american phrases and idioms

Here’s a table of some common American phrases and idioms, along with their meanings and examples:

Phrase/Idiom	Meaning	Example Usage
“Break the ice”	To initiate conversation in a social setting.	“To break the ice, she told a funny story.”
“Bite the bullet”	To face a difficult situation with courage.	“I hate going to the dentist, but I’ll just have to bite the bullet.”
“Burning the midnight oil”	Working late into the night.	“She was burning the midnight oil to finish her project.”
“Cost an arm and a leg”	Very expensive.	“That new car costs an arm and a leg!”
“Hit the nail on the head”	To describe exactly what is causing a situation.	“You hit the nail on the head with that analysis.”
“Let the cat out of the bag”	To reveal a secret, often accidentally.	“I accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.”
“Piece of cake”	Something very easy to do.	“The exam was a piece of cake.”
“Under the weather”	Feeling ill or unwell.	“I’m feeling a bit under the weather today.”
“Kick the bucket”	To die.	“He lived a long life before he kicked the bucket.”
“Throw in the towel”	To give up or admit defeat.	“After struggling for hours, he finally threw in the towel.”
“Spill the beans”	To disclose secret information.	“She spilled the beans about their engagement.”
“The ball is in your court”	It’s your decision or responsibility now.	“I’ve made my offer; now the ball is in your court.”
“Cut to the chase”	To get to the point without wasting time.	“Let’s cut to the chase and discuss the main issues.”
“A blessing in disguise”	Something that seems bad at first but results in something good.	“Losing that job was a blessing in disguise; I found a better one.”