10 more frequently used idioms.

Idiom 1: Man of few words

If you say John is a man of few words, you mean that John does not talk much.
This idiom can be used for women as well, “Diana is a woman of few words.”

John works as an accountant for a Tire company called Firerock Tires. He does not talk very much, he talks only when required.

We can say, “John is a man of few words.“

More examples using Man of few words:

I may be a man of few words, but I won’t be silent this time.
Annie is a woman of few words, but she observes everything carefully.
My uncle was a man of few words, but when he spoke, it was worth listening to.

Idiom 2: Go the extra mile.

Going the extra mile means doing more expected.
If you say someone went the extra mile, it means they made more effort to achieve something.

Everyone in the Company loves John. Even though he does not talk a lot, he works very hard. He always works harder than expected and his work is always better than normal.

John’s manager could say, “John always goes the extra mile, he is an excellent employee.”

More examples using Go above and beyond:

Things don’t just fall in your lap, you need to go above and beyond to achieve them.
I have an excellent team that goes above and beyond to meet the targets.

Idiom 3: Get the axe

Getting the axe means losing a job.

Firerock Tires ran into losses for 3 months in a row. The head of the sales department decided to let some employees go, to cut costs. They made a list of 30 employees who will lose their jobs. Unfortunately, John’s name was on that list and he lost his job.

In this situation, we can say, “John got the axe.“

More examples using Get the axe:

Because of the self-checkout machines, many people got the axe.
If the boss finds out that it’s my mistake, I will get the axe for sure.

Idiom 4: Make ends meet

If a person is making ends meet, he/she is making enough money to pay for basic necessities like rent, bills, food etc…

Using his savings, John was able to survive without a job. But after a couple of months, he started struggling to pay for rent, bills and food.

In this situation, we can say John struggled to make the ends meet.

More examples using Make ends meet:

Phil has a big family, he had to work 2 jobs just to make ends meet.
It is quite difficult to make ends meet with a small salary.
I am already struggling to make ends meet, I cannot afford a new car now.

Idiom 5: Cut to the chase.

Cut to the chase means getting to the point.

One day John’s cousin William visited him. He started talking about helping John and some other options without actually telling John what he wanted to tell.

John stopped him and said,
“I don’t understand what you are trying to tell me. Can you please get to the point?”

In this situation, John could say, “Can you please cut to the chase?”

More examples using Cut to the chase:

I have another meeting in 5 mins, can you please cut to the chase?
We all know why we are here, let’s cut to the chase.
Just cut to the chase, I don’t have time for this.

Idiom 6: Lion’s share.

A large portion of something is called a Lion’s share.
Imagine there is a pizza that’s cut into 4 slices and you gave your friend 3 pieces, you can say that your friend got the lion’s share of the pizza.

William started explaining, “My friend owns a Job consultancy, he can help you find a job. Even if you don’t have the required experience or skillset, no problem. He pays a small commission to the hiring manager and sometimes he can get you the job even without the interview.”

“But you have to pay 25% of your salary to him as a fee. The hiring manager and I get a small commission, but the consultancy gets the major portion of your fee.”

William could say, “The hiring manager and I get a small commission, but the consultancy gets the lion’s share.”

More examples using Lion’s share:

If you finish this project in time, I will give you the lion’s share of the profit.
The government announced that the lion’s share of the budget will be allocated for defence.
Google has managed to capture the lion’s share of the market.
Android owns the lion’s share of the mobile market.

Idiom 7: Give someone an earful.

Giving someone an earful means scolding someone.
For example, If you gave Tom an earful, it means you showed him how angry you are about something he has done.

John was angry at William for coming up with such an offer. For about 15 mins, he yelled at William for suggesting such a stupid deal. He said he would never take such shortcuts in life and warned him not to bring such underhanded offers.

In this situation, we can say “John gave William an earful.”

More examples using Give someone an earful:

I know I did a bad job, I already got an earful from my boss.
My wife gave me an earful for forgetting her birthday.
When someone treats me badly, I don’t ignore it. I give them an earful.

Idiom 8: Fair and square

Fair and square means honest and straightforward.
If you say you won something fair and square, it means you won it in an honest and fair manner.

John continued,
“I may be struggling to make ends meet, but I will never take an unethical route like this. It may take a little longer, but I will find a job only in an honest way. “

John could say, “It may take a little longer, but I will find a job fair and square.”

More examples using Fair and square:

Indian won the match fair and square.
I won all this money fair and square in a cards game.
The minister claimed that he won the election fair and square.

Idiom 9: Cream of the crop.

The best of a particular group is called the cream of the crop.
Imagine there is a class of 100 students. But 3 students always score top marks in the class and the rest of them are average, we can say those 3 students are the cream of the crop.

John further explained, “I used to be the best employee, but they still had to fire me. I don’t blame them, they had to do it.”

John could say, “I used to be cream of the crop in the company, but they still fired me.”

More examples using Cream of the crop:

These 10 students are the cream of the crop. They will surely get hired before they graduate.
John was the cream of the crop in our team.
The committee has picked the cream of the crop from the group and sent them to the finals.

Idiom 10: Two-way street.

A two-way street is a situation where both parties are expected to give and take equally.

John continued,
“Unemployed people like me need jobs. But companies are also in need of talented employees like me. Employees and employers both need each other equally.”

John could say, “Employees and Employers need each other. Employment is a two-way street.”

More examples using Two-way street:

Before getting married, you need to understand that marriage is a two-way street.
You cannot expect someone to trust you blindly, trust is a two-way street.
Please remember that interviews are a two-way street,
while the interview is analyzing if you are the right candidate, you can analyze if it’s the right company for you.