Practice
English practice: common idioms
Sign in to saveAt the start of a workshop, Mara asks a light question to break the ice. Nobody is breaking anything. She is helping people begin talking comfortably.
Recognise six common English idioms in context, explain their figurative meanings, and choose plain language when an idiom would be unclear.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
hit the nail on the head /hɪt ðə neɪl ɒn ðə hed/
The short answer
Learn an idiom as a complete expression and use the sentence around it to work out its meaning. Break the ice means make people feel more comfortable, under the weather means slightly ill, and hit the nail on the head means describe something exactly.
A short team game helped break the ice before the meeting.
Why it works: The game made conversation easier at the beginning of the meeting.
5 more examples
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I am a little under the weather, so I will work from home today.
The speaker feels slightly ill.
Not this:The hikers waited
under the shelterduring the storm. What changes: This is a literal location, not a description of health. -
Before we order supplies, let us make sure we are on the same page.
The group needs a shared understanding before acting.
Not this:The two definitions appear on the
same pageof the handbook. What changes: This sentence is about a physical page. -
You hit the nail on the head when you said the timetable was too crowded.
The person described the problem exactly.
Not this:The carpenter
hit the nailwith a hammer. What changes: The carpenter is doing a physical task, so the phrase is literal. -
Once I understood the map, finding the library was a piece of cake.
Finding the library became very easy.
Not this:We shared a
piece of cakeafter lunch. What changes: This sentence names food, not an easy task. -
A taxi from the airport at midnight can cost an arm and a leg.
The taxi may be very expensive.
Not this:The nurse examined his
arm and legafter the fall. What changes: This sentence concerns body parts, so it is literal.
Read the full guide
First ask what would make sense literally. If the words do not fit the situation, try a figurative reading. Then replace the whole idiom with a plain phrase. If the sentence still makes sense, you have probably found the intended meaning. Keep an idiom together when you learn it, including its usual prepositions and grammar.
Read the whole situation
The separate words in an idiom may sound strange in a literal reading. Look at who is speaking, what happened, and what the listener does next. If a colleague says a joke broke the ice, the joke did not damage frozen water. It made the first conversation less tense.
A short team game helped break the ice before the meeting.
The organiser cleared ice from the path outside the office is literal because there is real ice on the path.
What did the team game change in the meeting?
It helped people begin speaking comfortably. That is the figurative meaning of break the ice.
Use break the ice for a first social moment
Use break the ice when people do not know one another well or when a conversation feels quiet at the start. A simple question, introduction, or shared activity can break the ice. The phrase is often positive because it describes making a situation more relaxed.
The host asked everyone to name a favourite film to break the ice.
The host asked everyone to discuss the final budget is a direct description of the activity, without the social meaning of the idiom.
Would break the ice fit a message sent after six months of weekly meetings?
Usually no. The phrase refers to the beginning of a social interaction or a moment of awkward silence.
Describe a mild illness with under the weather
Under the weather means that someone feels a little ill or not at their usual strength. It often appears when a person explains a quiet day, cancelled plan, or decision to rest. It does not name a diagnosis. Choose a direct phrase when another person needs clear health information.
I am a little under the weather, so I will work from home today.
I have a fever and need medical advice gives specific information. It is better when the listener must understand the health situation.
Does under the weather usually describe a severe emergency?
No. It usually suggests a mild, temporary illness or low energy.
Check that people are on the same page
When people are on the same page, they understand a plan, decision, or goal in the same way. Use the idiom before a group begins work, after a discussion, or when you want to check an assumption. It does not mean that people agree about every small detail.
Before we order supplies, let us make sure we are on the same page.
Before we order supplies, let us confirm the quantity, delivery date, and budget is clearer when those details matter.
What should a group do if members are not on the same page?
They should state the plan and check the points they understand differently before they continue.
Recognise an exact observation
Hit the nail on the head means identify a problem, reason, or feeling exactly. It often follows a useful comment in a discussion. The phrase praises the accuracy of the comment. It can sound too informal for a report, where a direct sentence such as Your analysis identifies the main issue may fit better.
You hit the nail on the head when you said the timetable was too crowded.
You mentioned the timetable comments on the subject but does not say whether the observation was accurate.
What does the speaker praise in this idiom?
The speaker praises an observation that describes the central issue exactly.
Talk carefully about easy and expensive things
A piece of cake means very easy. Cost an arm and a leg means very expensive. Both are informal and expressive. Say a task was straightforward when you want a neutral tone. Give the actual price, or say that something is expensive, when the amount matters to a decision.
Once I understood the map, finding the library was a piece of cake.
Finding the library became straightforward after I understood the map is more neutral and may sound kinder to a learner.
A taxi from the airport at midnight can cost an arm and a leg.
The taxi costs 45 pounds gives a reader an exact amount instead of a figurative estimate.
Before you go
Remember this
Use context to read an idiom as one unit. Break the ice is about easing a first conversation, under the weather is about mild illness, on the same page is about shared understanding, hit the nail on the head is about an exact observation, a piece of cake is about an easy task, and cost an arm and a leg is about a high price.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "English practice: common idioms"
What is an English idiom?
An idiom is a familiar group of words whose usual meaning differs from the literal meaning of the separate words. Learn it as one phrase, then use the surrounding situation to confirm its meaning. A literal reading may still be possible in a different sentence.
A short team game helped break the ice before the meeting.
How can I work out the meaning of an idiom?
Read the whole sentence and ask what result or feeling the speaker describes. Replace the idiom with a plain phrase and see whether the sentence still makes sense. Context is more reliable than translating each word separately.
The organiser cleared ice from the path outside the office.
When should I use break the ice?
Use break the ice for a first social moment or an awkward beginning when a question, introduction, or activity helps people begin talking. It usually refers to making a situation more comfortable, not to breaking real ice.
I am a little under the weather, so I will work from home today.
Is under the weather suitable for every health situation?
Under the weather usually suggests a mild, temporary illness or low energy. It does not explain symptoms or name a medical condition. Use clear, direct wording when someone needs health details or when a formal absence message requires them.
The hikers waited under the shelter during the storm.
Are common idioms suitable for formal writing?
Some idioms work in friendly emails or informal comments, but plain language is often clearer in instructions, reports, contracts, and messages for international readers. State the precise price, problem, or action when a reader must make a decision from the information.
Before we order supplies, let us make sure we are on the same page.