If you’re learning English, you will have probably heard people using phrases that don’t always make sense.

You might have heard people say things like:

“He’s driving me nuts!”

“Your guess is as good as mine”

or

“I’ve had it up to here with you”

These phrases are known as idioms. Idioms exist in every language, but what are they?

An idiom is a phrase or an expression that does not make sense literally. Instead, it has a figurative meaning that is different from its literal meaning.

If somebody says, “He’s driving me nuts”, it does not mean that somebody is driving, and it has nothing to do with nuts!

In fact, “He’s driving me nuts” means “He is annoying me”.

Native speakers of English will naturally inherit idioms because they will have heard them growing up. However, if you are learning English as a second language and it is not your native language, idioms can be extremely difficult to understand.

This course is for non-native speakers of English who want to improve their comprehension skills. The course is taught entirely in English by Kieran Ball, a native British English speaker, and we’re going to look at the most useful idioms in English.

So, let’s crack on!