Famous one word expressions - Word и Excel - помощь в работе с программами

Have you ever felt that people, who talk too much about nothing, start to irritate you after a while? In some situations, it’s possible to agree that talkative people can be too annoying! Of course, sometimes we cannot bring all the necessary nuances of some cases without a detailed story.

However, it doesn’t mean that you need to use many additional words to share your ideas. It’s easy to lose the whole essence of a conversation in the thousands of words!

Everybody knows how useful words can be! In this regard, you shouldn’t underestimate the power of one-word expressions and quotes! Even a single word of encouragement can help you to cheer up a person; while a simple word, said in a heated moment, is able to hurt a man to a core. Isn’t it powerful?

Words can be used as both a medicine and poison at the same time! Words are an efficient way to manipulate public opinion as well as each individual. That’s why you should always choose carefully what you want to say to avoid misunderstanding of any kind!

Perhaps, it sounds confusing, but one word may be enough to reach a specific goal! You’ll be surprised to hear that it’s easy to get a piece of motivation with the help of only one word! It’s not hard to remember motivational quotes, consisted only of a single word, to improve your life. Find your inspiration in the inspirational one-word quotes we’ve rounded up for you below!

What do you think of the idea to use famous one word sayings about life and love are the best ideas as captions for Instagram, Facebook, and other social networks in order to attract somebody’s attention? Sounds interesting, right? That’s why pay your attention to the following 1 word quotations.

They are simple to focus on and easy to use. You don’t need to spend a lot of time writing or reading these meaningful quotes and sayings: concise, deep, useful, universal, effective. Do you need any other reasons to save some of the great images with one word quotes to live by?

Whatever happens in your life, always remember that brevity is the soul of wit! Enjoy the following one word quotes for all occasions!

Inspirational Quotes To Show The Power Of One Word

Do you know at least one person who doesn’t need to be motivated? It’s easy to predict your negative answer. Sooner or later everybody needs to get a word of inspiration and motivation!

No matter how much purposeful and self-motivated you are, you’ll definitely face times of disappointment and tiredness on the way to your goal. In the case, you feel the lack of strength to move on, pay attention to the inspirational one word quotes! Be sure, even one word from the list below will inspire you:

Better than a thousand hollow words, is one word that brings peace. – Buddha
Everything starts with one step, or one brick, or one word or one day. – Jeremy Gilley
I cannot take back one word or action; the past does not change for anyone. – Charles Van Doren
Sometimes kids ask how I’ve been able to write so many books. The answer is simple: one word at a time. Which is another good lesson, I think. You don’t have to do everything at once. You don’t have to know how every story is going to end. You just have to take that next step, look for that next idea, write that next word. – Andrew Clements
One word can end a fight; One hug can start a friendship; One smile can bring Unity; One person can change your entire life! – Israelmore Ayivor

Vital One Word Sayings about Life

It may seem that it’s almost impossible to tell others about your life or thoughts with the help of just one word! It’s a widespread mistake! From time to time, a single word, chosen carefully, maybe eloquent!

Why should you believe us? This is because almost all elements of our life, important for people, can be called in one word: happiness, love, family, belief, encouragement, support, etc. Who knows, maybe, these one word sayings about life will become your guiding principle:

My biggest regret could be summed up in one word, and that’s procrastination. – Ron Cooper
What drove me and kept me going over the decades? If I had to use a single word, it would be ‘curiosity’. – Eve Arnold
Opportunities – You only get few chances to change yourself. Make sure you avail the opportunity that comes your way. – Unknown
Forgive. Forgiveness doesn’t make the other person right; it makes you free. – Stormie Omartian
The meaning of life. The wasted years of life. The poor choices of life. God answers the mess of life with one word: ‘grace.’ – Max Lucado

Powerful 1 Word Quotes for You To Live By

You have already heard how powerful one word can be. However, you may think that it’s only the myth, created for too gullible people. You have the chance to admit that you were wrong with your thoughts!

Relevant quotes with 1 necessary word are exactly what you need to live by! Let the following one word quotes be your life motto:

All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope. – Winston Churchill
Dare. Failures are made only by those who fail to dare, not by those who dare to fail. – Lester B. Pearson
The one word that no politician will ever speak, is ‘enough.’ Enough. – Carl Hiaasen
If I had to describe myself in one word, ‘Hercules.‘ – Bryce Harper
I get paralyzingly nervous a lot of times, so I tried bravado. The way I dress and carry myself, a lot of people find it intimidating. I think my whole career can be boiled down to the one word I always say in meetings: ‘strength.’ – Lorde

Famous One Word Quotes about Everything

Every situation in our life can be defined with one word. It’s up to you to decide what word it will be! There are so many things that influence your choice of the word! Everything depends on the time, place, personal attitude, feelings, and so on.

In any case, famous one word quotes will interest you as soon as they reveal the most popular aspects of life!

Forgive. Forgiveness doesn’t make the other person right; it makes you free. – Stormie Omartian
If someone was like, ‘Describe yourself in one word,’ I would never say, ‘Handsome.’ – Ian Harding
Encourage. Appreciation can make a day – even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary. – Margaret Cousins
Forgive. Forgiveness doesn’t make the other person right; it makes you free. – Stormie Omartian
The one word that makes a good manager – decisiveness. – Lee Iacocca

Best One Word Quotes About Love

When people hear the word “love”, all of them associate it with something personal. As a rule, they unlikely to have the same thoughts. However, love has one meaning, common to everybody! What is love for you? Is it an innermost feeling, or a problem for you? If you still cannot define what love means exactly, don’t miss the best one word quotes about love! Isn’t it a good way to understand other people?

One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love. – Sophocles
The cure for all the ills and wrongs, the cares, the sorrows, and the crimes of humanity, all lie in the one word ‘love‘. It is the divine vitality that everywhere produces and restores life. – Lydia M. Child
Be Impeccable With Your Word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love. – Don Miguel Ruiz
Love is a special word, and I use it only when I mean it. You say the word too much and it becomes cheap. – Ray Charles
I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant. – Martin Luther King

Universal Single Word to Use in Motivational Quotes

People are used to thinking that long texts and phrases are better to use to motivate somebody. It’s a common belief that you should make up a kind of essay to persuade a person to change his or her life, move on, reach different goals and so on.

Although a thousand words are useful, sometimes this way may be counterproductive! Do you really want to waste your precious time, trying to cheer somebody up? We don’t think so!

That’s why you’d better apply to motivational quotes with a single word! If it’s impossible to help your friend with a single word, you don’t have any chances to motivate him or her even with a thousand words!

One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice–president, and that one word is ‘to be prepared‘. – Dan Quayle
Action. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Fly – Don’t think what would happen if you fail! Think, what if you fly? – Unknown
Dream – Have the courage to pursue your dreams. Live them and act on them. -Unknown
The strong manly ones in life are those who understand the meaning of the word patience. – Tokugawa Ieyasu

Witty One Word Captions for Instagram

Don’t know how to make your page on the social net popular? Do you think that you have tried everything? That’s not entirely true! You haven’t used witty one word captions for social pages, collected in the post!

The users of Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter will become interested in the short, but creative captions, used on your page! Don’t write long posts. They make everybody bored, so people begin losing their interest in your profile. One word captions are what you need!

Grateful. I am grateful for all of my blessings.
Kindness. I express myself with love and kindness.
Freedom – You’re free to go. Enjoy the air of freedom and live your life.
Question. I ask the right questions to progress in the right direction.
Think. I create my day and life with the thoughts I think.

Great 1 Word Quotations on Universal Images

Great images with only one word are much more attractive than the same with long text. You’re surely puzzled over this statement now, aren’t you? In fact, one word contains the kind of mystery.

People can solve it, but the truth is that the answer will be different for different people. Don’t look for the deeper meaning of the following 1 word quotations on images, enjoy them:

Examples:

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Advertising

In the Little Caesars’ commercials, the eponymous character only says «Pizza, pizza!»
An early-2000s commercial for the Visa Check Card featured NBA player Yao Ming. Yao attempts to buy a souvenir from a store by writing a check, but all the employees only respond «Yo!» and point to a sign that says checks are not allowed. Yao, who was still learning English, thought they were trying to say his name but just saying it incorrectly.
During the 2019 U.S. tax season, financial software company Intuit ran a series of commercials for their TurboTax software in which every speaking character, in place of actual dialogue, only uses the word «free» throughout to emphasize the fact that using TurboTax «won’t cost you a cent». Three years later they shelled out $141 million to settle a class action lawsuit, as they made it very difficult for consumers to emerge without paying.

Anime & Manga

Aggretsuko: The instructor at the yoga class Retsuko starts taking in episode 4 can only communicate by saying the word «Protein!»
In Chainsaw Man, one of Quanxi’s assistants is a Genki Girl who can only say «Halloween.» She is actually the Cosmos Fiend, whose special ability is that she has all the knowledge that ever was and ever will be in her head. This leaves her in a perpetual state of information overload, unable to think of anything but Halloween—and can inflict it on other people if she can think about something other than Halloween for an instant.
In the movie Dragon Ball Z: Broly � Second Coming, compared to his previous movie, all Broly ever says is «KAKAROT!» He does have one line that isn’t him yelling that near the end, «Not until you lie dead at my feet.»
Nyu, Lucy’s innocent alternate persona in Elfen Lied, only ever says the word she was named by others after. Real Lucy, on the other hand, is a lot more eloquent.
In The Promised Neverland, Adam only ever says a single number, 22194. After the Goldy Pond arc, he adds Emma’s ID number to his vocabulary.
In Tamagotchi: The Movie, Mametchi invents a little portable named Mamesunnytchi to light up the way whenever it gets dark, since he’s scared of the dark. The only word Mamesunnytchi ever says is «twinkle».
In Yuki Yuna is a Hero, the only fairy who can talk is Karin’s, Yoshiteru, and he only speaks one sentence, «All things must pass,» randomly and repeatedly. (Though of course, it winds up being meaningful near the finale.) This technically makes him the only male character with a line of dialogue.

Asian Animation

Flower Fairy: In Season 7 episode 3, the Harvest Guardian only says «fengshou» («立秋»), or «harvest».
Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf: Boxer, Sparky’s pet boxing gloves, can only say «Get ’em!» (in the English dub, at least).

Comedy

Stan Freberg’s famous record «John and Marsha» is a spoof of soap operas consisting of just the main characters saying each other’s name («John!» «Marsha!») in different dramatic intonations.

Comic Books

In Adventures In The Rifle Brigade, only the officers of the title group have actual dialogue. The enlisted men are this trope: Sergeant Crumb («‘ey oop»), Corporal Geezer («Yer aht of ordah!»), and Private Hank the Yank («Gawd Dammit!»). The Piper, the final member of the squad, is The Voiceless.
The Boys has Groundhawk of the G-Men; all he does is growl the word «Gonna!»
Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy spends a long time only able to say «I am Groot». This started out being a reflection of how much his intelligence had been reduced since Tales to Astonish, but was later presented as if he was saying quite complex things if you could understand him (the first character to claim this was Maximus the Mad, and most people assumed he was living up to his name, but later Rocket Raccoon became a Translator Buddy). In Infinity Countdown, Groot’s speech returned to what it was in his original appearance.
Saga has Lying Cat, whose spoken vocabulary only consists of «Lying», spoken when she hears a lie.
X-Men has Rover the Sentinel, who can only say «Destroy!»

Comic Strips

In B.C., the character Grog only says his name, usually quite loudly.

Fanfic

Ashes of the Past: Mr. Suziko, who just says «Remarkable», such as in Chapter 180, until the end of Chapter 299, where Nurse Joy says it instead and he summarizes the contest in her place:
«It’s a draw!» Mr. Sukizo announced. «A wonderful display of skill, where the two Coordinators are exactly evenly matched to the point that they can’t even be separated by a tie break!»
He spread his hands. «It’s a heartwarming reminder that sometimes, even though a Contest is about picking winners, ultimately what really matters is that everyone does their best and has fun doing it!»
«Remarkable!» Nurse Joy agreed.
Mr. Contesta rubbed his temples. «I think I need a stiff drink. Nothing makes sense any more.»
A toddler Youmu in Apartment Gensokyo mostly says «Muh». She does have variations of the word (and can say other things besides the word) but «muh» is all she ever says.

Films — Animation

The seagulls in Finding Nemo can only say «Mine!» whenever they see a potential meal (whatever unlucky sea creatures they want to hunt).
Pumpkin Ellingboe from Klaus only ever says �Mine!�.
Nugent the dog from Over the Hedge only says «Play!».

Films — Live-Action

The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training: the Bears use the mentally challenged groundskeeper as a beard so they can go on a road trip without any supervision. All he can say is Hello! How are you?» Except at the end when he says «Goodbye.»
Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey: The alien Station can only say «station».
In Death Line, the male cannibal can only repeat the phrase «Mind the doors» over and over again.
In The Deer Hunter, Axel’s only line, repeated several times, is «Fuckin’ A.»
Groot from Marvel Cinematic Universe only ever says «I am Groot». Though near the end of Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), he manages to say, «We are Groot.»
Throughout Hot Fuzz Lurch only says «Yarp», as an affirmative answer to any question, leading to a gag in which Nicholas, impersonating Lurch via walkie talkie, has to guess that «Narp» is a negative answer.
Uh-Huh from The Little Rascals (1994); to the point it’s a Verbal Tic Name. At the end of the film, he reveals he has a very big vocabulary for a 5-year old boy; he just never had to say anything beyond «Uh-huh».
The invading Martians in Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks! can speak only one syllable («Ack»), changing its timing and infliction to change the meaning. Somehow, Doctor Kessler is able to translate this monosyllable language into English.
In Trading Places, the two very big jailbirds call bullshit on Billy Ray’s bragging; one of them only ever says «Yeah!» to what the other one has just said.

Literature

In The Belgariad, the boy known as «Errand» only says the word «Errand» for the first part, mainly because the only thing Zedar ever told him was «I have an errand for you.» He eventually learns to talk normally.
Discworld:
- The Librarian only says «ook», «eek» and «ooo».
- In The Wee Free Men there’s a man in fairyland who only says «sneebs». Slight twist in that his actual meaning (normal words) appears in the hearer’s brain.
- In a dream sequence in Wintersmith, Tiffany Aching meets the «Jolly Sailor» who appears on her grandmother’s tobacco packets. He can only say «A Good Smoke in Any Weather!» because that’s what’s written in his speech bubble on the packet.
- Quoth the raven subverts this by refusing to say «the N word», «nevermore» (and was thus named by a previous owner, a wizard with a deplorable sense of humor).
- Another animal character with a vocabulary like this is the Death of Rats, whose dialogue consists entirely of «SQUEAK» (always in all capitals).
Cody from Language Arts knew a lot of words as a toddler, but lost all of them except for «God.» That word got shortened to «Gaaaah,» which he applied to everything, including his sister Emmy.
In Mary Poppins, the Bird Woman only says two phrases: «Feed the birds!» and «Tuppence a bag!». Subverted in the sequels that reveal that she can also speak other words, when not selling birdseed.
In Edgar Allan Poe’s «The Raven», the only thing the titular bird ever says is «Nevermore».
Hodor from A Song of Ice and Fire can only say «Hodor». Interestingly, Hodor’s actual name is Walder, but since the only thing he ever says is Hodor people started to call him that.

Live-Action TV

On All That, Kel Mitchell’s recurring character Lump Maroon only ever says the word «Jupiter».
The Korean boy adopted by the Bluths in Arrested Development only says «Annyong», which the others assume is his name. It’s actually «Hello» in Korean. In the finale of the regular series it is revealed that not only can he speak English, but he’s actually a spy getting revenge on the Bluths for stealing his father’s frozen banana business. And his real name is Hel-loh.
In Bread, small-time gangster Yizzel only says the single word «Yeah!», usually in response to his more talkative colleague (billed as ‘Yizzel’s Mate’) calling on him for support.
Magnitude from Community only ever says his Catchphrase, «Pop pop!» In an episode where he is told he can no longer use the phrase, he becomes extremely distraught.
In Father Ted, the elderly Father Jack Hackett’s minimalist vocabulary is something of a recurring gag.
Drink! Girls! Feck!
Kimmy’s boyfriend Dwayne from Full House only ever says «Whatever».
Mystery Science Theater 3000. In the episode Time Chasers, 1985-Mike Nelson’s coworker at the cheese factory only ever says, «Dude.» He actually manages to convey quite a bit just by varying his tone.
The Clive Anderson and Drew Carey runs of Whose Line Is It Anyway? featured an improv game titled «Two Line Vocabulary», in which two panelists are each limited to two different lines’ worth of dialog.

Podcasts

The Juntawa in Mission to Zyxx speak a tonal, highly-contextual language which consists entirely of the word «Juntawa».

Puppet Shows

All Bunsen’s partner Beaker from The Muppet Show can say is «Meep meep».
Sesame Street:
- Frazzle is a monster who can only say «Arrrrgh!» In a song dedicated to him his friends tell the audience how he says certain words or expresses emotions, all of which are «Arrrgh!»
- In the early ’90s, a female construction worker Muppet named Stella was often seen with Biff and Sully, and all she could say was «Yo!»

Radio

Sy, a Recurring Character on The Jack Benny Program (played by Mel Blanc) was a Mexican who mostly said «Si», and the rest of his vocabulary was made up of similar words.

Roleplay

Kwang the squirrel from Dawn of a New Age: Oldport Blues. Hyeon is capable of speaking with animals, and most are able to converse with him okay, but Kwang is only capable of saying «Mom» in various inflections.

Theatre

In The Addams Family musical, zombie butler Lurch communicates in a low growl. Naturally, the Beinekes can’t understand him at all. Also subverted: at the end of the show, Lurch starts the song «Move Toward the Darkness».
In Lady Windermere’s Fan, the only phrase Lady Agatha says is «Yes, Mamma».
In Monica Bauer’s play The Maternal Instinct, there is a homeless woman who can only say the word «Ouch».

Video Games

The Arfenhouse games (and movies) have giant Pringles cans that say nothing but «BUUUUH!»
Borderlands: Steve the bandit only has one word in his entire vocabulary: «Hey-o!» In the Massive Multiplayer Crossover game Poker Night 2, Borderlands regular CL4P-TP lampshades this:
CL4P-TP: Well, of COURSE you won with those cards. Even Steve would’ve won with those cards, and all he can say is «Hey-ooo!»
Steve: [off-screen] Hey-
CL4P-TP: SHUT THE @#$% UP STEVE. And people say I’m annoying.
Chibi-Robo!: The only thing Jenny can say is «Ribbit,» unless she’s talking to Chibi-Robo in the frog suit. She grows out of it in later games.
In The Darkside Detective, zombies can only say «Brains!» with a variety of inflections, but are able to convey meaning to anyone who knows the language.
The dwarf Sandal in the Dragon Age franchise is an Idiot Savant who has a gift for enchanting weapons and armor—rare for his species. «Enchantment» is also the only word he can say.
Fallout:
- Vault 108 in Fallout 3 featured a cloning experiment Gone Horribly Wrong, and the clones were only able to utter the name of their original template called «Gary».
- In Fallout 4, the Super Mutant Behemoth Swan can only say his name, which is a step above other Behemoths, who don’t speak at all.
In Five Nights at Fuckboy’s, Chica, as well as her Withered and Phantom counterparts, is only capable of saying «Devour my hot bird ass Freddy». Sometimes, she adds «dead» before «Freddy» when talking about him being dead, or replaces «Freddy» with other name of whoever she addresses (like Splash Woman), or just drops «Freddy» entirely, but otherwise, she’s incapable of saying anything else. The only time when she said something other than her usual phrase is when she and her fellow animatronics got trapped in the 80’s, resulting in Chica uttering a single «Fuck». Though, as her conversation with Freddy in Act 3 of the third game shows, she can convey different meanings with her phrase, which can be understood by anyone who knows her closely.
Five Nights at Vault 5: The only thing the third robot ever says is shouting «Intruder!» whenever he sees the player.
Tisiphone from Hades: Her vocabulary consists purely of «murder» and «murderer», usually spoken with plenty of Trrrilling Rrrs. Zagreus starts out somewhat creeped out by both this and her appearance, but soon learns to take it in stride and begins openly snarking at her. She later learns one additional word: «Zagreus» to which she uses to form the sentence «Murder Zagreus».
Bon Bonne from the Mega Man Legends series can only say «babu». Justified, since he is a baby.
Most zombies in the Plants vs. Zombies series can only say the name of their favorite food and greatest desire, «brains».
In Resident Evil 3, Nemesis can only say «S.T.A.R.S.» because he’s a Living Weapon engineered to fight members of our hero’s organization S.T.A.R.S.

Web Animation

Battle for Dream Island: David is only able to say «Aw, seriously?».
Seen in the Newgrounds flash series Larry the Littlest Freakin Knight, with a minion who can literally only say «yes». The big bad thinks it’s hysterical, and makes him say yes to increasingly absurd and embarrassing questions.

Webcomics

The Turk from Clockwork Game, could only say one word: «Echec», meaning «Check». Justified in that it was a machine, and its vocal apparatus (designed in the 19th-century) could only say that one word. Previously, it was unable to speak at all.
In Hoofstuck, Cloud Kicker’s only dialogue is «Cloud!» It’s apparently a proper language, as a few characters actually understand her. It even shows up as a Painting the Medium gag: when you play as Cloud Kicker in the interactive flash walkaround, the text on all her prompt buttons is replaced with «Cloud!»
Housepets! : Daisy has only said «Hi! I’m Daisy!» during the course of the strip.
Early on in Scandinavia and the World, Finland only ever says «Perkele.» It’s an obscenity. Averted later, though.
When Bubbles the intelligent watercooler first appears in Skin Horse, all she can say is the phrase «Service is my only joy!» As she develops (and starts dating Unity) she begins using fragments of this sentence to mean different things. (Muttering «Service, service» when she’d rather be on a date with Unity, for instance.) And then she spontaneously develops the ability to say «Service is NOT my only joy!» under Tigerlily’s influence.
- After she spends some time with one of the Killotron robots (who themselves have a downplayed example where they will replace certain words in sentences with their One Word, like the Smurfs), she learns the word «destroy», bringing her total vocabulary to seven words.

Web Original

A man in this video only says «hello» while he is stuck in an elevator. That is until he surprises us at the very last 5 seconds with «fucking bastards!».
There was much amusement in 2014 at the release of a phone app called Yo, which did nothing but send out the word «Yo» to whoever the user wanted to contact. Naturally, it proved wildly popular.

Web Videos

Critical Role:
- In Campaign 1, after Doty is left in the Nine Hells, Taryon creates a new Doty, and gives him the ability to speak one word: «Tary».
- In Campaign 2, after Mollymauk is revived, he is only able to say «empty», though he eventually calls the other members of the Mighty Nein he knows by the tarot cards he made of them; Yasha is Love, Beau is Rumors, Veth is Tinkerer, Caleb is Magician, Fjord is Sea, and Jester is Joy.
In one of The Nostalgia Critic‘s commercial reviews, this is used for a joke in the commercial about Denny’s «Red, White & Blue» pancakes. When the old man says «America» in response to the question about what the pancakes taste like, the Critic goes off on an inspired tangent about how the entire history and everything the country stands for is contained within these pancakes, only to realize shortly after that «America» is all that the old man can say.
In Yugioh The Abridged Series Bandit Keith’s underling Bones only says «Brains», though the inflection changes and translates to more complex sentences. It is unclear whether others actually understand his meaning.
Clint of Lazy Game Reviews has a «Christmas Clone» of himself that shows up every December to force him to do Christmas Episodes. His vocabulary consists entirely of the word «Christmas».

Western Animation

Bunsen Is a Beast: The Halloween Episode «Beast Halloween Ever» features a candy-obsessed beast named Sweet Teeth, who is unable to say anything besides «candy». Somehow, this doesn’t prevent the other characters from understanding him.
Chowder: Shnitzel can only say «Radda». When he drew a card in a board game and read it, the card contained the text; «Radda radda radda.»
Dexter’s Laboratory: One episode has Dexter screw up trying to learn French in his sleep and wake up the next morning only able to say «omelette du fromage» (roughly «omelette with cheese».) Curiously, though, he finds that saying that actually works in normal conversation, to the point that he’s able to answer class questions, order lunch, and even bring about world peace just by saying that single phrase. But the only thing he can’t do? Speak the password to his laboratory.
The Flamin’ Thongs: Rerp’s entire vocabulary consists one word: «Rerp». Nevertheless, Holden seems to understand him. Lampshaded is «Jurassic Dork» when Holden asks Rerp what he should name his new pet diprotodon. Rerp replies «rerp», and Holden considers that for few seconds before deciding two pets named «Rerp» would be too confusing.
Gravity Falls: Shmebulock is the only forest gnome who’s cursed to say his own name and nothing else. He tends to communicate with body language to compensate for the lack of verbal diversity. Same goes with his father Shmebulock Sr. However, he can be seen shouting «Queen!» with the other gnomes in the first episode to Mabel.
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius: Jimmy’s Do-Anything Robot dog Goddard only ever says «Bark!» — and not like a normal dog would; he actually, literally says that word as-is, just like it’s spelled.
Josie and the Pussycats: When the show was Recycled IN SPACE!, it appended the alien creature Bleep, who speaks only in bleeps. Fortunately, Genius Ditz Melody is Suddenly Fluent in Gibberish and can easily translate Bleep-speak into English. Curiously, no reverse translation is needed for Bleep, who can understand English just fine.
Lilo & Stitch: The Series:
- 627, who has been designed by Jumba to be even more powerful than Stitch himself. Not only that, but he also cannot be turned good and the only word that he can say is «Evil» (although the later Stitch! anime expanded his vocabulary).
- The same show also introduced Felix, a Neat Freak experiment who could only say «Dirty!»
Max and Ruby: Roger only ever says «Uh huh» and «uh-uh». In later seasons, he starts speaking more.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic:
- The vocabulary of Big Macintosh mostly consists of two words: «Eeyup» and «Nope». Thie is a case of flanderization, as he did have more dialogue in his first appearance, which is handwaved in «Hearts and Hooves Day» when Apple Bloom points out that Big Mac is rather shy when it comes to ponies he’s not related to. Most of his other dialogue falls under O.O.C. Is Serious Business. He does start talking more in later seasons, especially around his girlfriend.
- Pinkie Pie’s twin sister Marble Pie only says «Mmm-hmm».
ReBoot: Al is never seen, he is only ever heard shouting «WHAT?» from offscreen.
Road Runner: The only thing that the Roadrunner ever says is «Beep Beep».
Rugrats: Played with for Chuckie. Although he can use actual dialogue with the babies, in the last three seasons, following Rugrats in Paris, the only word he can say to the adults is «No,» regardless of the context.
The Simpsons: In «Who Shot Mr. Burns», Mr. Burns awakens from a coma, with only the words «Homer Simpson» in his vocabulary.
SpongeBob SquarePants: The anchovies only ever say «meep», over and over again. Although this is (sometimes) averted in later episodes.
Star Trek: Lower Decks: In «Cupid’s Errant Arrow», although the parasite can say other words, it mostly just exclaims «Lover!» over and over again.
Teen Titans Go!:
- One episode had Cyborg and Beast Boy apparently only be able to say the word «waffles».
- Pain-Bot can only say one of two things: «Pain» and «All I know is pain».
The Banana Bandits from Top Wing can only say «Banana».
The Tick has two alien races, the Whats and the Heys, whose languages consist solely of the words «What» and «Hey» respectively. The Whats sent to gain the Tick’s aid do speak fluent English, and their interrogator also appears to speak Hey quite well.
T.U.F.F. Puppy: Bird Brain’s Bumbling Henchmen Duo Owl and Bat only say «Who?» and «Where?» respectively, which drives him mad.

Real Life

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Last updated:

April 13, 2023

Have you ever heard an English phrase that didn’t make sense even though you understood all the words? It was probably an idiom: a phrase that doesn’t translate literally.

Idioms are super common, so you need to understand them to understand English.

Read on to learn 103 English idioms you can use in conversation to sound more fluent!

English Idioms with Common Verbs
English Idioms with Common Prepositions
English Idioms About Money
English Idioms with Body Parts
English Idioms About Food
English Idioms About Weather
English Idioms About Nature
How to Practice English Idioms

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English Idioms with Common Verbs

1. Hit the books

Literally, hit the books means to physically hit your reading books, but this phrase is actually used to say that you’re going to study.

Sorry, but I can’t watch the game with you tonight. I have to hit the books.

2. Hit the sack

The literal meaning of this would be physically hitting or beating a sack (a large bag), but idiomatically, it means you’re going to bed. You can also say hit the hay.

It’s time for me to hit the sack. I’m so tired.

3. Twist someone’s arm

To twist someone’s arm would be rather painful if you took it literally, but it really means they’ve been convinced to do something they wouldn’t have done otherwise.

I wasn’t going to go to the party, but my friends twisted my arm and got me to go.

4. Stab someone in the back

While it still hurts, the idiomatic meaning of this phrase is not nearly as painful as literally being stabbed. What this actually means is to hurt someone who trusted you by betraying them.

I can’t believe she would cheat and stab me in the back like this! I really trusted her.

5. Lose your touch

No, this doesn’t mean you’ve lost your physical sense of touch. To lose your touch actually means to lose a skill you once had.

She used to be the best hairstylist in town, but she’s really losing her touch.

6. Sit tight

This does not mean you sit down and hold your body as tightly as you can. If a person tells you to sit tight, what they really want you to do is wait patiently.

Sit tight while I go see if Mr. Henkel is ready to see you.

7. Pitch in

This phrase may once have had a literal meaning to do with farm work (think pitchfork), but it isn’t used that way now. Figuratively speaking, it means to contribute (give) or to join in.

Let’s all pitch in a few dollars so we can buy Sally a really good present for her birthday.

8. Go cold turkey

To go cold turkey means to suddenly stop a (usually dangerous) behavior, such as drinking alcohol. A person who suddenly quits something addictive can suffer from pale skin and goosebumps, making them look like a cold, uncooked turkey.

I quit smoking cold turkey and never felt the need to go back.

9. Face the music

If someone tells you to face the music, they want you to deal with the reality of a situation and accept all the consequences.

You need to face the music. You failed because you didn’t study, so you need to take the class again next semester.

10. Ring a bell

When someone says something that you may have heard before, but don’t remember entirely, you can use this phrase to let them know it’s familiar but you may need a reminder.

That name rings a bell, but I can’t quite remember where I know her from.

11. Blow off steam

If you’re experiencing some strong feelings and need to calm down, you can blow off steam by doing something to get rid of the stress.

If my mom gets mad, she’ll usually go on a run to blow off some steam.

12. Cut to the chase

When somebody tells you to cut to the chase, it means that you’ve been talking too long and you need to get to the point. Be careful how you use this idiom; it could be rude or disrespectful if used with someone like a boss or teacher.

Hi, guys. We don’t have much time here, so I’m going to cut to the chase.

English Idioms with Common Prepositions

Prepositions are words that indicate where one thing is in relation to another. These include the words up, on and over, as you’ll see in the idioms below.

13. Up in the air

If someone tells you that things are up in the air, it means that a situation is uncertain or unsure. It’s as though a ball has been tossed upward, and no one knows exactly where it will land.

Our plans for this weekend are up in the air until Jen tells us when she gets off of work.

14. On the ball

If you’re on the ball, it means that you’re very quick to understand things or react quickly (and correctly) to a situation.

Wow, you’ve already finished your assignments? They aren’t due until next week. You’re really on the ball.

15. Get over something

Imagine something happens that upsets you, but as time goes on, you stop feeling as strongly about it. This means that you’ve gotten over it: you no longer worry about it and it no longer affects you in a negative way.

It took a while, but I finally got over breaking up with Chandler.

16. Over the hill

If you’re getting older (especially over 50) and can’t be as physically or socially active as you used to be, you might say you’re over the hill. Be careful with this idiom, though, since it’s rude to say it about someone else.

I had to slow down after my knee surgery, but I don’t think I’m over the hill just yet.

17. Through thick and thin

When you’re loyal to someone, you support them no matter what happens, good or bad. This is an idiom you can use to say so.

Roger and Sally made it to their 50th anniversary because they stood by each other through thick and thin.

18. Off the chain

If you watch “America’s Got Talent,” you may have heard host Mel B exclaim that an act was “off the chain!” That means it was especially exciting or impressive—usually in a good way, though the expression can also mean “out of control.”

The Spice Girls concert was off the chain!

English Idioms About Money

19. Look like a million bucks

Bucks here is a slang term for “dollars.” If someone tells you that you look like a million bucks, it means you look absolutely fabulous!

Wow, Mary, you look like a million bucks. I love your dress!

20. Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth

This refers to someone who comes from a wealthy and successful family.

John was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so he doesn’t know what it’s like to work hard.

21. To go from rags to riches

“Rags” here refers to old, tattered clothes. This means you’ve gone from being poor to having a lot of money.

Jim Carrey went from rags to riches. He was once living in a van, but eventually became one of the highest-paid comedians in the world.

22. Pay an arm and a leg for something

Use this one when you have to pay a lot of money for something. You can also say that something “costs an arm and a leg.”

Nowadays, you have to pay an arm and a leg just for a tank of gas.

23. To have sticky fingers

If you have sticky fingers, you probably steal a lot. This whimsical idiom suggests that other people’s valuables stick to you when you touch them.

The manager fired the cashier because he had sticky fingers. He stole more than $200 in a month.

24. To give someone a run for their money

If you are competing with someone and you feel like you really had to work hard to outdo them, you can say they gave you a run for your money:

Joe really gave me a run for my money in the chess tournament. He almost beat me!

25. To pony up

This means you need to pay for something or settle a debt.

Pony up and give me the $5 you owe me.

26. To ante up

Ante up comes from the game of poker, where players bet their money before the cards are dealt. Over time, the idiom has come to refer to any type of payment someone owes—not just in poker.

You’d better ante up and give me that $10 I loaned you last week.

27. To up the ante

A similar idiom to ante up is up the ante, which means “raise the stakes.” When people up the ante, they bet more money than the person before them. This is used similarly in everyday conversation, when someone raises a bet or agrees to do more.

I wanted to place a $10 bet on the soccer match, but Daniel upped the ante and raised the bet to $50.

28. Break even

This is the term you use when you’ve spent a certain amount of money, then earned roughly the same amount to balance it out.

The trip to the beach cost me $100, but I almost broke even after winning $90 in a contest.

29. Break the bank

This refers to something that is overly expensive—something that requires more money than you have.

Taking a week-long vacation would break the bank. There’s no way I could afford to do it.

30. To be close-fisted

To be close-fisted (or closefisted) is to be reluctant to spend any money, almost like you’re physically gripping it in your fist. Other words for this could be stingy or cheap.

Carl is so close-fisted, he won’t even buy snacks for the Christmas party.

31. To go Dutch

This is used when everyone pays for their own meal at a restaurant. (Note that this may be perceived as offensive to or by Dutch people.)

Usually we go Dutch when we eat out, but this time I paid for her food since it was her birthday.

32. Shell out money

This means you hand out money to pay for something. It uses “shell” in the sense of shelling peas from a pod.

I wish I hadn’t gotten that new car now that I’m shelling out $1,000 a month in payments.

33. Midas touch

This idiom comes from the story of King Midas, who turned everything he touched into gold. It’s used to say that someone is very successful in their business ventures and has an easy time making money.

Jane really has the Midas touch. Every business she starts becomes very successful.

34. Receive a kickback

If you receive a kickback, it means you are receiving money illegally, like a bribe.

The police chief was arrested after it was revealed that he was receiving kickbacks to ignore certain crimes.

35. Living hand to mouth

This means you’re barely earning enough to survive: any money that comes into your hand is immediately spent on food to put in your mouth.

The family has been living hand to mouth ever since their father lost his job.

36. To be loaded

If someone is loaded, it means they have a lot of money.

Billy paid his Harvard Law School tuition with cash. His family is loaded.

37. Make ends meet

This refers to making enough money to cover the necessities, like buying food and paying the bills.

I don’t make much from my job as a cashier, but I’m able to make ends meet.

38. As genuine as a three-dollar bill

This is an American idiom that is used to say something is fake. The U.S. never made three-dollar bills, so there’s no such thing as a genuine three-dollar bill.

Those supposed designer bags they sell on the street are as genuine as a three-dollar bill.

39. In the red

In a traditional ledger book, debits (losses) are noted in red ink. To be in the red is to lose more money than you make.

I’m in the red this month after paying that speeding ticket.

40. In the black

The opposite of being in the red is being in the black, which means that you’ve made more money than you spent.

After working a couple of small jobs over the weekend, I earned an extra $500 and am back in the black.

English Idioms with Body Parts

41. Eyeball it

Sometimes you don’t need an exact measurement: a rough estimate is good enough. When you estimate an amount of something based on how it looks, you can say you’re eyeballing it.

I’ve made this recipe often, so I didn’t bother to measure out a cup of rice; I just eyeballed it.

42. Rule of thumb

If you hear someone say as a rule of thumb, they mean that it’s a general, unwritten rule learned from experience, as opposed to exact guidelines.

As a rule of thumb, you should always pay for your date’s dinner.

43. Keep your chin up

If you’re having a hard time, a supportive friend might tell you to keep your chin up. This means they are encouraging you to stay positive and not let difficult circumstances get you down.

I know it’s hard having a sick family member, but keep your chin up.

44. Find your feet

If you find yourself in a new situation, like living in a new country and having to get used to a new college, you could say you need to find your feet. It means that you’re still adjusting and getting used to the new environment.

I only moved to France two months ago, so I’m still finding my feet.

45. Play it by ear

If someone says they’re playing it by ear, it means they’re responding to circumstances as they develop without having a plan, like a musician jamming without a musical score.

Don’t ask me where I see myself in five years. I’m playing life by ear.

46. Knuckle down

To knuckle down is to work hard or seriously at a task. If you tend to procrastinate, then you know when it’s time to do this.

My essay is due tomorrow morning! I have to knuckle down and get it done tonight.

English Idioms About Food

47. Spice things up

To spice things up means to make them more interesting or exciting.

Instead of just buying Sam a birthday gift, let’s spice things up by taking him out for dinner.

48. A piece of cake

A piece of cake refers to a task or job that’s easy to do, like eating a delicious piece of cake! If you don’t prefer cake, you can also say it’s easy as pie.

I expected the English test to be difficult, but it was a piece of cake.

49. Cool as a cucumber

Cucumbers have a refreshing taste and leave you with a cool, calm feeling. If you’re cool as a cucumber, you’re someone who’s very calm and relaxed.

My friend is nervous about taking his driving test, but I’m cool as a cucumber.

50. A couch potato

A couch potato refers to someone who spends a lot of time sitting on the couch, watching TV.

After my uncle retired from his job, he became a couch potato.

51. Bring home the bacon

To bring home the bacon means to make an income or earn a living to support your family.

Ever since her father was injured, she’s been working two jobs to bring home the bacon.

52. In hot water

When someone is in hot water, they’re in a bad situation or serious trouble.

Kevin is in hot water after committing tax fraud.

53. Compare apples and oranges

Apples are very different from oranges in both appearance and taste. This idiom is used to suggest that such different things are best considered for their own merits.

I’m not sure which I enjoy more—pottery or dancing. It’s like comparing apples and oranges.

54. Not one’s cup of tea

If something is not your cup of tea, it’s an activity you have no interest in, don’t do very well or don’t enjoy.

Camping is really not my cup of tea, so I’m going to visit my friend in New York instead.

55. Eat like a bird

How much does a bird eat? Not very much, right? To eat like a bird is to eat very little.

Don’t trouble yourself cooking such a big meal. I eat like a bird.

56. Eat like a horse

Now, a horse is much bigger than a bird. You’d be right to guess that to eat like a horse is to eat a lot.

My mother has to cook a lot of food when my brother comes to visit. He eats like a horse.

57. Butter someone up

To butter someone up is to flatter someone in order to win their favor.

I’m going to butter up my mom so she lets me hang out with my friends later.

58. Food for thought

Food for thought refers to something that’s worth thinking carefully about.

Your proposal gave us a lot of food for thought. We’ll get back to you with a decision in a few days.

59. A smart cookie

Here’s an easy one. A smart cookie is an intelligent person.

It shouldn’t be hard too hard for a smart cookie like you to learn Spanish.

60. Packed like sardines

Packed like sardines describes a place or situation that’s very crowded, such as a concert hall or sports event.

Were you at the football game last night? We were packed like sardines in the stadium.

61. Spill the beans

To spill the beans is to accidentally or prematurely give out information that’s supposed to be kept secret.

Owen spilled the beans to Joyce about her surprise party, so she knows what’s happening.

62. A bad apple

If you have a basket of apples and one of them is rotten, the rot can spread quickly to the rest. Idiomatically, a bad apple is a person who creates problems or is a bad influence on the other people in a group.

John’s the bad apple: he gets his friends to do dangerous and illegal things.

63. Bread and butter

Bread and butter are some of the most basic food items that one can live on. The idiom bread and butter refers to a job that makes the money you need to live and afford basic necessities like food, housing, etc.

Fishing is the bread and butter of the friendly people I met on the island last summer.

64. Buy a lemon

To buy a lemon means to buy something (usually a motor vehicle) that doesn’t work well and is therefore worthless.

The car looked so new and shiny. I had no way of knowing I was buying a lemon.

65. A hard nut to crack

Is it easy to crack open a nut? Well, a hard nut to crack refers to a person who’s difficult to get to know or get information out of. (Also appears as a tough nut to crack.)

I want to know what secret she’s hiding, but she’s a hard nut to crack.

66. Have a sweet tooth

Do you like eating cakes, candy and other sweet-tasting food? If you do, then you can say you have a sweet tooth.

I definitely have a sweet tooth: I need dessert every night.

English Idioms About Weather

67. Under the weather

If you’re feeling under the weather, you’re not your usual self and could be feeling a little sick.

I was feeling under the weather, so I called my work and told them I wasn’t coming in.

68. A storm is brewing

This idiom is used in anticipation of trouble. Usually it means there’s been some kind of sign that this trouble is coming.

She decided to go ahead with their wedding, even though all they’ve been doing lately is arguing. I can sense a storm is brewing.

69. Calm before the storm

The air may be still before a storm actually hits. To say there is a calm before the storm is basically saying that things may be peaceful now, but it won’t last.

They had a bit of a honeymoon phase, but that was just the calm before the storm.

70. Weather a storm

It’s not exactly enjoyable to sit through a storm, so it makes sense that this idiom refers to enduring something that is difficult.

They really had to weather the storm while they waited for more people to be hired to help.

71. When it rains, it pours

Bad luck tends to come in batches. This idiom illustrates the phenomenon with the idea that any rain will become a downpour.

First he was laid off, then his wife got into a car accident. When it rains, it pours.

72. Chasing rainbows

Have you ever tried to chase a rainbow? If you have, you know catching it is an impossible task. This is why someone pursuing a very difficult goal is said to be chasing rainbows.

He’s not very artistic, but he insists on being a professional painter. He’s always chasing rainbows.

73. Rain or shine

If you are dedicated to getting something done no matter what, you are willing to do it rain or shine. This is one of the rare idioms that’s also often used literally, for outdoor events that will take place whether it rains or not.

We’re having our soccer tournament tomorrow, rain or shine.

74. Under the sun

This idiom refers to everything on Earth and is usually used as part of a superlative.

Gili Trawangan must be one of the most beautiful islands under the sun.

75. Every cloud has a silver lining

A silver lining is the little bit of good that can be found in every situation, like sunlight peeking from behind a cloud.

Sure, you took the wrong trail, but you got to see a beautiful waterfall.Every cloud has a silver lining!

76. A rising tide lifts all boats

Boats of all sizes float at the same level: if the water rises, all the boats rise with it. Usually this idiom refers to how a stable economy often benefits everyone.

When the economy showed the first signs of recovering, everyone started investing and spending more. A rising tide lifts all boats.

English Idioms About Nature

77. Get into deep water

This idiom is pretty close to the literal meaning: being in deep water means you’re in a tricky situation that is hard to escape.

He got into deep water when he borrowed a lot of money from a loan shark.

78. Pour oil on troubled waters

If you pour oil into the sea, it has a calming effect on the waves. You shouldn’t do that in reality, but you can use this idiom to say that you’re trying to soothe the tension following an argument.

She hated seeing her two best friends arguing, so she got them together and poured oil on troubled waters.

79. Make waves

Much like dropping a stone into a pond to make ripples, to make waves is to cause trouble or change things in a dramatic way.

She likes to make waves with her creative marketing campaigns. They get a lot of attention from customers.

80. Go with the flow

To go with the flow is to allow things to happen and accept them as they are, like a leaf floating along on the surface of a river.

Just go with the flow and see what happens!

81. Lost at sea

Just as you’d be overwhelmed if you were stranded in the ocean, to be lost at sea is to feel unsure about what to do or that you don’t have any purpose or plan.

I feel lost at sea. I just don’t think this is the career path for me.

82. Sail close to the wind

This means to act just within the limits of what’s legally or socially acceptable. You may try to push boundaries and could sometimes cross the line.

A lot of people don’t like him because he sails too close to the wind.

83. Make a mountain out of a molehill

A molehill is very small, so if you act like it’s the size of a mountain, you are exaggerating the severity of the situation.

She shouted at him for being five minutes late. She really made a mountain out of a molehill.

84. Gain ground

If you’re gaining ground, you’re making good progress. This can mean physically crossing ground quickly, as in a race, or it can be figurative.

We’ve really gained a lot of ground in our group project, and I think we’ll finish on time.

85. Walking on air

Use this is you feel very excited or happy. “Over the moon,” “on cloud nine,” “in seventh heaven” and “in good spirits” are a few more expressions you can use to talk about happiness.

She’s been walking on air since she found out that she’s pregnant.

86. Once in a blue moon

A blue moon comes every two to three years, so saying that something happens once in a blue moon is saying that it happens very rarely.

She only comes to visit once in a blue moon.

87. Many moons ago

This is one of those English expressions that’s a little bit formal or dated. You’ll most likely hear it in stories, or when someone is trying to create a dramatic effect. It means that something happened a long time ago.

Many moons ago, we used to be two very close friends. Now we’ve gone separate ways and lost contact.

88. Castle in the sky

This one sounds a bit like something from a fairytale, which makes sense since it is a daydream or hope that’s not likely to come true. Building castles in the sky refers to fantasizing about an unrealistic future.

Seeing the world used to be a castle in the sky for most people, but globalization is helping people travel more easily.

89. Down to earth

To be down to earth is to be modest, practical, unassuming and unpretentious.

He’s my favorite professor; he’s so down to earth.

90. Salt of the earth

If you are the salt of the earth, you are a good and honest person.

My father is the salt of the earth. He works hard and always helps people who are in need.

91. The tip of the iceberg

The majority of an iceberg is below the surface of the water. If someone says something is the tip of the iceberg, it means that there’s a lot more going on than what’s immediately obvious.

Exceptionally long drought periods are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the global impact of climate change.

92. Break the ice

If you’re in a group of strangers, things can be a bit awkward, so you might need to ease the tension. This is when you’ll try to break the ice, or say something to loosen everybody up and attempt to make friends.

He made a weather joke to break the ice.

93. Bury your head in the sand

This one means that you’re trying to avoid a particular situation by pretending that it doesn’t exist. It refers to a popular myth that ostriches would stick their heads in the sand to “hide” when frightened.

Stop burying your head in the sand. You haven’t been happy with him for years, so why are you staying together?

94. Let the dust settle

This means you are allowing a situation to become calm after something exciting or unusual has happened.

You just received big news. Let the dust settle before you make any decisions.

95. Clear as mud

Mud is not a transparent substance, so this means that something is actually not clear at all.

He’s a great scientist, but I find his explanations in class are as clear as mud.

96. As cold as stone

Stones can be very cold. If you say that someone is just as cold, you’re saying that they are unemotional or not empathetic. Cold as ice has the same meaning.

She never smiles. She seems as cold as stone.

97. Between a rock and a hard place

This means that you are faced with a choice between two equally unsatisfactory options.

I can understand why she couldn’t make up her mind about what to do. She’s really between a rock and a hard place.

98. Nip something in the bud

This is to stop a bad situation from becoming worse by taking action at an early stage of its development.

Managers should know how to nip performance issues in the bud, or they’ll only get worse.

99. To hold out an olive branch

If you’re holding out an olive branch, you’re extending a hand of friendship and offering peace to a rival.

After years of rivalry with her cousin, she decided to hold out an olive branch and invite her to lunch.

100. Beat around the bush

This means you spend a long time getting to the main point of what you’re actually trying to say.

I don’t have much time, so stop beating around the bush and tell me what actually happened.

101. Out of the woods

This means the worst part of a difficult situation is over, and the end goal is in sight.

The surgery went very well, so he’s officially out of the woods. He just needs to recover now.

102. Can’t see the forest for the trees

This means someone is unable to see the whole situation clearly because they’re looking too closely at small details.

He’s worried about the flowers, but the rest of the wedding has been beautiful. He just can’t see the forest for the trees.

103. Barking up the wrong tree

This means that efforts have been put into something that won’t produce the desired outcome. Picture a dog barking to scare a squirrel out of a tree…but the squirrel is hiding in a different tree.

If you think she’s going to lend you money, you’re barking up the wrong tree. She never lends anyone anything.

How to Practice English Idioms

To learn idioms efficiently, it’s important to be exposed to native-spoken English as much as possible, whether it’s in person or virtually. Take any chance you can to try out a new idiom in conversation.

The next time you watch an English movie or TV show, write down any strange and funny expressions you hear so you can look them up later.

You can also search the language learning program FluentU for an idiom or a phrase, and you’ll see any videos that contain it.

FluentU’s video library contains English language content made by and for English speakers. This means you can learn how to actually use idioms from authentic videos like news clips, movie trailers, commercials and more.

The hover-over subtitles will also let you discover even more idioms and phrases naturally. You can add new words and sayings to your custom flashcard decks and study them later with FluentU’s personalized exercises.

The more comfortable you get using English idioms, the closer you get to reaching full English fluency!

Looking for even more? You’re in luck! Here you go: