<h1 data-start="188" data-end="249">Meanings</h1>
<p data-start="251" data-end="561">Have you ever wondered why people say <em data-start="289" data-end="306">&ldquo;break the ice&rdquo; when there&rsquo;s no ice in sight, or call something <em data-start="355" data-end="374">&ldquo;a piece of cake&rdquo; when there&rsquo;s no dessert involved? These are idioms in English<strong data-start="419" data-end="429"> &mdash;expressions that don&rsquo;t mean exactly what the words suggest, but instead carry a figurative meaning understood by native speakers.

<h2 data-start="563" data-end="585">Why Idioms Matter</h2>
<p data-start="586" data-end="862">Idioms make English more lively and expressive. They allow speakers to capture big ideas in just a few words. Instead of saying &ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy,&rdquo; someone might say <em data-start="750" data-end="772">&ldquo;I&rsquo;m on cloud nine.&rdquo; Idioms like this paint pictures in the listener&rsquo;s mind and bring conversations to life.

<h2 data-start="864" data-end="894">Common Idioms You&rsquo;ll Hear</h2>
<ul data-start="895" data-end="1167">
<li data-start="895" data-end="973">
<p data-start="897" data-end="973"><strong data-start="897" data-end="916">&ldquo;Break the ice&rdquo; &ndash; to start a conversation and make people comfortable.

</li>
<li data-start="974" data-end="1012">
<p data-start="976" data-end="1012"><strong data-start="976" data-end="994">&ldquo;Hit the sack&rdquo; &ndash; to go to bed.

</li>
<li data-start="1013" data-end="1074">
<p data-start="1015" data-end="1074"><strong data-start="1015" data-end="1046">&ldquo;The ball is in your court&rdquo; &ndash; it&rsquo;s your decision now.

</li>
<li data-start="1075" data-end="1124">
<p data-start="1077" data-end="1124"><strong data-start="1077" data-end="1104">&ldquo;Cost an arm and a leg&rdquo; &ndash; very expensive.

</li>
<li data-start="1125" data-end="1167">
<p data-start="1127" data-end="1167"><strong data-start="1127" data-end="1151">&ldquo;Throw in the towel&rdquo; &ndash; to give up.

</li>
</ul>
<h2 data-start="1169" data-end="1201">Learning Idioms Effectively</h2>
<ol data-start="1202" data-end="1474">
<li data-start="1202" data-end="1291">
<p data-start="1205" data-end="1291"><strong data-start="1205" data-end="1233">Pay attention to context &ndash; idioms only make sense when you see how they&rsquo;re used.

</li>
<li data-start="1292" data-end="1376">
<p data-start="1295" data-end="1376"><strong data-start="1295" data-end="1324">Practice in conversations &ndash; try using a few idioms naturally when speaking.

</li>
<li data-start="1377" data-end="1474">
<p data-start="1380" data-end="1474"><strong data-start="1380" data-end="1404">Watch native content &ndash; movies, TV shows, and podcasts are full of idiomatic expressions.

</li>
</ol>
<h2 data-start="1476" data-end="1494">Final Thought</h2>


<p data-start="1495" data-end="1799">Idioms are like little windows into culture, showing how people think and express ideas. The more idioms you know, the more confident and natural your English will sound. So next time you study, don&rsquo;t just &ldquo;hit the books&rdquo;&mdash;add some idioms to your toolkit and you&rsquo;ll be speaking like a native in no time!