American English Idiomatic Expressions in 52 Weeks :
An Easy Way to Understand English Expressions and Improve Speaking


How can English language learners increase fluency and comprehensibility in their spoken English? The ability to communicate accurately and effectively using English idioms is more important than ever in the globalized economy.

English as a Second Language (ESL) students face difficulties learning English idioms. Non-native speakers often find it very difficult to understand the full meaning of English language conversations because, in many cases, these discussions contain a large number of idioms.

Learning idioms is especially challenging because, compared to standard English vocabulary, understanding these expressions is not found by referring to a dictionary. To assist the 2nd language learner in understanding the meaning of idioms, the American English Idiomatic Expressions in 52 Weeks provides English language learners with a systematic and structured week-by-week method in which to understand and acquire American English idioms.

The classification system created was intended to be intuitive, practical and simple for ESL learners by placing idioms into functional and direct categories.

All Idiom Categories


Personal description category idioms: Referring to traits, features or attributes of a person
absent-minded achilles heel against the grain
age of majority all decked out all ears
all spruced up all spruced up all talk and no and no action
all there all thumbs ask for trouble
asleep at the switch at heart babe in arms
babe in the woods bag of tricks bar none
bend the rules back on one’s feet bar fly (a)
bar star (a) bark is worse than one’s bite bark up the wrong tree
bark up the wrong tree bark up the wrong tree basket case (a)
be real be straight up be to blame
bee in her bonnet (a) been around behind someone’s back
big dog a big shot a big wheel
a big wig a bimbo birthday suit
a blank look bleeding heart born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
budding genius (a) butt of the joke a cheap drunk
cool under pressure crackpot crazy like a fox
curiosity killed the cat curry favor cut off one's nose to spite one's face
dark horse dead tired deadbeat
doll up done for done with
do-or-die dork down-to-earth
dressed to kill dressed to the nines drop your drawers
drown one’s sorrows drugstore cowboy dumb bunny
dweeb dyed in the wool eager beaver
easy-going eat like a bird eat like a horse
eat one’s cake and have it too every Tom, Dick and Harry eyes are bigger than one’s stomach
eyes in the back of one’s head eyes pop out faded
faint of heart feet on the ground few bricks short of a full load
five o'clock shadow free and easy go straight
go to one’s head a go-getter good sport
green green thumb had a bellyful
hang one on hard nut to crack hard on (someone/something)
hard-nosed has the makings hat in hand
hatchet man have (something) going for one have a head on one’s shoulders
have a screw loose have a way with have an eye for
have one’s feet on the ground have rocks in one’s head have something up one’s sleeve
have sticky fingers head shrinker heart of gold
heart of stone hell-on-wheels high and mighty
high maintenance tower of strength (a) high spirits
hit the sauce hold a candle to hold all the trump cards
hold court hold out holier-than-thou
holy terror hopped up horse sense
in character in-your-face keep one’s nose clean
knockout lady’s man lame duck
look like a million dollars look like the cat that ate (swallowed) the canary loopy
loose cannon (a) lot on the ball (a) man on the street
mental name is mud show one’s (true) colors
new person nobody’s fool nose in something (have one’s)
nose in something (have one’s) nutty as a fruitcake oddball
off one’s rocker on one’s high horse on the level
on the up and up out to lunch pip squeak
regular guy road hog rolling stone
save face screw loose (a) have a screw loose
sell out shadow of his former self (a) sitting duck
smart alec son of a bitch spring chicken
stick in the mud sticky fingers straight
straight out stuck up stuffed shirt
sucker list tower of strength know what’s what
ugly duckling wet behind the ears wet blanket
what it takes will power wise guy
wolf in sheep’s clothing yellow streak