Idiomatic English: 10 Everyday Expressions (B1)
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B1 ⏱ 5 minutes
Idiomatic English: 10 Everyday Expressions
The Idioms
| Idiom | Real Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| It’s not rocket science | It’s not complicated; it’s easy to understand | “You just press the button. It’s not rocket science.” |
| Pull your socks up | Make more effort; improve your performance | “Your results are poor. You need to pull your socks up.” |
| Bite the bullet | Do something difficult or unpleasant that you’ve been avoiding | “I finally bit the bullet and called the dentist.” |
| Break the ice | Say or do something to make people feel relaxed in a new situation | “He told a joke to break the ice at the start of the meeting.” |
| Hit the ground running | Start a new activity with a lot of energy and no delays | “She hit the ground running on her first day at the job.” |
| Under the weather | Feeling slightly ill or unwell | “I can’t come in today — I’m feeling a bit under the weather.” |
| On the fence | Undecided; not having made a choice yet | “I’m still on the fence about whether to move to Paris.” |
| Spill the beans | Accidentally or deliberately reveal a secret | “Don’t spill the beans — it’s a surprise party!” |
| Burning the midnight oil | Working late into the night | “I’ve been burning the midnight oil to finish this lesson plan.” |
| In the same boat | In the same difficult situation as someone else | “We’re all struggling with the heat — we’re in the same boat.” |
Usage Note: Register
Practice Task 1: Match the idiom to its meaning
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. spill the beans | A. feel a little ill |
| 2. on the fence | B. start with great energy |
| 3. under the weather | C. reveal a secret |
| 4. hit the ground running | D. haven’t decided yet |
| 5. in the same boat | E. sharing the same problem |
Show answers
1-C 2-D 3-A 4-B 5-E
Practice Task 2: Use the idiom in context
Choose the correct idiom to complete each sentence.
- Learning to drive isn’t that hard. ________!
- She hasn’t told anyone the news yet — please don’t ________.
- I’ve been ________ all week — the presentation is due Friday and I’m nowhere near ready.
- He was still ________ about which job offer to accept.
- I know it’s a hard conversation to have, but you’ll have to ________ eventually.
Show answers
- It’s not rocket science!
- spill the beans
- burning the midnight oil
- on the fence
- bite the bullet
Independent project. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.
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