Welcome to our fun guide on design idioms! This post will help you understand some cool phrases that people use when they talk about designing things. Even if you’re a kid, you can learn these idioms easily!
Idioms about Design
Here are 20 design idioms in English with meaning and example sentence for each.
1. Paint the town red
Meaning: Have a fun, exciting time
Example: They painted the town red last night.
2. Cut from the same cloth
Meaning: Very similar in characteristics
Example: They are cut from the same cloth.
3. Fit like a glove
Meaning: Fits perfectly
Example: The new sofa fits like a glove.
4. Back to the drawing board
Meaning: Start a task over because the last try failed
Example: It’s back to the drawing board.
5. Think outside the box
Meaning: Think creatively
Example: She really thinks outside the box.
6. On the same page
Meaning: Agreeing with someone
Example: We are on the same page now.
7. Paint a picture
Meaning: Describe something in detail
Example: He painted a vivid picture.
8. Brush under the carpet
Meaning: Hide a problem
Example: They brushed it under the carpet.
9. Draw a blank
Meaning: Can’t remember
Example: I drew a blank on his name.
10. Color outside the lines
Meaning: Not follow the rules
Example: She colors outside the lines.
11. By design
Meaning: Done intentionally
Example: It was by design.
12. Cut corners
Meaning: Do something poorly to save time or money
Example: They really cut corners.
13. Dot the i’s and cross the t’s
Meaning: Take care of every detail
Example: Make sure to dot the i’s.
14. Draw the line
Meaning: Set a limit
Example: He drew the line at cheating.
15. Make a splash
Meaning: Gain a lot of attention
Example: The debut made a splash.
16. A rough sketch
Meaning: A basic, preliminary plan
Example: It’s just a rough sketch.
17. Go back to square one
Meaning: Start over
Example: We’re back to square one.
18. Out of the picture
Meaning: No longer involved
Example: He’s out of the picture.
19. Toss ideas around
Meaning: Discuss ideas freely
Example: Let’s toss some ideas around.
20. Blank canvas
Meaning: No ideas yet
Example: It’s a blank canvas.
