A to Z Idioms

A to Z of English Idioms: Beginning with 'A

Hello! Welcome to our comprehensive English lesson series on idioms beginning with the letter 'A'. Idioms are phrases where the meaning isn't obvious from the individual words, and they are a fun and integral part of mastering conversational English. In this lesson, we will introduce a variety of idioms, starting with 'A', enhancing your understanding of English expressions and idiomatic usage.

Gaining Insight into 'A' Idioms

1. A Big Cheese

   • Sentence: "In our company, the CEO is considered the big cheese."

2. A Bird's Eye View

   • Sentence: "From the top of the tower, you get a bird's eye view of the city."

3. A Bone of Contention

   • Sentence: "The office dress code has become a bone of contention among the staff."

4. A Cock and Bull Story

   • Sentence: "His excuse for being late was just a cock and bull story."

5. At the Crack of Dawn

   • Sentence: "Farmers often start working at the crack of dawn."

6. A Cuckoo in the Nest

   • Sentence: "The new policy felt like a cuckoo in the nest, unwelcome and out of place."

7. A Litmus Test

   • Sentence: "The election results were a litmus test of the public's satisfaction with the government."

8. As the Crow Flies

   • Sentence: "It's only five miles to the beach as the crow flies."

9. A Dead Letter

   • Sentence: "The old laws are a dead letter; nobody follows them anymore."

10. At the Drop of a Hat

    • Sentence: "She's always ready to travel at the drop of a hat."

11. An Early Bird

    • Sentence: "He's an early bird and likes to complete most of his work before noon."

12. An Educated Guess

    • Sentence: "Based on the clues, I'd make an educated guess that the treasure is buried here."

13. At the Eleventh Hour

    • Sentence: "The agreement was reached at the eleventh hour, just before the deadline."

14. A Queer Fish

    • Sentence: "He's a bit of a queer fish, always keeping to himself."

15. A Wakeup Call

    • Sentence: "The recent health scare was a wake-up call for him to start exercising."

16. A Worm's Eye View

    • Sentence: "As an intern, you often get a worm's eye view of the company."

17. A Witch Hunt

    • Sentence: "The investigation turned into a witch hunt against the manager."

18. At the Heels Of

    • Sentence: "The detective was at the heels of the suspect."

19. A Dish Fit for the Gods

    • Sentence: "Her homemade apple pie is a dish fit for the gods."

20. A Game of Two Halves

    • Sentence: "Life, like football, is often a game of two halves."

21. Afraid of One's Own Shadow

    • Sentence: "Since the burglary, she's been afraid of her own shadow."

22. Against the Clock

    • Sentence: "The team is working against the clock to finish the project."

23. Air One's Dirty Laundry

    • Sentence: "It's not wise to air your dirty laundry in public forums."

24. All Systems Go

    • Sentence: "With the final approval, it's all systems go for the event."

25. An Arm and a Leg

    • Sentence: "Buying a new house can cost an arm and a leg."

26. Appear Out of Nowhere

    • Sentence: "The deer seemed to appear out of nowhere."

27. Apple of Someone's Eye

    • Sentence: "The youngest child is the apple of their eye."

28. Ask for the Moon

    • Sentence: "Asking for a 100% raise? You might as well be asking for the moon."

29. Asleep at the Switch

    • Sentence: "The security guard was asleep at the switch when the thieves entered."

30. At Sixes and Sevens

    • Sentence: "After the merger, the company was at sixes and sevens."

31. At Someone's Beck and Call

    • Sentence: "As a personal assistant, she's always at her boss's beck and call."

32. At the Bottom of the Ladder

    • Sentence: "He started his career at the bottom of the ladder."

33. A House of Cards

    • Sentence: "Their financial plan was a house of cards, ready to collapse at any moment."

34. At an Arm's Length

    • Sentence: "She tends to keep everyone at an arm's length."

35. A Boon in Disguise

    • "A blessing in disguise" is the correct idiom, which means a good thing that initially seemed bad.

36. A Bull in a China Shop

    • Sentence: "He's like a bull in a china shop when he's in the kitchen."

37. A Red Letter Day

    • Sentence: "Graduation day was a red letter day for her."

38. A Nine Days' Wonder

    • Sentence: "The scandal was a nine-day' wonder before the media moved on to other news."

39. A Bit Under the Weather

    • Sentence: "I'm feeling a bit under the weather, so I'll stay home today."

Expanding Your English with 'A' Idioms

You've now learned a variety of idioms starting with the letter 'A', a valuable addition to your English language skills. These idioms will help you understand everyday English better and make your conversations more colourful. For any inquiries or more lessons, please visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/learningenglishfree.co.uk.