Break a leg: English idioms and expressions

Easy: piece of cake = very easy. 'The test was a piece of cake.'

Happy: over the moon / on cloud nine = extremely happy.

Crying: crying your eyes out = crying very hard.

Money: cost an arm and a leg = very expensive.

Time: in a heartbeat = immediately. 'I would say yes in a heartbeat.'

Time: once in a blue moon = very rarely.

Weather: under the weather = feeling unwell.

Speaking: spill the beans = reveal a secret.

Speaking: hit the nail on the head = say something exactly right.

Difficulty: between a rock and a hard place = stuck with two bad options.

Effort: bite the bullet = do something difficult that you have been avoiding.

Risk: take it with a grain of salt = do not believe everything.

Failure: back to the drawing board = start over from the beginning.

Success: hit the jackpot = get a big success.

Surprise: out of the blue = unexpectedly.

Decision: call it a day = stop working for the day.

Help: lend a hand = help someone.

Anger: see red = become very angry.

Sleep: hit the sack = go to bed.

Sleep: sleep on it = think about it overnight before deciding.

Food: cup of tea = something you like. 'Cricket is not my cup of tea.'

Travel: hit the road = start a journey.

Surprise: a piece of work = a difficult or strange person.

Money: break the bank = cost more than you can afford.

Plans: in the works = being prepared.

Honesty: cross my heart = I promise.

Speed: in the blink of an eye = very quickly.

Confusion: lost in translation = misunderstood across languages.

Pressure: pull yourself together = get control of your emotions.

Patience: hold your horses = wait, slow down.

Some idioms are very British: 'Bob's your uncle' (and there you go), 'Cheap as chips' (very cheap), 'Lost the plot' (gone crazy).

Others are very American: 'Hit a home run' (succeed big), 'Ballpark figure' (approximate number), 'The whole nine yards' (everything).

Most idioms are understood on both sides of the Atlantic. But if you live or work in one country, learn their idioms specifically.

Rule 1: Listen to native speakers using them BEFORE you try yourself.

Rule 2: Start with 5 to 10 that you really like.

Rule 3: Use them sparingly. One idiom per conversation is plenty.

Rule 4: If you are unsure if an idiom is correct, do not use it. Better to be clear than clever.