English idioms for general conversation

Talking about the news

I heard it on the grapevine – I got the news or information from an unverified or official source. It came from a rumour or a 2nd or 3rd hand source.

‘I heard on the grapevine that Messi is going to sign for Manchester United.’

From the horse’s mouth – getting information from the person who definitely knows it’s true. The person who is the subject of rumour or gossip.

‘If you want to be sure it’s true then you need to get it straight from the horse’s mouth.‘

You’ve got the wrong end of the stick – following or believing a misguided or mistaken line of thought. You’ve got the wrong person. An alternative version of reality.

‘You’ve got the wrong end of the stick, it wasn’t me who stole the piece of cake!’

Dealing with ambiguity and uncertainty

It’s on the tip of my tongue – you can almost say it, just can’t quite recall it or remember it.

‘The answer to the quiz question is on the tip of my tongue. Can you help me with a clue?’

Don’t quote me – you’re not responsible for the source of information as it came from a newspaper or journal where the source is known and displayed.

‘I think the concert is limited to 100 seats but don’t quote me on it.‘

Have mixed feelings – having some positive and negative feelings at the same time. There are advantages and disadvantages to both choices / options.

‘I’m not sure about doing the marathon, I like running but I have mixed feelings about it.‘

Telling someone your own news

To cut a long story short – to make a long explanation into a shorter one.

‘A few months I went out with my friends and I met someone special. To cut a long story short, we are now married!’

In a nutshell – in very few words. This is another way of saying you are making a long explanation into a shorter one.

‘I met my friends to discuss things about the business plan and in a nutshell he agreed.’

Get it off my chest – to say something that has been bothering you for some time. When you say it then it is a relief.

‘I had a quick chat with my friend the other day. Something had been annoying me about her for some time and I needed to get it off my chest.‘

General phrases

It costs an arm and a leg – very expensive, a huge amount of money.

‘I wanted to get a ticket to the Oasis concert next year but tickets cost an arm and a leg!‘

Pigs might fly – pigs can’t fly which means it will never happen.

‘When will Coventry City win the Premier League? When pigs fly!‘

Daylight robbery – something is far too expensive for its quantity or quality. In your view much more expensive than you think it should be and you think someone is trying to profit from you.

‘The utilities company sent me their latest bill and I can’t believe the amount, it’s daylight robbery!‘

Ending a conversation

I’ll keep you posted – I’ll update you on the latest news or further news when I have it.

‘I’m not sure when we’re meeting exactly, I’ll keep you posted.‘

Time flies (when you’re having fun) – time goes quickly when you’re having a nice time.

‘Time flies, it was such a lovely holiday but now I have to get back to work.’

Hang in there – things will get better if you stay determined and strong. If you stick around long enough then things will most likely change.

‘I know things are not great at the moment but hang in there, you’ll get through this.’

What’s the difference between an idiom and a proverb?

Idioms and proverbs are both short sayings that add colour and variety to a language. They can be very useful in writing and everyday conversation. However, they are not the same as they have different meanings and purposes.

Idioms

Idioms are expressions or phrases which have a different meaning to the literal words that make it up. One example would be “break the ice” which is about starting small talk to make someone feel more comfortable when first meeting someone although this isn’t obvious from the words themselves. Idioms can be used to give an insight into a character’s personality such as a “party animal” or someone who is a “pain in the neck”. They can also be used simplify complex ideas such as “it’s a piece of cake” (it’s very easy) or “to add insult to injury” (to make a bad situation worse).

Idioms can be difficult to understand unless you’ve learned them or heard them before.

Proverbs

Proverbs are traditional sayings to give advice based on cultural experience or common sense. They can also be used to express a common belief about life. They can be symbolic or metaphorical and the meaning is usually easy to understand. For example “birds of a feather flock together” doesn’t actually mean birds who look the same stay together.

Proverbs can be used to impart knowledge, to console or inspire others and teach or reinforce morals.

We have a few episodes on our podcast that cover idioms and proverbs.