English idioms
English idioms play an important role in everyday English-speaking life. However, as in the German language, English idioms sometimes make little sense in direct translation, which is why it is important to understand the proverbs in the context of the text. You should memorize the most important English expressions and idioms, because in everyday life, such as on an English language trip in London or Torbay, you will literally meet them on every street corner. Whether in conversation with native English speakers, on television (especially often in sitcoms) or in letters and e-mails – the English language has a suitable phrase for almost every situation. In the following, we have listed 100 German and English idioms, which are widely used, especially in the USA, but can also be used worldwide. You will learn the proverbs particularly effectively if you first get an overview and then put together your own personal portfolio of English expressions and proverbs. It also helps you watch and better understand TV shows in English. You will notice how often certain proverbs are used and in context you will notice the meaning behind them. But we no longer want to beat around the bush and introduce you to the most important English idioms. Also take a look at the literal translation, because often there are big differences between the German proverb and its English counterpart. Are you also interested in French idioms? We also have an article about this.
English idioms and proverbs
| German idiom | English meaning | literal translation |
|---|---|---|
| Head over heels (falling in love, e.g.) | Head over heels | Head over paragraphs |
| Breaking all bridges behind you | Burn bridges | Burn bridges |
| All jubilee years | Once in a blue moon | Once in the blue moon |
| Save at the wrong end | Cutting corners | Cut corners |
| Stop doing something that day | Call it a day | Call it a day |
| Other mothers also have beautiful daughters/sons | There are other fish in the sea | There are other fish in the sea |
| Compare apples with pears | Comparing apples to oranges | Compare apples with oranges |
| Being on the wrong track | Barking up the wrong tree | Barking at the wrong tree |
| Jump on the bandwagon | Jump on the bandwagon | Jump on the train |
| Riding around on something | Beat a dead horse | Beating a dead horse |
| Rain is followed by sun | It is always darkest before the dawn | Before dawn it is darkest |
| Deferred is not cancelled | Forbearance is not acquittance | Forbearance is not an acquittal |
| Better a sparrow in your hand than the pigeon on the roof | A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush | One bird in the hand is more valuable than two in the bush |
| Better late than never | Better late than never | Better late than never |
| Breaking the ice | Break the ice | Breaking the ice |
| Forge the iron while it’s hot | Make hay while the sun shines | Make hay as long as the sun is shining |
| It’s a breeze | It’s a piece of cake | This is a piece of cake |
| You can say this out loud | You can say that again | You can say that again |
| Take your mouth too full | Bite off more than you can chew | Bite off more than you can chew |
| Hitting the nail on the head | Hit the nail on the head | Hitting the nail on the head |
| The train has departed | Miss the boat | Miss the boat |
| Hope dies last | While there’s life, there’s hope | While there is life, there is hope |
| Getting the cow off the ice | Pull the chestnuts out of the fire for someone | Getting the chestnuts out of the fire |
| Hurry with time | Slow and steady wins the race | Slowly and steadily winning the race |
| A picture is worth a thousand words | A picture is worth 1000 words | A picture is more valuable than 1000 words |
| A blind chicken also finds a grain | Every dog has his day | Every dog has its own day |
| A burnt child shies away from fire | Once ask, twice shy | Once bitten, doubly shy |
| Revealing a secret | Let the cat out of the bag | Let the cat out of the bag |
| A storm in a glass of water | Storm in a teacup | Storm in the teacup |
| A misfortune rarely comes alone | When it rains it pours | When it rains it pours |
| Costing a fortune | Costs an arm and a leg | Cost an arm and a leg |
| Miss an opportunity | Miss the boat | Miss the boat |
| A swallow does not make a summer | It takes two to tango | You need two to dance tango |
| There is a threat of trouble | There are clouds on the horizon | There are clouds on the horizon |
| It’s enough (for me now) | That’s the last straw | This is the last straw |
| Place something on the high edge | Saving for a rainy day | Save for a rainy day |
| Get something done in no time at all | Do something at the drop of a hat | Doing something while a hat is falling |
| Not taking something so seriously | Take it with a grain of salt | Take it with a grain of salt |
| Making something worse | To make matters worse | Making it worse |
| Judge something from the outside | You can’t judge a book by its cover | You can’t judge a book by the cover |
| Freshly dared is half the battle | Well begun is half done | Well started is half finished |
| Apologize for swear words | Pardon my French | Sorry my French |
| Equal and equal joins | Birds of a feather flock together | Birds of a feather rot together |
| Blessing in disguise | Blessing in disguise | Blessing in disguise |
| Good things take time | Good things come to those who wait | Good things come to those who wait |
| Be patient / persevere | Hang in there | Hang there |
| Neck and leg fracture | Break a leg | Breaking a leg |
| Hard or learn a lot | Hit the book | Beating the book |
| I have no idea | Your guess is as good as mine | Your guess is just as good as mine. |
| I want to know what you think | A penny for your thoughts | A penny for your thoughts |
| In case of doubt for the accused | Give someone the benefit of the doubt | Giving someone the advantage of doubt |
| Improvise | Play it by ear | Playing by the ears |
| Bite the bullet | Bite the bullet | Bite the ball |
| Taking someone in your arms | Pull someone’s leg | Pull on someone’s leg |
| Bribe someone | Grease someone’s palm | Grease someone’s palm |
| Small cattle also make manure | A penny saved is a penny earned | A penny saved is a penny earned |
| Come time, come advice | We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it | We cross the bridge when we get there |
| Country under | Snowed under | Snowbound |
| You can’t dance at two weddings at the same time | You can’t have your cake and eat it | You can’t have your cake and eat at the same time |
| You never stop learning | Live and learn | Live and learn |
| One should not praise the day before the evening | Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched | Don’t count the chickens in front of the Lucke |
| Failing with something | Go belly up | With the belly upwards (swimming) |
| With friendliness you can achieve more | You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar | You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar |
| With hangings and choking | By the skin of your teeth | With your gums |
| Not every day evening | Not all hope is lost | Not all hope is lost |
| Leave no stone unturned | Leave no stone unturned | Don’t leave a stone upside down |
| Never and never | If pigs could fly | When pigs fly |
| Start all over again | Go back to the drawing board | Return to drawing board |
| Without diligence no price | No pain, no gain | No pain, no growth |
| Pull yourself together | Pull yourself together | Pull yourself together |
| Pull yourself together or pull a leash | Shape up or ship out | Get in shape or leave |
| Calm before the storm | Calm before the storm | Calm before the storm |
| Sprinkle salt on the wound | Add insult to injury | Add insults to the injury |
| Go to bed | Hit the sack | Hitting the bag |
| Sleeping dogs should not be woken up | Let sleeping dogs lie | Leaving sleeping dogs behind |
| Very unlikely | Fat chance | fat chance |
| Throwing his concerns overboard | Throw caution to the wind | Throw caution on the wind |
| Don’t put everything on one card | Don’t put all your eggs in one basket | Do not put all eggs in one basket |
| Behave aggressively | Blow a fuse | Burn through a fuse |
| Feeling bad or sick | Feeling under the weather | Feeling under the weather |
| Pat yourself on the back | Blow one’s own trumpet | Blow your own trumpet |
| So far so good | So far so good | So far so good |
| Save in time, so you have in need | Waste not, want not | Don’t waste anything, don’t need anything |
| Actions say more than words | Actions speak louder than words | Actions speak louder than words |
| Beat around the bush | Beat around the bush | Beat around the bush |
| Indecisive | Sitting on the fence | Sitting on the fence |
| Be unfocused | Have your head in the clouds | Having your head in the clouds |
| Ignorance is a blessing | Ignorance is bliss | Ignorance is bliss |
| Be upset | To get bent out of shape | Bending out of shape |
| From the rain to the eaves | Out of the frying pan and into the fire | From the pan into the fire |
| What happened, happened | Don’t cry over spilled milk | Do not cry over spilled milk |
| Speaking of the devil | Speak of the devil | Talking about the devil |
| Whoever sits in the glass house should not throw stones | Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones | If you live in a glass house, you should not throw stones |
| First come, first served | The early bird gets the worm | The early bird gets the worm |
| Who laughs last, laughs best | He who laughs last laughs loudest | Who laughs last, laughs the loudest |
| Like sand by the sea | A dime a dozen | A ten-cent piece by the dozen |
| Pretending to know | Blow smoke | Blowing smoke |
| Where planing is done, chips fall | You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs | You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs |
| Cloud seven (being in love) | On cloud nine | On cloud nine |
| Killing two birds with one stone | Kill two birds with one stone | Killing two birds with a stone |