What's an idiom? Idioms are semi-fixed expressions used to create images. In the idiom above, for example, there are no real cats or bags involved. The image is of someone getting a surprise - after all you don't exactly expect to open a bag and find a cat jump out. The idiom originates from the trick of substituting a cat for a pig at markets. If you let the cat out of the bag you disclosed the trick or secret - and avoided buying a pig in a poke, another word for bag. Example: Why did you let the cat out of the bag? Now everyone knows! Nice and colourful Some idioms are nice and colourful; others are more idiotic than idiomatic. Don't underestimate idioms though - you'll hear them used a lot in business, so get used to them. Even if you don't use idioms yourself, you need to understand them. Sometimes they'll be clear from the context, sometimes not!

Business idioms Whether you like it or not, the workplace is full of idioms. People don’t begin a project. They “get a project off the ground.” They don’t call each other to discuss progress – they “touch base.” And when they discover they're seeing more of their business partners than their private-life partners, they "leverage in some family time". Learning idioms Some teachers will tell you idioms are idioms - just learn them off by heart and don't bother trying to understand them. By all means learn some off by heart. But also try and find out where they actually come from. So enjoy learning - and using - colourful English idioms. They'll improve your English more than you think! Dictionary of Idioms