Idioms are fun phrases that mean something different than the actual words inside them. People use them every day to make talking and writing more colorful and interesting. In this lesson, you will learn fifty handy idioms that relate directly to the topic of conversation and talking with others.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean speaking, listening, or sharing thoughts. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Conversation
1. Chew the fat
Definition: To have a long and friendly talk with someone.
Used in a Sentence: Grandma and her neighbor sat on the porch to chew the fat for an hour. / The two old friends met at the diner to catch up and chew the fat.
Similar Expressions: Chat away / Shoot the breeze
2. Beat around the bush
Definition: To avoid talking about what is really important.
Used in a Sentence: Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you broke. / He kept beating around the bush instead of answering my question.
Similar Expressions: Dodge the issue / Hem and haw
3. Spill the beans
Definition: To share a secret by accident or on purpose.
Used in a Sentence: Maya accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise birthday party. / Please do not spill the beans to Leo about his gift.
Similar Expressions: Let the cat out of the bag / Give the game away
4. Speak your mind
Definition: To say exactly what you think and feel.
Used in a Sentence: It is important to speak your mind during the club meeting. / She always encourages her students to speak their mind safely.
Similar Expressions: Put your cards on the table / Be upfront
5. Talk shop
Definition: To talk about your work when you are not at work.
Used in a Sentence: Even at the dinner party, the two doctors began to talk shop. / Try not to talk shop while we are on family vacation.
Similar Expressions: Discuss business / Talk work
6. Get a word in edgewise
Definition: To find a chance to speak when someone else is talking a lot.
Used in a Sentence: Uncle Joe talked so much that nobody else could get a word in edgewise. / I tried to explain, but I could not get a word in edgewise.
Similar Expressions: Find an opening / Join the chat
7. Hear it through the grapevine
Definition: To learn about news or gossip through informal talking.
UsedIn a Sentence: I heard it through the grapevine that our school is getting a new playground. / She heard through the grapevine that the test was postponed.
Similar Expressions: Catch wind of it / Get word
8. Talk turkey
Definition: To have a serious and honest discussion about business or a problem.
Used in a Sentence: Let us sit down and talk turkey about how to fix our budget. / The boss called a meeting to talk turkey about the new schedule.
Similar Expressions: Get down to business / Be serious
9. Word of mouth
Definition: Information passed from one person to another by spoken words.
Used in a Sentence: The new bakery became popular mostly through word of mouth. / We found out about the garage sale by word of mouth.
Similar Expressions: Verbal talk / People talking
10. Pull someone’s leg
Definition: To tell someone a joke that is not true to trick them playfully.
Used in a Sentence: Do not believe his wild story, he is just pulling your leg. / I knew he was pulling my leg when he said it snowed in July.
Similar Expressions: Kid around / Play a trick
11. Put your foot in your mouth
Definition: To say something by accident that upsets or embarrasses someone.
Used in a Sentence: I really put my foot in my mouth when I forgot her name. / He felt bad after he put his foot in your mouth at lunch.
Similar Expressions: Say the wrong thing / Make a blunder
12. Have a quick tongue
Definition: To speak very fast or reply to people very quickly.
Used in a Sentence: She has a quick tongue and always wins the debate. / Be careful arguing with him because he has a quick tongue.
Similar Expressions: Speak swiftly / Quick witted
13. Give someone a piece of your mind
Definition: To tell someone angrily what you think about something they did wrong.
Used in a Sentence: Mom had to give the rude clerk a piece of her mind. / He was ready to give the driver a piece of his mind.
Similar Expressions: Scold someone / Tell them off
14. Keep something under your hat
Definition: To keep a piece of information a secret.
Used in a Sentence: Can you keep this plan under your hat until Friday? / She promised to keep the surprise party under her hat.
Similar Expressions: Keep it quiet / Keep a secret
15. Make small talk
Definition: To talk about polite and easy topics like the weather with strangers.
Used in a Sentence: Dad likes to make small talk with people in the elevator. / It helps to make small talk while waiting for the dentist.
Similar Expressions: Chat politely / Converse lightly
16. Eat your words
Definition: To admit that something you said before was completely wrong.
Used in a Sentence: He had to eat his words when our team won the championship. / She will eat her words when she sees how well I did.
Similar Expressions: Take it back / Admit a mistake
17. Clear the air
Definition: To calm down a tense situation by talking honestly about a problem.
Used in a Sentence: Let us talk it out and clear the air between us. / They had a meeting to clear the air after the argument.
Similar Expressions: Resolve the issue / Clear things up
18. Talk a blue streak
Definition: To talk very quickly and without stopping for a long time.
Used in a Sentence: My little brother talked a blue streak after watching the movie. / She can talk a blue streak when she gets excited about science.
Similar Expressions: Chatter constantly / Babble on
19. Hold your tongue
Definition: To be quiet and not say anything.
Used in a Sentence: It is smart to hold your tongue when you are angry. / The teacher told us to hold our tongue during the test.
Similar Expressions: Zip it / Stay silent
20. Off the cuff
Definition: Said without any preparation or practice beforehand.
Used in a Sentence: His speech was completely off the cuff and very funny. / I had to make an off the cuff remark at the assembly.
Similar Expressions: Spontaneous talk / Unprepared speech
21. Take the words right out of my mouth
Definition: To say exactly what the other person was about to say.
Used in a Sentence: When you suggested pizza, you took the words right out of my mouth. / I wanted to praise her painting, but you took the words right out of my mouth.
Similar Expressions: Agree completely / Great minds think alike
22. Give someone the silent treatment
Definition: To refuse to speak to someone because you are angry with them.
Used in a Sentence: They gave each other the silent treatment after fighting over a toy. / She gave him the silent treatment for refusing to help.
Similar Expressions: Ignore someone / Refuse to talk
23. State of the art
Definition: Very modern and using the newest ideas or words.
Used in a Sentence: That is not an idiom about talking, let us move on. / Her presentation used state of the art technology.
Similar Expressions: Cutting edge / Modern style
24. Have a heart-to-heart
Definition: To have an honest and serious talk about deep feelings.
Used in a Sentence: The coach and player had a heart-to-heart about teamwork. / My mom and I had a nice heart-to-heart on the drive home.
Similar Expressions: Serious talk / Deep chat
25. Talk big
Definition: To boast or talk as if you are more important than you are.
Used in a Sentence: He always talks big about how fast he can run. / Do not talk big unless you can actually prove it.
Similar Expressions: Brag / Show off
26. Speak volumes
Definition: To express a lot of meaning without using many words.
Used in a Sentence: Her kind smile spoke volumes when I was sad. / A simple nod can speak volumes in a quiet room.
Similar Expressions: Show a lot / Mean a lot
27. Drop a hint
Definition: To suggest something indirectly instead of saying it clearly.
Used in a Sentence: Dad tried to drop a hint about what he wanted for his birthday. / She kept dropping hints about wanting a puppy.
Similar Expressions: Give a clue / Subtly suggest
28. Talk through your hat
Definition: To talk about something you do not understand or know about.
Used in a Sentence: Do not listen to him, he is just talking through his hat. / She had no facts and was talking through her hat.
Similar Expressions: Talk nonsense / Bluff
29. Gift of the gab
Definition: The ability to speak easily, smoothly, and persuasively.
Used in a Sentence: The salesman had the gift of the gab and sold every item. / With his gift of the gab, he easily won the class election.
Similar Expressions: Silver tongue / Good speaker
30. Get straight to the point
Definition: To stop wasting time and talk about the main idea.
Used in a Sentence: Please skip the long story and get straight to the point. / The principal got straight to the point at the assembly.
Similar Expressions: Cut to the chase / Be direct
31. Give someone your word
Definition: To make a serious promise to someone with your spoken word.
Used in a Sentence: I give you my word that I will finish my chores. / He gave his word that he would return my book tomorrow.
Similar Expressions: Promise sincerely / Swear to it
32. Talk sense
Definition: To speak in a smart, wise, and practical way.
Used in a Sentence: Thank you for talking sense into me before I made a mistake. / Finally, someone at this meeting is talking sense.
Similar Expressions: Be logical / Speak wisely
33. Talk round in circles
Definition: To talk for a long time without making any clear point.
Used in a Sentence: The politician talked round in circles and answered nothing. / Stop talking round in circles and tell me the answer.
Similar Expressions: Ramble on / Go nowhere
34. Catch someone’s ear
Definition: To get someone’s attention so they will listen to you.
Used in a Sentence: I tried to catch the teacher’s ear before class started. / The funny joke caught everyone’s ear in the hallway.
Similar Expressions: Grab attention / Listen up
35. Make yourself heard
Definition: To speak loudly or clearly enough for people to listen to you.
Used in a Sentence: You must speak up to make yourself heard in a loud room. / She raised her voice to make herself heard over the crowd.
Similar Expressions: Be audible / Speak out
36. Word for word
Definition: Using the exact same words that were spoken or written.
Used in a Sentence: He repeated the poem word for word from memory. / The reporter wrote down the speech word for word.
Similar Expressions: Exactly copied / Precisely repeated
37. Pass the word
Definition: To tell a piece of news to other people so they know.
Used in a Sentence: Please pass the word that practice is canceled today. / She helped pass the word about the lost puppy.
Similar Expressions: Spread the news / Let others know
38. Talk behind someone’s back
Definition: To say negative things about someone when they are not there.
Used in a Sentence: It is not nice to talk behind your friends’ backs. / He found out they were talking behind his back.
Similar Expressions: Gossip / Speak secretly
39. Have the last word
Definition: To make the final comment or win an argument by speaking last.
Used in a Sentence: My little brother always has to have the last word. / She made sure to have the last word in the debate.
Similar Expressions: Finish the argument / Speak last
40. Shoot the breeze
Definition: To pass the time by having a casual and relaxed chat.
Used in a Sentence: We stood by the lockers to shoot the breeze before class. / The players sat on the bench and shot the breeze.
Similar Expressions: Chat idly / Converse casually
41. Not mince words
Definition: To speak very directly and honestly without hiding your thoughts.
Used in a Sentence: The coach did not mince words when explaining our loss. / She did not mince words about how hard the test was.
Similar Expressions: Be blunt / Speak plainly
42. Put in a good word
Definition: To say positive things about someone to help them get a job or favor.
Used in a Sentence: Can you put in a good word for me at the bookstore? / My aunt put in a good word for my mom at the office.
Similar Expressions: Recommend someone / Support someone
43. Give someone an earful
Definition: To scold someone or talk to them angrily for a long time.
Used in a Sentence: Dad gave us an earful when we tracked mud on the rug. / The boss gave him an earful for being late.
Similar Expressions: Lecture someone / Scold harshly
44. Talk shop all night
Definition: To chat about job topics continuously without stopping.
Used in a Sentence: The two artists started to talk shop all night long. / We promised not to talk shop all night at the party.
Similar Expressions: Discuss work endlessly / Chat about business
45. Open your heart
Definition: To talk honestly about your deepest feelings and secrets.
Used in a Sentence: It feels good to open your heart to a trusted friend. / He finally decided to open his heart to his family.
Similar Expressions: Share feelings / Be honest
46. Talk a lot of hot air
Definition: To talk a lot without saying anything meaningful or true.
Used in a Sentence: Do not listen to his promises, it is just a lot of hot air. / He talked a lot of hot air about winning the race.
Similar Expressions: Talk nonsense / Empty talk
47. Read between the lines
Definition: To understand the hidden meaning behind what someone says.
Used in a Sentence: If you read between the lines, you can tell she is worried. / He read between the lines of her letter and visited her.
Similar Expressions: Understand hidden meanings / Sense the truth
48. Speak of the devil
Definition: Said when the person you were just talking about shows up.
Used in a Sentence: Speak of the devil, here comes Sarah with our lunch. / We were talking about Leo, and speak of the devil, he walked in.
Similar Expressions: Look who arrived / Right on time
49. Talk sense into someone
Definition: To help someone think clearly and act wisely.
Used in a Sentence: Grandma talked sense into me when I wanted to quit school. / I tried to talk sense into my brother before he traded his bike.
Similar Expressions: Reason with someone / Help them think
50. Have a chat
Definition: To talk in a friendly and casual way.
Used in a Sentence: The teacher asked to have a chat with me after class. / Let us sit down and have a chat about your weekend.
Similar Expressions: Friendly talk / Quick conversation
Exercise to Practice
- When my best friend told everyone my secret, she really spilled the beans.
- If you want to trick your brother, you should chew the fat with him.
- Stop talking around in circles and tell us the final answer.
- My uncle loves to talk shop even when he is at a birthday party.
- She had a quick tongue and answered every riddle in seconds.
- We sat on the porch to bite around the bush for an hour.
- Mom gave me my word that we would bake cookies later.
- Dad tried to drop a hint about what we were having for dinner.
- When the teacher yelled at the class, she gave us an earful.
- He kept beating around the bush instead of answering my question.
- We stood by the lockers to hold our tongue before class.
- My sister likes to talk a blue streak when she tells a story.
- If you want to help me get hired, you can put in a good word.
- They gave each other the gift of the gab after their silly argument.
- I heard it through the grapevine that our class is winning the trophy.
Answer Key
- True
- False
- False
- True
- True
- False
- False
- True
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
Conclusion
Learning these idioms helps you understand how people really speak in everyday conversation. Using them makes your writing and speaking much more colorful and fun.
Try to use at least one new idiom today when you chat with your friends or family. You will be amazed at how much more exciting your conversations become!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common idioms for conversation?
Common idioms for conversation include expressions like chew the fat, spill the beans, and beat around the bush. People use these phrases to describe talking, sharing secrets, or avoiding a topic. They make everyday speech much more colorful.
Why do we use idioms in English?
We use idioms to express complex ideas in a short and vivid way. Instead of saying a long sentence, an idiom paints a picture in the listener’s mind. This makes talking and writing more engaging and fun.
How can I learn more conversation idioms?
You can learn more conversation idioms by reading stories, listening to podcasts, and talking with native speakers. Keeping a small notebook of new phrases and their meanings also helps you remember them. Practice using them in sentences every single day.
Are idioms used in formal writing?
Idioms are mostly used in casual speaking and creative writing rather than formal school essays. In a casual chat with friends, they sound natural and friendly. In formal school reports, it is usually better to use plain and direct words.
What does it mean to beat around the bush?
Beating around the bush means avoiding the main topic instead of speaking directly. Someone does this when they are nervous or trying not to hurt someone’s feelings. Getting straight to the point is the opposite of this habit.
