Our 3 Word Lists for June 2023 were words ending in '-stle’, 10 Words for... SAD, and – to celebrate the summer solstice here in the Western hemisphere – Characters in A Midsummer Night´s Dream. Studying Shakespeare at school? We’ve got lots more word lists for you. This month, we’ve also been busy adding word lists to our Characters from English Literature collection. Can’t find a list for a text you’re studying? Let us know! At Spellzone, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible learning environment to ensure as many users as possible can engage with our resources. &...
Want to add personality to your English? An idiom is like a secret code: a special phrase or expression that has a meaning different from the literal words used. Idioms provide a wonderful opportunity to add creativity and flair to everyday conversations while also conveying complex ideas and emotions in a way that is captivating and relatable to others. In this new series, a blend of our 10 Words and Idioms segments, we’ll choose an idea and share different ways to express it in English. Today, we are looking at 18 different ways to communicate that something is easy – let’s get started! a breeze – The test was a breeze. ...
3 Word Lists for the Month Tune in with your class each month for our latest spelling lists, including vocabulary for special occasions, weird and wonderful words, loanwords from other languages, and more. Use every word list in a variety of online and offline spelling activities. Word for Wednesday: Tricky Spelling Words We’ve been sharing interesting etymologies and useful example sentences for 10 years in our Word for Wednesday segment, looking at festive words, frightening words, funny words, and everything in-between. Join us each week for quick tips for spelling tricky words. Commonly Confused Words Accept or except? Allowed or a...
Need a refresher? Have you tried our new spelling games Monkey Business and Cool Spelling? We are always developing Spellzone and all our subscribers have access to site updates as soon as they are available. To help you get the most out of your Spellzone experience, why not book a refresher training session? We offer: - A 20-minute tour of the main Spellzone features - A 50-minute tour of all the Spellzone features, including how to track your students’ progress Each session can be tailored specifically for your school’s needs. Book a session for your team today. In the meantime, these links wil...
A really good way to practise your spelling is by writing as often as you can. Over the years, we have shared a variety of blog posts about writing—from top tips, to how to get ideas, to expressing yourself in interesting ways. Feeling creative? Why not have a browse? Not sure where to begin? Whether you’re writing for school, university, work, or fun – these 5 tips will help you improve your writing. Wondering what you should write? Here are 5 ideas to help you write in your free time and 5 writing prompts to get you started. Often, good writing begins with good planning. Here are our top planning tips. ...
2020 is almost over and it has been like no other. With school closures across the world, we have all had to adapt to new ways of teaching and learning. So from us, here’s a big well done to every teacher, student, parent, and carer. You have been brilliant. Here is a round-up of our year: Students from around the world sent in their rainbow artwork. View their amazing creations here. We shared advice on how to use Spellzone if your school was closed, how to use Spellzone to keep up with your learning while at home, and how to use Spellzone to help you stay connected. We enhanced our Spelling Ability Test to allow students to get started o...
all sweetness and light – harmonious, benevolent in light of something – with something taken into consideration in the cold light of day – after one has had the time to properly consider a situation in the limelight/spotlight – in the centre of attention leading light – an influential person light at the end of the tunnel – a signal that a long period of hardship is coming to an end the light of one’s life – someone who is deeply loved to go out like a light – to fall asleep quickly or suddenly to bring something to light – to make something known, to expose something to come to li...
a safe pair of hands – a capable, responsible, and reliable person all hands to the pump/all hands on deck – all members of a group or team must be involved at hand – close by, accessible at/by the hands of – done or caused by cap/hat in hand – humbly (used to describe someone who is asking for a favour) first-hand – from an original source hand in glove with – closely associated with, in collusion with hand over fist – very quickly hand-me-down – a piece of clothing or other item which has been passed from one person to another hands down – clearly, decisively hands-off – without direct involvemen...
If you’re one of our regular readers you’ll be familiar with articles about idioms, but every now and then we like to share a recap for our new subscribers. Here are Spellzone we believe that one of the reasons English is such a difficult language to learn is because it’s full of idioms. Every few weeks we take a list of popular idioms and translate them for our second-language English speakers. An idiom is an expression which has a figurative meaning rather than a literal one. For example, when someone says ‘needle in a haystack’ they probably aren’t actually talking about a needle and a haystack, but about something that is as difficult to fi...
“Oops-a-daisy!” – an expression of encouragement said to a child who has fallen/ hurt him or herself, an expression of mild annoyance used when something has gone wrong a late bloomer – someone who is slower than their peers to develop in a particular field a shrinking violet – a (comically) shy person a thorn in your side – a source of annoyance or discomfort as fresh as a daisy – healthy, energetic, youthful flowery – a word used to describe speech, writing, or language that uses elaborate (but not necessarily effective) literary words or devices ...
The English language is constantly evolving in creative ways and this has always been the case. This month we started a new blog feature on slang words and their plain English meanings. Our first post in this new series looks at Cockney rhyming slang. We returned to our Commonly Confused Words series with a very similar-sounding pair of words—allusion and illusion. Do you know when to use which word? Visit the blog for memory devices to help you tell them apart. For our Idioms article we looked at figurative expressions about fruit. We continued with the fruit theme in July’s Word for Wednesday posts. Did you know the word ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for July is fruit. The word fruit dates back to the late-twelfth century when it was used to mean ‘any vegetable product useful to humans or animals’. It entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘fructus’ meaning ‘an enjoyment, delight, or satisfaction’ as well as ‘proceeds, produce, fruit, and crops’. The word took on its modern meaning in the early thirteenth century. So far we’ve looked at the words banana, pineapple, plum, and pomegranate —today’s word is cherry. A cherry is a small round fruit with a si...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for July is fruit. The word fruit dates back to the late-twelfth century when it was used to mean ‘any vegetable product useful to humans or animals’. It entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘fructus’ meaning ‘an enjoyment, delight, or satisfaction’ as well as ‘proceeds, produce, fruit, and crops’. The word took on its modern meaning in the early thirteenth century. So far we’ve looked at the words banana and pineapple, —today’s word is plum. A plum is an oval fruit with smooth skin and a single hard s...
a bad apple spoils the barrel – a bad/corrupt person will ruin the group’s endeavour a bite at the cherry – an attempt at an opportunity a bowl of cherries – a pleasant situation apple of (someone’s) eye – the person someone most loves/cherishes/admires bad/rotten apple – a bad influence/someone who brings trouble gone pear-shaped – gone unexpectedly wrong like a ripe plum – with little or no effort like apples and oranges/like apples to oranges – very different/incompatible sour grapes – someone who is negative about something because they can’t have it for themself the apple/fruit ...
This month one of our users wrote in and asked us to write an article about the difference between the words prophecy and prophesy. Do you know when to use each word? You can also learn about the difference between more ‘c’ vs. ‘s’ spellings here. For this month's 10 Words feature, we chose a word that we’ve occasionally heard teachers describe as their nemesis: nice. Click here to learn ten alternatives and here to practise spelling them. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language and many of them are about animals. In the past we’ve shared idioms about cats, do...
Last week we looked at 25 idioms about farming, here are 25 more: to chicken out – to opt out of doing something because of being frightened to egg someone on – to urge someone to do something foolish/ to encourage someone to do something they don’t want to do to farm out – to delegate work to people outside of your company to flog/beat a dead horse – to spend a lot of energy on something that is a lost cause to get someone’s goat – to annoy someone to go the whole hog – to fully commit to an act to have a cow – to become angry or excited to have egg on your face – to look foolish to h...
“Hold your horses!” – an expression requesting someone to wait a moment/hold on/slow down “Holy cow!” – an exclamation of surprise or shock a good/bad/rotten egg – a good/bad/rotten person a hard row to hoe – something difficult as happy as a pig in mud – very happy as meek as a lamb – very meek as stubborn as a mule – very stubborn as sure as eggs is eggs – without a doubt chickens come home to roost – bad things from your past may come back to cause trouble cock and bull story – a far-fetched and unlikely story dark horse – a less well-known c...
a barrel/bundle of laughs – something that's fun or amusing a bundle of joy – a baby as happy as a clam – very happy as happy as Larry – very happy as pleased as punch – delighted, proud buzzing – very excited fool’s paradise – happiness predicated on ignoring potential problems or troubles happy accident – a mistake or unplanned occurrence which results in something good happy camper – someone who is comfortable and content happy-go-lucky – cheerfully content, unconcerned about the future in seventh heaven – extremely happy in stitches – laughing un...
Here is a round up of our Coronavirus-related updates: March has been a strange month for all of us. In this uncertain and frightening time, we have found it so inspiring to watch our online educational community pull together. Please continue sending your homeschooling photos to us on Facebook and Twitter. They are really making our day. During this time, we want to do our best to support you and your teaching and learning needs. We are here to help. If you have any questions, or need assistance setting your staff and students up for remote learning, you can contact us here. You can find out more about how you can use Spellzone while schools are closed he...
1. a clean bill of health – a declaration that someone is healthy again 2. a clean break – a complete separation 3. a clean getaway – an undetected escape 4. a clean slate/sheet – free of existing commitments and restrictions 5. a new broom sweeps clean – people who are new to a responsibility will make vast changes 6. as clean as a whistle – very clean 7. clean cut – appearing neat and tidy 8. elbow grease –physical effort...
1. a light-bulb moment – a moment of sudden inspiration or enlightenment 2. a senior moment – a momentary lapse in memory 3. a shot/stab in the dark – a guess 4. at the back of one’s mind – mildly preoccupied by but not constantly thought about 5. by no stretch of the imagination – definitely not the case 6. flight of fancy – an impractical but imaginative idea 7. in a world of one’s own – concerned with one’s own thoughts and unaware of one’s surroundings 8....
Tomorrow – February 13 – marks World Radio Day and this year’s theme is diversity. Here is what UNESCO writes about this day on their website: “Radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity in all its diversity and constitutes a platform for democratic discourse. At the global level, radio remains the most widely consumed medium. This unique ability to reach out the widest audience means radio can shape a society’s experience of diversity, stand as an arena for all voices to speak out, be represented and heard. Radio stations should serve diverse communities, offering a wide variety of programs, viewpoints and content, and reflect the div...
So here we are… the last few day of 2019. Some of you will be wondering where the year went, while others will be looking forward to wiping the slate clean and setting some goals for the new year. We’ll share some ideas for New Year’s spelling goals next week – for now, here’s what we got up to in 2019: We began the year by sharing five challenges for 2019. Did you have a go at any of them? As usual, we expanded our Commonly Confused Words series. This year we looked at: allude vs. elude, assume vs. presume, bath vs. bathe, biannual vs biennial, biweekly vs. fortnightly vs. semi-weekly, click vs. clique, discreet vs. discrete, enqu...
Commonly Confused Words: Waist vs. Waste Since we didn’t fit one in in October, we started November by adding to our Commonly Confusing Words series. This month’s words were waist and waste. One of these words refers to rubbish while the other one is a a part of the body – do you know which? Click here for tips and tricks to help you tell them apart. 25 Idioms about Earth In November, we finally finished our collection of blog posts on idioms about the four elements. In this article we look idioms about both the planet earth and the earth on the ground. Click here to learn the meanings of expressions like ‘down to earth’, ‘salt of t...
1. down to earth – unpretentious, practical, realistic 2. earth to someone – used to get someone’s attention 3. earth-shattering – important, shocking, traumatic 4. from the ground up – completely, from top to bottom 5. heaven on earth – a pleasant/enjoyable place or situation, somewhere that feels like paradise 6. hell on earth – an extremely unpleasant place or situation 7. how/what/when/where/who/why on earth? – used for emphasis when asking a question 8. like noth...
20 Idioms About Air Autumnal October, with its crisp chilly air, seemed like the perfect season to continue with our series of idioms about the four elements. From castles in the air, to airing your dirty laundry, to walking on air, this article translates a variety of idioms about air into plain English. If you’re interested in other idioms about the four elements, click here for idioms about fire and here for idioms about water. And – of course – keep your eyes for the final instalment: idioms about earth. 10 Word for…ANGRY In September we continued with our 10 Words blog feature by sharing alternatives to the word 'angry'. In these...
1. a breath of fresh air – a refreshing change 2. airhead – a foolish person 3. as light as air – very light 4. castles in the air – daydreams, unattainable aspirations 5. dead air – a period when no material is transmitted on television or radio due to a signal interruption 6. hot air – empty talk intended to impress 7. in the air – collectively felt my multiple people 8. on/off the air – on/off radio or television 9. out in the open air –...
Fifty Idioms to Describe People We began this month by sharing part two of our list of 50 idioms used to describe people. You can read part one here. An idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning separate from the actual definitions of the words used. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language so we hope our regular idiom lists help our second-language students make sense of some confusing translations. You can find more of our idiom lists on our blog archive. Make the Most Out of Your Spellzone Subscription The Spellzone website is full of great resources – from the courses themselves, to our spelling games, to our ...
Click here for Part 1. 26) made of sterner stuff – to have a strong character, to possess the ability to easily overcome problems 27) nice as pie – very nice 28) not a hair out of place – very neat and tidy 29) pie-eyed – drunk 30) proud as a peacock – very proud 31) quick tempered – someone who easily becomes angry 32) rough diamond – someone of good character but who doesn’t necessarily have what’s considered the right schooling or manners 33) set in one’s ways – reliant ...
1) apple of your eye – the person someone most loves/cherishes/admires 2) armchair critic – someone who comments on or criticises something they don’t know very much about 3) bad egg – a bad influence/someone who brings trouble 4) behind the times – out of date, unaware of the latest ideas or technology 5) big cheese – an important person 6) big fish in a small pond – someone who is important within a small/limited field 7) born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth – born into wealth or importance ...
a baptism of fire – being pushed/tested in a new experience/position by having to deal with difficult or unexpected circumstances burning – intense ears are burning – subconsciously aware that you’re being talked about fire and brimstone – hell Fire away! – an expression that's used to indicate to someone that they can begin asking questions fired-up – enthusiastic, stimulated, energised on fire – excited, on a roll out of the frying pan into the fire – from a bad situation into a worse one Put that in your pipe and smoke it! – an expression that’s used to indicate that the...
Happy New Year! Whether you are a regular user of our site or someone who's just signed up, we hope 2019 will be a great year for improving your spelling. Here are some of our favourite blog posts from 2018: We began the year with a tour of our site to help you make the most of Spellzone. What your favourite feature on the Spellzone website? As usual we looked at pairs and groups of confusing words and shared tips and tricks to help you tell them apart. This year we looked at: balmy vs. barmy, by vs. bye vs. buy, capital vs. capitol, father vs. farther vs. further, faun vs. fawn, hair vs. hare, heir vs. air, hoard vs. horde, infer vs. imply, moot vs. mute, and yolk vs...
a square peg in a round hole – someone who is in a situation which is unsuited to their abilities all round – for or by everyone, in every way circle of life – the lifecycle, the death of one thing gives life to another circle/sphere of influence – a field/area/country in which a person/organisation/government has the power to affect developments despite having no formal authority comedy circuit – the venues and events at which comedians perform during a tour left, right, and centre – on all sides literary circle – a group of people (usually writers or students) involved in the literary scene round robin – a competition/tournam...
The square shape is often used in idioms as a metaphor for honesty, fairness, and sometimes conformity. Here is a list of square-related idioms: a square – someone with an old-fashioned/conformist/dull attitude and way of life a square answer – an honest answer a square deal – a fair deal a square meal – a balanced and satisfying meal a square peg in a round hole – someone who is in a situation which is unsuited to their abilities back to square one – back to where you started (before any progress was made) be there, or be square! – a light-hearted expression used to pressure someone into coming to an event fair and square –...
With the sun setting earlier, the leaves changing colour, and a slight chill in the air, we’re ready to start slowing down and enjoying cosy evenings in with hot drinks and blankets. Here are twenty idioms for the autumn season: a bad apple – a bad influence/someone who brings trouble apple of (someone’s) eye – the person someone most loves/cherishes/admires can’t see the wood for the trees – unable to grasp the main issue/wider picture due to being too focused on specific details lost in the mists of time – long forgotten neck of the woods – a particular area/neighbourhood old chestnut – a story/joke made tedious by repet...
a catnap – a short sleep in the day a night owl – someone who stays up late, someone who functions better at night a sleeping giant – someone with unrealised or emerging power a sleeping partner – a partner in a firm who doesn’t take a share in the workload beauty sleep – a stretch of sleep will keep one young and beautiful fast/sound asleep – deeply asleep forty winks – a short sleep in the day not sleep a wink – not sleep at all ready to drop – extremely tired, falling asleep shut-eye – sleep sleep tight! – sleep well! to burn the candle at both ends – to go to sleep early and wake up ear...
With the birth of Prince Louis last month, and Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle just a few days away, we decided it was the perfect time to look at idioms about royalty. An idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning separate from the actual definitions of the words used. With an estimated 25,000 idioms, it’s no wonder English is such a difficult language to learn! Here are the royalty-related idioms we managed to come up with – can you think of any others? a cat may look like a king – someone of low status still has rights a horse, a horse, a kingdom for my horse – a quotation from Shakespeare’s Richard III that is s...
Although we don’t know the exact date of William Shakespeare’s birthday, he was baptised on April 26th 1564. Scholars believe he was probably born on April 23rd, and so every year, on this date, people in the United Kingdom celebrate Shakespeare Day. At Spellzone we’re huge fans of William Shakespeare – so much so that we’ve written about him many times over the years. Indeed, the Bard is a difficult subject to avoid because so many English words, idioms, and expressions were made popular by their appearance in his work. Here are some of our favourite articles and resources on William Shakespeare and his plays: Shakespeare in Love Shakespeare is famo...
a chip on your shoulder - an ingrained resentment or grievance due to a feeling of inferiority and often marked by aggressive behaviour afraid of your own shadow - easily frightened as hard as nails - tough, strong/unfeeling, callous as pleased as punch - delighted, proud at the end of your tether/rope - to have lost all your patience cheesed off - annoyed down in the dumps - unhappy, depressed foaming at the mouth - very angry fool’s paradise - happiness predicated on ignoring potential problems or troubles happy camper - someone who is comfortable and content happy-go-lucky - cheerfully content, unconcerned about the future hopping mad - extremely angry in ...
This week we’re looking at thirty more idioms about birds. Click here to learn the thirty idioms we looked at last week. night owl – someone who stays up late, someone who functions better at night pecking order – the social hierarchy rare bird – an unusual person sitting duck – an easy target, someone who is vulnerable to target spring chicken – a young person swan song – a final work/performance before retirement/death to chicken out – to opt out of doing something due to being frightened to clip someone’s wings – to limit someone’s control/freedom to count your chickens before they’re hatched &nd...
a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush – it is better to be content with what you have than to risk losing it in the attempt to seek more a little bird(y) told me – told by a secret informant albatross around your neck – something that makes you feel guilty or frustrated, something that prevents success as bald as a coot – completely bald as crazy as a loon – crazy as dead as a dodo – totally dead, extinct as free as a bird – totally free, carefree as mad as a wet hen – angry as scarce as hens’ teeth – non-existent as the crow flies – in a straight line bird brain – an insult meaning stupid ...
One of the reasons English is so difficult to learn is because it is a language full of idioms. An idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning separate from the actual definitions of the words used. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language. Here on the blog, in one of our regular features, we translate popular idioms into plain English. Today we are going to look at three common English idioms and how and why they came to be associated with their figurative meanings. 1) Bite the Bullet If someone is described as biting the bullet, it means they are finally doing a difficult or unpleasant task they’ve been putting off. One theory behind t...
Winter won’t officially come for another month, but here in England the days are getting shorter and the weather colder. We’re turning on the central heating, digging out our scarves and gloves, and sipping hot chocolate. With that in mind, here are twenty five idioms about cold weather to learn while nestled under a cosy blanket! a cold snap – a sudden and brief period of cold weather a snowball’s chance in hell – no chance at all as pure as driven snow – innocent, virtuous, flawless cold comfort – not much of a comfort, an insufficient consolation cold light of day – a time and place from which problems can be objectively consid...
It’s said that on All Hallow’s Eve, for just one night, the spirits will rise and roam the earth again. If you’re scared – you’re not alone. The fear of death is so widespread in our culture that the English language is full of ways of referring to death that, in many cases, mean you don’t have to use the word itself. Here are twenty idioms about death: as dead as a dodo – totally dead/extinct as dead as a doornail – obviously dead belly-up – dead beyond the veil – in the unknown state of life after death dropping like flies – dying in large numbers food for worms/worm food – a dead (and buried) person ...
We are delighted to announce that one of our writers Avani Shah has been shortlisted for the 2017 Guardian 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize. The prize is now in its second year and, according to Danuta Kean, writing for The Guardian, was ‘set up in 2015 to find “fresh compelling writing” by minority ethnic writers in the wake of the Writing the Future report of 2015, which revealed the poor representation of black and Asian writers of fiction in the UK.’ You can find out more about the prize here. Avani, who holds a Master of Arts with Distinction in Creative Writing (Prose Fiction) from the University of East Anglia, has been writing for Spellzone since 2013. ...
a cog in the machine – an insignificant member of a huge organisation or system a well-oiled machine – an organisation that operates smoothly acid test – a test of something’s value or success as bright as a button – very intelligent bells and whistles – extra features and trimmings cutting edge – advanced and innovative in tune with – in agreement or harmony with someone or something it’s not rocket science – it’s not difficult on the ball – alert on the same wavelength – to be in agreement/to have similar views and ideas to blow a fuse – to lose your temper to button your lip &ndash...
Happy Mother’s Day! Here are 20 words and expressions about mothers and parenting. a mother has eyes in the back of her head – a mother knows what her children are doing even when she can’t see them a tiger mother – a strict and demanding mother everyone and his mother – lots of people like mother, like daughter – daughters often behave like their mothers did before them mama’s boy – a boy or man who is easily influenced by his mother Mother Goose – a fictitious collector of nursery rhymes from the eighteenth century mother hen – someone who fusses over others in a maternal way mother house – the pr...
Happy New Year! Whether you are a regular user of our site or someone who’s just signed up, we hope 2017 will be a great year for improving your spelling. If you’re feeling daunted, perhaps some of these spelling-related New Year’s resolutions might help. In 2016, we launched a new spelling ability test to help users determine the best point to start our spelling course from. Here are some of our other favourite blog posts from over the year: As always we looked pairs and groups of words which are easy to mix up, and we shared tips and tricks to help you remember when to use which word. This year we looked at: aisle vs. isle , affect vs. effect, coarse vs. cours...
a dog and pony show – an elaborate presentation or campaign a hard/tough act to follow – an achievement that sets a high standard that other success will struggle to compare to ‘Break a leg!’ – ‘Good luck!’ class clown – a student who makes jokes and/or plays pranks footloose and fancy free – free from commitment number – a song/dance/performance out of step – not conforming to what others are thinking showstopper – a scene or song that receives a long applause from the audience/something that is very popular showbiz – show business star-studded – featuring many famous people the show m...
There’s no doubt that spelling is scary. But fear not – Spellzone is here to help. With Halloween just around the corner, we’ve noticed many of our users are looking at spellings related to the spooky celebration. The Halloween word list was created by one of our users – you can find it here or, if you’d prefer, you can create your own word list here. For some advice on how to get the most out of our word list feature, click here. If spooky spellings aren’t for you, find some of our other favourite word lists here. Once you’ve found the perfect spelling list for you, click on the ‘eye’ icon at the top of each list to take a ‘L...
a closed book – a topic or person about which/whom very little is known an open book – a topic or person that/who is easy to understand or about which/whom a lot is known book smart – possessing knowledge acquired from reading or study but lacking common sense bookworm – a keen reader by the book – in accordance with the rules ‘You can’t judge a book by its cover!’ – the outward appearance of something or someone is not a reliable indication of its/their true nature every trick in the book – all available methods of achieving what’s desired in my book – in my opinion in someone’s good/bad books &...
Read part one of our fifty idioms about travel and transport here. to cross that road when you come to it – to deal with a problem if and when it occurs rather than planning for it to drive a hard bargain – to be unwilling to compromise when making a deal to drive someone up the wall – to irritate someone to fall off the wagon – to give in and drink alcohol after trying to abstain to get the show on the road – to put a plan into action to go down a rocky road – to move into a difficult/challenging period to go to town – to go about something enthusiastically/extravagantly to hit a roadblock – to reach a difficulty/challenge ...
all hands on deck – immediate involvement of everyone present asleep at the wheel – not attentive at a crossroads – at a point where an important decision must be made at fork in the road – at a point where an important decision must be made backseat driver – a passenger in a car who gives unwanted advice/someone who gives unwanted advice cart before horse – in the wrong order clear the decks – to prepare for a task by getting rid of or tidying up anything that might hinder the process cool your jets! – calm down! country mile – a long distance fifth wheel – someone who is superfluous full throttle – usi...
a big fish - an important or influential person a big fish in a small pond - someone who is important within a small/limited field a drop in the ocean - a small amount compared to what is expected a loan shark - a moneylender who charges very high interest rates a whale of a time - a very enjoyable time all’s fish that comes to net - you should take advantage of all that comes your way another kettle of fish - an entirely different thing any port in a storm - any source of relief or escape in an unfavourable situation fishy - suspicious in the doldrums - low-spirited, depressed like a fish out of water - in an uncomfortable/awkward situation like shooting fish ...
a little bird(y) told me - told by a secret informant an armchair critic - someone who offers advice in a given situation without proving that they could cope any better the situation like talking to a brick wall - talking to an unresponsive/unsympathetic/unpersuadable person “spit it out!” - a saying used to urge someone to get to the point/confess something quickly the gift of gab - the gift of being able to speak with eloquence to be all mouth - to talk boastfully about something to try and impress someone without intending on acting on your words to beat around the bush - to avoid addressing the most important matter to cut to the chase - to directly address ...
One of the reasons English is so difficult to learn is because it is a language full of idioms. An idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning separate from the actual definitions of the words used. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language. Today we’re going to look at twenty five idioms about keeping secrets. anyone’s call – a situation in which any result, outcome, or consequence might happen as luck would have it – an expression used to describe something useful that has happened by chance fat chance! – an expression used to describe something that one believes has little or no chance of happening the luck of ...
One of the reasons English is so difficult to learn is because it is a language full of idioms. An idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning separate from the actual definitions of the words used. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language. Today we’re going to look at twenty five idioms about keeping secrets. as quiet as a mouse – silent or very quiet behind closed doors – out of sight, in secret, without public knowledge dark horse – a less well-known competitor or candidate who succeeds to an unexpectedly high level fly on the wall – an unnoticed witness like a thief in the night – someone behaving in ...
English is one of the most-used languages in the business world, and if you don’t know what an idiom means you can quickly lose track of the conversation and lose out on opportunities. Here are some popular idioms and what they mean to help get your business ahead of the rest! Click here for part 1 of our list of business idioms. to explain something in a nutshell – to explain something in a few words to get (back) into the swing of things – to get used to/to return to a routine or activity to get down to business – to stop stalling and begin matters more seriously to get the pink slip – to get fired to get/have a foot the door – to gain/h...
English is one of the most-used languages in the business world, and if you don’t know what an idiom means you can quickly lose track of the conversation and lose out on opportunities. Here are some popular idioms and what they mean to help get your business ahead of the rest! Find out how to use Spellzone to help improve English in your workplace here and here. 24/7 / round-the-clock – 24 hours a day a backroom deal – a decision that is made in secret (sometimes because it is against regulations/public interest) a ballpark figure – an estimate a no brainer – a decision that should be obvious/easy to make a no-win (lose-lose) situation – a...
As the end of the year approaches, I find myself thinking about what I want from the New Year. In the past, on the blog, we’ve looked at the word ‘resolution’ as part of the Word for Wednesday feature, came up with spelling resolutions, and looked at idioms for new beginnings. For me the New Year is a time of renewal. In my resolutions, I try to refocus on old projects with fresh eyes just as much as I like to find new ones. The word ‘renew’ dates back to the late fourteenth century, from the prefix ‘re-’ meaning ‘again’ and the Middle English ‘newen’ meaning ‘resume, revive, renew’. ‘New’ comes from...
Can you believe 2015 is almost over? This year we attended our first awards ceremony, launched a Starter Course, curated a collection of curriculum-based word lists, began offering free online demos, and, of course, shared a variety of tips, tricks, and interesting facts over on the blog. Here are some of our favourite blog posts from over the year: This year we continued looking at pairs and groups of words which are easy to mix up, and we shared tips and tricks to help you remember when to use which word. We looked at: lie vs. lay, a vs. an, stationary vs. stationery, prescribe vs. proscribe, quiet vs. quite, ensure vs. insure, may vs. might, can vs. may, and borrow vs.lend. We al...
a home truth – an uncomfortable truth that you don’t want to hear a house divided cannot stand – an organisation that is divided by internal disagreements will not be able to cope with external pressures home (away) from home – somewhere you are as comfortable as you are in your own home home comforts – the things that make you feel as comfortable as you would be at home home is where the heart is – a home is not a physical place, but where the people you love are on the house – free, at the management’s expense (usually in reference to a drink or meal at a restaurant or bar) safe as houses – very safe, totally safe close...
“An A for effort!” – a recognition of effort over achievement a bookworm – a keen reader a school of thought – a particular way of thinking, a particular philosophy a schoolboy error – a foolish mistake (usually made by someone who should have known better) a show of hands – collecting a vote by asking people to raise their hands in the air a teacher’s pet – a favourite student as easy as ABC – very easy copycat – someone who copies another’s behaviour/clothes/ideas/work eager beaver – someone who is very keen and hardworking old school – old-fashioned/traditional (usually said with appro...
The term ‘five senses’ is used to refer to the faculties of sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. Today we’re going to take a look at five idioms about each of the five senses and tell you what they mean. Sight: In the blink of an eye - in an instant Out of sight, out of mind – an expression used to suggest that one is likely to forget someone/something when they are/it is no longer present/visible The apple of someone’s eye – a person whom someone admires very much To see things eye to eye – to agree on things To turn a blind eye – to pretend not to notice Smell: To follow your nose – to follow your insti...
Last November, with four years of blogging under our belt, we decided to enter the UK Blog Awards and asked you all to spend a second or two voting for us. We spread the word on Facebook and Twitter, as well as over here on the blog, and you really came through for us. In December, we received an email telling us that we’d been selected as one of the ten blogs on the education company shortlist. Thank you! The award ceremony took place last Friday. We dressed up in our fanciest clothes and headed to the Montcalm Hotel in London to await our fate. The event was Alice and Wonderland themed, and upon arrival we were led down the rabbit hole and into a Wonderland-ballroom with teapots, ...
Last Friday was the first day of spring. All over the country, leaves are turning green, blossom is blooming, and flowers are pushing their way up out of the ground – it’s no wonder nature has inspired many an English expression! Here are twenty idioms about plants, flowers, and trees: “Oops-a-daisy!” – an expression of encouragement said to a child who has fallen/has hurt him or herself, an expression of mild annoyance used when something has gone wrong a late bloomer – someone who is slower than their peers to develop in a particular field a needle in a haystack – something that is difficult/impossible to find because...
With Valentine’s Day just days away, this week we’re looking at idioms that concern the heart. Click here to read last year’s Valentine’s Day post. “Eat your heart out!” – an expression used to tell someone you think they will experience jealousy, regret, or anguish From the bottom of my heart – with utmost sincerity (and usually regret) “Have a heart!” – “Show some pity!”, “Try and be sympathetic!” Heart and soul – energy, enthusiasm In a heartbeat – immediately “My heart bleeds for/goes out to…” – “...
2014 has been an exciting year for all of us here at Spellzone – we reached over 400 likes on our Facebook page; have been shortlisted for the UK Blog Awards (thank you to all of you who voted for us!); and even connected with a school in Montserrat! Here are some of our favourite articles from over the year: This year we began looking at pairs and groups of words which are easy to mix up, and we shared tips and tricks to help you remember when to use which word. The pairs and groups of words we looked at include: accept vs. except, lose vs. loose, bought vs. brought, break vs. brake, to vs. too vs. two, desert vs. dessert, allowed vs. aloud, less vs. fewer, uninterested vs. d...
Click here for part one of our list of clothing idioms. to get along on a shoestring – to manage on a small budget. to get the boot/to give someone the boot – to get fired from a job/to fire someone from a job. to hang one’s hat somewhere – to settle down and live somewhere. to hang up one’s hat – to retire. to have a bee in one’s bonnet – to be preoccupied with or obsessed by a single thought. to have a card up one’s sleeve – to have a secret strategy to gain advantage. to have ants in one’s pants – to feel agitated or restless due to nervousness or...
a feather in one’s cap – an honour, an achievement to be proud of. a hand–me–down – an item that has been passed on to a person from someone else. as tough as old boots – very tough. at the drop of a hat – without hesitation, immediately. below the belt – unfair/disregarding the rules. birthday suit – naked. bulging/bursting at the seams – overflowing. by the seat of one’s pants – by instinct rather than skill or knowledge. cloak–and–dagger – involving mystery and sometimes espionage. cut from the same ...
In our previous posts about idioms, you might have noticed how we like to argue that these useful expressions add colour to the English language. By this, we mean that idioms often make the English language feel more alive – they add emotion and character to what we say. Idioms also often have very colourful (i.e. interesting!) origin stories. And then there the idioms about colour…today we’ll take a look at some of those. Scroll down! a grey area – a situation or area which is not clearly defined (i.e. not black and white). a white lie – a small (and supposedly harmless) lie. black and blue – badly bruised. black an...
Here at Spellzone, we love Halloween. Many words and phrases in the English language have gruesome origins, and October 31st seems like the perfect time to explore them! Last year we looked at three everyday-seeming idioms which have terrifying origin myths – ever wondered where the phrases ‘saved by the bell’, ‘rule of thumb’ or ‘bless you’ might have come from? You can find out here! This year, we’ve been looking at idioms and their definitions. Scroll down for figurative phrases about cats, witches, and ghosts…as well as a number of different ways of expressing just how scared you are! a Jekyll and Hyde – someone who...
One of the reasons English is so difficult to learn is because it is a language full of idioms. An idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning separate from the actual definitions of the words used. When someone talks about a ‘storm in a teacup’, for example, they probably aren’t referring to actual storms in actual teacups! It can be quite hard, as a second-language English speaker, to keep up with all these expressions, and so this year we’ve been compiling lists of idioms alongside their meanings. Last week we looked at the first half of 50 Idioms about the Human Body – now it’s time for part two! to have egg on your face &nda...
In English, we love comparing one thing to another. We love analogies. As a result, over the years, the English language has become chock-full of idioms. An idiom is a combination of words which has a figurative meaning separate from the actual definitions of the words used. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language, and this year we’ve been looking at their meanings on the blog. Today’s idioms are all about food. If a friend has ever confused you by suddenly talking about cups of tea when you’ve asked them if they fancy watching a Twilight film, this post’s for you! a bad apple/egg – a bad influence/someone who brings trouble a couch ...
Here at Spellzone we’ve been taking a look at various idioms and telling you exactly what they mean. Back in March, we shared a list of animal-related idioms and last week we started a list of idioms which use the atmosphere and weather as metaphors to describe something else. In case you haven’t been following along, an idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning separate from the actual definitions of the words used. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language and their existence is one of the reasons we believe English is so difficult to learn. Some users have even told us that knowing the meaning of certain idioms has saved them from an a...
One of the reasons English is so difficult to learn is because it is a language full of idioms. An idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning separate from the actual definitions of the words used. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language – let’s take a look at some of them that use the weather and environment as metaphors to describe something else. Cold light of Day – a time and place from which problems can be objectively considered Fair-weather friend – a friend who cannot be relied on in difficult times Under the weather – unwell or in low spirits To weather a storm – to successfully deal with a probl...
One of the reasons English is so difficult to learn is because it is a language full of idioms. An idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning separate from the actual definitions of the words used. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language - and many of them feature animals! dropping like flies - dying or collapsing in large numbers / giving up on or pulling out of an endeavour in large numbers fly on the wall - an unnoticed witness fly in the ointment - a small problem which nonetheless spoils the whole plan ants in your pants / antsy - agitated or restless due to nervousness or excitement to make a beeline - to move swiftly and directly t...
Bless you! In English, we say ‘Bless You!’ after someone sneezes. It seems like a nice thought to bless someone with good health when they are coming down with something, doesn’t it? Indeed, the response to sneezing in other languages often translates to ‘Health’, such as ‘Gesundheit!’ in German, or ‘Salute!’ in Italian. One suggested origin of the phrase ‘Bless You!’, though, comes from an old belief that the soul could be ejected from someone’s body when they sneezed, leaving the body unprotected from the devil and other evil spirits. Another theory suggests that sneezing may have been thought of as the body’...
One of the reasons English is so difficult to learn is because it is a language full of idioms. An idiom is a combination of words that has a figurative meaning separate from the actual definitions of the words used. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language. Here in Britain, the influence of the American film and television industry has led to many so-called ‘Americanisms’ being adopted into day-to-day language. It is not uncommon for a Brit to metaphorically talk about ‘touching base’ or ‘striking out’ without ever actually having seen a ball game. Today, to end our month dedicated to American language, we’re going to take a l...
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English Idioms Explained
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