Welcome to our fun guide on childhood idioms! Here, we’ll explore phrases that might sound strange but are used a lot in everyday English. This guide will help you understand these funny sayings through simple meanings and example sentences, so even kids can easily get what they mean.
Childhood Idioms
Here are 20 childhood idioms in English with meaning and example sentence for each.
As easy as pie
Meaning: Very easy
Example: Learning to ride a bike was as easy as pie.
Hold your horses
Meaning: Wait a minute
Example: Hold your horses, we’re not ready to go!
Spill the beans
Meaning: Reveal a secret
Example: He spilled the beans about the surprise party.
Cry over spilt milk
Meaning: Worry about past mistakes
Example: Don’t cry over spilt milk, just try again.
Piece of cake
Meaning: Very easy
Example: Finishing this puzzle was a piece of cake.
Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: Reveal a secret accidentally
Example: She let the cat out of the bag about our plan.
Break the ice
Meaning: Start a conversation
Example: Telling a joke can break the ice.
Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: Get something exactly right
Example: You hit the nail on the head with that answer.
When pigs fly
Meaning: Never
Example: I’ll clean my room when pigs fly!
Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: Take on a task that is too big
Example: He bit off more than he could chew with that project.
Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Misdirected effort
Example: You’re barking up the wrong tree by blaming her.
Out of the blue
Meaning: Unexpectedly
Example: He arrived out of the blue.
Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Very rarely
Example: I only see him once in a blue moon.
Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick
Example: I’m staying home, feeling under the weather.
Beat around the bush
Meaning: Avoid saying directly
Example: Stop beating around the bush and tell me.
Caught red-handed
Meaning: Caught doing something wrong
Example: He was caught red-handed stealing cookies.
Cost an arm and a leg
Meaning: Very expensive
Example: This new car cost an arm and a leg.
The last straw
Meaning: Final problem in a series
Example: That mistake was the last straw.
Go on a wild goose chase
Meaning: Do something pointless
Example: We went on a wild goose chase looking for it.
Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: Joke with someone
Example: I was just pulling your leg, don’t worry!
