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60 British English Idioms


1. **A piece of cake:** Something very easy. 2. **A penny for your thoughts:** A way to ask someone what they are thinking. 3. **All ears:** Listening attentively. 4. **Bite the bullet:** Face a difficult situation with courage. 5. **Break a leg:** Good luck! 6. **By the skin of your teeth:** Just barely. 7. **Chin up:** Stay positive. 8. **Costs an arm and a leg:** Very expensive. 9. **Cry over spilled milk:** Worrying about something that has already happened and cannot be changed. 10. **Donkey's years:** A very long time. 11. **Don't count your chickens before they hatch:** Don't make plans based on something that might not happen. 12. **Drop in the ocean:** A small, insignificant amount. 13. **Easy as pie:** Very easy. 14. **Feeling under the weather:** Feeling ill or not your best. 15. **Fit as a fiddle:** In excellent health. 16. **Get cold feet:** Become nervous or hesitant. 17. **Go the extra mile:** Put in extra effort. 18. **Hit the nail on the head:** Describe something exactly right. 19. **Hold your horses:** Wait a moment. 20. **In hot water:** In trouble. 21. **It's not my cup of tea:** It's not something I like or am interested in. 22. **Jump on the bandwagon:** Join a popular trend or activity. 23. **Keep a stiff upper lip:** Remain brave and uncomplaining in a difficult situation. 24. **Kick the bucket:** Pass away or die. 25. **Let the cat out of the bag:** Reveal a secret. 26. **Like a fish out of water:** Feeling uncomfortable or out of place. 27. **Make a long story short:** Summarize something briefly. 28. **Nest egg:** Savings set aside for the future. 29. **Not my cup of tea:** Not something I enjoy. 30. **Off the hook:** No longer in trouble. 31. **On cloud nine:** Extremely happy. 32. **Out of the blue:** Unexpectedly. 33. **Penny-pincher:** Someone who is very frugal. 34. **Piece of cake:** Something very easy. 35. **Pull someone's leg:** Tease or joke with someone. 36. **Put a sock in it:** Be quiet. 37. **Raining cats and dogs:** Pouring rain. 38. **Rolling in dough:** Very wealthy. 39. **Rub someone up the wrong way:** Irritate or annoy someone. 40. **Sick as a parrot:** Very disappointed. 41. **Skeleton in the closet:** A hidden, shameful secret. 42. **Sleeping like a log:** Sleeping very deeply. 43. **Spill the beans:** Reveal a secret. 44. **Steal someone's thunder:** Take credit for someone else's achievements. 45. **Take the biscuit:** Be especially surprising or annoying. 46. **Take with a grain of salt:** Be skeptical about something. 47. **The ball is in your court:** It's your turn to take action. 48. **The devil is in the details:** The important information is hidden in the finer points. 49. **The early bird catches the worm:** Being proactive pays off. 50. **The last straw:** The final irritation or problem. 51. **The proof of the pudding is in the eating:** You can only judge something's quality by trying it. 52. **Throw in the towel:** Give up. 53. **Under the weather:** Feeling unwell. 54. **Up in the air:** Uncertain or undecided. 55. **Walking on air:** Feeling extremely happy. 56. **When pigs fly:** Something that will never happen. 57. **You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs:** Achieving something often involves sacrifices or difficulties. 58. **You're pulling my leg:** You're joking with me. 59. **Your guess is as good as mine:** I have no idea. 60. **Your secret's safe with me:** I won't tell anyone your secret. These idioms add color and character to the English language, and understanding them can be a fun and rewarding aspect of language learning.

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