Seven Useful Idioms For Everyday English
Here are some useful idioms that are good for describing reactions to various situations that come up in our daily lives, specifically in our interpersonal relationships. While reading through them, think about whether there are similar idioms in your native language. Also, consider some possible synonyms for each. Brainstorming synonyms and antonyms for new vocabulary is a great way to help remember the new expressions learnt.
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
What does that even mean? In a nutshell, this signifies that it is best not to worry about little irritations. Conserving our mental and emotional energy is important and not sweating the small stuff is a good way to preserve our sense of wellbeing.
Silence is golden. This one really explains itself. Sometimes, saying nothing at all is better than saying something that will possibly make a situation worse. Often, the less said, the better.
Let sleeping dogs lie. Or don’t rock the boat. These idioms means that the best course of action is to stay away from or leave a situation alone. If we don’t, then we could end up with a mountain being made out of a molehill. In other words, a situation that is minor can be made into something more major unnecessarily.
What or who is the elephant in the room? We talk about an elephant in the room when we mention a topic that is obviously a problem but no one wants to deal with it. As a result, everyone studiously avoids mentioning it and that becomes the elephant in the room. For example, in a family everyone might know that Bill is struggling emotionally and it’s a serious issue but no one talks about the obvious problem and how to help him.
Sweep something under the carpet. An example sentence for this idiom would be, “Jerome deceived the investors but the company has chosen to sweep it under the carpet.” When something is hidden because people or an organization don’t want it becoming common knowledge and therefore take steps to ensure it remains unknown generally.
Go with the flow. To calmly accept a situation and do what everyone else is. For instance, on a family holiday, the rest of the family may decide to go kayaking when you might have wanted to stroll around a museum but you decide to go with the flow.
No doubt you can think of a number of situations in your life where the above idioms might apply. Why not try making some sample sentences with a few that you like? Memorising some new vocabulary each day is a great way to improve your written and spoken English!
Discussion
When is it good not to sweat the small stuff?
Do you know someone who epitomises the expression, “silence is golden?”
Describe a time you decided to let sleeping dogs lie?
Is it always a good idea to simply go with the flow?
How can we help children to handle their interpersonal relationships well?
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