Idioms about: Words & Thoughts

Idioms about communication, rumors, and the flow of ideas.

Showing 21-40 of 42

Generated image of a man blissfully ignorant of a falling tree

Ignorance is bliss

Ignorance is bliss means that sometimes it is happier not to know about a problem or unpleasant truth.

The phrase comes from a poem by the English writer Thomas Gray written in 1742. The line where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise suggested that knowing too much about certain things can bring unnecessary worry.

He decided not to read the online comments about himself, saying ignorance is bliss.

Generated image of someone asking many times

In one ear and out the other

In one ear and out the other means that someone hears something and then forgets it straight away. This can often lead to frustration when people keep repeating themselves.

I told you this three times already, does this just go in one ear and out the other?

Generated image of a woman killing a plant with kindness

Kill it with kindness

To kill it with kindness means responding to anger or bad behavior with patience and kindness instead of fighting back. The idea is that being calm and polite can stop the conflict.

The expression reflects the belief that kindness can disarm hostility. By refusing to respond with anger, a person may reduce tension and make the other person rethink their behavior.

In gardening circles, it may also refer to killing a plant by overwatering or overfeeding it.

When the customer started complaining loudly, the manager decided to kill it with kindness and spoke calmly to help solve the problem.

Generated image of a child learning from books

Learn something new every day

Learn something new every day is a phrase people say when they discover to their surprise a new thing they did not know before.

The saying reflects a long-standing belief that learning never really stops. Variations of the phrase have appeared in English for many years as a casual way to react to new information.

When he found out that octopuses have three hearts, he laughed and said you learn something new every day.

Generated image of a woman summarising a book

Make a long story short

You might say to make a long story short when you are giving a brief summary of a longer explanation. The speaker skips many details and goes straight to the main point.

The phrase became common in English conversation as a way to signal that the full story is being shortened, so the listener is prepared for a quick conclusion.

To make a long story short, Fred messed up and we missed the concert.

Photo of waves breaking on the shore.

Make waves

To make waves means to cause trouble or disagreement, often by speaking up and challenging how things are normally done.

The phrase comes from the image of calm water being disturbed so that waves form on the surface. It began to be used in the early 1900s to describe actions that create noticeable disruption.

She did not want to make waves on her first day at the new job, so she kept her concerns to herself.

Photo of a pet goldfish.

Memory of a goldfish

If you have the memory of a goldfish, it means you have a very short memory or you forget things a lot.

The phrase comes from the common belief that goldfish can only remember things for a few seconds. Although this idea is popular in jokes and everyday speech, real goldfish can actually remember things for much longer.

I forgot where I left my keys again, I must have the memory of a goldfish.

Generated image of two children reading a book

On the same page

To be on the same page means means that people understand a situation in the same way and agree about what should happen.

The expression comes from reading or studying together. If everyone is literally on the same page of a book or document, they are looking at the same information at the same time.

Before starting the project, the team met to make sure everyone was on the same page.

Photo of someone poking their tongue out

On the tip of my tongue

The idiom on the tip of my tongue means that someone almost remembers something, such as a word or name, but cannot quite say it yet.

The expression comes from the image of a word being so close to being spoken that it seems to be sitting on the tip of their tongue, ready to come out.

Her name is on the tip of my tongue, but I just cannot remember it.

Photo of some open doors

Open door policy

An open door policy means that people are welcome to come and talk freely with someone in charge. It means that a person, usually a leader or manager, is willing to listen to questions or concerns.

The expression comes from the idea of leaving an office door open so that others feel comfortable walking in to speak. Over time it became a metaphor for openness and easy communication.

The principal has an open door policy, so students can come in and discuss problems anytime.