Idioms are a colorful and expressive way to add interest and meaning to our language.
They are often used to convey a message or emotion in a way that is more impactful than simply stating the words.
In education, idioms can be a fun and engaging way to help students understand new concepts and retain information.
In this blog post, we will explore a variety of idioms for education, complete with explanations, to help you spice up your language and your teaching.
From “hit the books” to “a tough nut to crack”, these idioms will help you convey ideas and emotions in a way that is more memorable and meaningful to your students.

Idioms for Education
- “Hit the books” – To study hard
- “Ahead of the curve” – To be ahead of others in knowledge or understanding
- “Teach your grandmother to suck eggs” – To try to teach someone something they already know
- “Eat, sleep, and breathe” – To be completely devoted to a subject or task
- “Learn the ropes” – To learn the basics or essentials of something
- “Study up” – To prepare for an exam or test
- “A quick study” – Someone who learns quickly
- “A dull student” – Someone who is not interested in learning
- “A teacher’s pet” – A student who is favored by a teacher
- “A class act” – A student or teacher who is well-behaved and performs well
- “A school of hard knocks” – A tough learning experience through life experiences
- “A crash course” – A short intense course of learning
- “A smart cookie” – Someone who is intelligent and good at solving problems
- “A student of life” – Someone who is always learning and trying to better themselves
- “A bookworm” – someone who loves reading and studying books
- “A straight-A student” – Someone who consistently receives A grades
- “A school of fish” – A group of people or things that move or behave in a similar way
- “A teachable moment” – An opportunity to educate or instruct
- “A tough nut to crack” – A difficult problem or challenge to solve
- “A brainiac” – Someone who is very intelligent
- “A wild card” – Someone who is unpredictable or difficult to predict
- “A diamond in the rough” – Someone who has potential but needs to be polished or refined
- “A drop in the bucket” – A small contribution or achievement in comparison to what is needed or expected
- “A square peg in a round hole” – Someone who doesn’t fit in with the rest of a group or organization
- “A sponge” – Someone who absorbs information easily
- “A master class” – A class or lesson given by an expert in a particular field
- “A greenhorn” – A beginner or novice
- “A paint-by-numbers approach” – A method of instruction that is overly formulaic and inflexible
- “A field trip” – A journey made for the purpose of educational observation, usually outside of the classroom
- “A grey area” – A topic or issue that is uncertain or difficult to understand
Summary
Idiom | Meaning |
---|---|
Hit the books | To study hard |
Ahead of the curve | To be ahead of others in knowledge or understanding |
Teach your grandmother to suck eggs | To try to teach someone something they already know |
Eat, sleep, and breathe | To be completely devoted to a subject or task |
Learn the ropes | To learn the basics or essentials of something |
Study up | To prepare for an exam or test |
A quick study | Someone who learns quickly |
A dull student | Someone who is not interested in learning |
A teacher’s pet | A student who is favored by a teacher |
A class act | A student or teacher who is well-behaved and performs well |
A school of hard knocks | A tough learning experience through life experiences |
A crash course | A short intense course of learning |
A smart cookie | Someone who is intelligent and good at solving problems |
A student of life | Someone who is always learning and trying to better themselves |
A bookworm | Someone who loves reading and studying books |
A straight-A student | Someone who consistently receives A grades |
A school of fish | A group of people or things that move or behave in a similar way |
A teachable moment | An opportunity to educate or instruct |
A tough nut to crack | A difficult problem or challenge to solve |
A brainiac | Someone who is very intelligent |
A wild card | Someone who is unpredictable or difficult to predict |
A diamond in the rough | Someone who has potential but needs to be polished or refined |
A drop in the bucket | A small contribution or achievement in comparison to what is needed or expected |
A square peg in a round hole | Someone who doesn’t fit in with the rest of a group or organization |
A sponge | Someone who absorbs information easily |
A master class | A class or lesson given by an expert in a particular field |
A greenhorn | A beginner or novice |
A paint-by-numbers approach | A method of instruction that is overly formulaic and inflexible |
A field trip | A journey made for the purpose of educational observation, usually outside of the classroom |
A grey area | A topic or issue that is uncertain or difficult to understand |
Conclusion
In conclusion, idioms are an engaging and effective way to enhance our language and teaching in the education field.
The idioms for education that we have explored in this blog post are just a small sampling of the many idioms available to us.
By incorporating idioms into your language, whether in your teaching, in your writing, or in your conversations, you can add depth, meaning, and interest to your communication.
Remember that idioms can be useful to convey emotions and ideas in a way that is more impactful, memorable and meaningful to your students.
It’s a fun and interesting way to help students understand new concepts and retain information.
Thanks for joining me on this exploration of idioms for education.