Idioms are phrases that have a figurative meaning different from the literal meaning of the words that make up the phrase. They are an integral part of languages and culture and are used to convey emotions, thoughts, and ideas in a more colorful and expressive way.

Idioms are often used in daily conversations, literature, and media to add depth and nuance to the language. They can be challenging for non-native speakers to understand, as their meanings are not always immediately clear. However, learning idioms can greatly enhance a person’s understanding and fluency in a language, as they provide insight into the culture and history of a language and its speakers.

The good news is that popular idioms do not change as quickly as slang. Below is a list of 100 American idioms and their meanings.

Idiom	Meaning
1. Break a leg	Good luck
2. Cost an arm and a leg	Very expensive
3. Beat around the bush	Avoid discussing a topic directly
4. Bite off more than you can chew	Take on more than you can handle
5. Cut to the chase	Get to the point
6. Get cold feet	Become nervous or uncertain about something
7. Piece of cake	Really easy to do
8. Let the cat out of the bag	Reveal a secret
9. Hit the nail on the head	Be accurate or correct
10. Pull someone’s leg	Tease or joke with someone
11. Go above and beyond	Do more than what is expected
12. Get the ball rolling	Start something
13. Jump on the bandwagon	Follow a trend or popular opinion
14. Have a chip on your shoulder	Be angry or resentful about something
15. In the same boat	Have the same problem or situation
16. Keep your eyes peeled	Be alert or watchful
17. The ball is in your court	Have the opportunity to make a decision
18. Kill two birds with one stone	Accomplish two things at once
19. Let sleeping dogs lie	Leave a situation alone
20. Make a mountain out of a molehill	Exaggerate the importance of a problem
21. Miss the boat	Miss an opportunity
22. Out of the blue	Unexpectedly
23. Out on a limb	In a risky situation
24. Put all your eggs in one basket	Rely on one thing
25. Rain on someone’s parade	Ruin someone’s plans or happiness
26. The elephant in the room	An issue that’s not addressed
27. The whole nine yards	Everything
28. Turn over a new leaf	Change one’s behavior
29. Up in the air	Uncertain
30. Wear your heart on your sleeve	Be honest and open with your emotions
31. Be a stick in the mud	Be unadventurous or resistant to change
32. Caught red-handed	Caught doing something wrong
33. In hot water	In trouble
34. Under the weather	Sick
35. Bite the bullet	Face something difficult or unpleasant
36. Blow your own horn	Boast about yourself
37. Break the ice	Initiate a conversation with a stranger
38. Burn the midnight oil	Work late into the night
39. Butter someone up	Flatter someone in order to get something
40. Call it a day	Stop working for the day
41. Cry over spilled milk	Be upset about something that can’t change
42. Hit the hay	Go to bed
43. It’s not rocket science	Easy to do
44. Jump the gun	Do something too soon
45. Keep your nose to the grindstone	Work hard and steadily
46. Know the ropes	Be familiar with how something works
47. Learn the ropes	Become familiar with the way something works
48. Make ends meet	Have enough money to pay for necessities
49. On the ball	Aware and able to act quickly
50. On the fence	Unsure or indecisive
51. On thin ice	In a risky or dangerous situation
52. Out of the frying pan and into the fire	Go from a bad situation to worse
53. Rule of thumb	A general guideline or principle
54. See eye to eye	Agree
55. Shoot the breeze	Have a casual conversation
56. Take the plunge	Do something risky or dating
57. The last straw	The final problem or issue that causes something to happen
58. Throw in the towel	To give up
59. Under the weather	Feel sick
60. Hit the road	Leave
61. Go against the grain	Do something different or unconventional
62. In the doghouse	In trouble
63. Out of left field	Unexpected or surprising
64. Play it by ear	Improvise or make decisions as you go along
65. Put your foot in your mouth	Say something inappropriate or offensive
66. Take the reins	Take control
67. The whole kit and caboodle	Everything
68. Time is money	Wasting time is costly
69. Under the radar	Not noticed
70. Up in arms	Angry
71. A dime a dozen	Common or plentiful
72. A leopard can’t change its spots	A person cannot change their nature
73. A blessing in disguise	Something good came from something bad
74. Don’t judge a book by its cover	Don’t assume something will happen until it does
75. Every cloud has a silver lining	Every difficult situation has a positive aspect
76. Has a heart of gold	Is kind and compassionate
77. A breath of fresh air	Refreshing or new
78. A sweet tooth	To enjoy sweet foods
79. Have your hands full	To be busy or overwhelmed
80. Icing on the cake	The best part of finishing touch
81. An ace up your sleeve	To have a secret advantage
82. A green thumb	Skilled at gardening
83. A bone to pick	To have an issue to discuss
84. A wild card	Unpredictable
85. A wet blanket	To be unenthusiastic or dampen others’ spirits
86. Life of the party	To be the most energetic or entertaining person
87. Fish out of water	To feel uncomfortable or out of place
88. To be a fly on the wall	To be an unseen observer
89. A snake in the grass	To be deceitful or sneaky
90. Party animal	To enjoy partying
91. A social butterfly	Good at socializing and making friends
92. A busybody	A nosy person
93. To be a good egg	To be a good person
94. Jack of all trades	To be skilled at many things
95. To be a loose cannon	Unpredictable
96. To be a scrooge	To be cheap or stingy
97. On the same page	To agree
98. A hot mess	Disorganized or chaotic
99. Ride or die	A loyal and supportive friend
100. To ghost someone	To suddenly stop communicating with someone