Mastering English Idioms: Travel & Everyday Expressions

Essential English Expressions & Collocations

Common Travel Idioms

• To get/be off the beaten track: to be in a place far away from the city or popular tourist areas.
• To rough it: to live without the comforts of modern life.
• To get by on a shoestring budget: to survive with a very limited budget.
• To end up spending a fortune: to spend a lot of money.
• To be a culture vulture: to enjoy art and culture.
• To get back to nature: to live in a simple way, close to the natural environment.
• To be in the lap of luxury: to live in a very comfortable and expensive condition.

Collocations with 'Traveler'

• Frequent traveler: someone who travels often.
• Independent traveler: a traveler who hasn't booked a package tour.
• Seasoned traveler: an experienced traveler.
• Intrepid traveler: a brave, fearless traveler.
• Weary traveler: a tired traveler.
• Discerning traveler: a traveler with good judgment and taste.
• Armchair traveler: someone who learns about the world from home, often through books or media.
• Inveterate traveler: someone who travels habitually and is unlikely to stop.
• Unwary traveler: a traveler not conscious of the possible dangers of a place.

General English Phrases & Idioms

• To get someone's goat: to annoy somebody.
• To be / to get carried away: to become overexcited or lose self-control.
• To fork out: to pay (often a large or reluctant amount).
• Hefty: large, big (often referring to an amount or size).
• Tight budget: a limited amount of money available.
• To run wild: to behave in an uncontrolled or unruly way.
• To be dead set on (+ -ing): to be determined to do something.
• To be very much in line with: to be similar to or consistent with.
• To elbow people aside: to push people out of the way, often to gain an advantage.
• To face the music: to accept the unpleasant consequences of one's actions.
• To foot the bill: to pay for something.
• To shoulder the burden: to take on a difficult responsibility.
• To stomach the idea: to accept or tolerate an unpleasant idea or situation.
• To toe the line: to obey rules or authority.
• To be well and truly hooked on: to be very interested in or addicted to something.
• To rise to the challenge: to meet a difficult situation successfully.
• Sink or swim: to either fail completely or succeed completely, especially without help.
• To be a great eye-opener: to be a surprising or enlightening experience.
• To soak up the atmosphere: to fully experience the feeling or mood of a place.
• To be put to the test: to be challenged to show one's abilities or strength.
• A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: a unique chance that is unlikely to happen again.
• At odds with: in disagreement with.
• By no means: definitely not; not at all.
• On its own merits: judged only on its qualities, not on outside influences.
• Over the top: excessive, exaggerated, or unreasonable.
• Beyond all expectations: better than anticipated.
• In all honesty: to be truthful.
• Out of my control: not able to be managed or influenced by me.
• Within reason: within sensible or fair limits.
• To be dragged along: to be forced to go somewhere unwillingly.
• The rest is history: what happened next is well-known.
• Everything falls into place: things become clear or organized.
• To hit a run of bad luck: to experience a continuous period of misfortune.
• To knock somebody sideways: to surprise or confuse someone greatly.
• To live beyond one's means: to spend more money than one can afford.
• To go downhill fast: to rapidly decline in quality or health.
• Something on the cards: likely to happen.
• To be in a rut: not making progress or experiencing change; stuck in a routine.
• To be made redundant: to be dismissed from a job because it is no longer needed (often due to budget cuts).
• Out of the blue: an event that occurs unexpectedly, without any warning or preparation.