Idioms: everyday conversation

Vocabulary in this set

Understand ten common idioms that make informal conversations more natural.

1. A piece of cake

   Expression

   Something very easy to do.

   The math test was a piece of cake; I finished it in 10 minutes.

2. All ears

   Phrase

   Fully listening or eager to hear what someone has to say.

   I'm all ears; tell me your exciting news!

3. Out of the blue

   Expression

   Something happening unexpectedly.

   He called me out of the blue and invited me to lunch.

4. Under the weather

   Phrase

   Feeling unwell or sick.

   I won't be able to come to the party tonight; I'm feeling a bit under the weather.

5. See eye to eye

   Expression

   Agree with someone.

   We don't always see eye to eye, but we respect each other's opinions.

6. Hit the hay

   Phrase

   Go to bed or go to sleep.

   It's been a long day; I think I'll hit the hay early tonight.

7. Make a long story short

   Expression

   To summarize or provide a brief version of a long story.

   Make a long story short, we missed the train and had to take a bus instead.

8. Speak of the devil

   Expression

   Someone mentioned appears at that moment.

   Speak of the devil! I was just talking about you.

9. Two peas in a pod

   Expression

   Two people who are very similar or identical.

   They get along so well; they're like two peas in a pod.

10. Rain on someone's parade

    Expression

    Spoil someone's plans or celebration.

    I hate to rain on your parade, but the event has been canceled due to bad weather.