English Idioms

English Idioms About “Health”
Idiom: Bitter pill to swallow
Meaning: (Also swallow a bitter pill) Said about something unpleasant that must be accepted or endured.
Example: After the disappointment and defeat, to declare bankruptcy was a bitter pill to swallow for him.

English Idioms About “Work”
Idiom: Gum up the works
Meaning: The phrase gum up the works means to prevent a process, a system or a machine from working smoothly.
Example: He is not careful enough and always gums up the works.

English Idioms About “Work”
Idiom: Work like a beaver
Meaning: (Also work like a mule; work like a horse; work like a slave) To work like a beaver means to work very hard.
Example: You work like a beaver; you need to relax.

English Idioms About “War”
Idiom: Double-edged sword
Meaning: A benefit that carries some significant but non-obvious cost or risk.
Example: Being a genius child is a double-edged sword because you cannot communicate with ordinary children.

English Idioms About “Clothes”
Idiom: Pass the hat around
Meaning: (Also pass the hat round) to collect money by asking people or organizations.
Example: They passed the hat round as they needed money to rebuild the poor neighbors’ house.

English Idioms About “Work”
Idiom: Sweat blood
Meaning: To work very hard.
Example: She sweats blood every day just to bring home the bacon.

English Idioms About “General”
Idiom: Not miss a trick
Meaning: Said about someone who is extremely alert.
Example: He was attentive to what the teacher was explaining. He didn’t miss a trick.

English Idioms About “Science”
Idiom: Reinvent the wheel
Meaning: To waste one’s time doing something that has already been done satisfactorily.
Example: Just use our guide book to and don’t try to reinvent the wheel.

English Idioms About “Sport”
Idiom: Throw in the towel
Meaning: (Also throw in the sponge) to admit defeat.
Example: After a long fight agaisnt his enemies, he finally threw the towel.

English Idioms About “Animals”
Idiom: No spring chicken
Meaning: Said of a person who is no longer particularly young.
Example: Although he’s no spring chicken, he runs fast.