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Money Idioms: Meaning, Usage, and Exercise!
When preparing for the IELTS, mastering idiomatic expressions can significantly enhance your language skills and overall score. Idioms are a vital part of English language proficiency, and incorporating them into your vocabulary can make your communication more effective and natural. In this blog, we will explore a variety of common money idioms that will not only enrich your language but also elevate your IELTS score. 20 Most Famous Idioms Based Around ‘Money’ Learn the most acknowledged money idioms that are used worldwide as a part of the general speech. Here’s the list of money idioms with meanings: Break the bank:...
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Ten Food Idioms that are right under your nose to help Score Band 8.0+
Idiomatic expressions are sayings in English, which are almost impossible to interpret based on the words alone. They pose quite a problem for IELTS learners. Therefore, IELTS candidates should prepare themselves for the IELTS Speaking test by learning them now to get Band 7.5 IELTS Score. Here is the list of Ten Food Idioms 1 Cheese A big cheese Meaning: a person of importance or authority Example: Apparently her father is a big cheese in one of the major banks. Different as chalk and cheese Meaning: Two objects that although appearing to be similar are in fact different Example: Australia...
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Common Idioms to Boost Your IELTS Score – Topic: Safety and risk
Safety and risk is one of the most popular idioms that can be used to make your writing interesting. We’ve put together a list of common English idioms, complete with meaning and examples. Bookmark our site to read and learn a new idiom everyday. Safety and risk By the skin of your teeth If you do something by the skin of your teeth you just manage to do it but very nearly fail. In the men’s First Division, the champions survived by the skin of their teeth. A close shave If someone has a close shave they very nearly have...
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Common Idioms to Improve your IELTS Score – Topic : Memory and Mind
Memory and Mind Cross your mind – If something crosses your mind, you suddenly think of it. It crossed my mind that she might be lying about her age. Bear/keep something in mind – If you tell someone to bear something in mind or keep something in mind, you are reminding or warning them about something important which they should remember. There are a few general rules to bear in mind when selecting plants. Keep in mind that some places are more dangerous than others for women travelling alone. Food for thought – If something gives you food for thought,...
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The Most Common Idioms to Boost Your IELTS Score – Topic: Loving and liking
Loving and liking carry a torch for someone If you carry a torch for someone, you are in love with them but they do not love you. NOTE: The torch referred to in these expressions is a long stick with burning material at one end which provides a light. This kind of torch is sometimes used in processions or parades. What makes a woman so special that a man will carry a torch for her all his life? NOTE: You can use the verb hold instead of carry. He never saw the woman again. And he went through the...
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Common Idioms to Boost Your IELTS Score – Topic : Deception
Deception blow the whistle on someone/something If you blow the whistle on something dishonest or illegal, or on someone who is doing something dishonest or illegal, you tell the authorities about them because you feel strongly that what they are doing is wrong. NOTE: In games such as football, the referee blows a whistle to stop play when a player has committed a foul (= an act that is not allowed). Members of coastal communities are being asked to blow the whistle on activities that damage the marine environment. cover your tracks If someone covers their tracks, they hide...
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The most Common Idioms to Boost Your IELTS Score – Topic : Success and failure
Success and failure Back to the drawing board If you have to go back to the drawing board, something you have done has not been successful and you have to try another idea. NOTE: Drawing boards are large flat boards, on which designers or architects place their paper when drawing plans. His government should go back to the drawing board to rethink their programme. Bring the house down If a person or their performance brings the house down, the audience claps and cheers loudly for a long time because they liked the performance so much. NOTE: In this expression,...
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Common Idioms to Improve Your IELTS Score – Topic: Communication
Communication keep someone posted If you keep someone posted, you continue giving them the latest information about a situation. She made me promise to keep her posted on developments here while she was in London. in the loop Part of a group that is kept up-to-date with information about something Not many people knew about the strike but the CEO was almost certainly in the loop. at cross purposes If two people are at cross purposes, they think they are talking about or trying to do the same thing as each other, but they are actually talking about or trying...
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Common Idioms to Boost Your IELTS Score – Topic: Disagreement
Disagreement agree to differ or agree to disagree If two people who are arguing about something agree to differ or agree to disagree, they decide to stop arguing because neither of them Is going to change their opinion. I find some of his views very odd and we’ve agreed to differ on some things. You and I are going to have to agree to disagree on this issue. at each other’s throats or at one another’s throats If two people or groups are at each other’s throats or at one another’s throats, they are arguing In a very angry way....
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Common Idioms to Boost Your IELTS Score – Topic: Expectation
Expectation the calm before the storm or the lull before the storm You describe a very quiet period as the calm before the storm or the lull before the storm if it is followed by a period of trouble or intense activity. Things are relatively relaxed at the moment but I think it’s probably the calm before the storm. The Emergency Department is fairly quiet, it’s probably the lull before the storm. castles in the air If you describe someone’s plans as castles in the air, you mean that they are not realistic and have no chance of succeeding. The...
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The Most Common Idioms to Boost Your IELTS Score – Topic : Happiness and sadness
Happiness and sadness break someone’s heart If you break someone’s heart you make them very unhappy by ending a relationship with them or making it clear that you do not love them. She left him later that year and broke his heart. NOTE: You can also say that someone has a broken heart when they feel very sad because a relationship has ended. If you’re a poet, you get some good poetry out of a broken heart. NOTE: You can also say that someone is heartbroken or is broken-hearted. Mary was broken-hearted when he left her. If a fact or...
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The most Common Idioms to Boost Your IELTS Score – Topic: Progress
Progress be barking up the wrong tree If someone is barking up the wrong tree, they are following the wrong course of action because their beliefs about something are not correct. NOTE: This expression comes from raccoon (= a small long-tailed animal in North and Central America) hunting, which takes place at night. Dogs that are trained to show where raccoons are by barking sometimes indicate the wrong tree. Scientists in Switzerland realized that most other researchers had been barking up the wrong tree. be flogging a dead horse If someone is flogging a dead horse, they are wasting...
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The most Common Idioms to Boost Your IELTS Score – Topic : Honesty and fairness
Honesty and fairness above board If a situation or business is above board, it is honest and legal. NOTE: This expression comes from card games in which players place their bets on a board or table. Actions above the table, where other players can see them, are probably fair. Anyone who wants to inspect our books can see for themselves that we are totally above board. not beat around the bush or not beat about the bush If you don’t beat around the bush or don’t beat about the bush, you say what you want to say clearly and directly....
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Common Idioms to Boost Your IELTS Score – Topic: Health, illness, and death
Health, illness, and death alive and kicking If someone or something is alive and kicking they are still active or still exist. Romance is still alive and kicking for a couple who will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this week. The twins want to let everyone know who has written to them that they are alive and kicking. at death’s door If someone is at death’s door they are seriously ill and likely to die. He has won five golf competitions in three months, a year after being at death’s door. NOTE: You can also say that someone is...
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Common Idioms to Improve your IELTS Speaking Score – Topic : Trouble and Difficulty
Trouble and Difficulty be asking for trouble If someone is asking for trouble, they are behaving in a way that makes it very likely that they will have problems. Riding a bicycle in town after dark without lights is just asking for trouble. bite off more than you can chew If you bite off more than you can chew, you try to do a task that is too big for you or too difficult. I didn’t know if I could memorize a text of that length and started to worry that I had bitten off more than I could chew....
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Common Idioms to Boost your IELTS Score – Topic : Starting and Stopping
Starting and Stopping call it a day If you call it a day, you decide to stop doing something you have been doing that day. I searched for hours but I had to call it a day when it got dark. NOTE: In the evening, people sometimes say that they are going to call it a night. Tomorrow is going to be busy, so let’s call it a night. If someone calls it a day, they retire from their job. It’s no secret I want his job when he calls it a day. call it quits If you call it...
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Common Idioms to Boost your IELTS Score – Topic : Involvement and Interest
Involvement and Interest not be your cup of tea If something is not your cup of tea, you do feel very interested or enthusiastic about it. I’ve never been the greatest traveller. Sitting for hours on motorways is not really my cup of tea. NOTE: You can also say that something or someone is your cup of tea when you like them or feel interested in them. I don’t have much time for modern literature. Shakespeare’s more my cup of tea. have an axe to grind If someone has an axe to grind, they have particular attitudes about something, often...
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Common Idioms to Boost your IELTS Score – Topic : Anger and Irritation
Anger and Irritation bite someone’s head off or snap someone’s head off If someone bites your head off or snaps your head off, they speak to you in an unpleasant, angry way, because they are annoyed about something. [INFORMAL] Don’t bite my head off just because you’re fed up! blow a fuse If you blow a fuse, you suddenly lose your temper and cannot control your anger. NOTE: A fuse is a safety device found in electrical equipment. If the equipment becomes too hot, the fuse blows, or burns. This breaks the electrical circuit, so that the equipment will stop...
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The most Common Idioms to Boost your IELTS Score – Topic : Help and Encouragement
Help and Encouragement bend over backwards or bend over backward If you bend over backwards or bend over backward, you try very hard to help or please someone, even though it causes you trouble. We bent over backwards to make them feel welcome and they didn’t thank us once. be there for someone If you are there for someone, you are ready to listen to their problems and to help and support them. [SPOKEN] Jimmy is a good friend – he’s always been there for me when i needed help or advice. give and take If you talk about give...
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Common Idioms List for IELTS Speaking
In the IELTS speaking test, if you use common idioms properly, you can boost your IELTS speaking score to Band 7.5 or higher. This page contains all common idioms which have been divided up into 3 sets to help you maximize your IELTS score. You can also find useful exercises at the end of each post so that you can learn them better. Now let’s find out common idiom list below: Set 1 Keep One’s Feet On The Ground – Idiom Of The Day For IELTS Speaking Hang By A Thread – Idiom Of The Day For IELTS Speaking Let...
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