8 English Idioms that can make you sound cooler!

        I believe all of you may have heard several English Idioms. Either they come from movies, songs, or persons, and I must say the sound pretty cool. However, do you know exactly what those expressions mean? Idiom by definition is commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to its literal meaning. Therefore, those cool expression you've heard might be a little confusing, bu don't worry. I have collected several famous idioms along with their meanings. After reading this, you can certainly use them while talking, and wait for their reaction 😉.

1.  Feeling "under the weather"

        This specific idiom has been mentioned frequently through movies. Yet, certain people are still unable to understand its meaning. Feeling Under the Weather means that you are feeling unwell. In other words, when you feel your body is not in a healthy condition, or when you have symptoms of cold, this phrase is commonly used to express that notion. You can add this idiom to your sentences, e.g. "I'm feeling a bit under the weather, I think I've caught a cold". Moreover, as you notice, the actual meaning of the idiom does not relate with the literal meaning, right? That's the cool part about learning idioms.  

2. "Fit as a fiddle"

        If the previous idiom expresses signs of illness, this specific one conveys the opposite. Fit as a fiddle implies that someone is in good health. It conveys that your body is in great condition and you feel sure about it. The implementation of this idiom includes "I felt as fit as a fiddle after working out at the gym". You can also use this idiom to other people as well. For instance, "Mr. Benson is 86, but he's fit as a fiddle!". With this expression, your words game is definitely leveled up.

3. "Once in a blue moon"

        Did you ever heard of that phrase? I am sure some of you did. When I heard about the phrase for the first time, I was in a mist of confusion. What does blue moon's significance to the word once? However, after doing some extra research on that term, once in a blue moon actually refers to "rarity. In other hand, the term is used to express things that don't happen very often. For instance, "the annular solar eclipse happens once in a blue moon", or "my brother lives in Texas, so I only see him once in a blue moon". So, in anytime you want to express rarity, try using "once in a blue moon". This sophisticated term is surely make you sound cooler!

4. "Piece of Cake"

           This idiom can be tricky since the literal means is very different from its actual meaning, but both are logical and understandable. Therefore, in order to understand this term, you need to take a look of the context. Piece of cake means a piece of cake in literal way. However, for idiom context, this term refers to something that is easy to accomplish. For instance, "the math exam was a piece of cake". Thus, the previous sentence implies that, the math exam was easy. Now, you know what piece of cake actually means.

5. "It's not rocket science"

         The next idiom is the phrase "it's not rocket science". This term is used when you think something is not that difficult to understand. This idiom also found expressed when someone is having difficulty in understanding common knowledge. An example can be found in this statement "Creating a social media account is not rocket science". The preceding statement conveys that creating social media account is not that difficult, because everyone knows it. Moreover, this phrase is actually similar to piece of cake, so you can use it interchangeably. 

6. "Break a Leg"

         We come to idiom number 6. Although the literal meaning of the phrase is breaking a leg, which is pretty scary. It actually has nothing to do with the real meaning. In fact, break a leg means good luck. For instance "Well, break a leg!! I know you can do this!". As strange as it sounds, break a leg becomes an alternative way in saying good luck. Historically, the term break a leg was commonly said to performers (singers, dancers, musicians) before they go on a stage. Then by 1930s, the term is already popularized in the United States until today.

7. "Spill the beans/tea"

        Did you ever notice when people are gossiping they often say "spill the beans?" Well, trust me they were about to spill some "beans". Spill the beans initially means revealing information or about something or someone. Sometimes the information is secretive. However, people also use the word "tea" instead of beans nowadays. For instance "Hey, I heard about the massive accident in Minnesota this morning, time to spill the beans. Regardless of the differences, both  words function similarly.

8. "Head over heels"

     The last idiom is frequently mentioned in romantic movies. I guess some of you may already know what it means. For those who still don't know the meaning of this term, it's okay, because soon you will. Head over heels does not mean that your head is above your feet or shoes. It means that you are madly in love with someone. The usage of this idiom includes "David was head over heels with an Irish woman by the time he completed his medical study".

And that's it. Now you know several cool idioms to use with your friends, colleagues, or even strangers. Are you ready sound cooler now?

References:

Bloomberg. 2020. Bloomsbury International. Accessed August 9, 2020. 

2020. World Wide Words. Accessed August 9, 2020.