WordStudyClassic Idioms — B1 level
39 expressions of level B1 (Intermediate) from the “Classic Idioms” collection. Each one has a short definition in simple English; tap one to open its dictionary page.
This topic by level: A2 · 16B1 · 39B2 · 17 Whole collection: 72 words →
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| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| under the weather | feeling sick or not in good health today |
| hit the nail on the head | to say something that is exactly right |
| beat around the bush | to talk about other things and not the real point |
| bite the bullet | to decide to do something hard that must be done |
| once in a blue moon | very rarely, almost never happens |
| spill the beans | to tell a secret by mistake or on purpose |
| the ball is in your court | it is now your turn to decide or act |
| burn the midnight oil | to work late into the night on something |
| cost an arm and a leg | to cost a very large amount of money |
| let the cat out of the bag | to tell a secret that was meant to be kept |
| kill two birds with one stone | to solve two problems with one action |
| cry over spilt milk | to feel sad about something you cannot change |
| every cloud has a silver lining | even bad times have something good in them |
| a blessing in disguise | something that seems bad but is actually good |
| the last straw | the final small thing that makes you lose patience |
| throw in the towel | to stop trying and accept that you have lost |
| miss the boat | to be too late to use a chance or opportunity |
| turn over a new leaf | to start acting in a better way than before |
| back to the drawing board | to start all over again from the beginning |
| hit the jackpot | to suddenly win a large amount of money |
| go back to square one | to go back to the start and try again |
| burn bridges | to end a relationship in a way you cannot fix |
| get out of hand | to become too difficult to control |
| the sky is the limit | there is no end to how high you can go |
| you snooze you lose | if you wait too long you will miss your chance |
| add fuel to the fire | to make a bad situation even worse |
| on thin ice | in a situation where you could get in trouble soon |
| the tip of the iceberg | only a small part of a much bigger problem |
| turn a blind eye | to choose to not see a problem that is there |
| see eye to eye | to agree with someone about something |
| go the extra mile | to do more than what is expected |
| keep your chin up | to stay positive when things are difficult |
| learn the ropes | to learn how things work in a new place |
| get the hang of it | to begin to understand how to do something new |
| roll up your sleeves | to get ready to work hard on something |
| stay on your toes | to be ready for anything that might happen next |
| read between the lines | to find a hidden meaning in what someone says |
| it takes two to tango | both people share the blame for a problem |
| there's no smoke without fire | if people say something, it is often partly true |
More B1 vocabulary by topic
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