Idioms are a group of words used to describe something by using words that are not really connected with what you are trying to say. Idioms are used every day in the English language.
Tongue Twisters are used to help with pronunciation and letter sounds. Students find tongue twisters a fun activity and it can be even better if you get the students to say them in different styles:
Rap
very slow
Very quick
Country and Western Style
I often add a different word onto the end of each line such as "Yo Yo" or "Wow" and so on (your choice) just to make it funnier and more enjoyable. You will quite surprised as you hear the students walking down the school corridoor repeating it to each other.
A hot potato
Speak of an issue (mostly current) which many people are talking about and which is usually disputed
People are talking about him cheating on his wife. That subject is a hot potato
A penny for your thoughts
A way of asking what someone is thinking Actions speak louder than wordsPeople's intentions can be judged better by what they do than what they say.
I'll give you a penny for your thoughts
Add insult to injury
To further a loss with mockery or indignity; to worsen an unfavorable situation.
And to add insult to injury she took all the money from my bank when she left me
An arm and a leg
Very expensive or costly. A large amount of money.
That birthday present cost me an arm and a leg to buy for her
At the drop of a hat
Meaning: without any hesitation; instantly.
I will be there at the drop of a hat if you need me
A bridge too far
A bridge too far is an act of overreaching- going too far and getting into trouble
He tried to do too much it was a bridge too far
A little bird told me
If someone doesn't want to say where they got some information from, they can say that a little bird told them.
A little bird told me you are getting married next week?
A lot on my plate
If you have got a lot on your plate, you are very busy and have commitments.
I can't come to your house tonight, I have a lot on my plate
A pretty penny
If something costs a pretty penny, it is very expensive.
My new car cost me a pretty penny
A rolling stone gathers no moss
People say this to mean that an ambitious person is more successful than a person not trying to achieve anything. Originally it meant the opposite and was critical of people trying to get ahead.
A rolling stone gathers no moss in this world today
A textbook case
A textbook case, it is a classic or common example of something.
He was a textbook case of being stupid
A watched pot never boils
Some things work out in their own time, so being impatient and constantly checking will just make things seem longer.
Someone or something that is of no practical use is about as useful as a chocolate teapot
If you have an ace up your sleeve, you have something that will give you an advantage that other people don't know about.
A person's weak spot is their Achilles' heel.