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An idiom is an expression, a group of words that has a figurative or inner meaning, which is completely different from the literal meaning. Idioms never mean exactly what the words say. In other words, the symbolic sense of an idiom is quite different from the literal meaning of the words of which it is made. Idioms are very commonly used in all languages. They have great potential to make a language interesting and attractive.
However, idioms are not easy to understand for the non-native speakers, as their meanings are metaphorical, based on the custom, culture, rituals and history of a particular part of the world. Learning idioms are a real fun, especially when the English idioms are compared to the idioms in the other vernacular languages.
There are numerous idioms in the English language. The following chart includes some commonly used English idioms, with their actual meanings.
|
IDIOM |
MEANING |
|
A blessing in disguise |
A good thing that seemed bad at first |
|
Beat around the bush |
Avoid saying what you mean |
|
Better late than never |
Better to arrive late than not to come at all |
|
Call it a day |
Stop working on something |
|
Get out of hand |
Get out of control |
|
Hang in there |
Don't give up |
|
It is not rocket science |
It is not complicated |
|
Make a long story short |
Tell something briefly |
|
Miss the boat |
It is too late or missed the chance |
|
No pain, no gain |
To work hard for better results |
|
Pull someone's leg |
To joke with someone |
|
So far so good |
Things are going well so far |
|
Add insult to injury |
To make a bad situation worse |
|
Let the cat out of the bag |
Give away a secret |
|
Every cloud has a silver lining |
Good things come after bad things |
|
Give someone the cold shoulder |
Ignore someone |
|
It is raining cats and dogs |
It is raining heavily |
|
Kill two birds with one stone |
Get two things done with a single action |
|
Look before you leap |
Think twice, before you take any action |
|
Once in a blue moon |
Rarely |
