Idioms

It's raining idioms!

Did you know there are an estimated 25,000 idiomatic expressions in English? That’s a ton (you’ll learn that idiom here). So, it's vital to learn idioms if you want to understand native English speakers and reach a high level of English. An idiom is a phrase (a group of words) whose meaning is different than each of the words considered separately.

Idiom: A man of few words

Meaning A person who does not talk a lot, only when he or she has something important to say. Example Sentences: − My father isn’t shy at all—he’s just a man of few words. − I prefer to be with a man of few words than with someone who enjoys listening to himself talk all day. − My grandfather loved you. He's a man of few words but his smile made his feelings for you very clear. − My dad won't shut up but my mother's a woman of few words. − My girlfriend is a woman of few words so when she talks, everyone stops and listens carefully. − The smartest person in the room is often a man of few words. − She's a woman of few words so expect a lot of silence on the ride to the retreat site. − My assistant is a woman of few words but she gets things done

Idiom: A needle in a haystack

Meaning Something that is very difficult to find (especially because the area you must search is so large). Example Sentences − I looked everywhere for my earring at the beach but it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. − We've been looking for an apartment in Geneva for six weeks and it's like finding a needle in a haystack. − We honestly spent two hours looking for you at the music festival but it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. − There's an error somewhere in our sales log and it's a needle in a haystack. We can't find it. − Rescue teams searched the canyon for three days but locating the missing hikers was like finding a needle in a haystack. − Your basement is a mess! Finding your high school yearbook will be like locating a needle in a haystack. − I can’t find my spare key. It's here somewhere but it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack so I'll just have a duplicate key made tomorrow

Idiom: a nose for something

Meaning To have a talent or ability for finding or recognizing something. Example Sentences − You have a good nose for bargains whenever we go shopping. − I don’t know. My mother has a nose for knowing when I skip class and she won’t hesitate to tell your mother if we’re absent. − Model scouts have a good nose for finding people who have a certain look that will photograph well. − You used to have a nose for the best new artists. What happened? − Put Thelma on the project. She has a nose for procuring costumes for our plays. − Our teenage daughter has a nose for older boys who get into trouble. − Award-winning journalists not only have a nose for important topics but they also use storytelling to make the news interesting. − My girlfriend has a nose for knowing when I talk to any other girl.

Idiom: a bad hair day

Meanings 1. A bad day when many things seem to go wrong. 2. A day when you can't style your hair well and this makes you feel unattractive. Example Sentences − Yesterday, my mom was having a bad hair day so I decided to wait to show her my report card this evening. − Sarah's crying because she's having a bad hair day. First, she forgot about the manager's meeting and second, she prepared the report for the wrong client. − Sorry, I didn’t go to your party last night. I was having a bad hair day and decided to stay home and go to bed early. − I'm having a real bad hair day. When I got in the car, I noticed I was wearing my pajamas and I had to go back into my house and change into my work pants. As a result, I was 20 minutes late. − I just put my hair up in a ponytail every time I have a bad hair day. − Whenever I'm having a bad hair day, I just throw on a baseball cap and get going anyhow. − He's having a bad hair day even though he's bald

Idiom: A boxed in/into

Meaning Feeling restricted or stuck because of one's limited options. Example Sentences − Sandra felt boxed in after having her third child because she couldn't afford childcare. − A month after I got engaged, I started to feel really boxed into a boring family life and realized I wasn't quite ready for marriage. − Don’t specify a salary requirement before a job offer or you could get boxed into a lower figure than you could negotiate once they decide they really want to hire you. − I’m not boxed in as a corporate lawyer with a law degree! I could go into teaching, writing or even be a producer for a legal program. − I used to feel boxed in as a wedding photographer until I joined Instagram and built a wider audience for my portrait photography. − I'm not moving back to my hometown after graduation because I’d feel so boxed in living in a small town with few things to do. − I wish I'd never gone to college. Now I'm boxed into working in a job I hate until I pay back my $60,000 in student loans.