Social Life Idioms: We live in a society of social interaction, where everyone has their own personal life and social life in their own ways. It is known to us how the English language has been helpful to make our conversation easiest with things like a list of idioms.
Different activities and excitement surround our life. We have a list of life idioms closely associated with social idioms. If you are going out and looking forward to spending some quality time with your friends in the social world, you will need to know about some social idiom meanings.
Enrich your Vocabulary by practicing the English Idioms that are commonly used in everyday conversations and understand their actual meaning.
We have taught a list of idioms you may need to spend a good time outside to make your conversation easier. Let’s have a look at them.
Name of Social Life Idioms
List of social life idioms
- Crash a party
- In a roll
- In touch
- Lose touch
- Ring a bell
- Spin a yarn
- Play with fire
- Social climber
- Social butterfly
- Behind the scenes
- Add fuel to the fire
- Agree to disagree
- Pick a fight
- Dirty look
- Stab somebody in the back
- Sore Point
- Trip the light fantastic
- Hit the sack
- Point the finger at
- Up to snuff
- Dutch courage
- Die in cast
- Cry over spilt milk
- Clean the air
- Turn over a new leaf
- Kick the habit
- Walk in the park
- Beat someone to the punch
- Hold one’s liquor
- Once and for all
- Couch potato
- Get the ball rolling
- Game of chicken
- Hit the books
- Make someone’s day
- Pass with flying colours
- Ace in the hole
- Break the bank
- Hit the jackpot
- Take a powder
- Cooking up a storm
- Me time
- On the wagon
- All bets are off
- Ancient history
- Waiting in the wings
Meaning and Examples of a few commonly used Social Life Idioms
Crash a party
Meaning: to show up or attend any kind of gathering like a party where they were not invited by the people organizing the event. It is more like a behavioural, social idiom of some people.
Example: Lisa was not invited to our wedding anniversary, but she still chose to crash the party.
In a roll
Meaning: a streak where a person or any kind of activity has continued success, and it keeps on moving. This kind of achievement is not confined to a single point and is continuous.
Example: we have been making much profit in the real estate business; it is always on a roll.
In touch
Meaning: to keep in touch with a person on a daily basis home you know or it can also mean you come in contact with someone after a long time to strengthen the bond.
Example: we left college five years back, but our whole group is still in touch.
Lose touch
Meaning: to not have any contact with a particular person or a particular group for some circumstances like for having no contact number or issues and more.
Example: shortly after she shifted to her new apartment in Los Angeles, we have lost touch.
Ring a bell
Meaning: to ring a bell means to remind someone of a particular foreign activity; it can also refer to a person who has long lost memory.
Example: I had almost forgotten about the accident; this conversation rang a bell for me.
Spin a yarn
Meaning: spin a yarn means to say a long story which is most imaginative and unreal. It is used in the negative sense where people take advantage and make up stories to avoid problems.
Example: she came late to the office twice this week and has already started to spin a yarn.
Play with fire
Meaning: fire is a very deadly weapon to play with. So when someone says that they are playing with fire means that they are doing an activity that is very harmful and risky and is very likely to cause damage.
Example: our boss does not pay as fairly, but Neha chooses to confront him, looks she likes to play with fire.
Social climber
Meaning: an individual who is not a part or belongs to any particular place but makes every effort to fit in higher society and elevate their fashion sense to get accepted by others.
Example: she is a social climber but still couldn’t match up with our way of living.
Social butterfly
Meaning: a very friendly person and loves to spend time with others and mingle with new people. It is a type of person who loves to spend time outside the family and socialize with everyone around them.
Example: my daughter is a social butterfly; everyone almost knows her in this locality, and she fits here perfectly.
Behind the scenes
Meaning: an activity that takes place In front of everyone’s eyes. It is mostly used when other people see a company’s success or any great thing, but the effort and investment were all behind the scenes, which the people did not see.
Example: my business would not have been so successful if my father did not continue playing behind-the-scenes person.
Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: when a person does some activity or adds comments to an already worst situation that can provoke its damage, it is called adding fuel to the fire. When someone else will add fuel to the fire, it is mostly for their satisfaction and is used in a negative sense.
Example: she knew that the child was getting scolded by his mother; still, she chose to add some fuel to the burning fire by saying something inappropriate.
Agree to disagree
Meaning: when a person agrees to not disagree about conflicts or disagree with another person in front of them to avoid conflict and future problems.
Example: I agreed to disagree about everything with my wife; she was becoming very upset with me.
Pick a fight
Meaning: to talk in front of people in a way where that they disagree with something and shoes to fight for it unnecessarily. To pick a fight means to indulge someone almost forcefully to get into an argument.
Example: we had almost pic to fight until our friends came forward to stop us.
Dirty look
Meaning: A facial expression of a person which gives discomfort to the person in focus. Mostly said when someone looks towards them in a way to harm them or for sexual fantasies.
Example: everyone in the room was giving me a dirty look as if the time was done by me.
Stab somebody in the back
Meaning: to stab someone in the back means to make use of their trust and faith and misuse it. You can also say that when someone knows everything about a person, they still choose to let them down in front of others and misuse their trust.
Example: I had everything possible for her till the last day until she backstabbed me.
Sore Point
Meaning: an issue or a particular thing about which someone does not want to talk about as it makes them extremely angry or discomfort, resulting in embarrassment.
Example: we have returned to the place without telling anyone; it is a sore point for me I would like to avoid.
Trip the light fantastic
Meaning: to trip the fantastic light means to dance in a gathering very lightly or to move with the musical beats. It can be for not knowing dance or a way of doing the activity.
Example: I was down with some drinks, so I tripped the light fantastic throughout the party.
Hit the sack
Meaning: to go to bed and sleep after a person had a tiring and a long day for which they are exhausted and wants rest.
Example: enough for today, don’t make any deals now; I want to hit the sack now.
Point the finger at
Meaning: to point a finger towards a person means to blame them for something which maybe they have done, or the other person is wrongfully accusing them.
Example: you had no right to point the finger at me without knowing the reality.
Up to snuff
Meaning: up to snuff means a person who has done a good thing expected from him and was demanded. In broad, which means when someone keeps up their expectations and provides a satisfactory result.
Example: I don’t think you can deceive me; that is easy. I’m always up to snuff.
Dutch courage
Meaning: to Dutch, courage indicates a person was his strength and confidence, which they acquired after drinking alcohol. Not the common form of behaviour. Still, after drinking alcohol, the spirit has been boosted.
Example: he has the Dutch courage and is ready to give the best for today’s football match.
Die in cast
Meaning: Die in the cast is a decision which has been made by the higher authority or any one person which others cannot change or other rules will not be bent according to others wish.
Example: we failed to negotiate with the deal; it is clear that it was a die in the cast situation, which you cannot change.
Cry over spilt milk
Meaning: making a shoe out of very small things that are negligible and are not important to be solved or discussed.
Example: stop crying over spilt milk; this is not an issue for which I can take you to the higher authority.
Clean the air
Meaning: cleaning the air means to release any form of tension by being about a person or topic so that there will be no further conflicts and problems with them.
Example: after all these years of the cold war, we decided to clean the air between us and start afresh.
Turn over a new leaf
Meaning: turning over a new leaf is a characteristic trait where a person starts to behave in a more responsible and better way than they were earlier.
Example: my daughter has turned over a new leaf. I don’t have to shout at her and make her complete the homework anymore.
Kick the habit
Meaning: kicking a habit means to true up something or give up something very harmful that a person has practised for a very long time.
Example: Shelly was addicted to drugs for a long time; after all these years of struggle, she has finally kicked the habit.
Walk in the park
Meaning: to walk in the park means to do an activity which is very easy to carry out for anyone and does not cause any problem or physical labour.
Example: the recent assignment I got from the office is a walk-in parking problem for me.
Beat someone to the punch
Meaning: beating someone to the pants describes an activity a person does before someone else is able to do the exercise or complete the training.
Example: we just started working on this new project, but before he could submit it to the client, their competition beat them a punch.
Hold one’s liquor
Meaning: when a person has the ability to consume alcohol without any side effect for any notice of intoxication and negative effects.
Example: after spending time with us at the party, attended a meeting. He surely knows how to hold his liquor.
Once and for all
Meaning: once and for all is most likely a year form of warning which means a chance given now and for the last time to someone who does not deserve it again.
Example: there is one rule to be followed by everyone, and I will repeat that once and for all.
Couch potato
Meaning: when a person is very lazy to do any physical activities or does not like to do any kind of physical labour, they spend their whole day sitting at the couch and doing productive activities like watching TV or playing games.
Example: he is a couch potato; there is no physical labour that he does.
Get the ball rolling
Meaning: to get the ball rolling means to start an activity or any process just before coming to the main point of the conversation. Usually means a brief introduction to be presented before the audience.
Example: almost everyone has arrived at the meeting. Simon, please get the ball rolling.
Game of chicken
Meaning: a game of chicken means when two people are having an argument or fight regarding an issue, but none of them wants to give up, searing the face loss that may happen if they lose in front of everyone.
Example: the argument between Shyam and me resulted in a game of chicken; neither of us is letting the other one win.
Hit the books
Meaning: to hit the book means when a person is forced to study or has to say and completed his tasks for any upcoming examination or other academic needs.
Example: I have wasted enough time now it’s time to hit the books
Make someone’s day
Meaning: to do something by which you can make someones day like doing any activity which can make them happy and also makes the person taking the initiative happy.
Example: my husband had sent me some fresh flowers to fix my mood; he knows how to make my day.
Pass with flying colours
Meaning: to pass with flying colours means when a person achieve something which it is very extraordinary and ends up being successful.
Example: after all these years of effort, my boy passed with flying colours.
Ace in the hole
Meaning: a person who has access to resources or opportunities he can use to do any work but chooses to keep it under wraps or not say to anyone until the right place to use them comes.
Example: he has much investment which can be used for the business but is working like Ace in the hole.
Break the bank
Meaning: to break the bank means to not care about one’s financial boundaries and spend more money on miscellaneous things. It means that a person who spends more money than what he actually owns can lead to breaking the bank.
Example: this watch costs more than my monthly income; it had almost broken my bank.
Hit the jackpot
Meaning: to hit the jackpot means being extremely successful or winning a lot of money, which is most unexpected or results from good luck and opportunities. It is an opportunity that is not accessible to everyone but very few people.
Example: he had hit the jackpot and took four awards in a row.
Take a powder
Meaning: to take a powder means to leave a place or area for another person to occupy. It mostly refers to shifting from a place to another so that they can avoid a difficult situation that may come in their way.
Example: with a heavy heart, we had to take the powder and leave the office to another client.
Cooking up a storm
Meaning: to do something with the cooking up a storm means to carry out an activity with a lot of energy and skill almost unmatched with the other person who is doing the same work. It also refers to making foods very easily and quickly.
Example: I can complete all the tasks in the kitchen, like cooking up a storm.
Me time
Meaning: to take out time from a busy schedule and spend time which will make a person happy out do some activities which do not revolve others happiness. Me time is mostly associated with break a person needs to go on with life.
Example: I had a very tough week at work. I need a day off to enjoy some me-time.
On the wagon
Meaning: to be on the wagon means when a person stops themselves or can control themselves from drinking alcohol are any kind of alcoholic beverages in the future.
Example: don’t offer hard drinks to her; she has been on the wagon for almost a year now.
All bets are off
Meaning: a situation that is impossible to explain as the outcome of it is very much and predictable based on the case and is almost impossible for others to understand.
Example: all bets are off now; I don’t know who will win the game.
Ancient history
Meaning: ancient history is described as an event that was very important and relevant in the past but is no longer refuse to talk about now. It is a form of dispute which was a part of the past and should not be brought up again.
Example: I am aware of how badly behaved and desperate I was all these years, but everything is now ancient history.
Waiting in the wings
Meaning: Someone waiting to enjoy the power that comes from holding a top position in society or company but is not ready to take the responsibilities that have to be managed with them.
Example: he is going to inherit the family business but is still waiting in the wings.