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
Break a leg
Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Break a leg" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourColorful & Traditional collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.
Break a leg
A superstitious way of wishing someone good luck, especially before a performance or presentation.
History & Origin
This idiom originates from the superstitious world of theater, where wishing a performer 'good luck' was actually considered bad luck. By wishing the opposite—that they would 'break a leg'—people believed it would trick the spirits into allowing a successful performance.
Examples
I know you're nervous about your piano recital tonight, but just go out there and break a leg!
You've prepared perfectly for this client pitch, so go in there and break a leg.
Good luck on your IELTS speaking test tomorrow! Break a leg! 🤞
As our graduating class heads out into the professional world, I wish you all to break a leg in your future endeavors.
The director gathered the cast backstage before opening night to tell them all to break a leg.
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?
A. I was walking on the icy sidewalk yesterday and accidentally break a leg.
B. I am so sorry to hear that your dog passed away; break a leg.
C. You have your final university exams starting in ten minutes, so break a leg!
D. If you don't study hard, you will definitely break a leg on the math test.