💡 Idioms for Speaking · IELTS Speaking Vocabulary · 50 words

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a piece of cake idiom	informal; something very easy to do; use in Speaking, not Writing Honestly, the first part of the test was a piece of cake.
once in a blue moon idiom	very rarely; informal I only go to the cinema once in a blue moon these days.
hit the books idiom	informal; to start studying seriously I need to hit the books this weekend because my exam is on Monday.
the best of both worlds idiom	a situation where you enjoy the advantages of two different things at once Living in the suburbs gives you the best of both worlds: peace and easy access to the city.
break the bank idiom	to cost more than you can afford; often used in the negative A weekend trip to the mountains won't break the bank if you stay in a homestay.
cost an arm and a leg idiom	informal; to be extremely expensive Concert tickets cost an arm and a leg nowadays.
under the weather idiom	feeling slightly ill I was feeling a bit under the weather, so I skipped the party.
a breath of fresh air idiom	someone or something new and different that is very welcome Our new teacher was a breath of fresh air because her lessons were so interactive.
on the go idiom	very busy and active all the time As a nurse, my mum is always on the go.
couch potato idiom	informal; a person who spends a lot of time sitting and watching TV I used to be a real couch potato, but now I go jogging every morning.
in the long run idiom	over a long period of time in the future; also acceptable in Writing Learning to cook saves you a lot of money in the long run.
get the hang of idiom	informal; to learn how to do something after some practice Driving was scary at first, but it didn't take long to get the hang of it.
call it a day idiom	to stop working on something for now By nine o'clock we were exhausted, so we decided to call it a day.
burn the midnight oil idiom	to stay up very late working or studying During exam season, I often burn the midnight oil.
see eye to eye idiom	to agree with someone; often used in the negative My dad and I don't always see eye to eye on politics.
not my cup of tea idiom	a polite way to say you don't enjoy something Horror films are not my cup of tea; I prefer comedies.
go the extra mile idiom	to make more effort than is expected The staff at that hotel really go the extra mile for their guests.
the tip of the iceberg idiom	a small visible part of a much bigger problem Traffic jams are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to city problems.
keep an eye on idiom	to watch or look after someone or something Could you keep an eye on my bag while I grab a coffee?
out of the blue idiom	happening suddenly and unexpectedly An old friend called me out of the blue last week.
over the moon idiom	extremely happy and pleased I was over the moon when I got my IELTS results.
take it easy idiom	to relax and not work too hard On Sundays I just take it easy and spend time with my family.
through thick and thin idiom	in good times and difficult times My best friend has supported me through thick and thin.
a blessing in disguise idiom	something that seems bad at first but brings good results Failing that exam was a blessing in disguise because it made me change my study habits.
ring a bell idiom	to sound familiar, as if you have heard it before His name rings a bell, but I can't remember where we met.
from scratch idiom	from the very beginning, without any help or materials My parents built their business from scratch.
learn the ropes idiom	to learn the basic skills of a new job or activity It took me about a month to learn the ropes at my first job.
on a shoestring idiom	using a very small amount of money We travelled around Thailand on a shoestring, staying in cheap hostels.
a far cry from idiom	very different from something My tiny flat in the city is a far cry from my family's big house in the countryside.
hustle and bustle idiom	the noise and busy activity of a crowded place I love the hustle and bustle of the Old Quarter at night.
off the beaten track idiom	far away from places that many tourists visit I prefer travelling to villages that are off the beaten track.
the ins and outs idiom	all the detailed facts about something My uncle taught me the ins and outs of running a small shop.
have a lot on my plate idiom	to be very busy with many things to deal with I have a lot on my plate at the moment, with work and evening classes.
up in the air idiom	not yet decided or certain My plans for the summer are still up in the air.
night owl idiom	a person who likes staying up late and is most active at night I'm a bit of a night owl, so I do my best work after 10 p.m.
early bird idiom	a person who gets up or arrives early My grandfather is an early bird who goes for a walk at 5 a.m.
learn by heart idiom	to memorise something so you can say it exactly At primary school we had to learn poems by heart.
at the drop of a hat idiom	immediately and without hesitating My friends are ready to travel at the drop of a hat.
spoilt for choice idiom	having so many good options that it is hard to choose In Ho Chi Minh City you're spoilt for choice when it comes to street food.
in the middle of nowhere idiom	in a place far from towns and other people My grandparents live in the middle of nowhere, so there's no Wi-Fi.
glued to the screen idiom	watching or looking at a screen with complete attention for a long time Kids these days are glued to the screen from morning till night.
bite off more than you can chew idiom	to try to do more than you are able to I bite off more than I can chew when I sign up for too many courses.
sleep on it idiom	to wait until the next day before making an important decision It's a big decision, so I'll sleep on it and tell you tomorrow.
word of mouth idiom	information passed from person to person by talking That small restaurant became popular purely through word of mouth.
go with the flow idiom	to relax and accept what happens instead of trying to control it When I travel, I don't plan much; I just go with the flow.
make ends meet idiom	to have just enough money to pay for what you need Many students work part-time to make ends meet.
a stone's throw from idiom	very close to a place My flat is a stone's throw from the beach, which is amazing.
the last straw idiom	the final problem that makes you lose patience completely The noisy neighbours were bad enough, but the broken air conditioner was the last straw.
play it by ear idiom	to decide what to do as the situation develops, without a plan We haven't booked anything yet; we'll just play it by ear.
in the blink of an eye idiom	extremely quickly My university years went by in the blink of an eye.