Food
Piece of cake
"The math test was a piece of cake, I finished it in 5 minutes."
Meaning: Something that is easy or simple to do.
Pain in the neck
Oh, he’s such a pain in the neck! Always, just when I’m going home, he gives me some extra work to do.
Meaning: An irritating, annoying person
It's raining cats and dogs
"I think I won't go out, because it's raining cats and dogs"
Meaning: raining heavily
Break the ice
“When I meet someone new, I always try to break the ice with a joke.”
Under the weather
"I didn’t go to work today because I was feeling a bit under the weather, I had fever and headaches."
Meaning, To feel sick, unwell, or not in your usual good health.
Couch potato
"Ever since he got that new gaming console, he’s turned into a real couch potato, he needs to do exercise."
Meaning: someone who spends a lot of time sitting or lying down, usually watching TV, and being physically inactive or lazy.
Cheapskate
He is a cheapskate when it comes to his clothes. He’s never bought a new shirt or a new pair of boxers in all the years that I’ve known him.
Meaning: A person who doesn’t like spending money
When pigs fly
"My boss giving us a raise? That’ll happen when pigs fly."
Meaning: Something that will never happen
It's not rocket science
"Of course, I figured out how to use the washing machine. It's not rocket science."
Meaning: It's not as difficult as you might think.
Cost an arm and a leg
"The Nintendo switch 2 will cost an arm and a leg at release."
Meaning: Something that is very expensive — it costs a lot of money.
Spill the beans
"Grandma spilled the beans about the baby’s gender before the reveal party."
Meaning: To reveal a secret or confidential information.
Chatterbox
My son always gets detentions in school for talking in class, he is such a chatterbox.
Meaning: A person who talks a lot.
Cry wolf
"If you keep calling in sick when you're not, one day you'll really be sick and no one will believe you — don't cry wolf!"
Meaning: Raise a false alarm
On the table
Example: If your offer is still on the table, I'd like to accept the job.
Meaning: Available, the offer is still possible.
Blessing in disguise
Example: I hated that my mom made me clean the house, but now that I live alone I see it was a blessing in disguise.
Meaning: Something that seems bad but provides some benefit.
Big cheese
He's the big cheese in the company, he takes many decisions now.
Meaning: An important person
Busybody
My next-door neighbor is a real busybody. He's always talking about me and my family.
Meaning: A person who expresses great interest in other people's private lives
Dark horse
I didn’t know Nick could play the electric guitar so well, he looks so serious. He is a real dark horse!
Meaning: Someone who has greater abilities than he shows or than other people are aware of.
Back against the wall
With only five minutes left on the clock and down by one goal, Real Madrid had their backs against the wall.
Meaning: Being in a difficult or tough situation where one's resources are confined and limited, and one is under pressure or in immediate danger.
Bite the bullet
"Decisions have to be taken and as director you have got to bite the bullet"
Take it with a grain of salt
Example: He lies a lot, so take what he says with a grain of salt.
Meaning: Don’t believe it to be 100% true.
Down-to-earth
"He may come from a wealthy family, but he’s incredibly down-to-earth and doesn’t act superior."
Meaning: someone who is practical and close to reality, who accepts other people as equal.
The elephant in the room
"Everyone was quiet during the meeting because no one wanted to bring up the elephant in the room — the company’s recent layoffs."
Meaning: An obvious problem no one wants to talk about
The Last straw
"The kids had been noisy all day, but when they broke the TV, that was the last straw."
Meaning: The final small problem in a series of problems that causes someone to lose patience or give up.
On the line
Example: I invested my life savings in this business and have everything on the line.
Meaning: To risk something or have something at risk.