Definition
Break the ice
To initiate a conversation in a way that makes people feel more comfortable.
"At the party, John told a funny story to break the ice."
Burn bridges
To destroy one's relationship or connection with someone, often permanently.
"Be careful with what you say to your boss; you don’t want to burn bridges."
Cut to the chase
To get to the point without wasting time.
"We don’t have much time, so let’s cut to the chase."
Take the bull by the horns
To face a difficult situation directly and with courage.
"She took the bull by the horns and addressed the problem head-on."
Keep your fingers crossed
To hope for a positive outcome or wish for good luck.
"I have an interview tomorrow—keep your fingers crossed for me!"
Burn the midnight oil
To work late into the night, typically to complete something.
"She’s been burning the midnight oil to finish the project on time."
Jump on the bandwagon
To join an activity or trend that is popular at the moment.
"She wasn’t into fitness, but after seeing so many people working out, she decided to jump on the bandwagon."
Get cold feet
To become nervous or frightened about something at the last minute.
"She got cold feet right before her wedding and almost called it off."
At the drop of a hat
To do something immediately, without hesitation.
"He would leave his job at the drop of a hat if he found a better opportunity."
The tip of the iceberg
A small, visible part of a much larger problem or situation.
"The financial issues we see now are just the tip of the iceberg."
A blessing in disguise
Something that seems bad at first but turns out to be good in the end.
"Losing my job was a blessing in disguise; I found a much better opportunity."
Bite the bullet
To endure something unpleasant or difficult because there’s no way around it.
"I don’t like flying, but I’ll have to bite the bullet and get on the plane."
Under the weather
To feel ill or unwell.
"I think I’m coming down with something. I’ve been feeling under the weather all day."
Throw someone under the bus
To betray someone for your own advantage.
"I can’t believe she threw him under the bus just to save her job!"
On the ball
To be quick to understand and react to things, to be alert.
"He’s always on the ball when it comes to handling customer complaints."
The ball is in your court
It’s your turn to take action or make a decision.
"I've done all I can; now the ball is in your court."
Throw in the towel
To give up or admit defeat.
"After hours of trying to fix the car, he finally threw in the towel."
A penny for your thoughts
Asking someone what they are thinking.
"You’ve been quiet for a while—what’s on your mind? A penny for your thoughts?"
Beat around the bush
To avoid talking about something directly.
"Stop beating around the bush and just tell me what happened!"
A wild goose chase
A futile or hopeless search for something.
"We’ve been looking for that missing document all day—it feels like a wild goose chase."
Hit the nail on the head
To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.
"When Mark pointed out the budget issues, he really hit the nail on the head."
Let the cat out of the bag
To accidentally reveal a secret or information that was supposed to be kept confidential.
"I let the cat out of the bag about her surprise party!"
Up in the air
Something that is uncertain or not yet decided.
"Our vacation plans are still up in the air, depending on work schedules."
Cry over spilled milk
To be upset about something that cannot be undone or changed.
"It’s no use crying over spilled milk; the mistake is done, so let’s move on."
Keep something at bay
To prevent something from happening or getting too close.
"He’s been trying to keep his bad habits at bay by working out regularly."