You might be wondering what the meaning of ‘idioms’ is. It is a speech impression that has a specific connotation that is different from what the meaning of the individual words actually is. They are not the literal meaning of how the saying is structured. These phrases are often used here in England and most of the time if we have not been around British people then we’ve not heard them before. Here are a few idioms to help you get with the culture:

  1. YOU’VE BITTEN OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW

This phrase means that you have tried to do something that is too difficult and you have taken on more than what you can handle. It also implies that you have engaged in too much work and too much responsibility.

  1. GO BREAK A LEG!

Even if it seems as though this is a bad thing, I can affirm that in England this is actually a good thing! Well-wishers and those who have good intentions for you will say this. It literally means, GOOD LUCK! So next time, you can say this to someone before they go into their IELTS examination.

  1. GIVE SOMEONE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT

Giving someone the benefit of the doubt means when an individual conveys a message to you… you may not believe what they are saying entirely. However, you still believe them and trust what they are saying to be true.

  1. BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD

This phrase is used to indicate that an idea or proposal has failed within its execution. Due to this, a new one must be made and this is why you ‘go back to the drawing board’ to brainstorm new ideas. Simply put, it means to start over again from the beginning.

  1. HANG IN THERE

This idiom is used as a motivation for someone to allow them to remain persistent and determined in difficult situations. So, if you or your friend are having a difficult time during your English lessons, respond with this phrase and make sure you don’t give up.

  1. HIT THE SACK/ HIT THE HAY

One of these days you might find yourself completely exhausted after a long hard days’ worth of work. You might be drained from your day on learning English and you want to just get into bed and sleep it off. This saying literally means that you are going into bed.

  1. NO PAIN, NO GAIN

We’ve all heard this saying, when something gets difficult we say this. This means that when you really want something you have to work for it to get your result.

  1. CALL IT A DAY

And last but not least let’s call it a day. It means that you decide you want to stop something, stop working and finish a lesson… Just put an end to it.

So now when someone states any of these phrases to you, you will be able to comprehend what they are saying and in what context.