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  • English Language Tips
  • Career Growth
  • Travel and Learn
  • Test your English
logologologo
  • English Language Tips
  • Career Growth
  • Travel and Learn
  • Test your English
  • English Language Tips
  • Career Growth
  • Travel and Learn
  • Test your English
English Language Tips

English idioms

byMagdalena Osiejewicz 5th May 2022 0 comments
HomeEnglish Language Tips English idioms

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 idiomEnglish meaningliteral translation
Head over heels (falling in love, e.g.)Head over heelsHead over paragraphs
Breaking all bridges behind youBurn bridgesBurn bridges
All jubilee yearsOnce in a blue moonOnce in the blue moon
Save at the wrong endCutting cornersCut corners
Stop doing something that dayCall it a dayCall it a day
Other mothers also have beautiful daughters/sonsThere are other fish in the seaThere are other fish in the sea
Compare apples with pearsComparing apples to orangesCompare apples with oranges
Being on the wrong trackBarking up the wrong treeBarking at the wrong tree
Jump on the bandwagonJump on the bandwagonJump on the train
Riding around on somethingBeat a dead horseBeating a dead horse
Rain is followed by sunIt is always darkest before the dawnBefore dawn it is darkest
Deferred is not cancelledForbearance is not acquittanceForbearance is not an acquittal
Better a sparrow in your hand than the pigeon on the roofA bird in the hand is worth two in the bushOne bird in the hand is more valuable than two in the bush
Better late than neverBetter late than neverBetter late than never
Breaking the iceBreak the iceBreaking the ice
Forge the iron while it’s hotMake hay while the sun shinesMake hay as long as the sun is shining
It’s a breezeIt’s a piece of cakeThis is a piece of cake
You can say this out loudYou can say that againYou can say that again
Take your mouth too fullBite off more than you can chewBite off more than you can chew
Hitting the nail on the headHit the nail on the headHitting the nail on the head
The train has departedMiss the boatMiss the boat
Hope dies lastWhile there’s life, there’s hopeWhile there is life, there is hope
Getting the cow off the icePull the chestnuts out of the fire for someoneGetting the chestnuts out of the fire
Hurry with timeSlow and steady wins the raceSlowly and steadily winning the race
A picture is worth a thousand wordsA picture is worth 1000 wordsA picture is more valuable than 1000 words
A blind chicken also finds a grainEvery dog has his dayEvery dog has its own day
A burnt child shies away from fireOnce ask, twice shyOnce bitten, doubly shy
Revealing a secretLet the cat out of the bagLet the cat out of the bag
A storm in a glass of waterStorm in a teacupStorm in the teacup
A misfortune rarely comes aloneWhen it rains it poursWhen it rains it pours
Costing a fortuneCosts an arm and a legCost an arm and a leg
Miss an opportunityMiss the boatMiss the boat
A swallow does not make a summerIt takes two to tangoYou need two to dance tango
There is a threat of troubleThere are clouds on the horizonThere are clouds on the horizon
It’s enough (for me now)That’s the last strawThis is the last straw
Place something on the high edgeSaving for a rainy daySave for a rainy day
Get something done in no time at allDo something at the drop of a hatDoing something while a hat is falling
Not taking something so seriouslyTake it with a grain of saltTake it with a grain of salt
Making something worseTo make matters worseMaking it worse
Judge something from the outsideYou can’t judge a book by its coverYou can’t judge a book by the cover
Freshly dared is half the battleWell begun is half doneWell started is half finished
Apologize for swear wordsPardon my FrenchSorry my French
Equal and equal joinsBirds of a feather flock togetherBirds of a feather rot together
Blessing in disguiseBlessing in disguiseBlessing in disguise
Good things take timeGood things come to those who waitGood things come to those who wait
Be patient / persevereHang in thereHang there
Neck and leg fractureBreak a legBreaking a leg
Hard or learn a lotHit the bookBeating the book
I have no ideaYour guess is as good as mineYour guess is just as good as mine.
I want to know what you thinkA penny for your thoughtsA penny for your thoughts
In case of doubt for the accusedGive someone the benefit of the doubtGiving someone the advantage of doubt
ImprovisePlay it by earPlaying by the ears
Bite the bulletBite the bulletBite the ball
Taking someone in your armsPull someone’s legPull on someone’s leg
Bribe someoneGrease someone’s palmGrease someone’s palm
Small cattle also make manureA penny saved is a penny earnedA penny saved is a penny earned
Come time, come adviceWe’ll cross that bridge when we come to itWe cross the bridge when we get there
Country underSnowed underSnowbound
You can’t dance at two weddings at the same timeYou can’t have your cake and eat itYou can’t have your cake and eat at the same time
You never stop learningLive and learnLive and learn
One should not praise the day before the eveningDon’t count your chickens before they are hatchedDon’t count the chickens in front of the Lucke
Failing with somethingGo belly upWith the belly upwards (swimming)
With friendliness you can achieve moreYou can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegarYou catch more flies with honey than with vinegar
With hangings and chokingBy the skin of your teethWith your gums
Not every day eveningNot all hope is lostNot all hope is lost
Leave no stone unturnedLeave no stone unturnedDon’t leave a stone upside down
Never and neverIf pigs could flyWhen pigs fly
Start all over againGo back to the drawing boardReturn to drawing board
Without diligence no priceNo pain, no gainNo pain, no growth
Pull yourself togetherPull yourself togetherPull yourself together
Pull yourself together or pull a leashShape up or ship outGet in shape or leave
Calm before the stormCalm before the stormCalm before the storm
Sprinkle salt on the woundAdd insult to injuryAdd insults to the injury
Go to bedHit the sackHitting the bag
Sleeping dogs should not be woken upLet sleeping dogs lieLeaving sleeping dogs behind
Very unlikelyFat chancefat chance
Throwing his concerns overboardThrow caution to the windThrow caution on the wind
Don’t put everything on one cardDon’t put all your eggs in one basketDo not put all eggs in one basket
Behave aggressivelyBlow a fuseBurn through a fuse
Feeling bad or sickFeeling under the weatherFeeling under the weather
Pat yourself on the backBlow one’s own trumpetBlow your own trumpet
So far so goodSo far so goodSo far so good
Save in time, so you have in needWaste not, want notDon’t waste anything, don’t need anything
Actions say more than wordsActions speak louder than wordsActions speak louder than words
Beat around the bushBeat around the bushBeat around the bush
IndecisiveSitting on the fenceSitting on the fence
Be unfocusedHave your head in the cloudsHaving your head in the clouds
Ignorance is a blessingIgnorance is blissIgnorance is bliss
Be upsetTo get bent out of shapeBending out of shape
From the rain to the eavesOut of the frying pan and into the fireFrom the pan into the fire
What happened, happenedDon’t cry over spilled milkDo not cry over spilled milk
Speaking of the devilSpeak of the devilTalking about the devil
Whoever sits in the glass house should not throw stonesThose who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stonesIf you live in a glass house, you should not throw stones
First come, first servedThe early bird gets the wormThe early bird gets the worm
Who laughs last, laughs bestHe who laughs last laughs loudestWho laughs last, laughs the loudest
Like sand by the seaA dime a dozenA ten-cent piece by the dozen
Pretending to knowBlow smokeBlowing smoke
Where planing is done, chips fallYou can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggsYou can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs
Cloud seven (being in love)On cloud nineOn cloud nine
Killing two birds with one stoneKill two birds with one stoneKilling two birds with a stone
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