68 Examples of Idioms for Kids
Idioms are word combinations that have a different figurative meaning than the literal meanings of each word or phrase. They can be confusing for kids or people learning a language as they don't mean what they say.
He's as cool as a cucumber is an everyday idiom, but if you've never heard it before you might wonder what cold fruit [or vegetable?] has to do with the situation! Isn't it a fun way to say "he's very calm," though?
We have compiled a huge list of common examples of idioms for kids to learn and become more familiar with these these crazy, creative phrases. Use them to express yourself in an interesting way.
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Everyday Idioms
- A grey area Something unclear
- A rip-off Too expensive
- Add fuel to the fire To add more to an existing problem
- As easy as ABC Something is very easy
- Call it a day Time to quit
- Cool as a cucumber To be very calm under stress
- Crack a book Open up a book and study
- Down to the wire At the last minute
- Draw a blank Cant remember
- Fill in the blanks Provide more information
- Get a kick out of it Really enjoy/like something
- Get your act together Behave properly
- Give it a shot To try to do something
- Have mixed feelings Be unsure of how you feel
- Have second thoughts Have doubts
- In hot water Be in trouble
- In the same boat Be in the same situation
- Its in the bag Its a certainty
- I've got your number To say you can't be fooled by someone since you have them figured out
- Miss the boat You missed your chance
- Mumbo jumbo To call something total nonsense
- Out of the blue With no warning
- Pass with flying colors To succeed at something easily
- Piece of cake Something very easy
- Read between the lines Find the hidden meaning
- Second to none The best
- The icing on the cake Something additional that turns good into great
Body Part Idioms
- Cross your fingers For good luck
- Fell on deaf ears People wouldn't listen to something
- Get cold feet Be nervous
- Giving the cold shoulder Ignore someone
- Have a change of heart Changed your mind
- Im all ears You have my full attention
- It cost an arm and a leg It was expensive
- Play it by ear Improvise
- See eye to eye Agree
- Slipped my mind I forgot
- Speak your mind Say what you really feel
Animal Idioms
- A bull in a china shop - Someone who is very clumsy
- A little birdie told me - Someone told me a secret
- Bee in her bonnet - She is upset
- Birdbrain - Someone who is not very smart
- Busy as a bee To be very active and working hard at something
- Cat got your tongue? - Why arent you talking?
- Cry crocodile tears - To pretend to be upset
- Curiosity killed the cat - Asking too many questions may get you in trouble
- Different kettle of fish - Something completely different
- Doggy bag - A bag to take home leftovers from a restaurant
- Fish out of water - Being somewhere you dont belong
- For the birds - Something that is not worth anything
- Get off your high horse - Quit thinking you are better than others
- Goose is cooked - Now youre in trouble
- Hold your horses - Wait a minute
- Horse of a different color - Something that is quite different, a separate issue
- Hot dog - A person doing athletic stunts that are dangerous
- Let the cat out of the bag - Tell a secret
- Make a mountain out of a molehill - Make something unimportant into a big deal
- Night owl - Someone who stays up late
- Pig out - To eat a lot
- Put a bug in his ear - Make a suggestion
- Raining cats and dogs - It is raining very hard
- Snail's pace To move extremely slow
- Stir a hornet's nest To cause a lot of trouble
- Teacher's pet The teacher's favorite student
- The world is your oyster You can achieve whatever/go wherever you want
- When pigs fly - To say something is impossible
- Wolf in sheeps clothing - A person who pretends to be nice but is not
- You can't teach an old dog new tricks - Its harder for older people to learn new things
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Unique Expressions
Idioms are a unique way to get your point across, and show just how fun language can be. Now that you've seen some suitable examples of idioms for kids you can see that it's a piece of cake to show your witty side by using an idiom in writing or conversation.
YourDictionary has lots of examples of different types of idioms. Check out some of our fun food idioms or interesting idioms that begin with prepositions too. You're sure to get a kick out of them!