Social Life Idioms and Expressions! List of commonly used idioms and sayings about social life with meaning and examples. Learn these social life idioms and phrases to enhance your vocabulary and improve your English speaking skills.
Social Life Idioms, Phrases and Sayings
Advice and Criticism Idioms
List of advice and criticism idioms in English.
- Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire: If there is typical evidence of something, the most likely explanation is that it is actually occurring.
- A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words: A visual presentation can communicate something very effectively
- It’s Not Over Till the Fat Lady Sings: Do not give up too soon; things may improve.
- Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk: Don’t worry about minor things.
Art Idioms
List of art idioms in English.
- Behind the Scenes: In a way not apparent to the public
- Waiting in the Wings: Ready to assume responsibilities but not yet active, ready to become a successor
Conflict Idioms | Social Life Idioms
List of common conflict idioms in English.
- (To Have) Been Through The Wars: Hardened, having much experience of difficult conditions, worn out
- (To Open Up a) Can of Whoop-Ass: To attack another person physically (very casual, slightly vulgar)
- Add Fuel To The Fire: Worsen already existing tension
- Add Insult To Injury: Compound a defeat with humiliation or mockery
- Agree To Disagree: Accept or set aside a disagreement
- Ancient History: Something, such as a disagreement, that happened long ago and ought to be forgotten
- At Each Other’s Throats: Constantly and strongly arguing
- At Loggerheads: In a state of persistent disagreement.
- Bad Blood: Enmity or hatred that stems from something in the past
- Clear the Air: Defuse tension, be honest about conflict so as to reduce it
- Cut (Someone) To the Quick: To deeply hurt someone emotionally
- Dead Ahead: Directly ahead, either in a literal or a figurative sense
- Dirty Look: A facial manner that signifies disapproval
- Game of Chicken: A conflict situation in which neither side will back down for fear of seeming cowardly (chicken)
- Get Bent Out of Shape: Become angry, upset
- Give Someone a Piece of Your Mind: Angrily tell someone what you think
- Have It Out with Someone: To have an argument with someone in order to settle a dispute
- Let Bygones Be Bygones: Agree to forget about a past conflict
- On the Warpath: Very angry
- Pick a Fight: Intentionally provoke a conflict or fight with someone
- Pissing Contest: A meaningless argument or competition, typically between males
- Rake Over the Ashes: Restart a settled argument; examine a failure
- Rub It In: Say something that makes someone feel even worse about a mistake
- Sore Point: A sensitive topic for a particular person
- Spoiling for a Fight: Combative, wanting conflict, eager to argue or fight
- Stab Someone in the Back: To betray (somebody)
- Take Someone to Task: Reprimand someone strongly
- Throw Elbows: Be combative; be aggressive (physically or figuratively)
- To Have a Chip on One’s Shoulder: To be combative, to be consistently argumentative
- Witch Hunt: An organized attempt to persecute an unpopular group of people and blame them for a problem.
- Spoiling for a Fight: Combative, wanting conflict, eager to argue or fight
- Point the Finger At: Blame (someone)
- At Loggerheads: In a state of persistent disagreement
- Let Bygones Be Bygones: Agree to forget about a past conflict
- Have a Bone to Pick (with Someone): To want to discuss something someone has done that has angered or annoyed you.
Daily Activities Idioms
List of daily activities idioms in English.
- (A) Walk in the Park: Something simple or easy, in comparison to something more difficult
- Beat Someone to the Punch: Do something before or faster than someone else
- Cooking Up a Storm: Cooking a great deal of food
- Crash a Party: To attend a party without being invited
- Give Something a Whirl: Attempt something without being totally familiar with it
- Have a Tough Row to Hoe: Be faced with a task that is difficult because of unfavorable conditions
- Hit the Books: To study (generally said of students
- Hit the Hay: To go to bed
- Home Away from Home: A habitual hangout; a place one frequents often and where one feels welcome
- In Touch: In contact
- Knock Some Sense Into: To beat someone in order to teach him/her a lesson. May be used figuratively.
- Lose Touch: To fall out of contact
- Make Someone’s Day: Do something pleasing that puts someone in a good mood
- Me Time: Activities undertaken for one’s own enjoyment, free from responsibilities to others.
- On a Roll: Having a consistent run of success
- Pass With Flying Colors: To succeed brilliantly, as on an exam or other test
- Play With Fire: Do something very risky
- Put a Thumb on the Scale: Try to influence a discussion in an unfair way, cheat
- Ring a Bell: Sound familiar
- Spin A Yarn: Tell a story
- Take The Mickey (Piss) (Out Of Someone): Make fun of or ridicule someone
- Trip the Light Fantastic: Dance well; do ballroom dancing
- Hit the Sack: To go to bed
Drinking Idioms | Social Life Idioms
List of drinking idioms in English.
- (See the) Glass (as) Half Empty/Half Full: To have a pessimistic (optimistic) perspective
- 110 Proof: Stronger than strong, very strong, pure
- Amber Nectar: Beer
- Back Burner (On The): Not urgent; set aside until later
- Bend an Elbow: Drink alcoholic beverages at a tavern
- Champagne taste on a beer budget: Expensive or extravagant tastes or preferences that are beyond one’s economic means.
- Do 12-Ounce Curls: Drink beer
- Drink the Kool-Aid: Accept a set of ideas uncritically, often dangerous ones
- Dutch Courage: Alcohol drunk with the intention of working up the nerve to do something
- Go Cold Turkey: Stop using an addictive substance suddenly, without tapering off
- Hair of the Dog (That Bit You): A small amount of the alcoholic beverage that caused your hangover
- Hold One’s Liquor: Be able to drink a large amount without being affected
- In His Cups: Drunk
- On the Wagon: Not drinking alcoholic beverages; having given up drinking alcoholic beverages
- One for the Road: A final drink (or something else) before leaving
- Paint the Town Red: Go out drinking and partying
- Wet Your Whistle: Drink something
Drugs Idioms
List of drug idioms in English.
- On Steroids: In a very large form
- Pipe Dream: An unrealistic hope, a fantasy
- Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke It: Accept and consider what I’m saying, even if you don’t like it!
- Slip Someone a Mickey: Add a drug to an alcoholic drink in order to knock someone out
- Up to Snuff: Meeting a basic standard
- High as a Kite: Strongly under the influence of drugs or intoxcants
Gambling Idioms | Social Life Idioms
List of gambling idioms in English
- (Come) Down to the Wire: (Be uncertain) all the way to the last minute
- (Having an) Ace Up One’s Sleeve: To have a secret strength or surprise plan
- (The) Die Is Cast: The decision has been made; there is no going back.
- (To) Play One’s Ace: To deploy one’s strongest asset
- According To Hoyle: Properly, in accordance with established procedures
- Ace In The Hole: A hidden advantage
- All Bets Are Off: What seemed certain is now unclear
- All The Marbles: The entire prize or reward
- Behind the Eight (or 8) Ball: At a serious disadvantage
- Bet the Farm: Risk everything; spend all one’s money on something in hopes of success
- Break the Bank: Exhaust one’s financial resources
- Busted Flush: A failure, someone or something that seemed promising but did not develop well
- Call a Spade a Spade: To speak frankly and directly about a problem
- Cash In One’s Chips: 1. To take advantage of a quick profit 2. To die
- Have a Lot Riding On (Something): Be depending on the successful outcome or development of something
- Have an Ace Up One’s Sleeve: To have a hidden advantage
- Have Hand of Aces/Hold All the Aces: To be in a very strong position in a competition
- Hit the Jackpot: Do something that brings great success
- In the Cards: Likely; likely to occur
- Play the Percentages: Bet on or rely on what is most likely to happen
- Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Back up your opinions with a financial commitment
- Roll the Dice On: Take a risk
- Run the Table: Win every game or contest
- Shell Game: A method of deception in which you conceal your actions by moving something frequently
- Show Your Cards: Reveal your resources or plans
- Sweeten the Pot: Increase the amount of winnings potentially available in a game of chance, especially poker
- The Deck Is (The Cards Are): Stacked Against You Unfavorable conditions exist.
- Play the Ponies: Bet on horse racing.
- The Only Game in Town: The sole option for a particular service.
- Throw the Game: Intentionally lose a contest, usually in collusion with gamblers
- Tip One’s Hand: Reveal one’s advantages; reveal useful information that one possesses
- Play Your Cards Right: Exploit a situation to your best advantage
- Up the Ante: Raise the stakes; increase the importance of something under discussion
- When the Chips Are Down: When a situation becomes urgent or difficult
- Throw the Match: Intentionally lose a contest, usually in collusion with gamblers
- Throw the Fight: Intentionally lose a contest, usually in collusion with gamblers
Sexuality Idioms | Social Life Idioms
List of sexuality idioms in English.
- Bat/Play for Both Teams: To be bisexual.
- Bat/Play for the Other Team: To be homosexual.
- Fu** (Or Screw) The Dog (Pooch): To make an embarrassing error
- Babe Magnet: A man to whom women are attracted
- Bedroom Eyes: An expression of the eyes that seems to invite sex
- Boy Toy: A young man who is the lover of an older, often wealthier woman (see toyboy)
- Come Out of the Closet: Reveal a secret about oneself, usually that one is gay (homosexual)
- Have the Hots for (Somebody): To be (sexually) attracted to somebody
- Knock Up: To impregnate a woman. Often used in the form knocked up.
- Make Love: To have sexual intercourse
- Red-Light District: A neighborhood with many houses of prostitution
- Sugar Daddy: A rich man who is generous with younger women in return for sexual favors
- The Birds and the Bees: Human sexuality and reproduction
- Rob the Cradle: To be sexually or romantically involved with someone who is very young
- Wandering Eye: A tendency to look at and desire women or men other than one’s committed romantic partner.
Social Life Idioms, Phrases and Sayings | Images
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