Author

Thomas Booth worked for 10 years as an English-language teacher

in Poland and Russia. He now lives in England, where he works as
an editor and English-language materials writer. He has contributed
to a number of books in the English for Everyone series.

US consultant
Jenny Wilson, MEd, has taught English as a foreign language in the US
and UK for many years, at private institutes and universities including
the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has also worked as an IELTS
examiner and written English-language materials for Collins Language,
Cambridge University Press, and Corwin.
ENGLISH
FO R E V E RYO N E
ENGLISH IDIOMS
 Contents
Senior Editor Laura Sandford How to use this book 6
Senior Art Editor Amy Child
Illustration Square Egg
Managing Editor Christine Stroyan
Managing Art Editor Anna Hall DESCRIBING PEOPLE AND THINGS
Jacket Designer Surabhi Wadhwa
Jacket Editor Emma Dawson Age 10
Jacket Design Development Manager Sophia MTT
Producer, Pre-production Robert Dunn
Producer Jude Crozier Friends and family 14
Publisher Andrew Macintyre
Art Director Karen Self Appearance and background 18
Publishing Director Jonathan Metcalf

DK India Personality traits 22

Senior Editor Janashree Singha
Assistant Editor Rishi Bryan Good things 26
Project Art Editor Vikas Sachdeva
Art Editors Pallavi Kapur, Roshni Kapur
Assistant Art Editor Monam Nishat Bad things 30
Managing Editor Soma B. Chowdhury
Senior Managing Art Editor Arunesh Talapatra
Pre-production Manager Balwant Singh
Animals 34
DTP Designer Anita Yadav
Food 38
First published in Great Britain in 2019 by
Dorling Kindersley Limited
80 Strand, London, WC2R 0RL ATTITUDE
Copyright © 2019 Dorling Kindersley Limited Agreeing and disagreeing 42
A Penguin Random House Company
10 8 6 4 2 1 3 5 7 9
001–309818–Mar/2019 Behavior 46

All rights reserved. Emotions 50

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, Positive emotions 54
photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior
written permission of the copyright owner.
Negative emotions 58
A CIP catalogue record for this book
is available from the British Library. Memory 62
ISBN: 978-0-2413-3588-8
Printed in China
The body 66
All images © Dorling Kindersley Limited
For further information see: www.dkimages.com War and weapons 70

A WORLD OF IDEAS:
SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW SITUATIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES
www.dk.com Amount and distance 74

Beginning and ending 78

 Chance, luck, and probability 82 Work and business 1 166

Ease and difficulty 86 Work and business 2 170

Safety and danger 90 Sports 174

Difficult situations 94
EXPRESSIONS
The weather and nature 98
“Make” and “do” 178

COMMUNICATION “Give” and “take” 182

Talking 102 “Have” and “get” 186

Sharing information 106 ‘’Set’’ and ‘’put’’ 190

Truth and lies 110 “Go” and “come” 194

Looking and listening 114 Expressions with other verbs 198

Music and the arts 118 Intensifying adverbs 202

Similes 206
EVERYDAY LIFE
Proverbs 210
Eating and drinking 122
Easily confused words 1 214
Describing your health 126
Easily confused words 2 218
Knowledge and education 130
Colors 222
Money 134

Shopping 138 Answers 226

Time 142 Index of idioms and expressions 239

Index of common words and subjects 254
Clothes 146
Acknowledgments 256

WORK AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Working and relaxing 150

Movement and progress 154

Rules, law, and authority 158

Success and failure 162

How to use this book
English for Everyone: English Idioms will help you learn, understand, and remember the
most common English idioms and expressions. Each of the 54 units in the book consists
of a teaching spread on a subject or theme, with illustrated sentences to place the idiom
in context, and then a practice spread with exercises to reinforce what you have learned.
Listen to the free audio and repeat each expression and sentence. The answers to all
the exercises are at the back of the book, along with comprehensive indexes. MATC
IDIOMS TO

Unit number The book is Modules Many teaching

divided into units. The unit spreads are broken into
number helps you keep modules covering different
track of your progress. categories of idioms.

CROSS
Module number Every
module is identified with a Ease and difficulty
unique number, so you can
easily locate the related audio. EASE DIFFICULTIES AND PR

extremely easy easy very annoying or problematic

Sample sentences English

idioms are shown in the context
of a sample sentence.

very easy (usually about very easy (usually make a small task or problem
overcoming competition) about a mistake) seem bigger than it is

Definitions Idiomatic English

expressions are accompanied
by definitions. not very complicated or difficult easy
not as easy 144
as it seems

Supporting graphics Visual

cues help you understand and easy extremely easy and in a difficult or unusual situation
remember new idioms. straightforward

Write-on lines You are

encouraged to write your
own translations of English easy, without
easily, or without thinking major problems in a situation that is too difficult
idioms to create your own
reference pages.

86

TEACHING SPREAD
6
 Sample answer The first question of
each exercise is answered for you, to
Listening exercise This help make the task easy to understand.
symbol indicates that you Exercise number Each
should listen to an audio exercise is identified with Exercise instruction Each exercise is
track in order to answer the a unique number, so you introduced with a brief instruction,
questions in the exercise. can easily locate answers. telling you what you need to do.

CH THE BEGINNINGS OF THE LISTEN TO THE AUDIO MATCH THE DEFINITIONS TO THE CORRECT IDIOMS
O THE CORRECT ENDINGS AND MARK THE IDIOMS
YOU HEAR
kept busy while waiting

unexpectedly soon or quickly

very late at night

You have no more time to complete a task.

a boring experience that passes very slowly

at the last possible moment

passed very quickly or too quickly

S OUT THE INCORRECT WORDS IN EACH SENTENCE LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND COMPLETE THE SENTENCES

ROBLEMS

caused a situation that leads to

more difficulties

a huge amount to do, or problem

to overcome

very difficult 145

PRACTICE SPREAD
UK/US idioms Some idioms
problems at the beginning are specific to UK or US English.
of a process These are labeled (UK) or (US). Space for writing You
are encouraged to write
your answers in the book
for future reference.

extremely difficult, usually because

of someone’s behavior

Audio support All teaching

modules are supported by audio
87
recordings to help you recognize
and pronounce spoken vocabulary.

7
 Idioms and expressions
Idioms can be one of the most difficult parts of a language for learners to
understand and use correctly. English for Everyone: English Idioms includes over
1,000 of the most common and useful English idioms, along with set expressions
and easily confused words.

IDIOMS
Idioms are expressions that cannot be understood literally.
For example, “like two peas in a pod” has nothing to do
with peas, but means two people look alike.

Idiomatic expression

SET EXPRESSIONS
Some of the expressions in this book are not idioms, but
particular common combinations of words. Learners often
make mistakes when they use these set expressions.
Set expression

EASILY CONFUSED WORDS

This books also includes two units on words that are easily
confused by English-language learners, such as “say” and “tell.”

When you use “say”, you don’t have

to state who a person is talking to.

When you use “tell”, you must

state who a person is talking to.

8
 Audio Answers
English for Everyone: English Idioms features extensive The book is designed to make
supporting audio resources. Every expression and it easy to monitor your progress.
sentence in the teaching spreads is recorded, and Answers are provided for every
you are encouraged to listen to the audio and repeat exercise, so you can see how well
the phrases and sentences out loud, until you are you have understood and
confident you understand and can pronounce what remembered the idioms and
has been said. expressions you have learned.

SUPPORTING AUDIO
This symbol indicates that audio
recordings of the idioms and sentences in Exercise numbers
a module are available for you to listen to. Match these numbers
to the number
LISTENING EXERCISES at the top-left corner
This symbol indicates that you should of each exercise.
listen to an audio track in order to
answer the questions in the exercise.

Answers Find the answers

FREE AUDIO to every exercise printed
website and app at the back of the book.
www.dkefe.com

Indexes
This book includes two indexes: an index of idioms and
expressions, and an index of common words and subjects.
Index of common
words and subjec
INDEX OF COMMON
INDEX OF IDIOMS AND EXPRESSIONS WORDS AND SUBJECTS
24.1 Thesheer
index luck of
19.2idioms and expressions contains a million miles away 27.2 UK/US idioms If an Use this index to find idioms
ream 7.1 every
haveexpression from13.1
a lump in your throat the teaching spreads,
miles ahead of 5.1 relating tolisted
a subject or expressions
1
1
have lunch 45.1
listed in alphabetical order
leave someone in the lurch 10.1
by key cry over spilled milk 8.1
word.
a million miles away 27.2
idiom has a UK or US
equivalent, both
Entries are
using a common
number.
by unit number
word.
Main entries are bold.
or module
D
“damage” 53.1
melt in your mouth 3.1 at the back of your mind 14.1 versions are listed in danger 21.2
k 28.1 mind-blowing 5.1
s chicken 37.1
M keep in mind (US) / bear in mind (UK) 14.1
someone’s mind goes blank 14.1
the index.
A
“absolutely” 49.1
day, parts of the 34.2
dealing with problem
“deeply” 49.3
can’t make heads or tails of (US) / can’t make something slips your mind 14.1
advantage and disadvantage 3.3 difficult situations 22
head or tail of (UK) 31.1 speak your mind 24.2
adverbs, intensifying 49 difficulties 20.2, 22.1
make a beeline for 37.1 spring to mind 14.1 Key words Each age 1 disagreement 9.2
make a cake 43.1 great minds think alike 31.1
make a choice 43.1 a minefield 16.1
entry in the index agreement 9.1 distance 17.2
amount 17.1 “do” 43.2
make a fresh start 18.1 a misery guts (UK), see a downer (US) contains a key word anger 13.2 dress 3.2
the firing line (UK) 16.1 make a joke 43.1 go missing 47.1
from the expression animals 4.2, 7, 25.2, 41.4, 50.2 drink/drinking 8, 29.2
make a mess 43.1 break the mold 31.3
in bold. appearance 3
make a mountain out of a molehill 20.2 make a mountain out of a molehill 20.2
arts, the 28
of the range (UK) 5.1 make a noise 43.1 easy money 32.1
s its weakest link 51.1 make a phone call 43.1
make a pig’s ear of something 7.1
money doesn’t grow on trees 32.1
throw money around 32.1
“as” 50.1
authority 38 E
ease 20.1
make a rod for your own back 22.2 throw money down the drain 32.1
easily confused words
make arrangements 43.1 once in a blue moon 34.1, 54.1

2
make a scene 28.1
make ends meet 32.1
over the moon 12.1
moth-eaten 6.1
Module number
Match the number
B
background 3.3
eating 29.1
education 31
embarrassment 13.4
make great strides 37.1 set the wheels in motion 37.1
make progress 43.1 a mountain to climb 20.2
in the index to the bad things 6 emotions 11
“beat” 52.4 emotions, negative 13
ns 6.1 make some friends 43.1 make a mountain out of a molehill 20.2 module number on beginning 18.1 emotions, positive 12
make someone’s blood boil 13.1 as quiet as a mouse 50.2 the teaching page. behavior 10 ending 18.2, 18.3
.1 make someone’s hair stand on end 13.3 be born with a silver spoon in your mouth 3.3
body, the 11.1, 15, 38.2 enthusiasm 12.3
make someone’s mouth water 29.1 by word of mouth 25.1
“borrow” 52.5 excitement 12.4
make waves 23.2 foam at the mouth 11.2
business 40, 41 “expect” 52.2
make your bed 43.1 hear something from the horse’s mouth 25.2
expressions, common
many hands make light work 51.1 leave a bad taste in someone’s mouth 6.1
2 the black market 54.1 look like butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth 3.1

.1
get married 45.2
a sit-down meal (US) / a slap-up meal (UK) 29.1
make someone’s mouth water 29.1
get a move on 34.1
C
“carry” 53.4 F9
US) / look a million a square meal 29.1 move the goalposts 42.1
“catch” 48.3 failure 39.2
make ends meet 32.1 a stick-in-the-mud 23.3
chance 19 family 2.2
melt in your mouth 3.1 meet someone halfway 9.3 face the music 28.1
 Age
IDIOMS ABOUT AGE

no longer young young and inexperienced

getting old extremely old

young, enthusiastic, fashionable, appeals to people of all ages

or ambitious people

EXPRESSIONS WITH “AGE”

very old age behaving in a way

appropriate to his age

very young age am conscious of being older

10
at my best; healthy and successful very young

old the last years of someone’s life

old; past my best years youthful, despite being old

the period of adolescence when reach maturity, or have the

people feel very self-conscious same legal rights as adults

get better as they get older very old age

11
 WRITE THE IDIOMS FROM THE PANEL IN THE CORRECT GROUPS

YOUNG OLD

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO AND COMPLETE THE SENTENCES THAT

DESCRIBE EACH PICTURE

12
 REWRITE THE SENTENCES, CORRECTING THE ERRORS

WRITE THE CORRECT IDIOM NEXT TO ITS DEFINITION, FILLING IN

THE MISSING LETTERS

no longer young

get better as they get older

old; past my best years

very old age

the last years of someone’s life

youthful, despite being old

very young age

13
 Friends and family
FRIENDSHIP

no longer being in contact with the perfect person to be

a friend or partner

continued to be in contact with a shared friend of two people

get along extremely well; have slowly become less friendly

a very good relationship or close to each other

became friends with became friends very quickly

a friend who deserts you when started our relationship badly

you have difficulties

14
 FAMILY

very similar to someone in his family have children

someone who has known your close family, such as parents, sons,
family for some time daughters, brothers, and sisters

someone who brings shame to the family teaching a child how to behave
or is the odd one in the family

an object that has been passed down wider family, such as grandparents,
through the generations of a family cousins, nephews, and nieces

a loyal and supportive family is a common feature in our family

15
 MATCH THE DEFINITIONS TO THE CORRECT IDIOMS

close family, such as parents, sons, daughters,

brothers, and sisters

an object that has been passed down through the

generations of a family

a friend who deserts you when you have difficulties

no longer being in contact with

the perfect person to be a friend or partner

slowly become less friendly or close to each other

wider family, such as grandparents, cousins,

nephews, and nieces

LISTEN TO THE AUDIO, THEN NUMBER THE PICTURES IN THE ORDER

YOU HEAR THEM

16
CROSS OUT THE INCORRECT WORDS IN EACH SENTENCE

LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND COMPLETE THE SENTENCES

17
 Appearance and background
APPEARANCE

looks extremely similar extremely similar to each other

almost identical to too thin

going bald looked very scared or shocked

the beginning of a beard was very wet

looks innocent, like she pretending that things

wouldn’t do anything bad are going well

18
 STYLE AND DRESS

was dressed in the right way elegantly dressed and

well presented

looked extremely glamorous is extremely neat and well groomed

BACKGROUND, ADVANTAGE, AND DISADVANTAGE

is descended from important was born into a wealthy family

people or aristocracy

an important or well-respected person a very talented and

successful person

the wrong social background were very poor

or part of town

19
 READ THE STATEMENTS AND MARK THE CORRECT MEANING

My parents were rich. My parents were poor.

My aunt is a well-respected person. My aunt is a dishonest person.

Philip has always been wealthy. Philip has always been generous.

Bob is a train driver. Bob is from the wrong social background.

Clara looked extremely nervous. Clara looked extremely glamorous.

She is descended from important people. She is a princess.

REWRITE THE SENTENCES, CORRECTING THE ERRORS

20
 LISTEN TO THE AUDIO AND COMPLETE THE SENTENCES THAT
DESCRIBE EACH PICTURE

WRITE THE CORRECT IDIOM NEXT TO ITS DEFINITION, FILLING

IN THE MISSING LETTERS

extremely similar to each other

too thin

almost identical to

going bald

the beginning of a beard

a very talented and successful person

21