Saying

Meaning

How they can be used in a sentence

A piece of cake

Easy

That German language exam was easy. I got 99%. It was a piece of cake.

All in the same boat

Everyone has the same problem

The electricity in my Brazilian friend’s building has been off for a week. She says that everyone who lives in the street is in the same boat.

Back to square one

To start again

We wanted to go on holiday China next month but all flights to Asia have been cancelled. Now we have to plan a holiday in Europe so it’s back to square one for us.

Between a rock and a hard place

Between two equally unpleasant actions

A Japanese friend has been offered a great job, but he must start immediately. However, he has planned to visit his sister next week in America. He doesn’t know what to do. He’s between a rock and a hard place. 

Dry run

A practice session / rehearsal

I have to give a presentation at a conference in Japan next week. I’m going to have a dry run at the office tomorrow

Finding your feet

Getting to know and understand the situation you are in.

I started a new job in Germany last year. It took me two months to find my feet.

A flash in the pan

Something that looks impressive for a short time

That Brazilian singer made one hit single two years ago and hasn’t recorded anything since. He was a flash in the pan

Hit the nail on the head

To say something that perfectly or exactly describes the situation.

“This salesman doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” I said. “Yes, you’ve hit the nail on the head,” my friend agreed.

A loose cannon

Someone who is unpredictable and likely to cause problems.

“I’ve told John not to come to tomorrow’s meeting with our main German customer. John’s such a loose cannon he may say the wrong thing and upset the client.”

Pull the plug

To stop or end a deal or a negotiation

We discussed merging our two companies but after a month of discussions we couldn’t agree on anything. In the end, I decided to pull the plug on the discussions and continue working separately.