{"id":5555,"date":"2023-10-23T07:24:45","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T05:24:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.eurotrad.com\/blog\/english-sayings-and-common-phrases-the-most-used\/"},"modified":"2024-01-23T15:25:07","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T14:25:07","slug":"english-sayings-and-common-phrases-the-most-used","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.eurotrad.com\/en\/magazine\/english-sayings-and-common-phrases-the-most-used\/","title":{"rendered":"English sayings and common phrases"},"content":{"rendered":"

English, in both its British and American variants, is full of sayings and catchphrases that can seem cryptic to non-native speakers. Sayings are often rooted in a country’s culture and linguistics, and understanding them can open up a new window into the mindset and culture of its population.
\nSometimes, when on holiday, as well as on formal occasions and during business meetings, knowing some catchphrases and sayings in British or American English<\/strong> can be a big help for establishing a closer connection with people, and prevent you from making embarrassing mistakes.
\nLet’s take a look at some of the most common English and American sayings<\/strong>. Our examples and explanations should give you the confidence you need to navigate some of the most original and commonly used expressions.<\/p>\n

The most common sayings in English<\/h2>\n

By examining a few simple examples, we soon see that differences between British English and American English appear<\/strong><\/a> in everyday language. If you are looking for somewhere to stay, you will use the word ‘flat’<\/em> in English but say ‘apartment<\/em>‘ in American instead.<\/p>\n

The Italian word \u2018antipasto\u2019<\/strong> becomes an ‘appetiser<\/em>‘ in American and ‘starter<\/em>‘ in British English. And when talking about taking a break<\/strong>, you will hear ‘vacation<\/em>‘ in the US and ‘holiday<\/em>\u2019 in Britain.<\/p>\n

It therefore follows that there are also differences between English and American sayings.Let’s start with some Italian sayings with English equivalents that sound quite similar. ‘Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth<\/em><\/strong>\u2019 is the equivalent saying to our own ‘A caval donato non si guarda in bocca’. Depending on the context in which it is said, it can also be translated as \u2018Beggars can’t be choosers<\/em>\u2019<\/strong>, i.e.: ‘Questo \u00e8 quel che passa il convento’.
\nOne of the easiest English sayings to remember, which can be used on a variety of occasions is the popular \u2018Bob’s your uncle<\/em><\/strong>\u2019. It is an exclamation of satisfaction you can say when a problem is solved and is more or less the same as: \u2018There you go\u2019<\/em> or \u2018And that’s it!\u2019.<\/p>\n

American sayings<\/h2>\n

American sayings also include some unique expressions. Never be offended if in the United States someone tells you to \u2018Break a leg!<\/em>\u2019<\/strong>; this is one of the many sayings used in English to wish someone good luck, equivalent in fact to the Italian saying ‘In bocca al lupo’.
\nAmerican slang is full of expressions that are sometimes rather strong and colourful, and these can vary from state to state, given the vast size of the country. But there are some American sayings that are well-known and frequently used everywhere, from north to south. For example, if someone warns you to beware of \u2018monkey business<\/em>\u2019<\/strong>, they are not talking about cute zoo animals on the roam, but referring to cheaters and scams you should watch out for.
\n<\/strong>And here’s an idiomatic expression that might mislead you: \u2018All over the map<\/em>\u2019 <\/strong>is often used when you want to say that you’ve missed the point of an argument or to describe a person who lives life their own individual way.
\nAmerican travel-themed sayings also include the cool expression \u2018To catch the red-eye<\/em><\/strong>\u2019: it means to catch a flight that leaves very late at night. And if something doesn’t go as you had hoped, you can shrug it off casually and throw out one of the classic American sayings: \u2018Bite the bullet<\/em>\u2019<\/strong> which is like our own \u2018Stringi i denti e ingoia il rospo<\/em>\u2019.<\/p>\n

English catchphrases<\/h2>\n

A few examples? \u2018Bad news travels fast<\/em>\u2019<\/strong> is not only the correct translation of a typically Italian saying – ‘Le brutte notizie viaggiano veloci’ – into English, but is also one of the most popular catchphrases in the English-speaking world.
\nAs is \u2018Speak of the devil<\/em>\u2019<\/strong>, another phrase made in English that is akin to our ‘A parlar del diavolo… spuntano le corna’. When, on the other hand, at the restaurant one decides to ‘pagare alla romana’, as we say in Italy, the English equivalent is \u2018To go Dutch<\/em>\u2019<\/strong>. Finally, when it comes to expressions related to the world of tourism, if you are looking for a destination \u2018Off the beaten track<\/em>\u2019<\/strong> it means that you are seeking somewhere as yet unknown to the commercial tourism industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

English, in both its British and American variants, is full of sayings and catchphrases that can seem cryptic to non-native speakers. Sayings are often rooted in a country’s culture and linguistics, and understanding them can open up a new window into the mindset and culture of its population. Sometimes, when on holiday, as well as on formal occasions and during business meetings, knowing some catchphrases and sayings in British or American English can be a big help for establishing a closer connection with people, and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1160,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nEnglish sayings and common phrases: the most used | Eurotrad<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"English sure has a lot of sayings: discover the most commonly used and the oldest ones, thanks to Eurotrad's handy guide.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurotrad.com\/en\/magazine\/english-sayings-and-common-phrases-the-most-used\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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