List of English idioms starting with E

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Photo of a beaver

Eager Beaver

An eager beaver is a person who is very enthusiastic and ready to work hard, sometimes more than others expect. It is often used for someone who quickly volunteers to help or take on extra tasks.

The phrase comes from the beaver, an animal known for working hard to build dams and lodges. Because beavers are seen as busy and industrious, the expression became a way to describe a very eager worker.

She was an eager beaver and finished the project early.

Generated image of a man failing to assemble basic flat pack furniture

Easier said than done

Easier said than done means that something may sound simple when people talk about it, but it is actually difficult to do in real life.

The saying has been used in English for centuries to point out the difference between giving advice and carrying out the action itself.

Saving money every month sounds good, but it is easier said than done.

Photo of a man immediately spending a lotto win on a bill

Easy come, easy go

Easy come easy go means that things gained without much effort are often lost just as easily. It is often used when talking about money or possessions that do not stay long.

The saying has been used in English since the 1500s. The idea is that things which arrive easily are often not valued or protected carefully.

He spent the lottery winnings quickly, saying easy come easy go.

Generated image of a man eating his hat

Eat your hat

"I'll eat my hat" is something people say when they are very sure that something will not happen. They mean that if it does happen, they would be so surprised that they would do something silly or impossible, like eating their hat.

People use this expression to show strong confidence in their opinion or prediction. It is usually said in a joking or dramatic way, not as a serious promise.

If that old car starts on the first try tomorrow morning, I'll eat my hat.

Generated image of a road ending in the middle of nowhere

End of the road

The phrase end of the road means a situation has reached its final point and cannot continue any further. It is a literal idiom, drawn from the image of a road that ends, and you cannot travel further along it.

We knew it was the end of the road for the old car.

An odds board

Even the Odds

The idiom even the odds means to make a situation fair again. It is used when one side has an advantage and balance is needed. This idiom comes from gambling and betting language and has made its way into everyday language.

The new rule helped even the odds.

Photo of clouds with a silver lining

Every cloud has a silver lining

Every cloud has a silver lining means that even when something bad happens, there can be a good thing hidden in the situation.

The saying comes from the way sunlight can shine around the edge of a dark cloud, making a bright silver outline. Even though the cloud looks gloomy, the light behind it shows that something brighter is still there.

Losing my job was stressful, but every cloud has a silver lining - it pushed me to start the small business I had been dreaming about.

Altered photo of a man with a huge meal

Eyes bigger than your stomach

If your eyes are bigger than your stomach, it means you want more of something than you can actually handle. It usually refers to food, but could mean a project. A similar idiom is "bit off more than he can chew".

Why did you borrow so many books at once? Your eyes are bigger than your stomach!

A generated image of the world ending

Not the end of the world

The idiom not the end of the world means a problem is not as bad as it seems. Life will continue and things can improve. It is often used to comfort someone - any problem anyone has is surely less than the entire world ending!

You missed the bus, but it's not the end of the world.

Generated image of the elephant in the room

The elephant in the room

The elephant in the room means a big problem or important issue that everyone knows about but no one wants to talk about. People may avoid mentioning it because it is uncomfortable, embarrassing, or difficult.

The idiom is from the nonsense image of a huge elephant standing in a room while everyone pretends it is not there. Because an elephant is impossible to miss, the idea shows how strange it is to ignore something so obvious.

We kept discussing the budget, but the elephant in the room was that the company might close next year.