by Kristin Herman
Want to hear some great idioms? Or, maybe your kids want the best idioms out there, without the harsh meanings and phrases?
Good news! We've put together a list of 15 idioms that are kid-friendly, and are sure to make your kids have fun and impress their friends, family, and teachers!
This means that someone had told you something that's a secret. "In other words, when someone clues you in on something, then that's them being the 'little birdie.'
This phrase means that something is undoubtably easy. This idiom has two versions: ABC or 123.
Versions of this idiom in other langauges
"When pigs fly" indicates that something is impossible. There's an idea, but it can't be done since it's impossible to do it. Whether it's true, or just an assumption, something is impossible.
Versions of this idiom in other langauges
A literal translation of this German idiom is "You Have Tomatoes on Your Eyes". It means that you're unable to see what's happening around you, something that's probably very obvious to everyone else. Usually refers to actual physical objects.
To "build castles in the sky" is to invent ideas that are deemed impractical and impossible. This is often said when someone is being inventive instead of logical about a situation.
This means to be hard at work on something. This comes from the assumption that bumblebees are usually busy pollinating and or working in hives. So, to say that someone is "busy as a bee" or a "busy bee" is to say they're working very hard at something.
This Swedish idiom translates as "There is No Cow on the Ice", and means that there isn't any danger to what you're doing. Of course, a cow being on ice would be very dangerous if you're on the ice as well, but fortunately, there's not! You're safe and sound!
This idiom means that you're very calm under stress, to where negativity doesn't affect you.
In other words, a very busy place, or a place full of activity. Similar to "busy bee" (as mentioned above), this idiom is derived from the fact that bees live and work in their hives.
A beautiful Latvian idiom that translates as "To Blow Little Ducks". It means to tell a lie or to talk nonsense. A similar idiom in Croatian, "bacati kajmak u oči", which translates as "throwing cream into their eyes", and means that someone is blatantly lying to you.
This means to try and do something, even if you're not sure if it'll go well or not. Regardless of the outcome, this is essentially saying that you want to attempt something.
Another Swedish idiom here, which means "To Slide in on a Shrimp Sandwich", this idiom refers to someone who got to where they are without having to work for it. Very similar to the 'silver spoon' idiom in English, it's like a kid who got a great mark on a test without having to work for it.
A French idiom which translates as "To Jump from the Cock to the Donkey", and means to change conversation topics without any logic. If someone is jumping around topic or speaking quickly, this is the idiom to describe them!
This indicates how someone is surprised or amazing at something; it shows how a person's eyes widen, as they see something fascinating or shocking.
This means to not cause harm to anyone or anything. In other words, a person is the opposite of threatening and vile; rather, they're kind and gentle.
A "tall tale" is a long story that no one will find believable. Whether the story is true or not, it gets this name, due to how outrageous, slanderous, or amazing that it is.
A "class clown" is someone (i.e. a student) who makes people laugh in school.
In other words, any language, wording, or nonsense that's meaningless, confusing, or outrageous.
Being "all ears" means to be very excited to hear something, That means you're paying close attention to that something.
A "night owl" is someone who normally works or stays up late at night. "Night owls" are usually people who work the night and or graveyard shift in businesses.
So, there you have it! 15 idioms that are not only kid-friendly, but also quirky in their own ways! We hoped you enjoyed this list, and that you can try any of them with a friend!
Kristin Herman is an editor at Study demic. She is also a contributing writer for online publications and as a marketing writer, she blogs about the latest trends in marketing and social media.
Writing systems | Language and languages | Language learning | Pronunciation | Learning vocabulary | Language acquisition | Motivation and reasons to learn languages | Arabic | Basque | Celtic languages | Chinese | English | Esperanto | French | German | Greek | Hebrew | Indonesian | Italian | Japanese | Korean | Latin | Portuguese | Russian | Sign Languages | Spanish | Swedish | Other languages | Minority and endangered languages | Constructed languages (conlangs) | Reviews of language courses and books | Language learning apps | Teaching languages | Languages and careers | Being and becoming bilingual | Language and culture | Language development and disorders | Translation and interpreting | Multilingual websites, databases and coding | History | Travel | Food | Other topics | Spoof articles | How to submit an article
[top]
You can support this site by Buying Me A Coffee, and if you like what you see on this page, you can use the buttons below to share it with people you know.
If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.
Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com
[top]
