Idioms #1
It cost me an arm and a leg to take my trip to Australia.
Very expensive
Getting an A in Choir will be a piece of cake! I’m very good at singing.
Very easy
I hate my job so much I can’t bare going to work, but if I quit I don’t think I can get another job. I’m really stuck / caught between a rock and a hard place.
Having two very bad choices.
(note: stuck/caught can be omitted)
I was over the moon when he asked me to marry him.
Extremely pleased or happy
The money sent by the Salvation Army to help poverty in Africa is just a drop in the ocean. They need far more than this.
A very small part of something much bigger
I have to bite my tongue so I don’t say what I really think of him!
Wanting to say something but stopping yourself.
You are taking your test next week?? Aren’t you jumping the gun. You’ve only just started studying.
Doing or starting something too early
Getting a low score the first time I took my math test was a blessing in disguise. It forced me to study extremely hard so I got a much better score the next time.
Something positive that isn’t recognized until later
Come on, cut to the chase. We haven’t got all day!
Leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point
He comes round to see me once in a blue moon.
Happening very rarely
We have to actually do something about global warming. Actions speak louder than words.
It’s better to actually do something rather than just talking about it
Are you putting all of your savings into that company? Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Putting all of ones resources into one possibility
He’s got a chip on his shoulder.
Feeling inferior or having a grievance about something
I bumped into Jenny in town the other day. It's a small world.
Meeting someone you would not have expected to
Try not to worry about it. Every cloud has a silver lining.
Believing that every bad situation has a positive side / eventually leads to something good