Language is a powerful tool, and idioms are essential for making it vibrant and engaging. Especially in education, understanding and effectively using idioms can significantly enhance lessons and student interaction.
This article explores common idioms for teaching, helping educators communicate ideas more clearly, compellingly, and memorably. Discover how these phrases can transform learning into an enjoyable and enriching experience.
Best Idioms for Teaching
1. Teach an old dog new tricks
Meaning: To try to make someone change their long-established habits or beliefs, often implying difficulty.
In a Sentence: You can’t teach an old dog new tricks; he’s set in his ways. It’s tough to teach an old dog new tricks, but he’s trying to learn this new software.
Other Ways to Say: Change old habits, Adapt new ways, Overcome ingrained behavior
2. Learn the ropes
Meaning: To learn how to do a particular job or activity.
In a Sentence: It took him a few weeks to learn the ropes at his new company. The new employee is still learning the ropes of the accounting system.
Other Ways to Say: Learn the basics, Get familiar with, Understand the system, Learn the procedure
3. School of hard knocks
Meaning: The education one gets from life’s difficult experiences, rather than formal schooling.
In a Sentence: He never went to college, but he got his education in the school of hard knocks. Life taught her many lessons through the school of hard knocks.
Other Ways to Say: Life experience, Tough experiences, Real-world education, Practical lessons
4. Hit the books
Meaning: To study hard and diligently.
In a Sentence: I have a big exam tomorrow, so I need to hit the books tonight. She’s been hitting the books all weekend to prepare for her finals.
Other Ways to Say: Study hard, Cram, Read, Review
5. A quick study
Meaning: Someone who learns new things quickly and easily.
In a Sentence: She’s a quick study, so she’ll pick up the new software in no time. As a quick study, he adapted to the new role effortlessly.
Other Ways to Say: Fast learner, Apt learner, Intelligent learner, Quick to grasp
6. Learn by heart
Meaning: To memorize something perfectly.
In a Sentence: Actors have to learn their lines by heart before a performance. She learned the entire poem by heart for the recitation contest.
Other Ways to Say: Memorize, Commit to memory, Know perfectly, Recite from memory
7. Pass with flying colors
Meaning: To pass a test or course with a very high score or great success.
In a Sentence: He studied hard and passed the driving test with flying colors. She passed her final exams with flying colors and graduated with honors.
Other Ways to Say: Excel, Succeed brilliantly, Do very well, Get a high score
8. Teach someone a lesson
Meaning: To make someone learn from a mistake, often through negative consequences.
In a Sentence: His recent failure should teach him a lesson about procrastination. The tough loss taught the team a valuable lesson about teamwork.
Other Ways to Say: Give a warning, Provide an instructive experience, Punish for a mistake, Give someone their comeuppance
9. Back to the drawing board
Meaning: To start a plan or idea again from the beginning because the previous attempt failed.
In a Sentence: Our first design didn’t work, so it’s back to the drawing board. After the unsuccessful presentation, it was back to the drawing board for the marketing team.
Other Ways to Say: Start over, Redesign, Replan, Re-evaluate
10. The school of life
Meaning: Education gained from real-world experiences rather than formal academic settings. (Similar to ‘school of hard knocks’).
In a Sentence: He credits his success more to the school of life than to his university degree. The streets of the city were his school of life, teaching him resilience.
Other Ways to Say: Life experience, Real-world learning, Practical education, Everyday lessons
11. Put your thinking cap on
Meaning: To think carefully and creatively about a problem.
In a Sentence: We need to solve this riddle, so everyone put your thinking cap on. The team put their thinking caps on to come up with innovative solutions.
Other Ways to Say: Think hard, Brainstorm, Meditate on, Ponder
12. Learn your lesson
Meaning: To learn from a past mistake and avoid repeating it.
In a Sentence: After losing all his money, he finally learned his lesson about gambling. She learned her lesson about trusting strangers after the incident.
Other Ways to Say: Learn from experience, Take a warning, Understand the consequences
13. Sharpen your pencil
Meaning: To prepare to work or study diligently; to be ready to focus on a task.
In a Sentence: Okay, everyone, sharpen your pencils, it’s time for the exam. The accountant had to sharpen his pencil for the demanding audit.
Other Ways to Say: Prepare to work, Get ready to focus, Prepare to study
14. Cut class
Meaning: To intentionally miss a school class without permission.
In a Sentence: He used to cut class often in high school, which affected his grades. Students who cut class risk falling behind in their studies.
Other Ways to Say: Skip class, Truant, Absent without leave
15. Make the grade
Meaning: To achieve the required standard; to succeed.
In a Sentence: Not everyone has what it takes to make the grade in this competitive industry. She worked hard to make the grade and get into her dream university.
Other Ways to Say: Succeed, Meet the standard, Qualify, Pass
Related Post: 50 Loving Idioms for Mother and Care
16. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: To work or study late into the night.
In a Sentence: He had to burn the midnight oil to finish the report on time. Students often burn the midnight oil before big exams.
Other Ways to Say: Work late, Study late, Pull an all-nighter, Stay up late
17. Teacher’s pet
Meaning: A student who is favored by the teacher, often perceived as unfair by other students.
In a Sentence: The other kids called him the teacher’s pet because he always got special privileges. No one likes a teacher’s pet; it causes resentment.
Other Ways to Say: Favorite student, Sycophant (negative), Favorite
18. Old school
Meaning: Favoring traditional methods or ideas; outdated but often respected.
In a Sentence: My grandfather has an old-school approach to discipline. He’s a bit old school when it comes to technology; he prefers paper maps.
Other Ways to Say: Traditional, Conventional, Classic, Outdated (sometimes negative)
19. Show the ropes
Meaning: To teach someone how to do a job or task (similar to ‘learn the ropes’).
In a Sentence: The senior engineer will show the new intern the ropes. It’s important to take time to show new employees the ropes.
Other Ways to Say: Teach, Train, Guide, Instruct, Mentor
20. A for effort
Meaning: Recognition or praise for trying hard, even if one doesn’t fully succeed.
In a Sentence: The cake was a disaster, but I’ll give her an A for effort. He didn’t win the race, but he certainly gets an A for effort.
Other Ways to Say: Commendable effort, Good try, Tried hard, Earned praise for trying
21. Get up to speed
Meaning: To become fully informed or updated about something; to bring someone up to date.
In a Sentence: I need to get up to speed on the latest market trends. Can you get me up to speed on what happened in the meeting?
Other Ways to Say: Catch up, Be updated, Become informed, Bring up to date
22. Drop out of school
Meaning: To stop attending school or college before completing the course.
In a Sentence: He decided to drop out of school to pursue his passion for music. Many successful entrepreneurs dropped out of school to start their businesses.
Other Ways to Say: Quit school, Leave school, Abandon studies
23. Read between the lines
Meaning: To understand the unstated or implied meaning of something.
In a Sentence: You have to read between the lines to understand what she really means. He learned to read between the lines of the diplomatic statements.
Other Ways to Say: Infer, Understand implicitly, Discern hidden meaning, Sense the unspoken
24. Bring to the table
Meaning: To contribute something useful or valuable to a discussion, project, or situation.
In a Sentence: What skills and experience can you bring to the table for this role? Her creativity is what she brings to the table in every project.
Other Ways to Say: Contribute, Offer, Provide, Supply, Furnish
25. Chalk it up to experience
Meaning: To consider a negative event or mistake as a valuable learning experience.
In a Sentence: We lost some money on that investment, but we’ll just chalk it up to experience. Don’t dwell on the failure; just chalk it up to experience and move on.
Other Ways to Say: Learn from a mistake, Accept as a lesson, Gain experience from
26. Learn the hard way
Meaning: To learn something through difficult or painful experience, rather than by being told.
In a Sentence: He learned the hard way not to trust strangers with his money. Sometimes, children have to learn the hard way about consequences.
Other Ways to Say: Learn from mistakes, Gain experience painfully, Experience consequences
27. Pass the test
Meaning: To succeed in a test or challenge; to meet expectations.
In a Sentence: He studied for weeks and was confident he would pass the test. The new product needs to pass the test of consumer approval before launch.
Other Ways to Say: Succeed, Qualify, Meet requirements, Get through
28. In a class of your own
Meaning: Unique and superior to others in a particular skill or quality.
In a Sentence: Her artistic talent puts her in a class of her own. When it comes to customer service, that restaurant is in a class of its own.
Other Ways to Say: Exceptional, Peerless, Unrivaled, Unique, Outstanding
29. Keep your nose to the grindstone
Meaning: To work hard and continuously, often without much rest or relaxation.
In a Sentence: He kept his nose to the grindstone all semester to get good grades. If you want to finish this project on time, you’ll need to keep your nose to the grindstone.
Other Ways to Say: Work diligently, Toil, Study hard, Labor incessantly
30. Teach by example
Meaning: To teach others good behavior or skills by demonstrating them yourself, rather than just telling them.
In a Sentence: A good leader teaches by example, inspiring their team to follow. Parents teach by example more effectively than by mere words.
Other Ways to Say: Lead by example, Model behavior, Demonstrate, Show the way
31. School someone
Meaning: To decisively defeat or outsmart someone in a competition or argument.
In a Sentence: He schooled his opponent in the chess match, winning easily. The experienced lawyer schooled the young prosecutor during the cross-examination.
Other Ways to Say: Defeat, Outsmart, Beat, Dominate
32. Crack the books
Meaning: To open books and study hard.
In a Sentence: I can’t go out tonight; I really need to crack the books for my history exam. It’s time to crack the books if you want to pass this course.
Other Ways to Say: Study hard, Hit the books, Prepare for an exam, Read intensively
33. Have your nose in a book
Meaning: To be reading a book, often to the exclusion of other activities.
In a Sentence: He always has his nose in a book, even when we’re on vacation. She’s a real bookworm, constantly having her nose in a book.
Other Ways to Say: Reading intently, Immersed in reading, Avid reader
34. Take someone under your wing
Meaning: To guide, protect, or mentor someone who is less experienced.
In a Sentence: The senior colleague took the new employee under his wing and helped him learn. She took the young artist under her wing and shared her knowledge.
Other Ways to Say: Mentor, Guide, Protect, Nurture, Support
35. Learn from scratch
Meaning: To learn something without any prior knowledge or preparation.
In a Sentence: She had to learn how to code from scratch to start her new career. Building that website required him to learn web design from scratch.
Other Ways to Say: Learn from basics, Start from zero, Begin without prior knowledge
Related Post: 50 Idioms for Home Finding Your Sanctuary
36. Flunk out
Meaning: To fail a course or school due to poor grades, leading to expulsion.
In a Sentence: If he doesn’t improve his grades, he’s going to flunk out of college. She flunked out of medical school in her second year.
Other Ways to Say: Fail out, Be expelled, Drop out due to failure
37. Be a quick learner
Meaning: To be able to acquire new skills or knowledge rapidly. (Similar to ‘a quick study’).
In a Sentence: He’s a quick learner, so he picked up the new dance moves in minutes. Companies look for employees who are quick learners and adaptable.
Other Ways to Say: Fast learner, Apt learner, Intelligent learner, Quick to grasp
38. Put through the paces
Meaning: To test someone’s abilities or skills thoroughly.
In a Sentence: The trainer put the new recruits through the paces during their first week. The interview process really put the candidates through the paces.
Other Ways to Say: Test, Assess, Evaluate, Drill, Trial
39. Teach the basics
Meaning: To instruct someone in the fundamental or introductory principles of a subject.
In a Sentence: The first few lessons are designed to teach the basics of guitar playing. Before you can run, you need to be taught the basics of walking.
Other Ways to Say: Teach fundamentals, Instruct on principles, Ground someone in a subject
40. Go the extra mile
Meaning: To make a special additional effort; to do more than what is expected.
In a Sentence: She always goes the extra mile for her clients, ensuring their satisfaction. To truly succeed, you often need to go the extra mile.
Other Ways to Say: Exert extra effort, Do more than required, Overachieve, Go above and beyond
41. Ace the test
Meaning: To achieve a perfect or excellent score on a test.
In a Sentence: He studied all night, hoping to ace the test. She aced her math exam and got a perfect grade.
Other Ways to Say: Pass with flying colors, Get a perfect score, Excel on the test, Master the test
42. Behind the curve
Meaning: Lagging behind in terms of progress, development, or understanding compared to others.
In a Sentence: Our company is behind the curve when it comes to adopting new technology. He’s a bit behind the curve on the latest political developments.
Other Ways to Say: Lagging, Outdated, Behind the times, Not up to date
43. Raise the bar
Meaning: To set higher standards or expectations.
In a Sentence: The new artistic director aims to raise the bar for the entire theater company. Their innovative product raised the bar for all competitors in the industry.
Other Ways to Say: Set higher standards, Improve quality, Elevate expectations, Challenge
44. Get a gold star
Meaning: To receive praise or recognition for good work or behavior.
In a Sentence: You certainly get a gold star for finishing that difficult task ahead of schedule. He was hoping to get a gold star from his boss for his extra effort.
Other Ways to Say: Get praise, Receive recognition, Be commended, Be applauded
45. Hit the ground running
Meaning: To start a new job or project successfully and with great enthusiasm from the very beginning.
In a Sentence: The new manager hit the ground running, implementing changes on day one. She’s ready to hit the ground running in her new role.
Other Ways to Say: Start strong, Begin effectively, Commence vigorously, Start with momentum
46. Learn on the job
Meaning: To acquire skills and knowledge by doing practical work, rather than through formal training.
In a Sentence: Much of what he knows about marketing, he learned on the job. They prefer to hire someone who can learn on the job rather than a pure academic.
Other Ways to Say: On-the-job training, Practical learning, Experiential learning, Learn by doing
47. Off the top of your head
Meaning: Without careful thought or checking; from memory.
In a Sentence: Off the top of my head, I’d say the answer is around 500. I can’t recall her address off the top of my head, but I can look it up.
Other Ways to Say: Impromptu, From memory, Without thinking, At first thought
48. Break new ground
Meaning: To do something that has not been done before; to make an innovation or discovery.
In a Sentence: Her research is breaking new ground in the field of renewable energy. The company aims to break new ground with its revolutionary product.
Other Ways to Say: Innovate, Pioneer, Make discoveries, Blaze a trail, Explore new territory
49. Brush up on
Meaning: To refresh one’s knowledge or skill in something.
In a Sentence: I need to brush up on my Spanish before my trip to Mexico. He decided to brush up on his coding skills to stay competitive.
Other Ways to Say: Review, Refresh, Practice, Polish, Re-learn
50. Lead by example
Meaning: To behave in a way that you want others to follow. (Similar to ‘teach by example’).
In a Sentence: A good leader always leads by example, inspiring trust and respect. Parents should lead by example when it comes to healthy eating habits.
Other Ways to Say: Teach by example, Model behavior, Set an example, Inspire by actions
Exercise to Practice – Idioms for Teaching
- My grandmother loves learning new things, but she always says you can’t _________________________.
- The new employee will spend the first week just _________________________ in the office.
- She faced many challenges, but her wisdom came from the _________________________.
- I need to _________________________ tonight; my final exam is tomorrow.
- He’s a _________________________ and quickly mastered the new software program.
- The children had to _________________________ the entire script for the school play.
- She prepared meticulously and _________________________ on her presentation.
- The coach hoped the defeat would _________________________ about the importance of teamwork.
- Our initial marketing strategy failed, so it’s _________________________.
- If you want to understand the true meaning of the poem, you need to _________________________.
Answer Key
- teach an old dog new tricks
- learning the ropes
- school of hard knocks
- hit the books
- quick study
- learn by heart
- passed with flying colors
- teach them a lesson
- back to the drawing board
- read between the lines
Conclusion
Effectively using idioms for teaching goes beyond simply knowing their meanings; it’s about enriching the learning environment and making complex ideas accessible.
By thoughtfully integrating these colorful expressions, educators can foster deeper engagement and improve comprehension. Ultimately, these idioms empower teachers to create more memorable and impactful lessons, making the journey of learning both effective and enjoyable for everyone involved.
Danny Weber is a language enthusiast and freelance writer with a passion for unpacking the beauty of idioms and metaphors. Through years of research and creative exploration, Danny helps readers understand the deeper meanings behind familiar phrases—making figurative language feel accessible, engaging, and alive. Whether he’s decoding classic sayings or crafting new twists on old expressions, Danny’s work invites you to see language with fresh eyes.
