7 Idioms that will instantly upgrade your English

Hey there!

If you have ever watched a film or spoken with a native speaker and thought, "What on earth did that mean?", you are not alone!

Idioms are one of those beautiful, slightly chaotic, very British parts of the English language. They rarely mean what they literally say, and yet they are everywhere: in conversations, in news headlines, in sitcoms, even in job interviews.

Today, we are sharing 7 idioms that pop up all the time, and trust us, they are the kind of phrases that make people say: “Ooh, your English is really good!”

Here are your 7 power phrases:

1. Pulling strings

= to use one’s influence or connections to achieve something, often secretly or unfairly

e.g. I’m sure she got that job by pulling strings… her uncle is the CEO.

2. Hit the ground running

= to start something with energy, enthusiasm and immediate progress

e.g. If you want to impress your boss, make sure you hit the ground running on your first day.

3. Speak of the devil

= used when the person you are talking about unexpectedly appears

e.g. I mentioned my brother and speak of the devil, he walked into the room.

4. It never rains but it pours

= when one bad thing happens, it is often followed by a series of other misfortunes

e.g. First, his car broke down, and now the washing machine is broken - it never rains but it pours!

5. Throw caution to the wind

= take a risk without worrying about the consequences

e.g. She normally spends money carefully, but today she decided to throw caution to the wind and splurge on a designer bag.

6. Make ends meet

= to earn just enough money to cover your basic living expenses

e.g. As a student, I had to take a part-time job to make ends meet.

7. Tie the knot

= to get married

e.g. They are planning to tie the knot next spring in a beautiful beach ceremony.

WHY these matter:

Idioms aren't just “extra vocabulary”. They’re clues to how people really communicate. Learning them helps you understand conversations, express yourself more naturally, and pick up on cultural context you might otherwise miss.

Think of them like seasoning, your grammar might be perfect, but idioms add the flavour.

Something to try this week:

Choose 2 idioms from this list and actually use them. In a conversation, in an email, on your Instagram Story - just give them life.

Learning happens when you do, not just when you read.

And if you’re ready to bring more idioms (and natural English) into your daily routine…

👉 Check out our weekly lessons at The English Life Academy - where expressions like these come alive in real-life speaking practice.

Until next time,

Benjamin & Cami