Although it is often assumed that idioms are too informal for use in academic English, two studies have identified idioms which occur fairly frequently in spoken and written academic English.

This page describes idioms in academic English, giving information on what an idiom is, why academic idioms should be studied, as well as a list of academic idioms for spoken and written English from a recent study of idioms (Miller, 2019), giving first background to the creation of the list and finally the list itself.

There are also some exercises to help you practise using academic idioms.

For a different look at the some of the idioms, check out the academic idioms infographics ».

What is an idiom?

An idiom is a fixed, well-established, multi-word expression, the meaning of which is not deducible from the individual words. The following are some examples of idioms in everyday (not academic) English.

• Raining cats and dogs - raining very hard
• Break a leg - said before a performance, meaning 'good luck'
• Behind one's back - secretly

The following are some examples of idioms for academic English use (a complete list is given below).

• On the other hand - from another point of view (showing contrast)
• Bear in mind - think of something, especially as a warning
• The bottom line - the main or essential point
• Take on board - accept or deal with (a problem or idea)

Why study academic idioms?

Idioms are common in everyday spoken and written English. Although it is often assumed that idioms are too informal for use in academic English, two studies (Simpson and Mendis, 2003, and Miller, 2019) have identified idioms which are used in academic contexts, more commonly in spoken academic contexts though also in academic writing. In Miller's study, idioms in spoken academic texts, including repetitions, occurred with a frequency of 835 per million words, or close to 0.1%. While this figure is not as high as, say, words in the Academic Word List (10%) or the Academic Collocation List (1.4%), productive knowledge of idioms will assist students in becoming part of the academic discourse community, while receptive knowledge will aid them in understanding spoken or written texts.

Miller reports that idioms may sometimes be signposted by lecturers (e.g. via the phrase as it were) or writers (e.g. via the phrase as they say or by use of quotation marks). However, these methods do not always signal idiom use, do not help students to understand the meaning of idioms, and in fact add a layer of complexity to academic English study (in terms of what as it were and as they say mean and why quotation marks are used in that way).

Academic Idioms List: background to the list

The list of academic idioms (below) comes from the study by Julia Miller (2019), which used two academic English corpuses: the British Academic Spoken English (BASE) corpus for spoken texts (lectures and seminars), and the Oxford Corpus of Academic English (OCAE) for written texts. Only idioms with a frequency of more than 1.2 per million words (pmw) in the BASE were included.

The range of idiom use is shown by the number of texts in which each idiom occurs, as well as the number of faculties (i.e. disciplinary groups) it occurs in. Miller's study used four such faculties, namely Social Sciences (which had the highest idiom use with 234 pmw), Arts and Humanities (which had 191 idioms pmw), Life and Medical Sciences (183 pmw), and Physical Sciences (which had the least frequent use, 76 pmw).

Most idioms in the list occur in more than one faculty, meaning they are suitable for study by all students of academic English. The most frequent idiom used in only one faculty, gold standard (24th most frequent idiom in spoken academic English and 10th most frequent in written academic English), was used only in the Life Sciences (medical articles).

References

Exercises

Academic Idioms List: Spoken

The list below gives spoken academic idioms from the BASE (British Academic Spoken English) corpus, listed in order of frequency. There are 170 idioms in total. There is a separate version of 38 idioms for written academic English (use the button below to switch lists). Definitions are included for all idioms. [Note: Sp freq pmw means spoken frequency per million words while Wr freq pmw refers to written frequency per million words.]

No.	Idiom	Definition	Sp freq pmw (BASE)	Wr freq pmw (OCAE)	No. texts	No. faculties
1	on the other hand	adv (contrastive) from another point of view. [Syn: then again, but then]	64.11	88.12	30	4
2	bear in mind	verb (1) keep in mind. [Syn: mind] (2) think of something, especially as a warning.	46.73	10.17	42	4
3	on the one hand	adv from one point of view. [Syn: on one hand]	37.74	31.87	30	4
4	at the end of the day	adv taking everything into consideration.	14.98	1.36	13	4
5	the balance of power	noun an equilibrium of power between nations.	10.78	6.20	8	2
6	on the other [hand]	adv (contrastive) from another point of view. [Syn: then again, but then]	10.19	20.34	12	3
7	the bottom line	noun the main or essential point.	8.39	2.50	8	4
8	take on board	verb to understand or accept or deal with an idea.	7.79	0.00	13	4
9	by and large	adv usually; as a rule. [Syn: generally, more often than not, mostly]	7.19	0.04	12	4
10	a step further/back	noun action that will be helpful/harmful to a situation.	7.19	6.21	12	4
11	take for granted	verb (1) take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof. [Syn: assume, presume] (2) value too lightly.	7.19	0.01	9	3
12	in the hands of	adv controlled or owned by someone.	6.59	12.54	10	3
13	along the lines of	adv in a similar way or of a similar type.	6.59	9.24	9	3
14	in its own right	adv because of its own special qualities.	5.99	9.27	10	4
15	across the board	adv including or applying to all.	5.99	1.21	7	3
16	at the back of one's mind	adv in the part of one's mind where memories are kept but not usually thought about.	5.99	0.30	4	2
17	sit on the fence	verb to be unwilling or unable to make a decision.	5.99	0.12	2	2
18	in the long run	adv after a very lengthy period of time. [Syn: in the end]	5.39	7.84	9	4
19	bad news	noun someone or something that is undesirable or dangerous.	5.39	2.75	8	4
20	driving force	noun someone or something that makes something happen.	5.39	6.21	8	4
21	on the face of it	adv from appearances alone. [Syn: apparently, seemingly, ostensibly]	5.39	2.57	8	4
22	in (the) light of	adv in view of, because of, considering.	5.39	34.99	8	3
23	come into play	verb begin to be used or begin to have an effect.	5.39	4.26	8	3
24	gold standard	noun (1) a monetary standard under which the basic unit of currency is defined by a stated quantity of gold. (2) a paragon of excellence.	5.39	6.66	6	1
25	what on earth	adj used to show surprise, confusion, or anger (at what has happened or is happening).	4.79	0.17	7	3
26	go without saying	verb to be so obvious that it does not need explanation.	4.79	1.85	6	2
27	trial and error	noun experimenting until a solution is found.	4.79	1.85	5	3
28	down the line	adv in the future.	4.19	0.08	7	3
29	over the top	adj too extreme, or demanding too much attention.	4.19	0.05	6	3
30	state of the art	noun the highest degree of development of an art or technique at a particular time.	4.19	1.36	4	2
31	the man/woman in the street	noun an average person whose opinions are considered to be representative of most people.	4.19	0.28	3	3
32	stepping stone	noun (1) a stone in a marsh or shallow water that can be stepped on in crossing. (2) any means of advancement.	4.19	0.66	2	1
33	from scratch	adv from the beginning.	3.59	1.86	6	3
34	bridge the gap	verb to connect two things or make the difference between them smaller.	3.59	1.85	6	3
35	the big picture	noun the whole story or idea.	3.59	1.30	6	3
36	in the early days	noun an early period of development. [Syn: youth]	3.59	2.33	5	4
37	get one's head (a) round	verb to understand something (often used in the negative).	3.59	0.02	5	4
38	go hand in hand with	verb be closely related to or happening at the same tim.	3.59	2.68	5	3
39	keep an eye on	verb follow with the eyes or the mind. [Syn: watch, observe, follow, watch over]	3.59	0.78	5	3
40	hang on a minute	verb used to tell someone to wait for a brief time.	3.59	0.04	5	2
41	on the spot	adv (1) without delay or immediately. (2) in a difficult situation. (3) at the place in question; there.	3.59	0.84	4	4
42	get to grips with	verb deal with (a problem or a subject). [Syn: come to grips]	3.59	1.78	4	3
43	go through the roof	verb (1) to rise to a very high level. (2) to react angrily.	3.59	0.06	4	2
44	full circle	adv returning to the original place, source, or state after a cycle of developments (esp. in the phrase to come full circle).	3.00	0.54	5	3
45	that's another story	noun used for something that you do not want to give more detail about at this time.	3.00	0.27	5	3
46	how on earth	adv use to show surprise, confusion, or anger (at how something happened or is happening).	3.00	0.08	5	3
47	cast one's mind back	verb to try to remember.	3.00	0.04	5	3
48	last resort	noun (1) French for `worst going'. [Syn: pis aller] (2) the only choice that remains after all others hand been tried.	3.00	4.05	5	2
49	the other side of the coin	noun a different way of considering a situation (either better or worse).	3.00	0.54	5	2
50	ring a bell	verb to sound familiar.	3.00	0.15	5	1
51	good old days	noun a time in the past when life seemed to be much better.	3.00	0.27	4	3
52	grey area	noun an intermediate area; a topic that is not clearly one thing or the other. [Syn: gray area]	3.00	0.60	4	2
53	out of the blue	adj not anticipated. [Syn: unanticipated, unforeseen, unlooked-for] adv in a way that was not expected. [Syn: unexpectedly]	3.00	0.05	3	3
54	golden age	noun (1) a time period when some activity or skill was at its peak. (2) any period (sometimes imaginary) of great peace and prosperity and happiness. (3) (classical mythology) the first and best age of the world, a time of ideal happiness, prosperity, and innocence; by extension, any flourishing and outstanding period. [Syn: Golden Age]	3.00	2.96	3	2
55	touchy-feely	adj (often derogatory) openly expressing love and affection (especially through physical contact).	3.00	0.05	3	1
56	in the short run	adv over a relatively brief period of time (often used in contrast with the long run) .	3.00	4.19	2	2
57	spring to mind	verb be remembered. [Syn: come to mind]	2.40	0.31	4	3
58	on the right track	adv doing something in a way that is likely to lead to success.	2.40	0.28	4	3
59	have a stab at	verb to try to do something, though you are unlikely to be successful.	2.40	0.25	4	3
60	get the picture	verb get the meaning of something. [Syn: comprehend, savvy, dig, grasp, compass, apprehend]	2.40	0.08	4	3
61	the high point	noun the best or most enjoyable part of a given experience.	2.40	1.52	4	2
62	it's early days	noun to be too soon to make a judgement about something because there is still a lot of time for things to change.	2.40	0.01	4	2
63	the whole story	noun all the facts.	2.40	1.41	3	3
64	do the job	verb to serve a particular purpose (though it may not be the best thing to use).	2.40	0.63	3	3
65	move the goalposts	verb to change the rules during an activity to make it more difficult for other people involved.	2.40	0.08	3	3
66	behind the scenes	adv happening without people knowing it, especially when something else is happening publicly.	2.40	1.36	3	2
67	in the pipeline	adj in progress.	2.40	0.31	3	2
68	on the back burner	adj having low priority.	2.40	0.11	3	2
69	bog standard	adj having no special or interesting qualities.	2.40	0.02	3	2
70	out of one's hands	adj not in someone's control.	2.40	0.00	3	2
71	call the cavalry	verb request back-up or a special team to solve a problem.	2.40	0.00	3	2
72	beg the question	verb (1) to cause someone to ask a particular question. (2) to talk about something as if it were true, even though it may not be.	2.40	2.18	2	2
73	get something straight	verb to understand what is true.	2.40	0.05	2	2
74	play ball	verb to agree to work with someone in the way they want.	2.40	0.05	2	1
75	boil down to	verb (1) be the essential element. [Syn: reduce, come down] (2) be cooked until very little liquid is left. [Syn: reduce, decoct, concentrate] (3) cook until very little liquid is left. [Syn: reduce, concentrate]	1.80	1.13	3	3
76	in store	adj in readiness; awaiting.	1.80	0.34	3	3
77	make up one's own mind	verb to make a decision about something.	1.80	0.20	3	3
78	have up one's sleeve	verb to have a secret plan or idea that can be used when needed.	1.80	0.12	3	3
79	go down that route	verb to pursue a particular course of action (often negative).	1.80	0.09	3	3
80	get one's act together	verb to organise oneself in order to do things in a more effective way.	1.80	0.08	3	3
81	on one hand	adv from one point of view. [Syn: on the one hand]	1.80	2.58	3	2
82	overall picture	noun a complete view of a subject.	1.80	1.14	3	2
83	golden rule	noun (1) any important rule. (2) a command based on Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount. [Syn: Golden Rule]	1.80	1.05	3	2
84	have a life of its own	verb to move or function without a person touching it.	1.80	0.89	3	2
85	turn something on its head	verb to cause something to be the opposite of what it was before.	1.80	0.76	3	2
86	fall into place	verb become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions. [Syn: click, get through, dawn, come home, get across, sink in, penetrate]	1.80	0.30	3	2
87	so far so good	adj used for an activity that has gone well up to now.	1.80	0.23	3	2
88	on one's hands	adj imposed on someone (a responsibility).	1.80	0.11	3	2
89	in the same boat	adj in the same difficult situation as others.	1.80	0.09	3	2
90	take home message	noun the main piece of information that is learnt from something.	1.80	0.11	3	1
91	joe public	noun the general public.	1.80	0.04	3	1
92	kicking and screaming	adj used to describe someone who has been forced to go somewhere or do something, despite much protest.	1.80	0.02	3	1
93	rule of thumb	noun a rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior. [Syn: guidepost, guideline]	1.20	2.98	2	2
94	hot spots	noun (1) a place of political unrest and potential violence. [Syn: hotspot] (2) a point of intense heat or radiation. [Syn: hotspot] (3) a lively entertainment spot. [Syn: hotspot]	1.80	0.94	2	2
95	ring true	verb to seem to be true.	1.80	0.30	2	2
96	put your finger on	verb to recognise the reason behind a situation (especially when something is wrong).	1.80	0.24	2	2
97	get a handle on	verb to have an understanding of something.	1.80	0.21	2	2
98	shut up shop	verb to end an activity (especially business activity).	1.80	0.01	2	2
99	set something in stone	verb to be permanent or very difficult to change.	1.80	0.12	2	1
100	swings and roundabouts	noun a situation in which the positive and negatives balance each other.	1.80	0.02	2	1
101	go in one ear and out the other	verb to quickly forget something.	1.80	0.00	2	1
102	in a nutshell	adv summed up briefly.	1.20	1.17	2	2
103	fall foul of	verb to break a rule or law without intending to.	1.20	1.15	2	2
104	set the scene	verb (1) to describe a situation that is about to happen. (2) to make something likely to happen later.	1.20	1.15	2	2
105	have the upper hand	verb to have a position of advantage and control.	1.20	0.88	2	2
106	on the side	adv without official authorization. [Syn: unofficially]	1.20	0.84	2	2
107	make up one's mind	verb to decide.	1.20	0.76	2	2
108	fly in the face of	verb go against. [Syn: fly in the teeth of]	1.20	0.71	2	2
109	get carried away	verb to become so excited that you cannot control what you do or say.	1.20	0.65	2	2
110	moot point	noun a fact or claim that does not matter.	1.20	0.47	2	2
111	someone's bread and butter	noun the job someone does to earn an income.	1.20	0.38	2	2
112	stand to reason	verb to be the logical conclusion.	1.20	0.38	2	2
113	devil's advocate	noun someone who pretends to be against a plan or idea in order to get others to discuss it in more detail.	1.20	0.37	2	2
114	get one's message across	verb to make someone understand.	1.20	0.30	2	2
115	deliver the goods	verb attain success or reach a desired goal. [Syn: succeed, win, come through, bring home the bacon]	1.20	0.23	2	2
116	a bad press	noun to be criticised (especially in the media).	1.20	0.19	2	2
117	the powers that be	noun important people who have power or control over others.	1.20	0.18	2	2
118	set foot in	verb to enter (a location).	1.20	0.14	2	2
119	happily ever after	adv used to suggest that things will work out perfectly in future.	1.20	0.11	2	2
120	shift gears	verb to suddenly change what you are doing or discussing.	1.20	0.11	2	2
121	get down to the nitty gritty	verb to focus on the most important aspects of a situation.	1.20	0.09	2	2
122	in one's sights	adj the focus of someone's attention and desire for possession.	1.20	0.08	2	2
123	brain power	noun intelligence, ability to think.	1.20	0.07	2	2
124	not to mince one's words	verb not to soften the effect of one's words.	1.20	0.06	2	2
125	throw somebody in at the deep end	verb to make somebody do something new and difficult without help or preparation.	1.20	0.06	2	2
126	cover one's bases	verb to make sure something is successful by trying to anticipate and deal with all problems first.	1.20	0.06	2	2
127	weird and wonderful	adj have unusual appearance or design.	1.20	0.06	2	2
128	cast an eye over	verb to take a quick look at something.	1.20	0.06	2	2
129	above one's station	adj higher than is suitable according to a person's position or rank.	1.20	0.05	2	2
130	have a go	verb make an attempt at something. [Syn: give it a try]	1.20	0.02	2	2
131	in the same ballpark	adj of a similar amount or cost.	1.20	0.02	2	2
132	pat on the back	noun praise for something well done. verb to praise someone for something well done.	1.20	0.02	2	2
133	sit on one's hands	verb to do nothing about a problem that needs dealing with.	1.20	0.02	2	2
134	throw up one's hands	verb to give up, especially in frustration.	1.20	0.02	2	2
135	watch this space	verb to pay attention, as something will happen soon.	1.20	0.02	2	2
136	go down the road of	verb to follow a similar course of action to (somebody/something).	1.20	0.01	2	2
137	this that and the other	noun a lot of different, varying things.	1.20	0.01	2	2
138	get cracking	verb start to be active. [Syn: bestir oneself, get going, get moving, get weaving, get started, get rolling]	1.20	0.01	2	2
139	give someone a shout	verb to contact someone to alert them to something.	1.20	0.01	2	2
140	have a crack at	verb to attempt something.	1.20	0.01	2	2
141	not to put too fine a point on it	verb to be completely direct.	1.20	0.01	2	2
142	give the game away	verb to spoil a surprise by giving away something secret.	1.20	0.01	2	2
143	beat/get the hell out of something	verb to defeat decisively (beat the hell out of), to leave as quickly as possible (get the hell out of).	1.20	0.00	2	2
144	get a move on	verb to move or work faster, to hurry.	1.20	0.00	2	2
145	get one's thoughts together	verb to organise one's thoughts, especially to regain one's calm.	1.20	0.00	2	2
146	hand on heart	adv giving assurance that what one is saying is completely truthful.	1.20	0.00	2	2
147	quote somebody on something	verb tell other people that someone said something.	1.20	0.00	2	2
148	put one's head above the parapet	verb to take a risk (by saying something that may receive an unfavourable response).	1.20	0.00	2	2
149	a fair share	noun a reasonable amount.	1.20	1.55	2	1
150	to say the least	verb to put it mildly (used to indicate that what you have described is much more serious than suggested).	1.20	1.10	2	1
151	grass roots movement	noun an organized effort made by ordinary individuals, not leaders.	1.20	0.65	2	1
152	pick and choose	verb to only take things you want.	1.20	0.47	2	1
153	sow seeds of thought	verb to cause someone to think about something (in the future).	1.20	0.37	2	1
154	at loggerheads	adj in a dispute or confrontation.	1.20	0.24	2	1
155	drag one's feet	verb to do something slowly (or not start to do it) because you do not want to do it.	1.20	0.21	2	1
156	in the driving seat	adj in control of a situation.	1.20	0.17	2	1
157	go back to square one	verb to start a new course of action from the beginning because the original course failed.	1.20	0.08	2	1
158	set in tablets of stone	verb to be very difficult or impossible to change.	1.20	0.07	2	1
159	dear to one's heart	adj personally important.	1.20	0.06	2	1
160	off the top of one's head	adv from memory.	1.20	0.05	2	1
161	end of story	noun said when you think your opinion is correct and there is no other way of thinking about it .	1.20	0.05	2	1
162	in a rut	adj fixed in a particular job or activity and needing a change.	1.20	0.04	2	1
163	tick the boxes	verb to satisfy everything that is required.	1.20	0.04	2	1
164	round robin	noun (1) a tournament in which every contestant plays every other contestant. (2) a letter signed by a number of people.	1.20	0.02	2	1
165	dig one's heels in	verb to refuse to change your idea, especially when someone is trying to persuade you to change.	1.20	0.02	2	1
166	stretch one's legs	verb to go for a walk.	1.20	0.02	2	1
167	get someone on board	verb to get someone's support.	1.20	0.00	2	1
168	on that note	adv used to transition from one topic to the next.	1.20	0.00	2	1
169	tail end Charlie	noun a person at the rear of a formation.	1.20	0.00	2	1
170	jump up and down	verb to make a great display of emotion (especially anger or excitement).	1.20	0.00	2	1