Common Idioms Vocabulary Exercises (CEFR B1)

Common Idioms Vocabulary: Word List and Examples Learn B1-level common English idioms used frequently in everyday conversation. Word List piece of cake (very easy), break the ice (ease tension), hit the books (study hard), under the weather (feeling ill), cost an arm and a leg (very expensive), let the cat out of the bag (reveal a secret), on cloud nine (extremely happy), a piece of my mind (an honest, angry opinion), speak of the devil (when someone appears after being mentioned), the ball is in your court (it’s your turn to decide), get cold feet (become nervous before doing something), break a leg (good luck), once in a blue moon (very rarely), hit the sack (go to bed), a blessing in disguise (something bad that turns out good), pull yourself together (calm down and behave normally), bite the bullet (face something difficult), spill the beans (reveal a secret), it’s raining cats and dogs (raining heavily), better late than never. Examples: Don’t worry about the exam, it’ll be a piece of cake. I’ve been feeling under the weather since Monday. She was on cloud nine after hearing the good news. It’s raining cats and dogs outside, so bring an umbrella. Remember: idioms rarely translate literally — the meaning of «break the ice» has nothing to do with actual ice, so it’s best to learn the whole expression together with its meaning, not word by word.