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 final task was a piece of cake.

2. all ears

   Phrase

   ready and eager to listen

   I am all ears, so tell me what happened.

3. out of the blue

   Expression

   suddenly and unexpectedly

   The invitation arrived out of the blue.

4. under the weather

   Phrase

   feeling slightly ill

   I am feeling under the weather today.

5. see eye to eye

   Expression

   agree with someone

   We do not always see eye to eye on travel plans.

6. hit the hay

   Phrase

   go to bed

   I am tired, so I will hit the hay early.

7. make a long story short

   Expression

   give only the important parts of a story

   To make a long story short, we missed the train and took a bus.

8. speak of the devil

   Expression

   said when the person just mentioned appears

   Speak of the devil—here is Maya now.

9. two peas in a pod

   Expression

   two people who are very similar

   Those cousins are like two peas in a pod.

10. rain on someone's parade

    Expression

    spoil someone's plans or excitement

    I do not want to rain on someone's parade, but the venue is closed.