Idioms

An idiom is a phrase that does not mean exactly what the separate words say. Butterflies in my stomach does not mean there are butterflies. It means feeling nervous. On cloud nine means very happy.

These phrases are useful in composition when a plain sentence is not enough. “I was nervous” can become “I had butterflies in my stomach.” Use the meaning column to check the idea, then borrow the composition example for the shape of the sentence. A few phrases appear twice in the list. Keep the clearer example.

How to use them well in compositions:

Use 1 to 3 idioms per story (don’t overuse them).
Make sure the idiom fits the situation naturally.
The second example in each idiom below is written in a story/composition style.

1. Feelings & Emotions (1–20)

No.	Idiom	Meaning	Example 1	Example 2 (Composition Style)
1	Butterflies in my stomach	Feeling nervous or excited	I had butterflies in my stomach before the test.	As I walked onto the stage, I felt butterflies in my stomach.
2	On cloud nine	Extremely happy	She was on cloud nine after winning the prize.	When Mum said we were going to Universal Studios, I was on cloud nine.
3	Under the weather	Feeling sick or unwell	Dad is under the weather today.	Although I was under the weather, I still tried my best in the race.
4	Cold feet	Suddenly feeling scared to do something	He got cold feet before the performance.	At first I wanted to join the competition, but I got cold feet at the last minute.
5	Over the moon	Very happy and excited	The children were over the moon when they saw the puppies.	My brother was over the moon when he received his new bicycle.
6	Heart sank	Felt very disappointed or sad	My heart sank when I saw the rain.	My heart sank when I realised I had forgotten my homework.
7	Walking on air	Feeling extremely happy	She was walking on air after her good results.	After hearing the good news, I felt like I was walking on air.
8	Green with envy	Very jealous	He was green with envy when he saw his friend’s new toy.	I was green with envy when my classmate showed off her new phone.
9	Jump out of my skin	Very shocked or surprised	I nearly jumped out of my skin when the door slammed.	The loud thunder made me jump out of my skin.
10	Grin from ear to ear	Smile widely because of happiness	She grinned from ear to ear when she saw her present.	The little boy grinned from ear to ear when he received his ice cream.
11	Down in the dumps	Feeling sad or depressed	He was down in the dumps after losing his pet.	I felt down in the dumps when my best friend moved away.
12	Burst into tears	Suddenly start crying	She burst into tears when she heard the sad news.	The little girl burst into tears when she fell and scraped her knee.
13	Keep a straight face	Try not to smile or laugh	It was hard to keep a straight face during the funny play.	I tried to keep a straight face when my brother told a silly joke.
14	Blood ran cold	Felt very scared	My blood ran cold when I heard the strange noise.	When I saw the big dog running towards me, my blood ran cold.
15	Eyes lit up	Showed excitement or happiness	Her eyes lit up when she saw the birthday cake.	His eyes lit up when he opened the present from his grandmother.
16	Have a lump in my throat	Feel like crying (emotional)	I had a lump in my throat during the sad movie.	Watching the stray dog being rescued gave me a lump in my throat.
17	Scared out of my wits	Extremely frightened	The horror story scared me out of my wits.	I was scared out of my wits when the lights suddenly went out.
18	Feeling blue	Feeling sad	She was feeling blue after the argument.	I was feeling blue because I could not go for the class outing.
19	On top of the world	Feeling extremely happy and successful	He felt on top of the world after scoring a goal.	After winning the spelling competition, I felt on top of the world.
20	Heart was pounding	Feeling very nervous or excited	My heart was pounding before the presentation.	My heart was pounding as I opened the envelope with my results.

2. Actions & Behaviour (21–40)

No.	Idiom	Meaning	Example 1	Example 2 (Composition Style)
21	A piece of cake	Very easy	The homework was a piece of cake.	Although the project looked hard, it turned out to be a piece of cake.
22	Spill the beans	Tell a secret	Please don’t spill the beans about the surprise party.	My brother accidentally spilled the beans about our holiday plans.
23	Hit the books	Study hard	I need to hit the books for my test tomorrow.	During the school holidays, I hit the books every morning.
24	Pull someone’s leg	Joke or tease someone	Are you pulling my leg?	My friend pulled my leg when he said there was no school tomorrow.
25	Lend a hand	Help someone	Can you lend me a hand with this box?	My neighbour kindly lent a hand when we moved house.
26	Keep an eye on	Watch carefully	Please keep an eye on the baby.	I kept an eye on my younger sister while Mum was cooking.
27	Make up your mind	Decide	Please make up your mind quickly.	I finally made up my mind to join the art club.
28	Change your mind	Decide differently	He changed his mind about going to the park.	At first I wanted to eat chicken rice, but I changed my mind.
29	Give someone a hand	Help someone	Can you give me a hand with my homework?	The kind prefect gave me a hand when I dropped my books.
30	Put your foot down	Be firm and refuse	Mum put her foot down and said no more screen time.	Dad put his foot down when we asked to stay up late.
31	Get cold feet	Become scared to do something	She got cold feet before the performance.	I got cold feet and decided not to join the swimming competition.
32	Take it easy	Relax or not work too hard	Take it easy after your exam.	After the busy week, I decided to take it easy during the weekend.
33	Go the extra mile	Do more than expected	She always goes the extra mile to help others.	The teacher went the extra mile to explain the difficult topic again.
34	Bite the bullet	Face a difficult situation bravely	I had to bite the bullet and apologise.	Even though I was scared, I bit the bullet and spoke to the teacher.
35	Break the ice	Start a conversation to make people comfortable	He told a joke to break the ice.	The new student told a funny story to break the ice with the class.
36	Hit the nail on the head	Say or do exactly the right thing	You hit the nail on the head with that answer.	My suggestion hit the nail on the head and solved the problem.
37	Put on your thinking cap	Think carefully	Put on your thinking cap and solve this puzzle.	Before writing my composition, I put on my thinking cap.
38	Shake a leg	Hurry up	Shake a leg or we will be late!	“Shake a leg!” Mum shouted when we were late for school.
39	Get a move on	Hurry	Get a move on or we will miss the bus.	We had to get a move on to reach the cinema on time.
40	Keep your chin up	Stay positive and cheerful	Keep your chin up even when things are difficult.	Even after losing the match, the captain told us to keep our chin up.

3. People & Personality (41–55)

No.	Idiom	Meaning	Example 1	Example 2 (Composition Style)
41	Bookworm	Someone who loves reading	My sister is a real bookworm.	The quiet girl in class was a bookworm who always had a novel with her.
42	Early bird	Someone who wakes up early	My father is an early bird.	Being an early bird, I always finish my homework before dinner.
43	Couch potato	A lazy person who watches a lot of TV	He became a couch potato during the holidays.	My uncle is a couch potato who spends his weekends watching television.
44	Copycat	Someone who copies others	Stop being a copycat!	The younger boy was a copycat and imitated everything his brother did.
45	Busy bee	A very active and hardworking person	She is a busy bee in the classroom.	My mother is a busy bee who is always doing something around the house.
46	Two peas in a pod	Very similar in character	The twins are like two peas in a pod.	My best friend and I are like two peas in a pod — we even like the same food.
47	Apple of my eye	Someone very loved and special	My grandmother is the apple of my eye.	The little puppy quickly became the apple of everyone’s eye.
48	Pain in the neck	Someone or something annoying	That noisy dog is a pain in the neck.	The boy who kept interrupting became a pain in the neck during group work.
49	Jack of all trades	Someone who can do many things	My uncle is a jack of all trades.	Our class monitor is a jack of all trades — he can sing, draw, and organise events.
50	All ears	Listening very carefully	I’m all ears. Tell me what happened.	The students were all ears when the teacher announced the surprise holiday.
51	Head in the clouds	Daydreaming and not paying attention	He always has his head in the clouds.	During the lesson, I had my head in the clouds and missed the important instructions.
52	Heart of gold	Very kind and generous	Our neighbour has a heart of gold.	The old man who helped the stray cat had a heart of gold.
53	Thick-skinned	Not easily upset by criticism	You need to be thick-skinned in this job.	My brother is thick-skinned and never gets upset when we tease him.
54	Quick learner	Someone who learns very fast	She is a quick learner.	The new student proved to be a quick learner and caught up with the class very fast.
55	Know-it-all	Someone who thinks they know everything	Nobody likes a know-it-all.	The boy acted like a know-it-all and kept correcting everyone.

4. Time, Daily Life & School (56–70)

No.	Idiom	Meaning	Example 1	Example 2 (Composition Style)
56	Hit the hay	Go to bed / sleep	I’m tired. Time to hit the hay.	After a long day at school, I hit the hay early.
57	Time flies	Time passes very quickly	Time flies when we are having fun.	Time really flies when we are playing with our friends.
58	Once in a blue moon	Very rarely	We go to the beach once in a blue moon.	My family goes overseas once in a blue moon.
59	In the blink of an eye	Very quickly	The weekend passed in the blink of an eye.	The school holidays were over in the blink of an eye.
60	Kill time	Do something to pass the time	I read a book to kill time while waiting.	While waiting for the bus, I killed time by playing a game on my phone.
61	Make time	Find time to do something	I will make time to visit my grandmother.	Even though I was busy, I made time to help my friend with her homework.
62	Save time	Do something faster to avoid wasting time	Taking the MRT saves time.	Using a shortcut saved us a lot of time.
63	Waste time	Spend time doing useless things	Don’t waste time playing games all day.	I regretted wasting time instead of revising for the test.
64	Run out of time	Have no more time left	I ran out of time and could not finish the paper.	I ran out of time and had to submit my composition unfinished.
65	Better late than never	It is better to do something late than not at all	Better late than never — I finally finished my project.	Although I submitted my work late, the teacher said better late than never.
66	At the last minute	Very close to the deadline	He finished his homework at the last minute.	I always seem to pack my bag at the last minute.
67	From time to time	Occasionally	We visit our relatives from time to time.	From time to time, our class goes on learning journeys.
68	In no time	Very quickly	The cake was finished in no time.	The ice cream melted in no time under the hot sun.
69	Take your time	Do something slowly without rushing	Take your time to answer the questions.	“Take your time,” the teacher said kindly during the test.
70	Have time on your hands	Have nothing to do	During the holidays, I had time on my hands.	With nothing to do, I had time on my hands and decided to read a book.

5. Descriptive & Weather Idioms (71–85)

No.	Idiom	Meaning	Example 1	Example 2 (Composition Style)
71	Raining cats and dogs	Raining very heavily	It was raining cats and dogs yesterday.	We could not go out because it was raining cats and dogs.
72	Every cloud has a silver lining	Something good comes from something bad	Even though I lost, every cloud has a silver lining — I made new friends.	Failing the test was disappointing, but every cloud has a silver lining because I studied harder after that.
73	Storm in a teacup	Getting very upset over something small	It was just a small argument — a storm in a teacup.	The fight between the two boys was just a storm in a teacup.
74	Under the weather	Feeling unwell (already listed)	—	—
75	As cool as a cucumber	Very calm and relaxed	She stayed as cool as a cucumber during the emergency.	Even when the fire alarm rang, the teacher remained as cool as a cucumber.
76	Like a bull in a china shop	Very clumsy and careless	He knocked over the vase like a bull in a china shop.	My little brother is like a bull in a china shop when he plays in the living room.
77	Out of the blue	Suddenly and unexpectedly	Out of the blue, it started raining.	Out of the blue, my aunt visited us from overseas.
78	In a pickle	In a difficult situation	I was in a pickle when I forgot my lines.	I was in a pickle when I realised I had left my wallet at home.
79	The coast is clear	It is safe now / no one is watching	The coast is clear — you can come out now.	When the coast was clear, we quickly sneaked into the kitchen for a snack.
80	Throw in the towel	Give up	He threw in the towel and stopped trying.	After many failed attempts, he almost threw in the towel.
81	On the same page	Having the same understanding	Let’s make sure we are on the same page.	Before starting the group project, we made sure everyone was on the same page.
82	See eye to eye	Agree with someone	We don’t always see eye to eye.	My brother and I rarely see eye to eye on which game to play.
83	Cost an arm and a leg	Very expensive	That bag costs an arm and a leg.	The new gaming console costs an arm and a leg.
84	A dime a dozen	Very common and not special	These toys are a dime a dozen.	Good ideas are not a dime a dozen — we need to think carefully.
85	Break a leg	Good luck (before a performance)	Break a leg for your play tonight!	“Break a leg!” we shouted to our friend before she went on stage.

6. Fun, Silly & Useful Idioms (86–100)

No.	Idiom	Meaning	Example 1	Example 2 (Composition Style)
86	Have a blast	Have a great time	We had a blast at the party.	The children had a blast playing at the beach.
87	Go bananas	Become very excited or crazy	The fans went bananas when their team scored.	The crowd went bananas when the singer appeared on stage.
88	Sleep like a log	Sleep very deeply	After the long hike, I slept like a log.	I was so tired that I slept like a log the whole night.
89	Let the cat out of the bag	Accidentally reveal a secret	He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise.	My sister let the cat out of the bag and told everyone about the birthday party.
90	A fish out of water	Feel uncomfortable in a new place	I felt like a fish out of water on my first day.	On the first day of camp, I felt like a fish out of water.
91	Barking up the wrong tree	Blaming or asking the wrong person	You’re barking up the wrong tree.	The teacher knew I was barking up the wrong tree when I blamed the wrong person.
92	Cry over spilled milk	Worry about something that cannot be changed	Don’t cry over spilled milk.	It’s no use crying over spilled milk — just do better next time.
93	When pigs fly	Something that will never happen	I’ll clean my room when pigs fly!	“You’ll get a new phone when pigs fly,” said Mum.
94	Hold your horses	Wait / slow down / be patient	Hold your horses! Don’t rush.	“Hold your horses!” Dad said when we wanted to open our presents early.
95	The early bird catches the worm	Success comes to those who start early	The early bird catches the worm.	I woke up early because the early bird catches the worm.
96	Actions speak louder than words	What you do is more important than what you say	Actions speak louder than words.	Instead of just saying sorry, remember that actions speak louder than words.
97	Don’t judge a book by its cover	Don’t judge by appearance only	Don’t judge a book by its cover.	The quiet boy turned out to be very kind — don’t judge a book by its cover.
98	Better safe than sorry	It is better to be careful	Better safe than sorry — bring an umbrella.	I brought extra water because better safe than sorry.
99	No pain, no gain	You must work hard to achieve something	No pain, no gain — keep practising!	Training was tough, but I remembered that no pain, no gain.
100	Practice makes perfect	You improve by practising a lot	Practice makes perfect.	I kept practising my piano piece because practice makes perfect.