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60+ Most Common Idioms & Example Phrases List In English

60+ Most Common Idioms & Example Phrases List In English
Written by Englishilm

Most Common Idioms and Phrases! An idiom is a combination of words or a phrase that has a proper meaning but does not have a literal meaning (word-by-word meaning). Common idioms Or we can say that if we try to translate an idiom word for word, its meaning will be different.

For example, a white elephant: means a useless person or a person having no benefit. But if we try to translate it word by word it would become an elephant of white color.

The Most Common Idioms List:

A bone of contention: Reason for Conflict

  • This land is a bone of contention among the brothers.

Bear out: Confirm

  • He will bear out my honesty.

Break out: Blow up

  • War broke out between India and China.
IDIOMS MEANINGS PHRASES
A bone of contention Reasons of Conflict This land is a bone of contention among the brothers.
Above Board Honest and fair His Honesty is above board.
A Birds Eye View Overview You can get a birds-ey view of the city from the hills.
A curtain lecture Wife conflict with husband His wife often gives him a curtain lecture.
A far cry Far away It is a far cry from here to Karachi
 A jailbird convicted criminal He is a jailbird and does not care for the law.
A red-letter day Good day Fourteen August (Pakistan Independence Day) is a red-letter day for us.
A white elephant Useless with no benefit This old car is a wild elephant for me
A wild goose chase No gain Passing the BA examination without effort is a wild goose chase.
All and sundry Everyone All and sundry were invited to the party.

60+ Most Common Idioms & Example Phrases List In English

IDIOMS MEANINGS PHRASES
All at sea Worried He was all at sea and could not answer a single question.
All in all All things considered A principal is all in all in college.
An ax to grind Private purpose Asim will help you only when he has an ax to grind.
An eyewash Cheating Her tears were nothing but an eyewash.
Animal spirits Full of cheers The actor was full of animal spirits.
At daggers drawn Conflictions The two friends are at dagger dawn these days.
At sixes and seven Without  proper arrangement His books were lying at six and seven.
At a stone through Near Our house is a stone through from Salma’s.
Back out U-turn He promised to help me but now he has backed out.
Back up Care for We back up the rights of Kashmiris.

60+ Most Common Idioms & Example Phrases List In English

IDIOMS MEANINGS PHRASES
Bag and baggage With everything they have He left the city bag and baggage.
Bear out Confirm He will bear out my honesty.
Beat about the bush Rubbish talking Do not beat about the bush come to the point.
Better half Wife Salma is my better half.
Bird of passage Vagabond He does not stop at one place, he is a bird of passage.
Birds of features Same thoughts Birds of feature flick together.
Black sheep Fake actors Get rid of black sheep if you want to succeed.
Bluestocking Women fond of studying She is a bluestocking lady in our family.
Bone of contention Reason of Conflict This land is a bone of contention among them.
Bosom Friend True friend Aslam is my bosom friend.

60+ Most Common Idioms & Example Phrases List In English

IDIOMS MEANINGS PHRASES
Bread and butter Income He works hard to earn his bread and butter
Break out Blow up War broke out between India and China.
Bring to book Take to task The criminal must be brought to book.
Bring to light Reveal His crimes were brought to light
Burn the midnight oil Great hard work He burnt the midnight oil and got success.
Burn the candle at both ends Consume uselessly He burnt the candle at both ends and soon came to grief.
Bury the hatchet End up fight Let us bury the hatchet and be friends again.
By and by Slowly slowly By and by, she will recover.
By and large Totally By and large, he is going well.
Capital punishment Sentence of death The terrorist was given capital punishment.

60+ Most Common Idioms & Example Phrases List In English

IDIOMS MEANINGS PHRASES
Carry the day Be successful Our hockey team carried the day.
Cat and dog life Always in a fight The husband and wife are leading a cat and dog life.
Cat’s paw Instrument He is a cat’s paw in the hands of his wife.
Cheeks by jowl Close The two friends were sitting cheeks by jowl.
Cold-blooded murder Cruel murder Everybody lamented her cold-blooded murder.
Cocks and bull story Fake story I could not believe her cocks and bull story.
Chicken-hearted fellow Coward man He proved a chicken-hearted fellow in the fight.
Come of Have a relation to He comes from a very noble family.
Come off Happens Her marriage will come off next month.
Crocodile tears Fake tears She shed crocodile tears before her husband.

60+ Most Common Idioms & Example Phrases List In English

IDIOMS MEANINGS PHRASES
Cut a sorry figure Apologetic He cut a sorry figure in the debate.
Cut and dried Clear and well planned There are no cut-and-dried rules in this office.
Cut to quick Hurt someone feeling His insulting remarks cut her to the quick.
Dark horse Hidden gem He proved a dark horse in the election.
Dead letter Ended law This law now has become a dead letter.
Die in harness Killed in effort The poor worker died in harness.
Do away with End something He did away with his weakness in English.
Dog in manger One who creates a disturbance Selfish people follow a dog in the manager’s policy.
Drawn game Equal pay The two teams played a drawn game.
Face the music Will bear If you fail you have to face the music.
Fall foul of Having a fight We should not fall foul of someone.

60+ Most Common Idioms & Example Phrases List In English

60+ Most Common Idioms PDF Book

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Englishilm