Idioms of Feeling
The strange, beautiful ways English describes emotion
From Sourov’s world: When I moved from Sydney to Saint-Pierre in La Réunion to be with my wife Vanessa, I had to relearn how people express feelings in French. The French say “avoir le cafard” — literally “to have the cockroach” — to mean feeling depressed. Strange, right? But English does exactly the same thing. “Over the moon”, “under the weather” — these sound absurd, yet every native speaker understands them instantly. Idioms carry culture inside them.
📚 Word Focus
These idioms describe emotional states. You cannot guess their meaning from the individual words — they must be learned as fixed expressions.
| Idiom | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| over the moon | extremely happy, thrilled | informal |
| under the weather | slightly ill, not feeling well | informal |
| on edge | anxious, nervous, tense | neutral |
| at a loss | confused, not knowing what to do or say | neutral |
| beside oneself | extremely upset or excited (overwhelmed) | neutral/formal |
CCQ: If I’m “over the moon”, am I sad? ❌ No — I’m extremely happy. Is “under the weather” about actual weather? ❌ No — it means feeling ill. Can “beside oneself” mean happy or sad? ✅ Yes — it means overwhelmed by strong emotion, either way.
💡 Examples in Context
- She was over the moon when she got the promotion — she’d worked so hard for it.
- I won’t be coming in today, I’m feeling a bit under the weather.
- The whole team was on edge before the big inspection — nobody spoke much.
- When I received the news about my father, I was completely at a loss for words.
- She was beside herself with worry when her daughter didn’t come home.
✏️ Quick Check
Match each situation to the correct idiom:
- Your team just won the championship final. You feel: ________
- You have a slight cold and a headache. You feel: ________
- You’re waiting for important exam results and can’t relax. You feel: ________
- Your best friend is late and not answering their phone. You feel: ________
- Someone asks you why you were late and you have no idea what to say. You are: ________
Show answers ▼
- over the moon
- under the weather
- on edge
- beside yourself (with worry)
- at a loss (for words)
🗣️ Try It Yourself
Think of a real moment in your life when you felt a strong emotion. Write 2–3 sentences describing it using at least one idiom from this lesson. For example: “When I moved to a new country, I was on edge for weeks. But when I finally made my first friend, I was over the moon.” Share your story in the comments!
Independent project; not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.