Today I'm going to be teaching you 10 idioms that I actually use in my daily life and the reason I say actually use is because there are a lot of idioms that are not in use anymore and I really didn't see the point in teaching you it's raining cats and dogs when I've actually never used that before and neither have my friends or family so that will not be on the list.

So what is an idiom?

Well it's an expression used in speaking and they are really lovely but please don't feel the pressure to use them all the time.

They're really just like the icing on the cake to use another idiom meaning the finishing touches to your spoken language sort of like sprinkling glitter on your language, giving it some sparkle, a bit of colour, a bit of fun but really they're not something we use all day long and actually to make this list today I read through a lot of my WhatsApp messages that I sent to friends and family and work and I was also really aware of my speaking in the last two weeks and so every single one of these idioms is an idiom that I've used in the last two weeks so hopefully you can start using them in your spoken English language.

Let's get started.

Number one is to be in the same boat as someone.

To be in the same boat.

Now this means to be in the same situation as someone else so to be in a relatable situation.

My best friend and I, Rosie, we're in the same boat at the moment.

We both really want to live in the countryside but we are tied to London in various ways so we often talk about this subject when we meet up because we're in the same boat.

Now a pronunciation tip, make sure you pronounce the T on the end of boat.

The T sound is quite a prominent sound in the British accent so make sure you say we're in the same boat.

Number two is to nip something in the bud.

To nip something in the bud.

Now it sounds a bit strange.

I really love this one.

I love the sound of that idiom but this means to do something to stop something getting worse or escalating or becoming an established problem.

My friend, she suffers from migraines.

Really terrible.

And when she feels a migraine coming she has to, to nip it in the bud, she has to lie down in a dark room and this helps to avoid a big migraine coming on.

So poor her.

Really really terrible.

And for me, when I feel a cold coming on I make this lovely drink of lemon, honey, ginger, I'm sure you know it and it seems to help.

I nip it in the bud.

A pronunciation tip for this is make sure you pronounce nip really fast because if you spend too long on that word it will sound like neep and we don't want that, we want nip.

So to nip it in the bud.

Nip it in the bud.

Number three is to have a lot on your plate.

To have a lot on your plate.

Now this means to have a lot of things to do, really important tasks so you're really busy.

At the moment I have a lot on my plate.

I'm trying to launch a YouTube channel plus teaching a lot of English classes all day plus trying to find time for my creative hobbies like playing the piano.

It's actually quite difficult and I have a lot on my plate.

Now tell me in the comments below, do you have a lot on your plate?

Are you trying to launch a business while trying to work a nine to five?

I would love to know.

Pronunciation tip for this, make sure you pronounce the T on the end of lot because it will allow you to blend that word into the next one.

So a lot on.

It should sound like a lot on, a lot on.

To have a lot on your plate.

I have a lot on my plate.

Number four is to hit the nail on the head.

To hit the nail on the head.

I love this one.

This means to say something that is absolutely perfectly correct.

It could be wise, it could be really considered, but it's absolutely spot on we can say, meaning correct.

An example is the other day my dad was talking to me and he said to me, in order to make big changes in your life or to change your life, you need to leave the comfort zone.

And I was like, dad, you've hit the nail on the head there.

You are spot on.

And it made me think about comfort zones.

Do you agree?

Tell me in the comments below.

Do you believe that the comfort zone is the enemy and we need to leave it if we want to make any big changes?

Tell me in the comments below.

A pronunciation tip for that one, make sure you pronounce the L on the end of nail because it will help you blend into the next word, which is on.

So to hit the nail on, to hit the nail on the head, to hit the nail on the head.

Number five is it's on the tip of my tongue.

It's on the tip of my tongue.

Now this is a really frustrating feeling to have.

This is when you are absolutely certain and sure that you know something, but it's not quite coming out of your mouth.

And you know that probably later on, you'll remember when you don't need to know the information.

So the other day I was really trying to remember the name of the holiday cottage of where we used to go in Cornwall, one of my favorite places ever.

It's in the West of England.

Um, and I couldn't remember the name and it was on the tip of my tongue.

It just, it just wasn't coming.

And then later on in the evening, I finally remembered and I was so relieved and happy.

So frustrating feeling pronunciation tip is make sure you stress the word tip because we really need this expression to have urgency and a bit of energy because it's frustrating, right?

It's on the tip of my tongue.

Number six is one of my favorite, probably my favorite of this entire list is to be over the moon, to be over the moon.

And this means to be extremely happy, delighted.

And I love it.

It's a beautiful idiom.

I use it a lot.

My friend told me last week, um, after spending a lot of time, uh, trying for a baby using IVF, she's finally pregnant.

And I was over the moon.

I was jumping all over the place, just completely happy for her.

And I'm still over the moon about it.

So really, really lovely idiom to express real genuine happiness.

Now a pronunciation tip for that is to really pronounce moon to make that idiom shine.

You really have to pronounce that word really well.

So I'm over the moon.

Number seven, that rings a bell, that rings a bell.

So this is when you feel like, you know, something, it sounds familiar.

You've heard it before in the past, but you can't remember the specifics, the details, anything really exact about it.

So the other day, my friend asked me, do you remember Sophie Smith?

Sophie Smith.

We went to university with her and I was like, Hmm, her name rings a bell, but no, I can't, I can't remember her name in any, in any other way.

So what I mean is it rings a bell, a bell is ringing in my mind.

I've heard that name before, but I couldn't place her.

And yeah, it turns, it turns out that she was actually in one of my lectures at university, but you know, I just couldn't remember.

So really useful idiom.

A pronunciation tip for that one is to use the magic sound.

If you remember from my previous video, the magic sound is what I call the schwa.

Instead of saying a, say a, and this will allow you to go into the next word really, really well.

So it should sound like rings a bell, rings a bell.

It should sound like one word, rings a bell.

So that rings a bell.

Number eight is time will tell, time will tell.

A lovely idiom and just sounds so beautiful.

The meaning is with some things we have to wait for the passing of time to get the answers.

We just have to wait.

We can't rush the answer.

We just have to wait and see what happens.

Time will tell if my YouTube channel will grow and be successful.

And also my friend has recently invested in a startup company.

So time will tell if that pays off or time will tell if that will be successful or not.

Pronunciation tip, make sure you pronounce the T in time and tell because it will just give the idiom a real nice rhythm and a nice sound.

So time will tell.

Number nine, to burn the candle at both ends, to burn the candle at both ends.

This is something not so great, you know.

This means to work hard and to play hard.

So you're working really, really hard, but you're also going out, socializing, drinking alcohol, making friends, being really crazy.

And this can lead to, you know, getting ill.

And actually I was doing this a little bit and I came down with a cold last week and filming the most recent YouTube video was such a struggle because of this cold.

But anyway, you shouldn't burn the candle at both ends.

Or if you do, just try to have a break afterwards and recover.

A pronunciation tip for this one is don't pronounce the R, you know, I told you about this, for the British accent to remove or reduce the R in burn.

So it's actually a really long sound, burn.

It's the same sound as in girl, shirt, world, work.

We need this R sound.

So burn, burning the candle at both ends.

Number ten, the last one.

I love this one.

Actions speak louder than words.

Actions speak louder than words.

This is a really common one and it really just helps to explain exactly what you're trying to say.

And of course it means that words are not always enough.

We must show how we feel as well as saying it.

I read somewhere the other day that words are from the lips and actions are from the heart, which I thought was really nice.

You can use this expression with friendship, romantic relationships, business even.

So you've got to support your words with an action.

Recently I wrote a letter to my friend and she wasn't expecting it so she received a really nice letter from me.

And I just thought it was a nice gesture just to show my friendship to her, we've been friends for years.

And yeah, actions speak louder than words.

You know, I tell her she's my best friend, I show her she's my best friend.

So I hope you've enjoyed this video.

Post your favourite idiom in the comments below.

I would love to read what you guys are using in your speaking.

And hopefully if you like a couple of these idioms you can really just start using them as soon as possible.

They really do help to express a certain emotion or feeling and they will make you sound more natural and more native if you use them.

Thank you for watching and if you want to you can subscribe, that would be amazing.

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I will see you in the next video.

Thank you.

Bye.