it.
18. back to the drawing board – rethink an idea, need to start
over. When my supervisor told me that our idea would not work, we
had to go back to the drawing board to come up with something else.
19. backbone – courage. He has no backbone because he was afraid to
reprimand her.
20. backseat driver – passenger who tells you how to drive. I’ll never
drive Joe to the airport again. He kept on wanting me to take another
road which I knew was wrong. He is such a backseat driver.
21. bail one out – help. Thanks for picking me up when my car broke
down. You really bailed me out of a bad situation.
22. ballpark figure – approximate amount. When I asked the
contractor how much it would be to remodel the kitchen, he gave me a
ballpark figure.
23. bang for the buck – value for the money spent. Newspaper
advertising works well for us because we get the best bang for the buck.
24. bank on it – be sure of, count on. I’ll be there to help you.
You can bank on it.
25. banker’s hours – short work hours. He loves his job because on
Friday, he gets to work banker’s hours.
26. bark up the wrong tree – make a wrong choice or a false
assumption. If he thinks that I’m going to help him paint his house,
well he’s barking up the wrong tree.
27. bat a thousand – have a perfect record. He is so happy that
everyone he invited to the party is coming. He’s batting a thousand.
28. bat an eyelash – show emotion. He was filled with emotion during
his speech, but she didn’t bat an eyelash.
© 2005 - 2007 PronunciationWorkshop.com, LLC – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
, The Pronunciation
800 Most Commonly Used Idioms
Workshop Manual in- America
Session 1
29. bawl out – reprimand. The team was bawled out after they lost the
game.
30. be beside one’s self – be very upset. I was so mad when I heard
that she was making up stories about me that I was beside myself.
31. beat around the bush – avoid giving a clear answer. I didn’t want
to hurt his feelings and tell him that he wasn’t selected for the team.
So when he asked me if I had any information, I basically beat around
the bush.
32. beat someone to the punch – do something before someone else
can. She was going to buy the last red dress that the store had, but I
beat her to the punch and bought it first.
33. beat the rap – escape punishment. There was not enough evidence
to convict him, so he beat the rap and was set free.
34. behind the 8-ball – in trouble. My department is late on its
deadline. We are behind the 8-ball.
35. bend over backwards – try very hard. He’ll bend over backwards
to help any of his friends.
36. bide one’s time – wait patiently for the right opportunity. I’m just
going to bide my time. I know that eventually a position will open.
37. big shot – important person. Since he was given a promotion, he’s
been acting like a big shot.
38. big stink – an angry and loud complaint. She made a big stink when
her meal was served cold.
39. birds and bees - facts about sex and birth. The girl’s mother told
her daughter about the birds and the bees during the summer holidays.
40. bit off more than one can chew – trying to do more than one
can physically and mentally handle. I told her I would help her in her
job, but it seems that’s all I’ve been doing lately. I think I bit off more
than I could chew.
41. bite one’s tongue – keep oneself from speaking. I had to bite my
tongue in order not to tell him that he won the raffle.
42. bite the dust – die, disappear. Our old TV didn’t work yesterday. I
guess it finally bit the dust.
43. blab – talk too much. She is always blabbing about her supervisor’s
personal life to her friends.
© 2005 - 2007 PronunciationWorkshop.com, LLC – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, The Pronunciation
800 Most Commonly Used Idioms
Workshop Manual in- America
Session 1
44. blabbermouth – person who talks too much and tells secrets. He
is such a blabbermouth that there is no way Bob will be surprised for
his party.
45. black sheep – a family member with a bad reputation. John’s way of
life is so different from all of ours. He is known as the black sheep
of the family.
46. blind date – a date arranged for two people who don’t know each
other. Many married couples have met on a blind date.
47. blow it – lose a chance, make a mistake. I knew I blew it when I
forgot my lines in the play.
48. blow over – end, pass. She knew her coworkers will eventually
forget how she messed up the filing system in the office. She couldn’t
wait for the incident to blow over.
49. blow the whistle – expose, betray. I just found out that he’s
been stealing from our company for the past year. I don’t want it to
continue and I’ve decided to blow the whistle.
50. boil down – make shorter, condense. This whole complicated
situation just boils down to something simple…it’s either a yes or a no.
51. bomb – fail, be unsuccessful. The whole cast was very sad that the
show bombed on Broadway.
52. bone to pick with someone – complaint, argument. I heard that
you have rejected my proposal. I’m upset and have a bone to pick with you.
53. boob tube – television set. What is on the boob tube tonight?
54. bookworm – person who reads a lot. The library is the perfect place
for her to work because she is such a bookworm.
55. booze – liquor – They kept bottles of booze behind the bar.
56. botch up – make a mistake, ruin. I asked for her help with my
watercolor painting. But when she decided to add some purple paint, I
knew that she completely botched it up.
57. bottom line – end result, ultimate cause. He never practiced the
piano, so the bottom line is, he can’t play very well.
58. bounce – not acceptable because of insufficient funds in the bank. If
your check bounces, I will need to charge you extra money.
59. brain – intelligent person. She is such a brain, she will figure out
how to solve the problem.
© 2005 - 2007 PronunciationWorkshop.com, LLC – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
800 Most Commonly Used Idioms
Workshop Manual in- America
Session 1
The 800 Most Commonly
Used Idioms in America
( i n a l p h a b e t i c a l o r d e r )
1. above board – legitimate, legal. She knows it shouldn’t be kept a
secret. She wants to keep everything above board.
2. across the board – including everyone or everything. The
company had a successful year. All salaries were increased by 10%
across the board.
3. air one’s dirty laundry in public – discuss personal problems
openly. He is a very private person. If he has a problem in his family he
doesn’t want to air his dirty laundry in public.
4. all along – all the time. She was accepted into the university, but
she knew all along that she’d get in.
5. all ears – eager to listen. I was excited to hear about her vacation.
When she told me about it, I was all ears.
6. all thumbs – clumsy, unable to fix things. Don’t ask me to put that
clock back together. I’m all thumbs.
7. an arm and a leg – a large amount of money. It cost an arm and a
leg to fix the stove.
8. ants in one’s pants – nervous, anxious. He wasn’t sure if he would
be chosen to win the award. He had ants in his pants.
9. apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, the – being similar to
a parent or family member. He acts just like his father. You know, the
apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
10. apple of one’s eye – someone special, usually a son or daughter.
Although he loves his son, his daughter is the apple of his eye.
11. at fault – responsible for making errors. He is at fault for all the
errors on the computer.
12. at odds – in disagreement. He is at odds with his boss.
13. at one’s beck and call – always ready to do what is ordered.
Whenever she calls him, he’s always helping her. He is at her beck and call.
© 2005 - 2007 PronunciationWorkshop.com, LLC – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, The Pronunciation
800 Most Commonly Used Idioms
Workshop Manual in- America
Session 1
14. at one’s wit’s end – anxious, frantic. I need to speak with him to
finish the report by tomorrow but he’s not available. I’m at my wit’s end!
15. at the end of one’s rope – desperate, with nowhere to turn. I’ve
tried every which way to figure out this problem but I can’t. I’m at the
end of my rope!
16. back on one’s feet – financially or physically healthy again. Since
sales improved, he is doing better and he’s getting back on his feet.
17. back out of – withdraw, end an obligation or promise. I made a
deal with my friend to help him at work. When I became too busy, I
had to back out of it.
18. back to the drawing board – rethink an idea, need to start
over. When my supervisor told me that our idea would not work, we
had to go back to the drawing board to come up with something else.
19. backbone – courage. He has no backbone because he was afraid to
reprimand her.
20. backseat driver – passenger who tells you how to drive. I’ll never
drive Joe to the airport again. He kept on wanting me to take another
road which I knew was wrong. He is such a backseat driver.
21. bail one out – help. Thanks for picking me up when my car broke
down. You really bailed me out of a bad situation.
22. ballpark figure – approximate amount. When I asked the
contractor how much it would be to remodel the kitchen, he gave me a
ballpark figure.
23. bang for the buck – value for the money spent. Newspaper
advertising works well for us because we get the best bang for the buck.
24. bank on it – be sure of, count on. I’ll be there to help you.
You can bank on it.
25. banker’s hours – short work hours. He loves his job because on
Friday, he gets to work banker’s hours.
26. bark up the wrong tree – make a wrong choice or a false
assumption. If he thinks that I’m going to help him paint his house,
well he’s barking up the wrong tree.
27. bat a thousand – have a perfect record. He is so happy that
everyone he invited to the party is coming. He’s batting a thousand.
28. bat an eyelash – show emotion. He was filled with emotion during
his speech, but she didn’t bat an eyelash.
© 2005 - 2007 PronunciationWorkshop.com, LLC – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
, The Pronunciation
800 Most Commonly Used Idioms
Workshop Manual in- America
Session 1
29. bawl out – reprimand. The team was bawled out after they lost the
game.
30. be beside one’s self – be very upset. I was so mad when I heard
that she was making up stories about me that I was beside myself.
31. beat around the bush – avoid giving a clear answer. I didn’t want
to hurt his feelings and tell him that he wasn’t selected for the team.
So when he asked me if I had any information, I basically beat around
the bush.
32. beat someone to the punch – do something before someone else
can. She was going to buy the last red dress that the store had, but I
beat her to the punch and bought it first.
33. beat the rap – escape punishment. There was not enough evidence
to convict him, so he beat the rap and was set free.
34. behind the 8-ball – in trouble. My department is late on its
deadline. We are behind the 8-ball.
35. bend over backwards – try very hard. He’ll bend over backwards
to help any of his friends.
36. bide one’s time – wait patiently for the right opportunity. I’m just
going to bide my time. I know that eventually a position will open.
37. big shot – important person. Since he was given a promotion, he’s
been acting like a big shot.
38. big stink – an angry and loud complaint. She made a big stink when
her meal was served cold.
39. birds and bees - facts about sex and birth. The girl’s mother told
her daughter about the birds and the bees during the summer holidays.
40. bit off more than one can chew – trying to do more than one
can physically and mentally handle. I told her I would help her in her
job, but it seems that’s all I’ve been doing lately. I think I bit off more
than I could chew.
41. bite one’s tongue – keep oneself from speaking. I had to bite my
tongue in order not to tell him that he won the raffle.
42. bite the dust – die, disappear. Our old TV didn’t work yesterday. I
guess it finally bit the dust.
43. blab – talk too much. She is always blabbing about her supervisor’s
personal life to her friends.
© 2005 - 2007 PronunciationWorkshop.com, LLC – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, The Pronunciation
800 Most Commonly Used Idioms
Workshop Manual in- America
Session 1
44. blabbermouth – person who talks too much and tells secrets. He
is such a blabbermouth that there is no way Bob will be surprised for
his party.
45. black sheep – a family member with a bad reputation. John’s way of
life is so different from all of ours. He is known as the black sheep
of the family.
46. blind date – a date arranged for two people who don’t know each
other. Many married couples have met on a blind date.
47. blow it – lose a chance, make a mistake. I knew I blew it when I
forgot my lines in the play.
48. blow over – end, pass. She knew her coworkers will eventually
forget how she messed up the filing system in the office. She couldn’t
wait for the incident to blow over.
49. blow the whistle – expose, betray. I just found out that he’s
been stealing from our company for the past year. I don’t want it to
continue and I’ve decided to blow the whistle.
50. boil down – make shorter, condense. This whole complicated
situation just boils down to something simple…it’s either a yes or a no.
51. bomb – fail, be unsuccessful. The whole cast was very sad that the
show bombed on Broadway.
52. bone to pick with someone – complaint, argument. I heard that
you have rejected my proposal. I’m upset and have a bone to pick with you.
53. boob tube – television set. What is on the boob tube tonight?
54. bookworm – person who reads a lot. The library is the perfect place
for her to work because she is such a bookworm.
55. booze – liquor – They kept bottles of booze behind the bar.
56. botch up – make a mistake, ruin. I asked for her help with my
watercolor painting. But when she decided to add some purple paint, I
knew that she completely botched it up.
57. bottom line – end result, ultimate cause. He never practiced the
piano, so the bottom line is, he can’t play very well.
58. bounce – not acceptable because of insufficient funds in the bank. If
your check bounces, I will need to charge you extra money.
59. brain – intelligent person. She is such a brain, she will figure out
how to solve the problem.
© 2005 - 2007 PronunciationWorkshop.com, LLC – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4
