Useful English idiomatic expressions, their meanings and examples of how to use them (PART 1): • “Break the ice” Meaning: To start a conversation or make people feel more comfortable. Example: “To break the ice at the party, I said hello to the person next to me.” • “Cut corners” Meaning: To do something in the easiest or cheapest way, often badly. Example: “The company cut corners on safety to save money, which caused problems.” • “Hit the nail on the head” Meaning: To describe something exactly right. Example: “You’ve hit the nail on the head with your idea about the problem.” • “Piece of cake” Meaning: Something very easy to do. Example: “The test was a piece of cake; I finished it very quickly.” • “Cost an arm and a leg” Meaning: To be very expensive Example: “That new phone costs an arm and a leg; I can’t buy it now.” • “Catch someone red-handed” Meaning: To catch someone while they are doing something wrong. Example: “The teacher caught the student red-handed trying to cheat on the test.” • “Barking up the wrong tree” Meaning: To look for something in the wrong place or to blame the wrong person. Example: “If you think I took your book, you’re barking up the wrong tree. I haven’t seen it.”