An idiom is a phrase whose meaning isn't the same as its words. "It's raining cats and dogs" has nothing to do with animals. It means it's raining heavily.
Idioms appear often in reading passages for NAPLAN, OC, selective and scholarship tests, and in the questions themselves. A child can read every word correctly and still miss the meaning. That's especially common in families who speak another language at home, because idioms are learned by hearing them, not from textbooks.
Here are 62 common idioms, grouped by theme, with a plain meaning and an example for each.
Feelings
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| butterflies in your stomach | feeling nervous | I had butterflies in my stomach before the race. |
| on cloud nine | extremely happy | She was on cloud nine after winning. |
| down in the dumps | sad | He's been down in the dumps since his friend moved. |
| over the moon | delighted | Grandma was over the moon with the card. |
| get cold feet | become too nervous to do something | He got cold feet and didn't sing. |
| at the end of your rope | out of patience | After three hours of noise, Mum was at the end of her rope. |
| a lump in your throat | about to cry | The ending gave me a lump in my throat. |
| blow off steam | release anger or energy | We ran laps to blow off steam. |
| keep your chin up | stay positive | Keep your chin up; there's another game next week. |
| see red | become very angry | He saw red when someone broke his model. |
Effort and work
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a piece of cake | very easy | The spelling test was a piece of cake. |
| hit the books | study hard | I need to hit the books this weekend. |
| go the extra mile | do more than expected | She went the extra mile on her project. |
| pull your weight | do your fair share | Everyone in the group must pull their weight. |
| burn the midnight oil | work late at night | He burned the midnight oil to finish. |
| cut corners | do something badly to save time | Don't cut corners on your homework. |
| back to square one | starting again | The tower fell, so we were back to square one. |
| learn the ropes | learn how something works | It took a week to learn the ropes at camp. |
| get the hang of it | learn how to do something | After a few tries, she got the hang of it. |
| practice makes perfect | doing something often makes you better | Keep going. Practice makes perfect. |
Time
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| once in a blue moon | very rarely | We eat out once in a blue moon. |
| in the nick of time | just in time | We caught the bus in the nick of time. |
| at the drop of a hat | immediately, without planning | He'd help a friend at the drop of a hat. |
| call it a day | stop working | It's late, so let's call it a day. |
| around the clock | all day and night | The nurses worked around the clock. |
| time flies | time passes quickly | Time flies when you're having fun. |
| the eleventh hour | the last possible moment | She finished at the eleventh hour. |
| beat around the bush | avoid saying something directly | Stop beating around the bush and tell me. |
Secrets, talking and thinking
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| spill the beans | tell a secret | Who spilled the beans about the party? |
| let the cat out of the bag | reveal a secret by accident | He let the cat out of the bag about the present. |
| keep it under your hat | keep it secret | Keep this under your hat until Friday. |
| on the tip of my tongue | almost remembered | Her name is on the tip of my tongue. |
| bite your tongue | stop yourself from speaking | I had to bite my tongue. |
| food for thought | something to think about | The speech gave us food for thought. |
| a penny for your thoughts | what are you thinking? | You're quiet. A penny for your thoughts? |
| hear it through the grapevine | hear news informally | I heard it through the grapevine. |
| put your foot in your mouth | say something embarrassing | I put my foot in my mouth when I asked if she was his mum. |
| get the wrong end of the stick | misunderstand | You've got the wrong end of the stick. |
Problems and decisions
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| in hot water | in trouble | He's in hot water for being late. |
| the last straw | the final problem that makes someone give up | The broken window was the last straw. |
| a blessing in disguise | something that seems bad but turns out good | Missing the bus was a blessing in disguise. |
| sit on the fence | not choose a side | You can't sit on the fence forever. |
| bite off more than you can chew | take on too much | I bit off more than I could chew with three clubs. |
| cross that bridge when you come to it | deal with a problem only when it happens | We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. |
| the ball is in your court | it's your turn to decide or act | I've said sorry. The ball is in your court. |
| jump the gun | act too early | Don't jump the gun; wait for the whistle. |
| a storm in a teacup | a big fuss about something small | The argument was a storm in a teacup. |
| when pigs fly | never | He'll tidy his room when pigs fly. |
People and behaviour
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a wet blanket | someone who spoils the fun | Don't be a wet blanket. |
| the apple of your eye | someone you love very much | She's the apple of her dad's eye. |
| a fish out of water | uncomfortable in a new place | On my first day I felt like a fish out of water. |
| in the same boat | in the same situation | We're all in the same boat with this test. |
| give someone the cold shoulder | ignore someone on purpose | She gave me the cold shoulder all lunch. |
| hold your horses | wait; slow down | Hold your horses; we haven't finished. |
| break the ice | start a conversation in an awkward situation | A joke helped break the ice. |
| lend a hand | help | Can you lend a hand with these boxes? |
Australian expressions worth knowing
These appear in Australian texts and conversation.
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| fair dinkum | genuine; true | Is that story fair dinkum? |
| a fair go | a fair chance | Everyone deserves a fair go. |
| flat out | very busy; or as fast as possible | I've been flat out all week. |
| she'll be right | it will be okay | Don't worry, she'll be right. |
| do your block | lose your temper | Dad will do his block if we're late. |
| a few sandwiches short of a picnic | not very sensible (often used jokingly) | That plan is a few sandwiches short of a picnic. |
How to learn idioms
- Two a week is plenty. Pick idioms from the same theme so they're easier to remember.
- Picture the literal meaning, then the real one. The silly picture makes it stick.
- Spot them while reading. When your child finds an idiom in a book, ask them what it really means.
- Ask about your own language. Many languages have similar idioms. Comparing them is a great conversation for bilingual families.
Idioms in tests
Idioms usually appear in reading questions like these:
"Jess had butterflies in her stomach as she walked onto the stage." This means Jess was:
A. hungry B. feeling sick C. nervous D. excited about insects
Answer: C. Questions like this check whether your child reads the meaning, not just the words. Our figurative language guide and context clues guide show how to work out unfamiliar phrases.
Idioms in writing
One fresh, well-placed idiom can make writing sound natural. Several in a row make it sound tired, because markers read the same phrases hundreds of times. In tests, a clear, specific description usually beats an idiom. See show, don't tell.
More word help
- Vocabulary list for selective tests: 134 words by year level
- Sample questions for OC, NSW selective and EduTest
Frequently asked questions
What is an idiom? A phrase whose meaning is different from the meaning of its individual words, such as "a piece of cake" meaning very easy.
Why do idioms matter for selective tests? They appear in reading passages and questions. A child who reads them literally can choose the wrong answer.
Should my child use idioms in their writing? Sparingly. One well-chosen idiom is fine. Many in a row read as cliché.
Idiom list and examples by Practice Tests & Exams.