Common Nature Idioms in English with Meaning and Examples

Nature Idioms and Phrases! List of common idioms about the natural world in English with meaning, pictures and examples. Learn these nature idioms to improve your English vocabulary and speaking skills.

Nature Idioms in English

Flowers Idioms

List of flowers idioms in English.

Pushing Up Daisies: Dead
Nip (Something) In The Bud: Deal with a problem before it becomes large

Geographical Features Idioms

List of geographical idioms in English.

(It’s a) Small World!: It is surprising to encounter connections with familiar people in unexpected places.
(The) Grass Is (Always) Greener in the Next Pasture (on the Other Side): A different situation may often seem better than one’s own
Across The Pond: On or to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Back Forty: Remote, inaccessible land
Back Of Beyond: A remote location
Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Caught between two undesirable options
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: In a difficult position
Beyond the Pale: Too morally or socially extreme to accept
Go with the Flow: To accept the way things naturally seem to be going
King of the Hill: At the top of one’s field; the most influential person in a given field or area
Living Under a Rock: Ignorant of important events. Usually used as a question: Have you been living under a rock?
Make a Mountain out of a Molehill: To take something too seriously; to make too much of something
Man Cave: A part of the house, often the basement, that is left to the man of the household, perhaps with a workshop, a television for watching sports, etc.
Out in the Sticks: In a remote location; far from a city
Over the Hill: Past one’s prime
Over the Moon: Extremely happy
Set the Thames on Fire: Do something amazing. Usually used in the negative.
Slippery Slope: A series of undesirable effects that, one warns, could result from a certain action
Stem the Tide: To stop or control the growth of something, usually something unpleasant.
Swim Against the Tide: Do something contrary to a trend or usual opinion
Test the Waters: Experiment with something cautiously
The Coast Is Clear: We are unobserved; it is safe to proceed.
Tip of the Iceberg: A small, visible part of a much larger problem
Too Busy Fighting Alligators to Drain the Swamp: So occupied with multiple challenges that one can’t keep the big picture in mind
Up a Creek: In a very bad situation
Virgin Territory: Something that has never been explored, physically or intellectually
Water Under the Bridge: Something in the past that’s no longer worth worrying about

Plants Idioms

List of plants idioms in English.

(The) Wrong End of the Stick: To have the wrong idea about something
(To Be) Out of One’s Gourd: Crazy, irrational
(To) Beat About the Bush (UK); Beat Around the Bush (USA): To speak in an unclear way and reluctantly instead of being direct and frank
Bed of Roses: A comfortable situation
Can’t See the Forest for the Trees: Is unable to maintain a wider perspective
Doesn’t Amount to a Hill of Beans: Is unimportant, is negligible
Go Out on a Limb: Assert something that may not be true; put oneself in a vulnerable position
Hear (Something) Through the Grapevine: To learn something via gossip
In Clover: Benefiting from a positive financial situation
Knock on Wood; Touch Wood: Let’s hope I have good luck or continue to have good luck.
Make Hay (While the Sun Shines): To take advantage of an opportunity at the right time.
Mother Nature: The natural world
No Tree Grows to the Sky: Growth cannot continue indefinitely.
Olive Branch: A peace offering, an attempt at reconciliation.
Put Down Roots: Establish oneself in a place; settle
Stick-in-the-Mud: A person who dislikes or adapts slowly to new ideas
Too Many To Shake A Stick At: A large number
Bean Counters: Accountants, finance professionals in an organization
Out of the Woods: No longer in danger
Beat Around the Bush: To speak in a roundabout way in order to avoid confronting an unpleasant topic
(The) Last Straw: A problem, burden, or mistake that finally makes someone run out of patience
To Bear Fruit: To develop in a profitable or positive way
Apples and Oranges: Of two different classes, not comparable

Weather Idioms

List of common weather idioms in English.

(A Breath of) Fresh Air: Something new and innovative, especially in contrast to a stagnant state of affairs
(Every Cloud Has a) Silver Lining: A positive aspect of a bad situation
A Cold Day In July: (Something that) will never happen
Have (one’s) head in the clouds: Not know what is happening around you or out of touch with reality
Break The Ice: To get something started, particularly by means of a social introduction or conversation
Brainstorm: To generate many ideas quickly
All Wet: Completely mistaken
A Snowball’s Chance in Hell: Little to no likelihood of occurrence or success
Under the Weather: Feeling ill
On Cloud Nine: Extremely happy
Rain Cats And Dogs: Rain heavily
Cold Day in Hell: A condition for something that would be extremely unlikely to occur
In a Fog: Confused, not mentally alert
Chase Rainbows: To pursue unrealistic goals
Batten Down the Hatches: Prepare for a storm
Get Wind of: Hear about
Spit into The Wind: Wasting time on something futile
Cook Up a Storm: Cook a great deal of food
Come Rain and Shine: Do regularly, whatever the circumstances
Right as Rain: Absolutely correct
(Be) a Breeze: Very easy
Blood and Thunder: A dramatic, spectacular performance
Dead of Winter: The coldest, darkest part of winter
A Storm in a Teacup: Unnecessary anger or worry about an unimportant or trivial matter
Take a Rain Check: Decline an invitation but suggest that you’ll accept it at a later time.
Throw Caution to the Wind: To act in a daring way, without forethough
Bone Dry: Completely dry, totally without moisture
When Hell Freezes Over: Never
On Thin Ice: In a risky situation, especially in an interpersonal relationship
Dog Days of the Summer: The hottest day of summer
Be Snowed Under: Be extremely busy with work or things to do
Blow Hot and Cold: Shift one’s level of enthusiasm repeatedly
Bolt From the Blue: Something completely unexpected
Catch Some Rays: To sit or lie outside in the sun
Come Hell or High Water: No matter what happens
Heavens Open: Start to rain heavily
In the Dark: Not informed
It Never Rains but It Pours: Bad luck and bad things tend to happen at the same time
Old Man Winter: Winter
Once in a Blue Moon: Very rarely
Perfect Storm: A rare combination of disastrous occurrences
Pure as the Driven Snow: To be innocent and chaste (frequently used ironically)
Rain on Someone’s Parade: Spoil someone’s plans
Soak Up the Sun: To enjoy the sun
Steal Someone’s Thunder: Upstage someone
Stormy Relationship: Relationship that has a lot arguments and disagreement
Three Sheets to the Wind: Very drunk

Animals Idioms

List of commonly used animals idioms in English.

(A) Different Kettle of Fish: Not comparable (with something that has been under discussion
(A) Leopard Can’t Change Its Spots: People can’t successfully disguise or change their essential natures.
(Bird in a) Gilded (Golden) Cage: In a luxurious but confining situation
(Don’t) Have a Cow: To get upset, angry (usually used in the negative)
(Go) Hog Wild: Act in a completely uninhibited way
(Have a) Kangaroo Loose: In The Top Paddock Be slightly crazy
(His) Bark Is Worse Than His Bite: Hostile in manner, but actually friendly
(Like) Herding Cats: Difficult to coordinate (said of members of a group)
(Like) Tits on a Bull, As Useless as Tits on a Bull: Completely useless
(On a) Fishing Expedition: Looking for evidence without any solid suspicion of wrongdoing
(Open Up a) Can of Worms, A Whole New Can of Worms: Create a new set of difficult problems
(Play) Whack-a-Mole (Confront): a situation in which when one problem is solved, another appears
(Someone’s) Goose Is Cooked: In serious trouble, with no hope of improvement
(Straight From the) Horse’s Mouth: Heard directly from one of the people involved
(That’s the) Nature of the Beast: The essence of something; just the way something is
(The) Straw That Broke the Camel’s Back: A single small thing that exceeds a limit of patience
(The) Straw That Broke the Camel’s Back: A final difficulty that exhausts someone’s patience or causes the collapse of something
(The) Tail That Wags the Dog: A small part of something that controls the whole thing
(The) Worm Has Turned: The situation has been reversed.
(There’s) More Than One Way to Skin A Cat: There are multiple ways to accomplish this task.
(To Be a) Fly on the Wall: To be an unnoticed observer
(To Have a) Bee In One’s Bonnet: To be excited in a negative way; to express a pet peeve
(To Have the) Bit Between One’s Teeth: In control of a situation
(To Put the) Cat Among(st) the Pigeons: Cause a disturbance or disruption, usually intentionally
(To) Beat a Dead Horse: To continue to argue about something that has been settled
800-Pound Gorilla: A person or group powerful enough to disregard the rules; a big, dominant person or group
A Busy Bee: A busy, active person who moves quickly from task to task.
A Cat Has Nine Lives: Cats seem to get away with dangerous things
A Cat Nap: A short sleep during the day
A Cold Fish: Someone who is not often moved by emotions, who is regarded as being hard and unfeeling.
A Cat in Gloves Catches No Mice: You can’t get what you need if you’re too careful.
A Dog in The Manger: A person who selfishly prevent others from using, enjoying or profiting from something even though he/ she cannot use or enjoy it himself.
A Guinea Pig: Someone who is part of an experiment or trial
A Home Bird: Somebody who prefers to spend his social and free time at home.
A Lame Duck: A person or enterprise (often a business) that is not a success and that has to be helped.
A Little Bird Told Me: I don’t wish to divulge where I got the information
A Lone Wolf: Someone who is not very social with other people
A Rare Bird: Somebody or something of a kind that one seldom sees.
A Scaredy-Cat: Someone who is excessively scared or afraid.
A Sitting Duck: A person or object in a vulnerable position that is easy to attack or injure.
…

Fruits Idioms

List of common fruits idioms in English.

A Bite at The Cherry: A good opportunity that isn’t available to everyone
A Plum Job: An easy and pleasant job that also pays well
Apples and Oranges: Of two different classes, not comparable
As American as Apple Pie: Very or typically American
As Red as A Cherry: Very red
Bad Apple: A discontented, trouble making, or dishonest person
Cherry-Pick: To select the best or most desirable
Cool as A Cucumber: Calm and composed even in difficult or frustrating situations; self-possessed
Go Bananas: To become irrational or crazy
Go Pear-Shaped: To fail; to go wrong
A Lemon: A vehicle that does not work properly
Life is A Bowl of Cherries: Life is wonderful or very pleasant
Not Give A Fig: To not care at all about something
To be A Peach: Someone or something that is extremely good, impressive, or attractive
Peaches and Cream: A situation, process, etc., that has no trouble or problems
Second Banana: A person in a subservient position
Sour Grapes: Disparagement of something that has proven unattainable
Speak with A Plum in (one’s) Mouth: To speak in a manner that is indicative of a high social class.
…