What Is an Idiom? 24 Idiom Examples

An idiom is a widely used saying or expression containing a figurative meaning that differs from the phrase’s literal meaning. The word “idiom” comes from the Greek word “idioma,” meaning peculiar phrasing. For example, “under the weather” is an idiom universally understood to mean sick or ill. If you say you’re feeling “under the weather,” you don’t literally mean that you’re standing underneath the rain.

Idioms often summarize or reflect a commonly held cultural experience, even if that experience is now out of date or antiquated. For instance, you might say that someone should “bite the bullet” when they need to do something undesirable. The phrase’s origin refers to wounded soldiers literally biting down on a bullet to avoid screaming during a wartime operation. That common occurrence from the past resulted in a phrase we still use today. These phrases are also unique to their language of origin. In other words, English idioms are different from Spanish or French idioms.

Idioms are a type of figurative language writers can use to add dynamism and character to otherwise stale writing. Writers can also use idioms to:

• Add humor: Idiomatic expressions can help transform flat descriptions with the help of a funny turn-of-phrase. For instance, rather than describing someone as not very smart, you could say they are “not the sharpest tool in the shed” or “not the brightest star in the sky.” In addition to conveying that the subject in question is not intelligent, the inherent comparison of a person’s brain to a toolbox or a star is unexpected and humorous.
• Engage the reader: By inserting an idiomatic phrase into your writing, you force the reader to shift from thinking literally to abstractly. This can help focus and excite the reader, as they must activate a more conceptual part of their brain to comprehend the idiom’s meaning. For example, the idiom “biting off more than they can chew” describes someone taking on a challenging task. Using this idiom can encourage the reader to conjure a visual image in their head.
• Evoke a specific region: Certain idioms can be unique to a particular group of people or world area. For instance, “that dog won’t hunt” is a common idiom in the Southern United States that means something doesn’t work or make sense. On the other hand, if someone were to refer to a mess or a debacle as a “dog’s dinner,” they are likely British. In fiction writing, the strategic employment of specific idioms can often add a regional flavor and authenticity to your characters.
• Share a point of view: Idioms can express commonly shared or universal ideas, so there are often dozens of idioms that apply to the same concept. However, depending on which idiom you choose, you can convey an entirely different attitude or point of view about the subject. For example, several idioms express the concept of death. If you were to write that someone “passed away,” you are using an idiom to describe death in a graceful, delicate way. Alternatively, you could say that a person “kicked the bucket,” a much cruder way of describing the act of dying. Though both idioms ultimately mean the same thing, they convey entirely different attitudes toward death.
  
• Simplify complex ideas: Often, idioms can help express a large or abstract idea in a way that is concise and easy to understand. For instance, you could say that two things are impossible to compare to one another because they possess different traits or meanings. Or you could say it’s like “comparing apples to oranges.” In this case, using an idiom helps express the same idea in a much simpler way.

Popular idioms in the English language include:

1. 1. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: This idiom means it is better to have something small and certain than the possibility of something greater that may never materialize.
2. 2. A drop of a hat: To do something at the drop of a hat means to do something without delay.
3. 3. A piece of cake: Describing something as a piece of cake means it is easily achievable.
4. 4. A penny saved is a penny earned: This expression means it can be just as valuable to save money as it is to make money.
5. 5. Add insult to injury: To add insult to injury is to make a bad situation worse.
6. 6. Back to the drawing board: Returning to the drawing board is another way to say it is necessary to restart a process from the beginning.
7. 7. Bark up the wrong tree: To bark up the wrong tree means a person is following the wrong course of action. This phrase comes from dogs barking up a tree looking for prey when the prey is not there.
8. 8. Beat a dead horse: The phrase “beat a dead horse,” also known as “flogging a dead horse,” describes an overly discussed situation or topic that cannot change.
9. 9. By the skin of your teeth: This phrase, which comes from the bible, describes a situation in which someone narrowly escapes or barely manages to achieve something.
10. 10. Cut corners: To cut corners means to achieve something hastily or inexpensively by omitting necessary steps.
11. 11. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch: This phrase expresses that you should not rely on something good before it happens.
12. 12. Every cloud has a silver lining: This uplifting idiom expresses that good things can result from bad things.
13. 13. Go down in flames: To go down in flames describes a person or situation that fails dramatically.
14. 14. Head in the clouds: People with their heads in the clouds are aloof to their surroundings or present situation.
15. 15. Jump on the bandwagon: To jump on the bandwagon means a person follows or supports something because it is a popular trend.
16. 16. Not one’s cup of tea. This phrase is a kind way to describe that someone or something is unagreeable with a person.
17. 17. On cloud nine: To be on cloud nine is to feel joy and happiness.
18. 18. Once in a blue moon: Once in a blue moon describes something that rarely happens.
19. 19. Pot calling the kettle black: This proverbial idiom describes a person guilty of something and accusing another person of the same fault.
20. 20. Throw caution to the wind: Throwing caution to the wind is approaching a situation without sense or carefulness.
21. 21. You can’t judge a book by its cover: This idiom means you should not assume you know something based solely on its outward appearance.
22. 22. Walk on thin ice: This phrase describes the act of doing something risky or inherently dangerous.
23. 23. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it: To cross a bridge when you come to it means you will worry about the problem when it arises.
24. 24. Wild goose chase: A wild goose chase describes pursuing something challenging or unattainable, like chasing wayward geese.

When writing idioms, consider the following tips:

1. 1. Avoid clichés: The overuse of idioms can lead to them becoming a cliché, like the phrase “there are other fish in the sea.” Overreliance on common idioms can cause the reader to become bored with your writing.
2. 2. Create idiolects for characters. Including idioms in books for characters who are native English speakers can be a challenge, mainly if the story is outside English-speaking countries. For his part, author Salman Rushdie creates idiolects to ease translations. “One of the difficulties that I had in some of the books I've written that deal with South Asia is that the characters would not realistically be speaking English,” Salman says. “If you give them English speakers' idioms, that can sound completely idiotic coming out of their mouths. So you have to create an idiom. You have to create an idiolect, which is a way for their speech to be represented in English, indicating to the reader that this is a translation from another language.”
3. 3. Identify repetitive descriptions. Read through your work with an eye for language that feels dry or monotonous. Look for instances where replacing rote character descriptions with an idiom would add clarity or texture. If you describe a character as being angry often, you might change the language to include phrases like “seeing red,” “up in arms,” or “flying off the handle.”
4. 4. Use idioms sparingly. Though a strategic use of idioms can add color to your writing, too many idioms in a piece of writing can feel stale or confusing.

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