Kids say funny things. Sometimes they use silly phrases when they’re trying to sound cool or explain how they feel. When young people use special sayings, we call those “idioms.” Idioms are phrases that don’t mean exactly what the words say. If a kid says, “I’m bouncing off the walls,” they don’t really mean they’re bouncing; they just feel super excited or full of energy.
In this article, we’ll learn some fun and simple idioms that kids often use or hear. These idioms help them share feelings, actions, and ideas in a clever way. We’ll look at what they mean and how to use them in real life. You’ll also get to try a quiz at the end to see how well you know these kid-friendly sayings. Ready to learn some cool phrases? Let’s go.
Idioms for Young
1. Full of beans
Meaning: Very energetic.
Within a Sentence: After the field trip, we were all full of beans. / My dog is full of beans every morning.
In Other Words: Super active. / Really lively.
2. Bounce off the walls
Meaning: Too excited or restless.
Within a Sentence: I was bouncing off the walls waiting for the birthday party. / She’s bouncing off the walls after eating candy.
In Other Words: Overexcited. / Super jumpy.
3. Hold your horses
Meaning: Wait a moment or be patient.
Within a Sentence: Hold your horses, we’re not leaving yet. / Mom said, “Hold your horses!” when I rushed her.
In Other Words: Slow down. / Be patient.
4. Monkey around
Meaning: To play or behave in a silly way.
Within a Sentence: Stop monkeying around and do your homework. / We monkeyed around at the park.
In Other Words: Fool around. / Be silly.
5. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: Get upset about something that’s already happened.
Within a Sentence: I dropped my ice cream, but Dad said not to cry over spilled milk. / It’s just a game, don’t cry over spilled milk.
In Other Words: Don’t stress over the past. / Let it go.
6. Out of the blue
Meaning: Something that happens suddenly.
Within a Sentence: Out of the blue, it started raining. / He called me out of the blue.
In Other Words: All of a sudden. / Without warning.
7. Break a leg
Meaning: Good luck!
Within a Sentence: “Break a leg!” I told my friend before her play. / Coach said “Break a leg” before our game.
In Other Words: Good luck! / Do your best.
8. Cold feet
Meaning: Feeling nervous.
Within a Sentence: I got cold feet before the spelling bee. / She had cold feet about joining the new club.
In Other Words: Nervous. / Unsure.
9. Spill the beans
Meaning: Tell a secret.
Within a Sentence: Don’t spill the beans about the surprise party. / He spilled the beans about his birthday gift.
In Other Words: Give it away. / Tell the secret.
10. Hit the books
Meaning: Start studying.
Within a Sentence: I need to hit the books for my math test. / She hit the books all weekend.
In Other Words: Study hard. / Time to learn.
11. Couch potato
Meaning: Someone who sits around a lot.
Within a Sentence: My brother is a couch potato on weekends. / Don’t be a couch potato, go play outside.
In Other Words: Lazy person. / Sits too much.
12. Cat got your tongue
Meaning: Not saying anything.
Within a Sentence: Why are you so quiet? Cat got your tongue? / She was silent, like the cat got her tongue.
In Other Words: Speechless. / Quiet.
13. Hit the hay
Meaning: Go to bed.
Within a Sentence: I’m tired, time to hit the hay. / Let’s hit the hay early tonight.
In Other Words: Go to sleep. / Bedtime.
14. Piece of cake
Meaning: Something very easy.
Within a Sentence: That homework was a piece of cake. / The puzzle was a piece of cake for me.
In Other Words: Super easy. / No problem.
15. In hot water
Meaning: In trouble.
Within a Sentence: I was in hot water for not doing chores. / He got in hot water for being late.
In Other Words: In trouble. / Got caught.
16. Butterflies in my stomach
Meaning: Feeling nervous.
Within a Sentence: I had butterflies in my stomach before my speech. / She had butterflies before the test.
In Other Words: Nervous. / Anxious.
17. Rain or shine
Meaning: No matter what happens.
Within a Sentence: We’ll have the picnic, rain or shine. / I’ll be at your game, rain or shine.
In Other Words: No matter what. / Always.
18. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling sick.
Within a Sentence: I stayed home because I was under the weather. / He’s under the weather today.
In Other Words: Sick. / Not feeling well.
19. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: Tell a secret by mistake.
Within a Sentence: I let the cat out of the bag about the gift. / Don’t let the cat out of the bag!
In Other Words: Spoil the surprise. / Accidentally tell.
20. 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 was like a fish out of water at the dance.
In Other Words: Uncomfortable. / Out of place.
21. Like two peas in a pod
Meaning: Very alike.
Within a Sentence: My best friend and I are like two peas in a pod. / They dress the same, like two peas in a pod.
In Other Words: Very similar. / Alike.
22. Keep your chin up
Meaning: Stay positive.
Within a Sentence: Keep your chin up, you’ll do fine. / He told me to keep my chin up after the loss.
In Other Words: Stay strong. / Don’t be sad.
23. Zip your lip
Meaning: Be quiet.
Within a Sentence: Zip your lip during the movie. / She told me to zip my lip in class.
In Other Words: Don’t talk. / Be silent.
24. On cloud nine
Meaning: Very happy.
Within a Sentence: I was on cloud nine after winning. / She’s on cloud nine since her birthday.
In Other Words: Super happy. / Really excited.
25. Blow off steam
Meaning: Let out anger or stress.
Within a Sentence: I played soccer to blow off steam. / She blew off steam by jumping on her trampoline.
In Other Words: Cool down. / Relax.
26. Hold your tongue
Meaning: Don’t speak.
Within a Sentence: I had to hold my tongue in the argument. / He told me to hold my tongue during the speech.
In Other Words: Stay quiet. / Don’t say it.
27. Have your head in the clouds
Meaning: Not paying attention.
Within a Sentence: I had my head in the clouds during class. / She always has her head in the clouds.
In Other Words: Daydreaming. / Distracted.
28. Pulling your leg
Meaning: Joking.
Within a Sentence: I’m just pulling your leg, it’s not real. / Are you pulling my leg about the homework?
In Other Words: Just kidding. / Playing around.
29. Over the moon
Meaning: Extremely happy.
Within a Sentence: I was over the moon about my new bike. / She was over the moon when she got the part.
In Other Words: Super happy. / Thrilled.
30. Big fish in a small pond
Meaning: Someone important in a small group.
Within a Sentence: He’s a big fish in a small pond at school. / She’s the big fish on our team.
In Other Words: Very important. / A star.
31. Give someone a hand
Meaning: Help someone.
Within a Sentence: I gave Mom a hand with the dishes. / Can you give me a hand with my backpack?
In Other Words: Help. / Lend support.
32. A penny for your thoughts
Meaning: Tell me what you’re thinking.
Within a Sentence: You’re quiet, penny for your thoughts? / I said “a penny for your thoughts” when he looked worried.
In Other Words: What are you thinking? / Tell me.
33. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn to act.
Within a Sentence: I sent the invite, now the ball is in her court. / I gave him the plan, the ball’s in his court.
In Other Words: It’s up to you. / Your move.
34. Go the extra mile
Meaning: Do more than expected.
Within a Sentence: I went the extra mile and cleaned the whole kitchen. / She always goes the extra mile on her homework.
In Other Words: Do more. / Work harder.
35. Get cold feet
Meaning: Get scared about a plan.
Within a Sentence: I got cold feet before jumping in the pool. / He had cold feet before trying the roller coaster.
In Other Words: Backed out. / Got nervous.
36. Keep your eyes peeled
Meaning: Watch closely.
Within a Sentence: Keep your eyes peeled for my lost toy. / I kept my eyes peeled during hide-and-seek.
In Other Words: Look out. / Watch carefully.
37. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Blaming the wrong person.
Within a Sentence: I wasn’t the one who spilled juice; you’re barking up the wrong tree. / She barked up the wrong tree by yelling at me.
In Other Words: Wrong blame. / Mistake.
38. Knock it out of the park
Meaning: Do really well.
Within a Sentence: You knocked it out of the park with that project! / She knocked it out of the park on the test.
In Other Words: Great job. / Success.
39. A dime a dozen
Meaning: Very common.
Within a Sentence: Those toys are a dime a dozen. / Mistakes like that are a dime a dozen.
In Other Words: Not rare. / Easy to find.
40. Back to square one
Meaning: Start over.
Within a Sentence: I forgot to save my work, back to square one. / We lost the pieces and had to go back to square one.
In Other Words: Start again. / Begin from the top.
41. Down in the dumps
Meaning: Feeling sad.
Within a Sentence: I was down in the dumps after losing my toy. / She’s down in the dumps because of the rainy day.
In Other Words: Feeling low. / A bit sad.
42. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Something that happens rarely.
Within a Sentence: We go to the amusement park once in a blue moon. / I eat candy for breakfast once in a blue moon.
In Other Words: Not often. / Rarely happens.
43. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: Make a bad situation worse.
Within a Sentence: Yelling back just added fuel to the fire. / He added fuel to the fire by blaming her.
In Other Words: Made it worse. / Caused more trouble.
44. Bark is worse than your bite
Meaning: Someone sounds mean but isn’t.
Within a Sentence: My teacher’s bark is worse than her bite. / Dad’s bark is worse than his bite; he’s nice really.
In Other Words: Sounds tough, but kind. / Not so bad.
45. Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: Try to do too much.
Within a Sentence: I bit off more than I could chew by joining three clubs. / He bit off more than he could chew with the huge puzzle.
In Other Words: Took on too much. / Overdid it.
46. Head over heels
Meaning: Very much in love or excited.
Within a Sentence: I was head over heels for my new puppy. / She’s head over heels about gymnastics.
In Other Words: Super excited. / Really happy.
47. The early bird catches the worm
Meaning: Being early helps.
Within a Sentence: I got the best seat because the early bird catches the worm. / She studies early; she’s the early bird.
In Other Words: Be first. / Act quickly.
48. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: Don’t start old problems again.
Within a Sentence: Let’s not talk about the fight; let sleeping dogs lie. / He said to let sleeping dogs lie after they made up.
In Other Words: Don’t stir up trouble. / Leave it alone.
49. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: Stay up late working.
Within a Sentence: I burned the midnight oil finishing my project. / She burned the midnight oil reading.
In Other Words: Worked late. / Up all night.
50. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
Meaning: Don’t expect something before it happens.
Within a Sentence: I thought I’d win, but Mom said Don’t count your chickens. / Don’t count your chickens before the results come in.
In Other Words: Wait and see. / Don’t assume.
51. Every cloud has a silver lining
Meaning: Good things can come from bad situations.
Within a Sentence: My game got rained out, but I got to rest; every cloud has a silver lining. / We lost, but every cloud has a silver lining.
In Other Words: There’s some good. / Look for the bright side.
52. Elephant in the room
Meaning: A big problem no one talks about.
Within a Sentence: No one mentioned the bad grade; it was the elephant in the room. / Talking about moving felt like the elephant in the room.
In Other Words: Obvious problem. / Awkward issue.
53. Get your act together
Meaning: Start behaving properly.
Within a Sentence: Mom told me to get my act together and clean my room. /You’d better get your act together before the test.
In Other Words: Focus. / Shape up.
54. Like pulling teeth
Meaning: Very difficult.
Within a Sentence: Getting my brother to clean was like pulling teeth. / That math problem was like pulling teeth.
In Other Words: Hard to do. / Not easy.
55. In the same boat
Meaning: In the same situation.
Within a Sentence: We’re all in the same boat with homework. / They were in the same boat during the storm.
In Other Words: Same problem. / Similar spot.
56. No pain, no gain
Meaning: You have to work hard to succeed.
Within a Sentence: I kept practicing because no pain, no gain. / She said no pain, no gain during practice.
In Other Words: Work pays off. / Hard work helps.
57. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: Be exactly right.
Within a Sentence: She hit the nail on the head about the answer. / Dad hit the nail on the head with his guess.
In Other Words: Exactly right. / Got it.
58. On the ball
Meaning: Doing well and paying attention.
Within a Sentence: She was on the ball during the test. / I’m on the ball with my chores today.
In Other Words: Focused. / Doing great.
59. Break the ice
Meaning: Start a conversation or activity.
Within a Sentence: We played a game to break the ice. / Telling a joke helped break the ice at the party.
In Other Words: Start talking. / Warm up.
60. Rule of thumb
Meaning: A general guideline.
Within a Sentence: As a rule of thumb, I do homework before video games. / A good rule of thumb is to brush twice a day.
In Other Words: General rule. / Simple guide.
True or False Quiz: Idioms for Young
- “Full of beans” means you are sleepy and tired.
- If someone says “break a leg” before a show, they want you to fail.
- “Hold your horses” means wait a little and be patient.
- “Cry over spilled milk” means to stay upset about something that has already happened.
- “Bounce off the walls” means someone is full of energy and excitement.
- “Cold feet” means your feet are actually freezing.
- If you “spill the beans,” you told a secret.
- “Under the weather” means you feel sick or not well.
- “Piece of cake” means something is very easy to do.
- “Zip your lip” means to talk loudly.
- If you’re “on cloud nine,” you’re very happy.
- “Let the cat out of the bag” means you kept a secret.
- “Once in a blue moon” means something happens very often.
- “In hot water” means you’re in trouble.
- “Burn the midnight oil” means you stayed up late doing something important.
Answers
- False
- False
- True
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- False
- True
- False
- False
- True
- True
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 fun and interesting. Instead of just saying you’re tired, mad, or excited, you can use phrases like “hit the hay” or “bounce off the walls.” These sayings help people understand how you feel in a creative way.
Now that you know many idioms, try using them in real life. You’ll sound more expressive when talking to friends, writing stories, or just sharing your day. And remember, the more you use them, the more natural they’ll become.
