English Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

Each to their own

Different people have different preferences. In American English, 'Each to his own' is more common.

Eager beaver

A person who is extremely keen is an eager beaver.

Eagle eyes

Someone who has eagle eyes sees everything; no detail is too small.

Early bath

(UK) If someone has or goes for an early bath, they quit or lose their job or position earlier than expected because things have gone wrong.

Early bird catches the worm

The early bird catches the worm means that if you start something early, you stand a better chance of success.

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise

It means that sleeping well and not staying up late will help you out physically and financially.

Earn a living

To make money Ex: We need to get a good job to earn a decent living.

Ears are burning

If your ears are burning, you sense or know that people somewhere else are talking about you in an unpleasant way.

Easier said than done

If something is easier said than done, it is much more difficult than it sounds. It is often used when someone advises you to do something difficult and tries to make it sound easy.

Easy as ABC

Something that is as easy as ABC is very easy or simple.

Easy as beans

Something that is so easy that anyone can do it is easy as beans.

Easy as falling off a log

Something very easy or simple to do is as easy as falling off a log.

Easy as pie

If something is easy as pie, it is very easy indeed.

Easy come, easy go

This idiom means that money or other material gains that come without much effort tend to get spent or consumed as easily.

Easy does it

'Easy does it' is used to advise someone to approach a task carefully and slowly, especially in spoken English.

Easy on the eyes

Someone who's easy on the eyes is pleasing to look at, an attractive person.

Easy peasy

(UK) If something is easy peasy, it is very easy indeed. ('Easy peasy, lemon squeezy' is also used.)

Eat crow

(USA) If you eat crow, you have to admit that you were wrong about something.

Eat humble pie

If someone apologises and shows a lot of contrition for something they have done, they eat humble pie.

Eat like a bird

If someone eats like a bird, they eat very little.

Eat like a horse

Someone who eats like a horse, eats a lot.

Eat like a pig

If some eats like a pig, they either eat too much or they have bad table manners.

Eat my hat

People say this when they don't believe that something is going to happen e.g. 'If he passes that exam, I'll eat my hat!'

Eat someone alive

If you eat someone alive, you defeat or beat them comprehensively.

Eat something for breakfast

If you eat something for breakfast, you can do it effortlessly, and if you eat someone for breakfast, you can beat them easily.

Eat your heart out

If someone tells you to eat your heart out, they are saying they are better than you at something.

Eat your words

If you eat your words, you accept publicly that you were wrong about something you said.

Economical with the truth

(UK) If someone, especially a politician, is economical with the truth, they leave out information in order to create a false picture of a situation, without actually lying.

Egg on your face

If someone has egg on their face, they are made to look foolish or embarrassed.

Elbow grease

If something requires elbow grease, it involves a lot of hard physical work.

Elbow room

If you haven't got enough elbow room, you haven't got enough space.

Elephant in the room

An elephant in the room is a problem that everyone knows very well but no one talks about because it is taboo, embarrassing, etc.

Eleventh hour

If something happens at the eleventh hour, it happens right at the last minute.

Empty vessels make the most noise

The thoughtless often speak the most.

End in smoke

If something ends in smoke, it produces no concrete or positive result. This expression refers to the boasting by a person, of having put in a lot of efforts by him, for a particular cause or to attain a result which is very difficult to be done by any person. (This mainly refers to an investigation of a crime or solving a serious offence or a mystery). But at the end, when the desired result is not obtained, his claims are found to be false and not worth mentioning. So, he looses his credibility.

Enough to cobble dogs with

(UK) A large surplus of anything: We've got enough coffee to cobble dogs with. Possible explanations: A cobblestone is a cut stone with a curved surface. These were set together to create road surfaces, in the days before the widespread use of asphalt. The image the phrase contains is that, even after all the roads have been cobbled, there are so many cobblestones left over that things that don’t need cobbling – such as dogs – could still be cobbled. A cobbler repairs shoes, so if you have enough leather to cobble an animal with four feet or that doesn't need shoes, you have a surplus.

Etched in stone

Something, especially rules and customs,  that cannot be changed at all is said to be etched in stone.

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while

This expression means that even if people are ineffective or misguided, sometimes they can still be correct just by being lucky.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day

This is used when people get lucky and are undeservedly successful.('Even a stopped clock is right twice a day' is also used.)

Even keel

If something is on an even keel, it is balanced.

Even Stevens

If everything is equal between people, they are even Stevens.

Even the dogs in the street know

(Irish) This idiom is used frequently in Ireland, and means something is so obvious that even the dogs in the street know it.

Every ass likes to hear himself bray

This means that people like the sound of their own voice.

Every cloud has a silver lining

People sometimes say that every cloud has a silver lining to comfort somebody who's having problems. They mean that it is always possible to get something positive out of a situation, no matter how unpleasant, difficult or even painful it might seem.

Every dog has its day

This idiom means that everyone gets their moment to shine.

Every man and his dog

A lot of people - as in sending out invitations to a large number of people

Every man for himself

If it's every man for himself, then people are trying to save themselves from a difficult situation without trying to help anyone else.

Every man has his price

Anyone's opinion or support can be bought, everyone's principles have a limit.

Every man jack

If every man jack was involved in something, it is an emphatic way of saying that absolutely everybody was involved.

Every nook and cranny

If you search every nook and cranny, you look everywhere for something.

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