IDIOMS

• (To) each his own

- Everyone has his/her own preferences; not everyone likes the same things.

• The early bird gets the worm

- If you start early, you have a better chance of success; it’s good to get an early start.

• Easier said than done

- This means that it is very easy to say something than to actually do it.

• Easy come, easy go

- This means that when you get something (especially money) very easily or without hard work, then it is easy to spend it or lose it very easily and quickly, too.

• Every cloud has a silver lining

- This means that every bad situation also brings opportunities or good situations. We often say this to comfort people and make them feel better.

• Eyes are bigger than one’s stomach

- We say this if someone orders or prepares a lot of food because they are hungry (their “eyes are big”) but they are unable to finish eating it all.

• (a) Face only a mother could love

- This is a funny way to say that a person is very ugly.

• Failure is the mother of success

- People must fail before they can reach success. Failure leads to success.

• Few and far between

- If something is “few and far between” this means that it happens only occasionally and not often.

• First come, first served

- This means that the first people to arrive are the first people who get to eat (or participate in something).

• For kicks

- Just for fun (“I’m not a professional basketball player. I just play for kicks.”)

• From rags to riches

- If someone goes “from rags to riches,” this means that they start life poor and become rich.

• Full of hot air

- If you say someone is “full of hot air” this means that you don’t believe them.

• Kill two birds with one stone

- If you “kill two birds with one stone,” this means that you accomplish two tasks at the same time. (For example, if you go to a mall or department store, you can 1) get a haircut, and 2) buy some groceries.)

• Knock ‘em dead

- This is a funny way to say “Good luck” (similar to “Break a leg”).

• Knock on wood

- We “knock on wood” to hope for good luck or to hope for continued safety. (For example, if someone says, “I’ve never broken a bone before,” he might then add, “Knock on wood,” which means that he hopes to continue this pattern of good luck.)

• Keep in touch

- To keep “communicating’ (writing, calling, etc.), usually after someone moves far away

• Keep your chin up

- To keep confidence and not be sad or ashamed about something.

• Keep your shirt on

- This means “calm down” or “don’t get so excited.”

• Keep your fingers crossed

• Cross your fingers

- We say this when we hope or wish for something to happen. (We cross our fingers when we hope or wish for a positive result – in a baseball game, in the lottery, or on a test, for example.)