Common English Idioms

• "Give up" means to stop doing something because it's too hard.
• Asking "Do you know the largest country in the world?" and answering "I give up" means you don't know the answer.
• "Give up something" often refers to stopping a habit, like smoking or shopping.
• "Make up for something" means compensating for a mistake.
• A teacher might play a game to "make up for" a boring week of tests.
• You can "make up for" being late to work by staying late.
• Wearing tall shoes can "make up for" being short.
• "Look into something" means to investigate or research a topic.
• For example, "looking into" buying a new car involves researching different models.
• You can suggest someone "look into" an idea if they're good at it, like joining a band if they're a good singer.
• "Keep someone in the loop" means to keep them updated on what's happening.
• In a project, telling someone to "keep me in the loop" means to keep you informed on what the client says
• "Give it a shot" means to attempt or try something, often for the first time.
• For example, "giving lamb a shot" means trying to cook it even if you haven't before.
• "Pull the plug" means to end or discontinue something abruptly.
• "Pulling the plug" on a project means stopping it because it's not going well.
• "Roll with the punches" means to keep trying despite difficulties.
• When learning a new language, you need to "roll with the punches" and keep speaking despite making mistakes.
• "Wrap up" something means to finish it.
• Saying "Give me a few minutes and then I'll wrap up" means you'll be done soon.
• To "play up" something means to make it seem more important or better than it is.
• People on social media might "play up" their lifestyle to appear wealthier.
• You can also "play up" emotions or an illness to get sympathy or a day off.
• "Turn up" as slang means to increase the energy or have a good time.
• "Turn up" also means to increase the intensity of something, like volume or air conditioning.
• "Take a stab at something" means to try something even if you're inexperienced.
• The phrase "take a stab at something" implies you won't be disappointed if it doesn't work out.
• "Run with it" means to try and execute a plan, even a simple one.
• "Think ahead" means to consider and plan for the future.
• People "think ahead" to retirement by saving money.
• "Give or take" is used when giving a guess for time or money.
• Saying "about $100 give or take" means it's approximately $100.
• "Cut back on" something means to reduce the amount of it.
• To "cut back on spending" means to spend less money.
• If you are "in the wrong" you are guilty or responsible for a mistake.
• "No matter what" means regardless of the difficulties or circumstances; represents a commitment.
• Saying "I will help you move Saturday no matter what" is a strong promise.
• Saying "Every time I want to go outside and enjoy the day, no matter what, it rains" suggests it always rains when you want to enjoy the day
• "It dawned on me" means you suddenly realized or thought of something.
• For example, "It dawned on me that I forgot to turn off my curling iron."
• To be "irked" means to be annoyed or irritated.
• The sound of a leaky faucet can "irk" you.
• "Slow your roll" means calm down, relax, or slow down the process.
• You might tell eager kids to "slow your roll" before dinner.
• "Slip through the cracks" means a problem was overlooked or neglected.
• Health problems in hospitals can sometimes "slip through the cracks".
• "Check all the boxes" means something meets all the requirements or criteria.
• A house that "checks all the boxes" has everything you want.
• "Riding high" means feeling confident and successful.
• The speaker felt like he was "riding high" after his wedding.
• "At first glance" means at first observation or the first time you look at something.
• "Off the cuff" means without preparation or much thought.
• "Giving a speech off the cuff" means you didn't prepare for it.
• "Work someone in" means to try to make time for something in a busy schedule.
• A hairdresser might "work you in" during their lunch break.
• "It's harder than it sounds" means something seems easy but is actually difficult.
• "Have the guts" means to have the courage to do something.
• "Outdone yourself" means you've done something better than ever before.
• Zero in on" means to focus on something closely or intensely.
• You might need to "zero in on" studying for final examinations.
• "Play by the rules" means to follow the rules or guidelines.
• "Leave nothing to chance" means to plan something very thoroughly and carefully.
• People planning their wedding day "leave nothing to chance".
• "Leave no stone unturned" means to be very thorough in searching for something.
• Saying you "left no stone unturned" looking for your phone means you searched everywhere.
• "Stay on track" means to remain focused and on schedule.
• "Out of left field" means something is extremely unexpected or surprising.
• If a friend who isn't in a relationship tells you she's pregnant, you might say, "That was out of left field".
• "A force to be reckoned with" means something is very influential or powerful and should not be dealt with lightly.
• "Top-notch" means of the highest quality.
• A top-notch hotel is excellent in all aspects.
• "Perfectly fine" means pretty good or acceptable; there is really nothing wrong
• Asking for help is "perfectly fine".
• An alternate and informal phrase to use when you want to tell someone to calm down, relax or slow down is to say "cool your jets"
• "Channel your energy" means to direct your time and effort into something.
• Rather than complaining, you might tell children to "channel their energy" into something productive.
• "Dead on" means accurate or precise; used very informally.
• A shot that hits the bullseye is "dead on".
• "Apples and oranges" means two things are completely different and not comparable.
• "Cringeworthy" describes something that is very awkward and embarrassing.
• A bad stand-up comedy performance can be "cringeworthy".
• "it is up their alley" to say that something is really suited to someone's interests.
• You said that seeing that the movie theater in town is showing some anime film "looks right up your alley" to someone who really likes anime and you
• "You best believe it": Used to emphasize that something is definitely true.
• "Acting up": When something or someone is not working as it should(starts to break), or behaving badly (young children).
• "Night and day": A phrase used when something has changed dramatically.
• "Mesmerizing": When someone is very captivated by something or something is holding all of their attention.
• "Comb through": Means searching for something specific.
• " Fine tooth comb ": When you go over something with a fine tooth comb we are going over it very slowly very precisely and thoroughly and we're looking for errors or a very specific piece of information. We are combing through things kind of looking at all the things more generally in order to find what we're looking for, in contrast.
• "Stumped": If something is stumping you it means it's confusing you or you don't know the answer so you have reach a standstill point.
• "Worked up" ":This expression can mean you're agitated like annoyed excited or it can just mean you're very emotionally charged about something.
• "Elbow grease": Elbow grease just literally means effort or pressure or maybe you're you know restoring something that is old, you're making it look good and you're cleaning by hand with a lot of work instead of just you know paying someone to do it.
• "Take out my anger ": When you're speaking English you might hear someone say that they need to take out their anger on something so release some stress to someone.
• 'Blow off some steam" A great way to say that we need to release some stress anger or just pressure that we are building up.
• It is to "snap at someone": When you act rude to someone or angry quickly in response to them.

"Give up", "make up for", "look into", "keep in the loop", and "give it a shot" are common idioms. Understanding these idioms enhances English comprehension and communication. Each idiom has a unique meaning and usage.