30-Day Challenge Idioms 1

Learn 150 advanced idioms in 30 days - also available as part of our membership

"I can speak simple English but I want to sound more interesting."


It's often true that we'd like to add a little extra to our English, to make it more interesting. Idioms are a great way to do this.

In English, there are hundreds of idioms (expressions like 'get cold feet or 'do the trick'). They're useful to understand and impressive to use.

Many learners of English really enjoy using idioms - they are fun and native speakers love it when non-native speakers use them. Idioms also make your written English sound more sophisticated and natural.


Knowing the idioms is a bit like being part of a club. It's fun and you have secret knowledge!


But there are two problems:

1: How do we know which idioms to choose? There are thousands! Some of them are old-fashioned or rare or rude and it's hard to know exactly what they mean.

2: How do we remember idioms? It's frustrating to spend time learning them and then forget everything. Also, with idioms you need to have every word correct or it sounds strange so you need to learn them really well.


In this challenge, we're going to fix these two problems.


1: I've chosen 150 modern, useful idioms for you, and I'll explain clearly how to use each one.

2: I'll teach you scientific methods to help you remember the idioms, even if you think you have a bad memory. And you'll get all the materials that you need to memorise them inside the challenge.


At the end of the challenge, you'll be able to use these idioms without thinking.

You'll find they just appear in your head when you're speaking or writing.

Get started now!



Get started now!



How it works


  • Start any time.
  • You get one lesson every day for 30 days.
  • In each lesson, we'll learn 5 new idioms - 150 in total.
  • The idioms are modern and useful. I've chosen them carefully for you.
  • The lessons include a video, interactive exercise, PDFs and flashcards.
  • You can do the lessons whenever you want, on your computer, tablet or phone.
  • We'll also learn techniques to help you remember vocabulary. You can use the techniques with any new words in the future.
  • The challenge is yours forever.
  • You can ask questions by email or in the comments of the course and we'll help you.

Your Instructor


Seonaid Beckwith
Seonaid Beckwith

Hello! I'm delighted to meet you!

I'm Seonaid (it's pronounced 'show - na'!) and I'm your teacher here at Perfect English Grammar. I have a Master's degree from Cambridge University in English and Applied Linguistics and I've been teaching English for more than twenty years.



Course Curriculum


  Questions, comments, feedback
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  Day 1: A hard act to follow, a grey area, not go amiss, add insult to injury, throw the baby out with the bathwater
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  Day 2: Be right up your street, all sweetness and light, fed up to the back teeth, go back to square one, bend over backwards
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  Day 3: Wouldn’t touch with a bargepole, not bat an eyelid, bear in mind, grin and bear it, make a beeline for
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  Day 4: Off the beaten track, have seen better days, bite someone’s head off, the back of beyond, draw a blank
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  Day 5: Turn a blind eye, once in a blue moon, miss the boat, blow something out of all proportion, burn the candle at both ends
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  Day 6: Get to the bottom of, pick someone’s brains, best thing since sliced bread, a dog’s breakfast, take the bull by the horns
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  Day 7: On the back burner, have butterflies in your stomach, be a piece of cake, call it a day, hit the roof
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  Day 8: Play your cards right, not enough room to swing a cat, get something off your chest, have a change of heart, have green fingers
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  Day 9: Be out of your depth, a vicious circle, at the crack of dawn, drive someone up the wall, be on cloud nine
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  Day 10: Make your day, get your wires crossed, cut things fine, be in deep water, the ball’s in your court
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  Day 11: From scratch, strike a chord, a different tack, dig your heels in, not lift a finger
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  Day 12: Keep a straight face, down to earth, give someone the cold shoulder, it’s early days, fall on your feet
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  Day 13: A dark horse, at the end of the day, see eye to eye, before your time, sleep like a log
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  Day 14: Get off to a flying start, pull out all the stops, talk shop, change your tune, easier said than done
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  Day 15: Set the record straight, keep your head down, drag your feet, draw a line under something, have your cake and eat it
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  Day 16: No smoke without fire, play with fire, time flies, go with the flow, wouldn’t hurt a fly
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  Day 17: Follow suit, put your foot down, have your hands full, in a rut, have your fingers burned
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  Day 18: Put someone’s back up, give something the green light, go downhill, in a nutshell, the grass is always greener
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  Day 19: Thin on the ground, suit someone down to the ground, the middle ground, jump the gun, stick to your guns
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  Day 20: Not do anything by halves, at the drop of a hat, have your heart set on something, have a soft spot for someone, not have a leg to stand on
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  Day 21: Off the top of one’s head, a man / woman after your own heart, pour your heart out, take the plunge, have itchy feet
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  Day 22: A hive of activity, it’s a small world, keep yourself to yourself, work like clockwork, no rest for the wicked
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  Day 23: Your heart is in the right place, be worth your while, be on the same wavelength, get your own way, on the spur of the moment
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  Day 24: Come a long way, keep your head above water, under your own steam, twist someone’s arm, take for granted
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  Day 25: Know your stuff, the story of my life, sound like a broken record, stand out a mile, in small doses
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  Day 26: Chase your tail, keep your hair on, a level playing field, get the picture, break the mould
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  Day 27: Pull your weight, out of sorts, six of one and half a dozen of the other, come to terms with, pull strings
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  Day 28: A shoulder to cry on, clear the decks, clutch at straws, on an even keel, take pot luck
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  Day 29: Be a tall order, call the shots, find your feet, prim and proper, a fish out of water
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  Day 30: Be a pain in the neck, go in one ear and out the other, be out of line, go from strength to strength, just the ticket
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Frequently Asked Questions


How long do I have access to the challenge?
You pay once and keep the challenge forever, so if you don't have time in October, it's not a problem.
What if I am unhappy with the challenge?
We would never want you to be unhappy! Please email us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.
I'm a teacher. Can I use this material in my classes?
Yes! You can use everything in the challenge with your private students or in your classroom. All the material is available in downloadable and photocopiable PDFs.
What level is this challenge for?
It's for intermediate (B1) level and above.

Get started now!