Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

Call it a day

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Call it a day" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourEveryday Casual & Workplace collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

Everyday Casual & Workplace

Call it a day

Call it a day
To stop working on an activity or a task for the rest of the day, usually because you are tired or have done enough.
History & Origin

The phrase evolved from the 19th-century expression 'call it half a day,' used by workmen who left a job site before their shift was officially over. By the early 20th century, it expanded to 'call it a day,' implying that a full, satisfactory amount of work had been completed. Over time, it transitioned from strictly blue-collar industrial usage to a universal idiom for concluding any activity.

Examples
Workplace Email

We have made excellent progress on the quarterly presentation, so let's call it a day and review the remaining slides tomorrow morning.

Casual Conversation

My legs are completely exhausted from this hike, so let's call it a day and head back to the campsite.

Academic Writing

When research participants show signs of extreme fatigue, investigators must call it a day and schedule the remaining cognitive tests for a subsequent session.

News/Media

After sixteen hours of intense, deadlock negotiations at the summit, the diplomats finally decided to call it a day without reaching a trade agreement.

Formal Speech

As we look at everything our charity foundation has accomplished this evening, I think we can successfully call it a day and celebrate our fundraising milestone.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. I need to call it a day to wake up early tomorrow morning so my alarm can ring.

B. We have been debugging this software loop for six hours without any success, so let's call it a day and start fresh tomorrow.

C. She decided to call it a day by calling her mother on the phone to chat about her schedule.

D. The weather forecast says it will rain, so make sure to call it a day before you leave the house with an umbrella.