This lesson trains 50 C2 idioms on Habits. Idioms signal fluency when used naturally — forcing them into every sentence hurts your score. Practise in the runner first, then revisit every expression in the glossary. Review mode after completion shows how each idiom fits its context.
Go the whole hog
To do something completely and without holding back.
They decided to redecorate the entire house, not just one room.
Castles in the air
Plans or dreams that are unrealistic and unlikely to happen.
He kept talking about quitting his job to start a luxury yacht business with no savings.
Ring the changes
To do something in different ways or introduce variety.
The restaurant regularly updated its menu to keep customers interested.
A dream come true
Something that one has wished for that has now happened.
Winning the scholarship allowed her to study abroad as she had always wanted.
Have a bad hair day
To have a day when everything seems to go wrong and one feels unattractive or irritable.
Nothing was going right: the computer crashed, the meeting was cancelled, and she felt exhausted.
Live and let live
To tolerate other people's behavior even if you do not like it.
The neighbors had different lifestyles but respected each other's privacy.
Take your eye off the ball
To stop paying attention to the most important thing.
The team became distracted by minor details and missed the main deadline.
Be barking up the wrong tree
To have a mistaken idea or be pursuing a wrong course of action.
The police were investigating the wrong suspect based on incorrect information.
Like nailing jelly to a wall
Extremely difficult or impossible to do.
Explaining the complex theory to beginners was almost impossible.
Hold your tongue
To stay silent even though you want to speak.
The meeting was tense and she knew any comment would make things worse.
Better safe than sorry.
It is wiser to be cautious even if it seems unnecessary.
She decided to take an umbrella even though the forecast was sunny.
Mind your Ps and Qs
To be careful about your behavior and speech.
The children were told to be polite at the formal dinner.
Learn by rote
To learn something by repeating it many times without understanding.
The children memorized the multiplication tables by repeating them aloud.
Tempt fate
To do something that might cause bad luck.
Leaving the door unlocked in a high-crime area was asking for trouble.
Learn sth off by heart
To memorize something completely.
The students had to memorize the entire poem.
Mind your own business
To stop interfering in other people's affairs.
He kept asking personal questions that were not relevant.
Shoot yourself in the foot
To do something that harms yourself, usually by mistake.
By criticizing the boss in public he damaged his own chances of promotion.
Give sth a miss
To decide not to do or attend something.
She was too tired to go to the party.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
Do not try to improve something that is already working well.
The old system was reliable, so the team decided not to change it.
Given half a chance
If given even the smallest opportunity.
He would complain about the weather at every opportunity.
Ignorance is bliss.
It is better not to know certain things because knowing them would cause worry or unhappiness.
She decided not to read the negative online comments about her performance.
Be under no illusions
To be realistic and not have false hopes.
She knew the job would be difficult and did not expect it to be easy.
A glutton for punishment
A person who seems to enjoy or accept difficult or unpleasant situations.
He volunteered for every extra shift even though he was already exhausted.
Flog a dead horse
To waste time and energy on something that is already finished or hopeless.
They kept discussing the cancelled project even though nothing could be changed.
You can lead a horse to water
You can give someone the opportunity to do something, but you cannot force them to do it.
She offered to help him study, but he refused to make any effort.
Dig your own grave
To do something that will cause your own failure or ruin.
By lying to the investigators he only made his situation worse.
Be cool with
To be relaxed and accepting about something.
She had no problem with the last-minute change of plans.
Work like a dog
To work very hard.
She spent weeks preparing for the final exams without taking any breaks.
You can't teach an old dog new tricks
It is difficult to make someone change their habits or learn new skills when they are old.
The experienced manager resisted the new computer system and preferred the old methods.
Too clever by half
Annoyingly or foolishly clever in a way that causes problems.
His complicated plan backfired because he had tried to be too smart.
Play it cool
To remain calm and not show strong emotions or eagerness.
Even though he was excited about the job offer, he responded calmly.
Fiddle while Rome burns
To do nothing or enjoy oneself while a serious crisis is happening.
The managers continued their long lunch while the company was losing millions.
Go in one ear and out the other
To be heard but quickly forgotten or ignored.
She gave him detailed instructions, but he did not remember any of them.
Nearly fall off your chair
To be extremely surprised.
When she heard she had won the major award, she could hardly believe it.
Cross that bridge when you come to it
To deal with a problem only when it actually happens.
There was no point worrying about possible future difficulties now.
Be in a dream world
To have unrealistic ideas or expectations.
He kept talking about becoming a millionaire overnight without any plan.
Live a lie
To live in a way that hides the truth about yourself.
He pretended to be someone he was not for many years.
It's easy to be wise after the event.
It is much easier to know the right thing to do after something has already happened.
Looking back, everyone could see the warning signs that led to the financial collapse.
Let sleeping dogs lie
To avoid mentioning a subject that could cause trouble.
Bringing up the old argument would only create new problems.
Fly by the seat of your pants
To do something without planning, relying only on instinct.
The team had no clear strategy and simply reacted to events as they happened.
Eat like a pig
To eat in a messy or greedy way.
The children were making a mess with their food at the table.
All hot and bothered
Very worried, upset, or flustered.
She was rushing to finish the presentation before the important clients arrived.
Have two left feet
To be very clumsy, especially when dancing.
He kept stepping on his partner's toes during the dance lesson.
Have a one-track mind
To think about only one thing all the time.
He could only talk about football.
Listen with half an ear
To listen without paying full attention.
She was trying to work while her colleague was talking.
Drop a clanger
To make a very embarrassing mistake.
During the formal dinner he accidentally used the wrong title for the guest of honor.
Take your mind off it
To stop thinking about something unpleasant.
Listening to music helped her forget the stressful day.
Hit sb hard
To affect someone very badly.
The sudden loss of income affected the family severely.
Learn the hard way
To learn something by experiencing the unpleasant consequences of a mistake.
He ignored the warnings and lost a lot of money.
Mind your step
To be careful about what you do or say.
The situation was delicate and any mistake could cause problems.