Sometimes, people say things that don’t make sense if you think about the words alone. But if you’ve heard the phrase before, you might know what it means. These are called idioms. Idioms are special phrases that have a meaning different from the words they consist of. They help make language fun, colorful, and easier to understand how someone feels.
Kids hear idioms all the time. Grown-ups use them at home, on TV, and at school. Maybe someone said, “Hold your horses!” when you were rushing, or “It’s a piece of cake!” about an easy test. In this lesson, we’ll look at lots of idioms that are perfect for kids. You’ll learn what they mean, how to use them, and try a short quiz at the end. Let’s get started and explore these fun sayings.
Idioms for Kids
1. Break a leg
Meaning: Good luck
Within a Sentence: “Break a leg at your dance show!” / “Mom told me to break a leg before my spelling test.”
In Other Words: Good luck! / Do your best!
2. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick
Within a Sentence: “I stayed home because I was under the weather.” / “She felt under the weather after gym class.”
In Other Words: Feeling sick / Not feeling well
3. Piece of cake
Meaning: Very easy
Within a Sentence: “That math test was a piece of cake.” / “Tying my shoes is a piece of cake now.”
In Other Words: Very easy / No trouble
4. Spill the beans
Meaning: Share a secret
Within a Sentence: “He spilled the beans about the surprise party.” / “Don’t spill the beans about the gift!”
In Other Words: Told a secret / Gave away the surprise
5. Hit the hay
Meaning: Go to sleep
Within a Sentence: “I’m tired, I’m going to hit the hay.” / “After the movie, we hit the hay.”
In Other Words: Go to bed / Go to sleep
6. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: Reveal a secret
Within a Sentence: “I let the cat out of the bag about our beach trip.” / “She let the cat out of the bag and told the winner.”
In Other Words: Gave away the secret / Told what shouldn’t be told
7. Cold feet
Meaning: Nervous about something
Within a Sentence: “I got cold feet before the play.” / “He had cold feet before the big game.”
In Other Words: Got nervous / Felt unsure
8. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: Upset about something that already happened
Within a Sentence: “It’s no use crying over spilled milk.” / “She cried over spilled milk when her drawing got smudged.”
In Other Words: Let it go / Don’t worry about the past
9. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble
Within a Sentence: “He’s in hot water for not doing homework.” / “I got in hot water after spilling juice on the couch.”
In Other Words: In trouble / Not safe from blame
10. Cat got your tongue?
Meaning: Why are you so quiet?
Within a Sentence: “You’re so quiet, cat got your tongue?” / “I asked him a question, but cat got his tongue.”
In Other Words: Why are you not speaking? / Too shy to talk?
11. On cloud nine
Meaning: Very happy
Within a Sentence: “She was on cloud nine after winning the prize.” / “I was on cloud nine when school was canceled.”
In Other Words: Super happy / Feeling great
12. Butterflies in my stomach
Meaning: Nervous feeling
Within a Sentence: “I had butterflies in my stomach before my speech.” / “He got butterflies in his stomach before his turn.”
In Other Words: Nervous / Feeling jumpy
13. Couch potato
Meaning: A person who sits a lot and doesn’t do much
Within a Sentence: “Don’t be a couch potato, go play outside!” / “My brother is a couch potato on weekends.”
In Other Words: Lazy / Doesn’t move much
14. Raining cats and dogs
Meaning: Raining very hard
Within a Sentence: “It’s raining cats and dogs outside!” / “We had to run inside, it was raining cats and dogs.”
In Other Words: Heavy rain / Pouring outside
15. Hit the books
Meaning: Start studying
Within a Sentence: “I need to hit the books before the test.” / “She hit the books right after dinner.”
In Other Words: Study / Do school work
16. Monkey business
Meaning: Silly or bad behavior
Within a Sentence: “Stop the monkey business and sit down.” / “The kids were up to monkey business in the hallway.”
In Other Words: Fooling around / Being silly
17. Zip your lip
Meaning: Be quiet
Within a Sentence: “Zip your lip during the movie.” / “He told me to zip my lip during class.”
In Other Words: Be quiet / Don’t talk
18. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn to decide
Within a Sentence: “You know what to do, the ball is in your court.” / “The teacher said the ball is in my court now.”
In Other Words: It’s your move / Time to choose
19. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Blaming the wrong person or idea
Within a Sentence: “You’re barking up the wrong tree, I didn’t do it.” / “He barked up the wrong tree when he blamed me.”
In Other Words: Wrong guess / Blaming the wrong one
20. When pigs fly
Meaning: Something that will never happen
Within a Sentence: “Sure, I’ll clean my room when pigs fly!” / “He’ll be quiet when pigs fly.”
In Other Words: Never / Not going to happen
21. Zip it
Meaning: Stop talking
Within a Sentence: “Zip it during the show.” / “Mom told us to zip it at dinner.”
In Other Words: Be quiet / Stop talking
22. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: Exactly right
Within a Sentence: “You hit the nail on the head with that answer.” / “She hit the nail on the head about why I was upset.”
In Other Words: Got it right / Correct guess
23. Out of the blue
Meaning: Suddenly, without warning
Within a Sentence: “He showed up out of the blue.” / “The storm came out of the blue.”
In Other Words: Suddenly / Without warning
24. Have a sweet tooth
Meaning: Love to eat sweet food
Within a Sentence: “She has a sweet tooth for chocolate.” / “I always want candy, I have a sweet tooth.”
In Other Words: Loves sweets / Likes sugary food
25. Easy as pie
Meaning: Very simple
Within a Sentence: “That puzzle was easy as pie.” / “Learning the song was easy as pie.”
In Other Words: Very easy / No trouble
26. Costs an arm and a leg
Meaning: Very expensive
Within a Sentence: “That toy costs an arm and a leg!” / “The concert tickets cost an arm and a leg.”
In Other Words: Very pricey / Too expensive
27. Two peas in a pod
Meaning: Very alike
Within a Sentence: “They are like two peas in a pod.” / “My best friend and I are two peas in a pod.”
In Other Words: Very similar / Alike in every way
28. Head in the clouds
Meaning: Not paying attention
Within a Sentence: “He had his head in the clouds during class.” / “She was daydreaming with her head in the clouds.”
In Other Words: Not focused / Daydreaming
29. In a pickle
Meaning: In trouble or a tricky spot
Within a Sentence: “I’m in a pickle, I lost my homework.” / “He was in a pickle when he forgot his lines.”
In Other Words: In trouble / In a mess
30. Let someone off the hook
Meaning: Not to punish someone
Within a Sentence: “She let me off the hook for being late.” / “The teacher let him off the hook for not bringing his book.”
In Other Words: Forgave / Didn’t punish
31. Keep your chin up
Meaning: Stay positive
Within a Sentence: “Keep your chin up, you’ll do better next time.” / “She told me to keep my chin up after the loss.”
In Other Words: Stay strong / Don’t feel down
32. A fish out of water
Meaning: Feeling out of place
Within a Sentence: “I felt like a fish out of water at the new school.” / “He looked like a fish out of water at the dance.”
In Other Words: Uncomfortable / Not fitting in
33. A penny for your thoughts
Meaning: Asking what someone is thinking
Within a Sentence: “You’re so quiet, a penny for your thoughts?” / “She asked, ‘a penny for your thoughts?’ during lunch.”
In Other Words: What are you thinking? / Tell me your thoughts
34. Hold your horses
Meaning: Wait a minute
Within a Sentence: “Hold your horses, we’re not ready yet.” / “Dad said, ‘Hold your horses’ when I rushed him.”
In Other Words: Be patient / Wait a second
35. Break the ice
Meaning: Start talking in a new or quiet setting
Within a Sentence: “We played a game to break the ice.” / “She told a joke to break the ice at the party.”
In Other Words: Start chatting / Make it less awkward
36. The early bird gets the worm
Meaning: Being early gives you an advantage
Within a Sentence: “I woke up early because the early bird gets the worm.” / “She always wins because the early bird gets the worm.”
In Other Words: Being early helps / Start early to do well
37. A dime a dozen
Meaning: Very common
Within a Sentence: “Those toys are a dime a dozen now.” / “Mistakes like that are a dime a dozen.”
In Other Words: Easy to find / Happens often
38. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: Make a problem worse
Within a Sentence: “Yelling just added fuel to the fire.” / “His teasing added fuel to the fire.”
In Other Words: Made it worse / Caused more trouble
39. On thin ice
Meaning: In danger of getting in trouble
Within a Sentence: “You’re on thin ice after skipping chores.” / “He’s on thin ice with his teacher.”
In Other Words: Almost in trouble / One more mistake and it’s over
40. Don’t judge a book by its cover
Meaning: Don’t decide based only on looks
Within a Sentence: “She looked mean, but don’t judge a book by its cover.” / “The plain box had a great gift, don’t judge a book by its cover.”
In Other Words: Looks can fool you / Try to know what’s inside
41. Pull someone’s leg
Meaning: Joke or trick someone
Within a Sentence: “I was just pulling your leg, I didn’t eat your candy.” / “She pulled my leg about the pop quiz.”
In Other Words: Just kidding / Played a trick
42. Up in the air
Meaning: Not decided yet
Within a Sentence: “Our plans are still up in the air.” / “It’s up in the air if we’ll go to the park.”
In Other Words: Not sure / Waiting to decide
43. Back to square one
Meaning: Start again
Within a Sentence: “My tower fell, I’m back to square one.” / “We forgot the instructions and had to go back to square one.”
In Other Words: Start over / Begin again
44. Beat around the bush
Meaning: Avoid saying something directly
Within a Sentence: “Stop beating around the bush, just tell me!” / “She beat around the bush about the broken vase.”
In Other Words: Not getting to the point / Talking in circles
45. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: Stay up late working
Within a Sentence: “I burned the midnight oil to finish my project.” / “He was burning the midnight oil studying for the test.”
In Other Words: Stayed up late / Worked late
46. Give someone a hand
Meaning: Help someone
Within a Sentence: “Can you give me a hand with this puzzle?” / “He gave her a hand carrying her books.”
In Other Words: Help / Assist
47. Have eyes in the back of your head
Meaning: Always aware of what’s happening
Within a Sentence: “Teachers have eyes in the back of their heads.” / “Mom knew I touched the cookies; she must have eyes in the back of her head.”
In Other Words: Always watching / Sees everything
48. It’s not rocket science
Meaning: It’s not hard
Within a Sentence: “Just press play, it’s not rocket science.” / “Making toast isn’t rocket science.”
In Other Words: Not difficult / Very simple
49. Jump on the bandwagon
Meaning: Join something that’s popular
Within a Sentence: “He jumped on the bandwagon and started playing soccer too.” / “Everyone’s jumping on the bandwagon for that new show.”
In Other Words: Follow the crowd / Join in
50. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: Solve two problems at once
Within a Sentence: “I did homework and watched my brother, killed two birds with one stone.” / “She studied and cleaned at the same time, two birds, one stone.”
In Other Words: Do two things at once / Save time
51. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: Don’t bring up old problems
Within a Sentence: “Don’t ask about the fight, let sleeping dogs lie.” / “She decided to let sleeping dogs lie and not mention it again.”
In Other Words: Leave it alone / Don’t bring it up
52. Miss the boat
Meaning: Miss a chance
Within a Sentence: “I missed the boat on the art contest; it’s too late.” / “He missed the boat by forgetting to sign up.”
In Other Words: Missed out / Too late
53. The last straw
Meaning: The Final problem that causes anger
Within a Sentence: “The mess was the last straw for Mom.” / “Losing my notebook was the last straw today.”
In Other Words: Final problem / Can’t take more
54. Shake a leg
Meaning: Hurry up
Within a Sentence: “Shake a leg, we’re going to be late!” / “Come on and shake a leg!”
In Other Words: Hurry / Move faster
55. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Rarely
Within a Sentence: “We eat out once in a blue moon.” / “Snow here happens once in a blue moon.”
In Other Words: Not often / Rare event
56. Keep an eye on
Meaning: Watch closely
Within a Sentence: “Keep an eye on your little brother.” / “I’ll keep an eye on the cookies in the oven.”
In Other Words: Watch / Look after
57. Take it with a grain of salt
Meaning: Don’t believe everything fully
Within a Sentence: “He tells funny stories, take it with a grain of salt.” / “I took her excuse with a grain of salt.”
In Other Words: Maybe not true / Be careful what you believe
58. Skeleton in the closet
Meaning: A secret someone hides
Within a Sentence: “Everyone has a skeleton in the closet.” / “He found out she had a skeleton in her closet.”
In Other Words: Hidden secret / Private issue
59. Go the extra mile
Meaning: Do more than expected
Within a Sentence: “She went the extra mile on her project.” / “He always goes the extra mile for his team.”
In Other Words: Tries hard / Does extra work
60. Blow off steam
Meaning: Let out anger or stress
Within a Sentence: “I went biking to blow off steam.” / “He ran outside to blow off steam after the test.”
In Other Words: Cool down / Release frustration
Idioms for Kids – True/False Quiz
- If someone says “break a leg,” they want you to trip and fall.
True / False - “Piece of cake” means something is very easy.
True / False - When you are “under the weather,” it means you’re feeling sick.
True / False - Saying “spill the beans” means you’re keeping a secret.
True / False - “Hit the hay” means it’s time to go to sleep.
True / False - If you “have butterflies in your stomach,” you’re likely feeling nervous.
True / False - “Monkey business” means someone is being serious and quiet.
True / False - “The ball is in your court” means you get to make the next choice.
True / False - If someone says “raining cats and dogs,” it means it’s snowing.
True / False - “Couch potato” describes someone who moves a lot and plays outside all day.
True / False - “Let the cat out of the bag” means to tell a secret by accident.
True / False - If something is “a dime a dozen,” it means it’s very rare.
True / False - “Hold your horses” is a way to tell someone to wait.
True / False - “Head in the clouds” means you are focused and paying attention.
True / False - “Once in a blue moon” means something happens all the time.
True / False
Answer Key
- False
- False
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- False
- False
- True
- False
- True
- False
- False
Scoring Guide
- 15 Correct Answers: Idioms Master!
- 10–14 Correct Answers: You really get Idioms, nice work!
- 6–9 Correct Answers: You’re learning, keep going!
- 0–5 Correct Answers: Let’s learn about Idioms together!
Conclusion
Idioms make talking more fun and help us show our feelings in a creative way. Instead of just saying “I’m tired” or “I’m happy,” you can say “hit the hay” or “on cloud nine.” These short phrases help others understand what we mean without needing a lot of words.
Now that you’ve learned many idioms, try using them at home or school. When someone says one, see if you can figure it out. With practice, you’ll get better at understanding and using idioms every day. Keep listening, reading, and learning, they’re all around you.
