List of English Idioms

A list of common English idioms, sortable by starting letter

Showing 71-90 of 189

Altered photo of a puppy biting its owner

Don't bite the hand that feeds you

The saying don’t bite the hand that feeds you means you should not hurt or insult someone who helps you. If you do, you might lose their support.
The idiom comes from the literal image of an animal biting the hand of the person who is giving it food.

Be polite to your coach - don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

Spilled milk

Don't cry over spilled milk

The saying don't cry over spilled milk means don't get upset about something that has already happened and cannot be changed. It reminds people that worrying about the past does not help. The phrase encourages acceptance and moving forward.

There is no use crying over spilled milk.

Photo of a crystal ball

Don't have a crystal ball

The phrase "I don't have a crystal ball" comes from the symbolism of a fortune teller who uses a crystal ball to see the future.
People use this idiom to express that you don't know what is happening next, especially when someone directly asks them about something that will happen in the future.

They're discussing a new product, but I don't know what it will be - I don't have a crystal ball!

Generated image of a man reading a book

Don't judge a book by its cover

The saying don’t judge a book by its cover means you should not decide what something is like based only on how it looks. Appearances can be misleading. It compares people or things to books that may look plain but have great stories inside.

He seemed quiet at first, but don’t judge a book by its cover.

Generated image of a mountain and a molehill

Don't make a mountain out of a molehill

The phrase don’t make a mountain out of a molehill means don’t turn a small problem into a huge one. It reminds you to keep things in perspective.
A molehill is a small mound of dirt and a mountain is huge, so the mental image is a funny contrast.

It was a tiny mistake, so calm down and don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.

Photo of a basket of eggs

Don't put all your eggs in one basket

The phrase don’t put all your eggs in one basket means don’t risk everything on one plan - if that plan fails, you could lose everything. If you were carrying eggs in a basket and dropped the basket, all the eggs could break. It has come to mean advice to be open to alternatives, or to diversity investments instead of relying on only one thing.

He bought shares in many different companies so he didn't put all his eggs in one basket.

Altered image of a fishing boat

Don't rock the boat

The phrase don’t rock the boat means don’t do anything to disrupt a situation that is currently stable. It suggests keeping calm or even doing nothing, even if you disagree. This idiom draws from the idea that if someone deliberately rocks a boat, it could tip over and everything falls out.

Let’s discuss it gently and not rock the boat.

Generated image of someone throwing money down the toilet

Don't throw good money after bad

Don't throw good money after bad is an idiom that is used to tell you not to waste more resources like time or money in a project or investment that is failing, just because you have already invested a lot.
You would use this idiom to give advice to someone to stop what they are doing.

Nobody is going to buy that product, you need to stop development on it. Don't keep throwing good money after bad.

Generated image of a baby doll being thrown out with the bathwater

Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater

The idiom don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater means don’t get rid of something good while trying to remove something bad. It warns against overreacting and losing what matters.
The original saying comes from the days a family would all share the same bath water and wash one at a time, starting with the man of the house and ending with the baby. By the end, the water was so dirty you might not notice the baby was still in it, and throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Fix the rules, but don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Generated image of a hand dusting a table

Done and dusted

The idiom done and dusted means finished completely, with nothing left to do. It is often said with relief after a task is completed.
The "dusted" part suggests you've finished a job, put everything away, and cleaned up any mess you made in the process.

The exam is done and dusted now.