Everyday Idioms for Speech Therapy
Natalie Fitzgerald SLP
06/02/25 | Last modified: 06/16/25
Idioms are figurative language phrases whose meanings aren’t immediately clear from the words they contain. For example, phrases such as “piece of cake,” “hit the nail on the head,” or “under the weather” are idioms that are commonly used in English.
Idioms are also frequently targeted by speech-language pathologists in speech therapy because they are a difficult skill for those who have language delays, autism, or speak English as a second language. Also, because idioms don’t follow their literal definitions, they are a great opportunity for children to work on additional skills such as inference, social language, and problem solving.
This article will give you a robust list of idioms with clear explanations and demonstrate how to use them in speech therapy sessions. Whether you’re a speech therapist, teacher, or parent, you’ll walk away with practical tools to help your student better understand everyday language.
55+ Idioms for Speech Therapy
Below is a table of commonly used speech idioms with their meanings. These can be used for identifying figurative vs. literal language, building sentence formation skills, or practicing inferencing.
| Idiom | Meaning |
| Raining cats and dogs | Raining very hard |
| Break the ice | Start a conversation in a comfortable way |
| A piece of cake | Very easy |
| Hit the nail on the head | Get something exactly right |
| Let the cat out of the bag | Tell a secret |
| Under the weather | Sick |
| The ball is in your court | It’s your decision now |
| Spill the beans | Tell a secret |
| Cost an arm and a leg | Very expensive |
| On cloud nine | Extremely happy |
| The early bird gets the worm | People who act quickly have an advantage |
| Barking up the wrong tree | Following the wrong course of action |
| In hot water | In trouble |
| Hit the books | Study hard |
| Hit the sack/hay | Go to bed |
| Cut to the chase | Get to the point |
| Drag your feet | To delay something or do it slowly on purpose |
| Play with fire | To act dangerously or take unnecessary risks |
| Out of the blue | Unexpectedly |
| Head in the clouds | Daydreaming or not paying attention |
| Couch potato | Being lazy, spending a lot of time watching TV |
| Horsing around | Playing or acting in a silly or rough way |
| Hold your horses | Be patient |
| Hit the road | Being a trip |
| Back to square one | Start over from the beginning |
| Keep an eye on | Pay attention to or watch over something |
| Two left feet | Clumsy or uncoordinated, especially when dancing |
| Working against the clock | Rushing to finish something before a deadline |
| Two peas in a pod | Two people who are very similar or close |
| I’m all ears | I’m listening or paying attention |
| Break a leg | Good luck |
| Off the hook | No longer in trouble or responsible |
| Cold shoulder | Ignoring someone |
| An open book | Someone who is easy to understand and shares openly |
| On the tip of my tongue | Almost able to remember or say something |
| Icing on the cake | Something extra that makes a good situation even better |
| Add insult to injury | To make an already bad situation even worse |
| Hang on | Wait a moment |
| At the drop of a hat | Immediately; right away |
| Cut corners | To do something poorly by skipping steps |
| Keep a straight face | Try not to laugh at something amusing |
| Bend over backwards | Try very hard to please someone |
| Miss the boat | Miss an opportunity |
| Beat around the bush | Avoid saying something directly |
| Bite the bullet | To face something difficult or unpleasant |
| Bite off more than you can chew | To take on more than you can handle |
| Call it a day | Stop working for the day |
| Have a cow | To get extremely upset or angry |
| Get bent out of shape | Become upset or angry |
| Put all your eggs in one basket | Rely on a single plan or option |
| The last straw | The final annoyance that causes a reaction |
| Put your foot in your mouth | Say something embarrassing or inappropriate |
| Under the radar | Unnoticed; without attracting attention |
| Play it by ear | To handle a situation without a plan |
| Heart of gold | Very kind and generous |
How to Use These Idioms in Speech Therapy:
- Define the Idioms: work with the student on defining both the literal and figurative definitions of the idioms.
- Draw Pictures: draw pictures of both the literal and figurative meanings of the idioms.
- Matching Activities: have students match idioms to their meanings using card games, worksheets, or online games.
- Make Sentences: help students practice using the idioms in their own unique sentences.
- Make Stories: encourage students to create their own short story using 2–3 idioms.
Why Idioms for Speech Therapy are Important
Understanding idioms helps students build social-pragmatic language and recognize the nuances of everyday conversation. It can also help them understand instruction, directions, and expectations within the classroom. Many idioms appear in school, television, books, and peer conversations. If a child takes language literally, idioms can cause confusion and missed social cues.
Working with idioms in speech therapy boosts:
- Figurative language comprehension
- Abstract thinking
- Vocabulary expansion
- Humor and perspective-taking
- Confidence in group conversations
Using Forbrain to Practice Idioms for Speech Therapy
Forbrain is a bone-conduction headset designed to help with attention, memory, and speech clarity. When students use Forbrain while practicing idioms, it can benefit them in several ways:
- They hear their own voice clearly, which reinforces property articulation and fluency,
- The increased auditory feedback helps them focus on intonation and expression, which are key components of using idioms naturally, and
- It can enhance memorization of the idiom and its meaning
Pairing Forbrain with idiom activities (such as reading them, drawing pictures, matching, or writing sentences) supports auditory processing and expressive language simultaneously.
Final Words
Idioms may seem tricky at first, but with the right approach, they offer a fun and powerful way to strengthen language skills. By incorporating idioms into speech therapy sessions—and potentially enhancing practice with tools like Forbrain—students can grow more confident in their communication and social understanding.
Whether you’re a speech therapist, educator, or parent, we hope this list and these strategies empower you to support your learners in unlocking the richness of figurative language.