Learning is a lifelong journey filled with challenges and discoveries. To capture the essence of this experience, various idioms and expressions have been coined over the years, making the language of learning both colorful and insightful. Whether you’re a student, teacher, or simply a curious mind, understanding these idioms can add depth to your conversations about education and personal growth. Here are 20 popular idioms and expressions related to learning, each explained with its meaning and illustrated with a simple example.
Idioms and Expressions Related to Learning
1. Hit the books
Meaning: Start studying.
Example: It’s exam week, time to hit the books.
2. Learn the ropes
Meaning: Acquire basic knowledge or skills.
Example: She’s new, still learning the ropes.
3. Back to the drawing board
Meaning: Start over.
Example: That didn’t work; back to the drawing board.
4. Teach an old dog new tricks
Meaning: Learn something new later in life.
Example: He learned to use a smartphone—proof you can teach an old dog new tricks.
5. School of hard knocks
Meaning: Learning from difficult experiences.
Example: He didn’t go to college; he’s a graduate of the school of hard knocks.
6. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: Study until late at night.
Example: I had to burn the midnight oil to finish the thesis.
7. A quick study
Meaning: Learn quickly.
Example: She’s a quick study, picking up new concepts fast.
8. Cover a lot of ground
Meaning: Study or review a large amount of information.
Example: We covered a lot of ground in today’s lecture.
9. Open a can of worms
Meaning: Raise a complex, troublesome issue.
Example: Discussing the salary led to opening a can of worms.
10. On the same page
Meaning: Agree or have the same understanding.
Example: Let’s make sure we’re on the same page before the meeting.
11. Put thinking caps on
Meaning: Think seriously about a problem.
Example: Let’s put our thinking caps on to solve this.
12. Learn by rote
Meaning: Memorize without understanding.
Example: He learned the formula by rote.
13. Turn over a new leaf
Meaning: Make a fresh start.
Example: This semester, I’m turning over a new leaf.
14. Brainstorm
Meaning: Generate ideas together.
Example: Let’s brainstorm some new topics for our project.
15. Crack the books
Meaning: Open your books to study.
Example: No more TV, time to crack the books.
16. Sharp as a tack
Meaning: Very intelligent.
Example: She’s sharp as a tack, always knows the answer.
17. Think outside the box
Meaning: Think creatively.
Example: We need to think outside the box for a solution here.
18. Master of none
Meaning: Skilled at many things but not an expert in any.
Example: I know a bit about a lot of subjects, a true jack of all trades, master of none.
19. Cut class
Meaning: Miss class without permission.
Example: He cut class to hang out at the café.
20. Bookworm
Meaning: Someone who reads a lot.
Example: She’s a real bookworm, always buried in a novel.
