Say What?!
Don’t bite off more than you can chew,” her mom warned.
→ don’t take on more than you can handle
It uses a food-eating metaphor to convey capacity.(idiom)
I’ve told you a million times to clean your room!
Repeated yourself (hyperbole)
She's as sly as a fox
Clever/tricky (simile)
He’s walking on thin ice.
In a risky situation (idiom/metaphor)
My phone is glued to my hand.
Exaggerates phone use; not literally glued, but always using it. (hyperbole/metaphor)
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
→ Deal with problem later
A literal bridge represents a problem; the idiom encourages postponing worry until necessary.
Wow, thanks for being SO helpful,” I said when my friend just sat there.
They weren't helpful (sarcasm)
The coach yelled, “You’re all acting like a bunch of monkeys!”
disorderly behavior (metaphor)
After his messy project, his teacher joked, “Wow, that’s as neat as a pigsty.”
Untidy/messy (sarcasm/simile)
When she saw the long line, Amy said, “Well, this is going to be fun…”
Words are positive but context shows differently (sarcasm)
He’s burning the candle at both ends.
→ Exhausting himself by doing too much
The metaphor compares life energy to a candle being burned quickly. (idiom/ metaphor)
After a long run, Jacob groaned, “I’m literally about to collapse and never get up again.”
He's extremely tired (hyperbole)
When he spoke kindly, his friend said, “You have a heart of a lion.”
Brave (metaphor)
We’re all in the same boat here.
same situation (idiom)
Life is like a box of chocolates
Life is full of surprises (simile)
We’ll have to play it by ear.
→ Figure it out as it happens
Why: Originally from music (playing without written notes), figuratively it means improvising. (idiom)
When her phone died, she sighed, “Best day ever.”
She was frustrated (sarcasm)
She’s a lone wolf.
Compares her independence directly to a wolf, implying she prefers to act alone. (metaphor/idiom)
She has nerves of steel.
Compares her courage directly to steel, showing she’s remarkably brave or calm. (metaphor)
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
Don't risk everything in one plan (idiom)
Carlos whispered to his friend, “Don’t spill the beans about the surprise.”
→ to reveal a secret
Idiom
This test is going to take me the rest of my life to finish!
It feels excessively long (hyperbole)
After she won the contest, Sam said, “You’re the top dog now!”
The champion (idiom)
That was as clear as mud.
Confusing (sarcasm/ simile)
He opened Pandora’s box.
Means started something that caused many problems. Refers to Greek myth, not literally a box. (idiom)