How to Learn American English Idioms (Article 6)

Learn to speak American English idioms! This post contains seven of the most common American English idioms (or colloquialisms) used by Americans. Each one has its own unique meaning and you can use these idioms to express your thoughts in an interesting way. As you’ll see, these idioms can be very useful to native speakers because they are often used to express certain concepts and ideas. Let’s begin with the first idiom…

I’m all ears!

The phrase “I’m all ears!” is used to show that you’re listening to someone. It’s usually used when you want to show that you’re serious about what they’re saying. For example, if you want to tell a friend that you’re listening to them, you might say, “I’m all ears.”

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out

This phrase means you shouldn’t leave a situation or place without finishing what you need to do. For example, if you want to finish something in a movie theater before leaving, you could say, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out” or “Don’t leave without watching the last act of the movie.”

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

This phrase means that there’s no reason to change something that’s working well. For example, you could say, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” or “Don’t change something that’s working perfectly fine.”

I’m up for it!

When someone says that they’re “up for it,” they mean they’re willing to do something. For example, if you’re getting ready to go on a hike, you might say, “I’m up for it!”

My two cents’ worth

This phrase is used to give your opinion on a topic. For example, if you were talking about a movie, you could say, “My two cents’ worth is that the movie was great!”

Let sleeping dogs lie

 The phrase “Let sleeping dogs lie” means don’t bring up an issue that hasn’t been resolved. For example, if you’re trying to get an answer from someone about why they’ve been ignoring you, you could say, “Don’t let sleeping dogs lie.”

I’ll be in touch

When someone says that they’ll “be in touch,” they mean they’ll contact you later. For example, if you want to tell a friend or colleague that you’re going to call them back in a few minutes, you might say, “I’ll be in touch” or “I’ll be in touch later.” Thanks for reading!