Have you ever heard an expression in English that left you scratching your head and thinking, what does that even mean? Like other languages, English is full of idioms and sayings that aren’t always literal in their meaning, and learning them can help you understand what Americans are saying, as well as sound more like a native English speaker yourself!
Since we’re in the middle of fall right now, and it will be winter before we know it, here are some English idioms that are related to both seasons.
Fall Idioms 🍁
“The apple of someone’s eye” – This idiom refers to a person who is very important to and loved by another person. For example, a parent might say to their kid, “You’re the apple of my eye!”
“Easy as pie” – You might have heard this one before, and it just means something is simple and easy. I’m not sure why it became an expression because pie is hard to make… eating pie, on the other hand, is definitely easy as pie!
“To turn over a new leaf” – This idiom means to start over and change your behavior in a positive way. For example, say your study habits and grades were pretty bad last semester; you might decide to turn over a new leaf and develop better study habits this semester.
“Out of the woods” – If you’ve ever gotten lost in the woods, you’ll relate to this idiom! To be out of the woods means you’re no longer in danger or difficulty. Let’s say your grades have started improving this semester, but you’re still worried about your final exams. You probably won’t feel like you’re out of the woods until you pass your finals.
“To rake in (something)” – A rake is a tool used to push fallen leaves into piles, so this idiom means to earn or accumulate a lot of something, usually money. For example, the Barbie movie raked in $1 billion in the first three weeks after it came out!
“You reap what you sow” – This means you’ll experience the consequences of your actions, and it can be positive or negative. For example, you’ll reap what you sow during your time in the U.S. If you put a lot of work into your studies, activities, and relationships, you’ll receive the benefit of your effort later. But if you choose not to, you probably won’t have the best experience here.
“To squirrel away” – This means to safely store or hide something away to be used in the future, just like how a squirrel buries nuts for the winter. You can squirrel away money, information, memories—anything that you think you’ll need later!
[Side note: did you know two of the above idioms can be found in the Bible? If you had to guess, which ones do you think they are?]
Winter Idioms ❄️
“Snowball effect” – This describes what happens when one small action or event causes similar actions or events, building on itself very quickly. Getting a great first internship might have a snowball effect on your career, as it leads to more opportunities. On the negative side, getting behind on one deadline could also create a snowball effect and lead to all your deadlines sliding out of control.
“Tip of the iceberg” – If you can only see the tip of the iceberg, you’re only seeing a small part of a much bigger issue. You might think this is a long list of idioms, but they’re only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the English language!
“Snug as a bug in a rug” – This idiom is fun to say, and it just means to be cozy! I don’t know about you, but I love wrapping myself in blankets when it’s cold outside… I feel as snug as a bug in a rug!
“Blizzard of activity” – This describes a lot of things happening at once. There might be a blizzard of activity in the kitchen on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day as a family prepares the meal.
“To break the ice” – To break the ice is to get past the initial awkwardness of a meeting or a party. That’s why people use “icebreakers” to help a group get to know each other and start talking. You’ll find that Americans really like to use icebreakers…
“Cold shoulder” – To give the cold shoulder to someone means to reject or ignore a person you know. Has anyone ever given you the cold shoulder after an argument? It can be pretty hurtful.
“Cold feet” – Shoulders aren’t the only thing that can be cold… If you have cold feet, it means you’re losing confidence or courage to do something you had decided to do. For example, someone might plan a trip or a vacation, but once they realize how expensive it’s going to be, they might get cold feet and change their mind.
And last but not least, here’s an idiom that combines both fall/Thanksgiving and winter seasons!
“Cold turkey” – This means a sudden stop, and it’s used to describe giving up a habit or addiction all at once. For example, you can decide to quit drinking coffee cold turkey, but that’s probably harder than giving it up little by little.
Hopefully, you learned something new from this blog post! Why don’t you try out some of these idioms this week? Or, if you’re being hosted by an American family during the holidays this year, ask them to teach you different ones!
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