A piece of cake In a sentence: Unclogging my sink was a piece of cake for Carlita. She’s a plumber.
Meaning: Extremely easy and straightforward.
Let the cat out of the bag In a sentence: I'm planning a surprise holiday for Liam to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Don’t let the cat out of the bag!
Meaning: Reveal a secret by mistake.
Judge a book by its cover In a sentence: I know he looks scary, but my dog is really gentle. You can’t judge a book by its cover.
Meaning: You shouldn’t make judgements based on appearance.
Break a leg In a sentence: I hope the performance goes well, Adam. Break a leg!
Meaning: Good luck! (said before performing onstage)
Under the weather In a sentence: Ayano was feeling under the weather, so she left work early.
Meaning: Not well, slightly sick or ill.
By the skin of your teeth In a sentence: Maddy caught the train by the skin of her teeth. It left a few seconds later.
Meaning: By the smallest possible amount of time.
I could eat a horse In a sentence: I’m so glad I ordered an extra large pizza. I could eat a horse!
Meaning: I feel extremely hungry.
Beat around the bush In a sentence: I wish my boss would stop beating around the bush and tell me what he really thinks of my product idea.
Meaning: Avoiding a subject by talking about irrelevant things.
Once in a blue moon In a sentence: Huan only cooks at home once in a blue moon.
Meaning: Very rarely.
Have butterflies in your stomach In a sentence: Jamal had butterflies in his stomach as he waited for his date outside the restaurant.
Meaning: Was excited and nervous.
A tough cookie In a sentence: Debbie’s a tough cookie. She doesn’t mind when people criticise her work.
Meaning: Determined and physically or emotionally strong.
See eye to eye In a sentence: I’m glad my boss and I see eye to eye about recycling in the office.
Meaning: Agree fully or have a similar attitude.
Cost an arm and a leg In a sentence: My new suit cost an arm and a leg. I bought it in Milan.
Meaning: Cost a large amount of money.
Steal someone’s thunder In a sentence: Megan stole my thunder when she told the professor the result of my experiment.
Meaning: Stole my idea, or diverted attention away from me
On the ball In a sentence: He is really on the ball and never makes a mistake at work
Meaning: Alert and efficient
To learn more common English idioms and difficult English phrases, discover English for Everyone English Idioms. It's the perfect companion for anyone learning English and wanting to improve their understanding and fluency.