10 Common Idioms in American English | ChatGPT Listening Prompt

Here are 10 examples of common idiomatic sayings in American English, along with their origins, meanings, forms, and spoken examples:

1. Between a rock and a hard place
   Origin: Likely originated from the difficulty of being stuck between two hard surfaces.
   Meaning: To be in a situation where you have to choose between two equally undesirable options.
   Form: Idiomatic phrase.
   Example: "I'm between a rock and a hard place deciding whether to take the job offer or stay at my current job."
2. Once in a blue moon
   Origin: Refers to the rare occurrence of a blue-colored moon, which is rare but not as rare as the idiom suggests.
   Meaning: Something happens very rarely.
   Form: Idiomatic phrase.
   Example: "I only see my old college friends once in a blue moon."
3. Break the bank
   Origin: Originally from gambling, where breaking the bank means winning more than the house can pay out.
   Meaning: To spend or cost a lot of money.
   Form: Idiomatic phrase.
   Example: "Buying a new car won't break the bank for me."
4. Spill the T (tee)
   Origin: Modern slang that refers to gossip or sharing the 'truth' about something.
   Meaning: To gossip or share information, especially about someone else's secrets or drama.
   Form: Idiomatic phrase.
   Example: "She spilled the 'T' about what happened at the party last night."
5. Jump through hoops
   Origin: Refers to the act of making a trained animal jump through hoops in a circus.
   Meaning: To do a lot of extra work or make a great effort to achieve something.
   Form: Idiomatic phrase.
   Example: "I had to jump through hoops to get all the paperwork done on time."
6. Cost an arm and a leg
   Origin: The exact origin is unclear, but it suggests something is so valuable that it would cost an arm and a leg.
   Meaning: Something is very expensive.
   Form: Idiomatic phrase.
   Example: "The repairs on my car cost an arm and a leg."
7. Cry over spilled milk
   Origin: Refers to the idea that crying over something that has already happened, like spilling milk, won't change the situation.
   Meaning: To lament something that has already happened and can't be changed.
   Form: Idiomatic phrase.
   Example: "I know you made a mistake, but there's no use crying over spilled milk."
8. Hit the nail on the head
   Origin: This expression comes from the idea of hitting a nail directly on its head, suggesting correctness or accuracy.
   Meaning: To describe someone's statement or action as being exactly right.
   Form: Idiomatic phrase.
   Example: "You hit the nail on the head with that observation."
9. Jump on the bandwagon
   Origin: Refers to politicians or performers hopping onto a bandwagon to join a parade, suggesting popularity or trend-following.
   Meaning: To join a popular trend or activity.
   Form: Idiomatic phrase.
   Example: "Everyone's getting into gardening, so I decided to jump on the bandwagon and try it too."
10. Kill two birds with one stone
    Origin: This phrase describes the efficiency of accomplishing two tasks with a single action.
    Meaning: To achieve two objectives with a single effort.
    Form: Idiomatic phrase.
    Example: "I went to the store to buy groceries and dropped off the mail, killing two birds with one stone."

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ChatGPT Prompt

Tell me about the 10 most common sayings in American English. Where do they come from, what do they look like and mean, and give me a spoken example of each.

To hear each example 'spoken', simply click or tap the "Read Aloud" icon at the end of ChatGPT's response.

British English Idioms