Learn American Idioms

Here's a nice lesson for you if you are learning English in the USA or you are interested in American English. It is a good idea to learn some idioms that are most commonly used in the country you're staying in! Here are some American idioms for you to look through. Can you match each idiom to the sentence it belongs to?

I've written the literal meanings of the idioms to help you. Good luck!

Lesson by Caroline

American English Idioms

Feel like a million dollars - feel beautiful or wonderful
Cat got your tongue? - not speaking for some reason
Get off someone's back - stop pressuring me
To spill the beans - to tell someone a secret
Cough up - to pay money you owe
To make ends meet - to have enough money to pay for everything
Don't hold your breath - don't wait for too long
To fish for a compliment - to invite someone to say nice things

Now choose the correct idiom for each sentence:

• 1. Since she lost weight, she is always ___.
  
  Fishing for compliments
  Spilling the beans
  
  
• 2. You owe me 20 dollars, come on, ___!
  
  Cough up
  Get off my back
  
  
• 3. When I put on my wedding dress, I ___.
  
  Made ends meet
  Felt like a million dollars
  
  
• 4. If there's something you want to say then say it! What's the matter? ___.
  
  Cough up
  Cat got your tongue?
  
  
• 5. I told you that I'm not going to finish that work today so please, ___!
  
  Get off my back
  Fish for a compliment
  
  
• 6. Mary told me you had something to tell me, so come on, ___!
  
  Make ends meet
  Spill the beans
  
  
• 7. Since Jason lost his job it has been really hard to ___.
  
  Make ends meet
  Get off his back
  
  
• 8. If you're waiting for man to land on the moon again then I wouldn't ___.
  
  Hold your breath
  Fish for a compliment