Everyone knows the idiom ‘a piece of cake’, meaning ‘something that is very easy to do’ but there are so many other idioms in English, it can be tricky knowing which ones to learn. This short blog offers you a small number of starter idioms. You can learn these ten phrases knowing that they are very common in today’s English. You will find these and 140 other super-useful idioms in our book, Idioms: 30 Days to Learn 150 Essential Idioms
1 a blessing in disguise
something that at first seems bad but later has a very good result
- It was a difficult experience but it taught me a lot about myself so I guess it was a blessing in disguise.
2 break the ice
to make people who are meeting for the first time feel more relaxed by saying or doing something
- No one was talking so I made a funny comment just to break the ice.
3 the icing on the cake
something that makes an already good situation even more special
- I was happy to be seeing Tom again but seeing Astrid too was the icing on the cake.
4 have a memory like a sieve
If you have a memory like a sieve, you are always forgetting things.
- I can’t believe I forgot Sam’s birthday. Honestly, I’ve got a memory like a sieve!
5 rack your brain(s)
to keep trying to remember something
- What was her name? I’ve been racking my brains all day!
6 be lost for words
to be so shocked that you cannot think what to say
- I was so shocked – I was completely lost for words.
7 not get a word in edgeways UK English
not get a word in edgewise US English
to not be able to say anything because someone else is talking too much
- I wanted to say something – with you two chatting away I just couldn’t get a word in edgeways!
8 let the cat out of the bag
to tell someone something that should be secret, usually without meaning to
- Helena doesn’t know we’re coming so please don’t let the cat out of the bag.
9 get to grips with something
to manage to understand or deal with something difficult
- I’m still getting to grips with the project – it’s so complicated.
10 the best of both worlds
a situation in which you benefit from two contrasting advantages that are not usually experienced together
- Working in the office for two days and from home for the other three is the best of both worlds.
For more information on idioms, see our post Everything you need to know about idioms
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