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C1 ADVANCED · VOCABULARY · IDIOMS

Idioms: people, feelings and situations

Idioms like a fish out of water, walk on eggshells and the elephant in the room.

Finn the puffin with glasses and a book, your vocabulary teacher
Finn says

These idioms help you describe people and relationships precisely – how someone feels in a new place, how people behave around each other, or a problem nobody wants to mention. They bring stories, articles and Speaking answers to life. Most idioms are informal: they sound natural when you speak and in informal emails, articles and reviews, but can sound out of place in an essay or a report. Look at the label next to each one.

Describing people and feelings

a fish out of water
someone who feels uncomfortable in a new situation 🗣 Speaking & informal writing
At the party I felt like a fish out of water.
have a chip on your shoulder
feel angry because you think you are treated unfairly 🗣 Speaking & informal writing
He has a chip on his shoulder about not going to university.
on the same wavelength
thinking in a similar way 🗣 Speaking & informal writing
We're always on the same wavelength.
hit it off
like each other immediately 🗣 Speaking & informal writing
The two of them hit it off straight away.
keep someone at arm's length
avoid becoming close to someone 🗣 Speaking & informal writing
She keeps her colleagues at arm's length.

Relationships and situations

walk on eggshells
be very careful not to upset someone 🗣 Speaking & informal writing
Everyone is walking on eggshells around the boss.
bury the hatchet
stop arguing and become friends again 🗣 Speaking & informal writing
After years of silence, they buried the hatchet.
turn a blind eye
ignore something you know is wrong ✍️ Also in essays & reports
The authorities turned a blind eye to the problem.
the elephant in the room
an obvious problem that nobody wants to talk about ✍️ Also in essays & reports
Cost is the elephant in the room.
in hot water
in trouble 🗣 Speaking & informal writing
He's in hot water for missing the meeting.
let the cat out of the bag
accidentally reveal a secret 🗣 Speaking & informal writing
Who let the cat out of the bag about the party?
take something with a pinch of salt
not completely believe something 🗣 Speaking & informal writing
I take online reviews with a pinch of salt.

Say it with an idiom

The same idea, first in plain English, then with an idiom.

  • Plain: I felt uncomfortable in my new school.With an idiom: I felt like a fish out of water in my new school.Vivid and natural in a story or Speaking answer.
  • Plain: They stopped arguing and became friends again.With an idiom: They finally buried the hatchet.Concise and idiomatic.
  • Plain: The government ignored the problem.With an idiom: The government turned a blind eye to the problem.Neutral enough for an essay.
  • Plain: I don't completely believe what I read online.With an idiom: I take what I read online with a pinch of salt.Great for Speaking Part 3.
Finn the puffin, smiling kindly
Finn's exam tip

Idioms are often fixed: 'bury the hatchet', not 'bury the axe'; 'a pinch of salt', not 'a bit of salt'. If you change a word, the idiom stops working – so learn each one exactly, with an example sentence.

Quick check

Choose the best answer.

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