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Myriora English › Words › Chapter 3: Word collections

Idioms

Ages 9–11Chapter 3 · Lesson 10

In this lesson

Your turn

Dad was under the weather, so he stayed in bed. What does under the weather mean?

Show the answer

A bit ill! He wasn't feeling well, so he stayed in bed.

The common mistake

Here's a common mistake. Changing the words of an idiom. The test was a piece of pie. Idioms keep their exact words, so it's a piece of cake.

Try it at home

Idiom pictures: draw what an idiom would look like if it were true (raining cats and dogs), then write what it really means underneath.

Read the whole lesson

Hello, and welcome to Myriora English! It's raining cats and dogs! No animals are falling from the sky. It just means it's raining very heavily. A phrase like this is called an idiom: its meaning isn't the meaning of its words.

Here are some idioms. A piece of cake means very easy. Under the weather means feeling a bit ill. Over the moon means very happy. And to bite your tongue means to stop yourself from saying something.

Here are some more. To let the cat out of the bag means to tell a secret by mistake. To break the ice means to help people relax when they first meet. To hit the nail on the head means to say exactly the right thing. And once in a blue moon means very rarely.

Let's try one together. My sister let the cat out of the bag about my surprise party. What did she do? Say it out loud!

She told the secret by mistake! There was no real cat, and no real bag. Well done if you said that!

Here's a common mistake. Changing the words of an idiom. The test was a piece of pie. Idioms keep their exact words, so it's a piece of cake.

Your turn! Dad was under the weather, so he stayed in bed. What does under the weather mean? Pick the right card. You've got eight seconds, or pause the video. Go!

Time's up! A bit ill! He wasn't feeling well, so he stayed in bed.

Quick review. An idiom's meaning isn't the meaning of its words. A piece of cake is easy, under the weather is ill, and over the moon is very happy. Letting the cat out of the bag is telling a secret by mistake. And idioms keep their exact words. See you next time!