Studying helps us learn new things. Sometimes, it can be fun. Other times, it can be hard. People use special phrases to talk about studying. These are called idioms. Idioms are groups of words that have a meaning different from the words themselves. They make talking more fun and interesting.
In this article, you will learn some idioms about studying. These idioms can help you understand how others feel about learning. You may even start using them when you talk about school. Let’s take a look at what these idioms mean and how they are used.
Idioms about Studying
1. Hit the books
Meaning: To start studying hard.
To Provide an Example: I need to hit the books after dinner to get ready for the math test. / She hit the books last night and now she feels ready for class.
Alternative Meaning: It means you begin to focus and study a lot. / It’s not about hitting a book. It means to read and learn.
2. Learn the ropes
Meaning: To learn how to do something new.
To Provide an Example: He is learning the ropes at his new school. / It took her a week to learn the ropes in her reading group.
Alternative Meaning: This means you are learning how things work. / It’s not about ropes. It means getting used to something new.
3. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: To study late into the night.
To Provide an Example: Tom burned the midnight oil to finish his book report. / We burned the midnight oil to study for the science quiz.
Alternative Meaning: It means staying up late to get work done. / Not about oil it means working late to learn.
4. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To give the right answer or idea.
To Provide an Example: She hit the nail on the head with her answer in class. / You hit the nail on the head when you said the story was about friendship.
Alternative Meaning: It means you are exactly right. / You understand something just right.
5. In the same boat
Meaning: To be in the same situation as someone else.
To Provide an Example: We’re all in the same boat when it comes to homework. / She said we were in the same boat because we both forgot our books.
Alternative Meaning: It means everyone is having the same problem. / No one is alone in the struggle.
6. Crack the books
Meaning: To open your books and start studying.
To Provide an Example: After dinner, I cracked the books to study for my test. / It’s time to crack the books before bedtime.
Alternative Meaning: It means to begin reading and learning. / Not really cracking books it means opening them to study.
7. Pass with flying colors
Meaning: To do very well on a test or assignment.
To Provide an Example: She passed her spelling test with flying colors. / I studied hard and passed with flying colors.
Alternative Meaning: It means you did great on something. / You got most or all of the answers right.
8. Pull an all-nighter
Meaning: To stay up all night studying.
To Provide an Example: He pulled an all-nighter to finish his project. / I was so tired after pulling an all-nighter for school.
Alternative Meaning: You don’t sleep so you can keep working. / You stay awake the whole night to study.
9. Learn by heart
Meaning: To memorize something.
To Provide an Example: I learned the poem by heart. / She learned her address by heart for class.
Alternative Meaning: You remember something without looking at it. / You can say it without needing help.
10. Bookworm
Meaning: A person who loves reading and studying.
To Provide an Example: My brother is a bookworm. He reads every day. / She’s such a bookworm, always in the library.
Alternative Meaning: It means someone who reads a lot. / A person who enjoys learning.
11. Make the grade
Meaning: To do well enough to pass.
To Provide an Example: I worked hard and made the grade in science. / She didn’t study much and didn’t make the grade.
Alternative Meaning: You do well enough to move on. / You pass the class or test.
12. Put on your thinking cap
Meaning: To start thinking carefully.
To Provide an Example: We put on our thinking caps to solve the riddle. / Time to put on your thinking cap for math.
Alternative Meaning: It means to start using your brain. / To think hard about a problem.
13. Brainstorm
Meaning: To think of many ideas quickly.
To Provide an Example: We brainstormed ideas for our story. / Let’s brainstorm names for our class project.
Alternative Meaning: You come up with lots of thoughts. / You share ideas with others.
14. Go back to the drawing board
Meaning: To start over and try again.
To Provide an Example: Our science project didn’t work, so we went back to the drawing board. / Let’s go back to the drawing board and fix our plan.
Alternative Meaning: You try again from the start. / You change your plan and redo it.
15. Ace a test
Meaning: To get a very good score on a test.
To Provide an Example: I aced my math test today. / She studied hard and aced the quiz.
Alternative Meaning: It means to get almost everything right. / You do really well on a test.
16. Raise your hand
Meaning: To show you want to speak in class.
To Provide an Example: I raised my hand to answer the question. / She always raises her hand before speaking.
Alternative Meaning: It’s a polite way to ask to talk. / It shows you want to join in.
17. Take notes
Meaning: To write down what you learn.
To Provide an Example: I took notes during the science lesson. / He takes good notes in class.
Alternative Meaning: You write to help you remember. / You jot down what is important.
18. At the top of the class
Meaning: To be one of the best students.
To Provide an Example: She is at the top of the class in reading. / He worked hard to be at the top of the class.
Alternative Meaning: It means doing better than most others. / You are one of the best in your grade.
19. Chalk and talk
Meaning: A way of learning where the teacher explains using a board.
To Provide an Example: Our teacher used chalk and talk for math. / We listened during the chalk and talk lesson.
Alternative Meaning: It means the teacher talks while writing. / A common way of teaching in class.
20. School of hard knocks
Meaning: Learning by facing problems.
To Provide an Example: He learned from the school of hard knocks when his team lost. / She didn’t win, but she learned a lot in the school of hard knocks.
Alternative Meaning: You learn from real life, not just books. / It means learning the hard way.
21. Read between the lines
Meaning: To understand something not said clearly.
To Provide an Example: I had to read between the lines to get the story’s message. / She read between the lines and knew her friend was sad.
Alternative Meaning: It means you figure out what’s really going on. / You understand the hidden meaning.
22. Skip class
Meaning: To not go to class on purpose.
To Provide an Example: He skipped class and missed the lesson. / Don’t skip class, or you’ll fall behind.
Alternative Meaning: It means you choose not to go. / You miss school without a reason.
23. Know something inside out
Meaning: To know something very well.
To Provide an Example: She knows her times tables inside out. / I know this story inside out.
Alternative Meaning: You know every part of it. / You remember it so well.
24. Teacher’s pet
Meaning: A student who is liked most by the teacher.
To Provide an Example: Some kids say he’s the teacher’s pet. / She helps the teacher a lot and is called the teacher’s pet.
Alternative Meaning: A student who tries to please the teacher. / Someone who gets extra attention in class.
25. Show of hands
Meaning: A way to vote or answer by raising hands.
To Provide an Example: We had a show of hands to pick our game. / The teacher asked for a show of hands for the answer.
Alternative Meaning: You raise your hand to vote. / It’s a quick way to choose.
26. Call the roll
Meaning: To say names out loud to check who is present.
To Provide an Example: The teacher called the roll before class started. / I said “here” when my name was called in the roll.
Alternative Meaning: It means checking who is at school. / A way to see who is there.
27. School of thought
Meaning: A group of people who believe the same idea.
To Provide an Example: One school of thought says kids learn best by playing. / In that school of thought, reading is the most important.
Alternative Meaning: It means a way of thinking. / A shared idea or belief.
28. Put two and two together
Meaning: To figure something out.
To Provide an Example: I put two and two together and knew the test was today. / He saw the books and put two and two together.
Alternative Meaning: You understand what is happening. / You figure out the answer.
29. Drop out
Meaning: To stop going to school before finishing.
To Provide an Example: He dropped out of music class. / She didn’t want to study anymore and dropped out.
Alternative Meaning: You leave school early. / You stop learning in that class.
30. Learn the hard way
Meaning: To learn by making a mistake.
To Provide an Example: I forgot my homework and learned the hard way. / She didn’t study and learned the hard way.
Alternative Meaning: You learn from doing something wrong. / A tough way to learn.
31. Study up on
Meaning: To learn more about something.
To Provide an Example: I studied up on volcanoes for my project. / He studied up on space to write his paper.
Alternative Meaning: You get ready by learning. / You read and practice before doing something.
32. Goof off
Meaning: To play or waste time instead of working.
To Provide an Example: We goofed off and didn’t finish our homework. / He goofed off during reading time.
Alternative Meaning: It means not paying attention. / You choose to play instead of learn.
33. Learn the ABCs
Meaning: To learn the basics of something.
To Provide an Example: First, you need to learn the ABCs of drawing. / She learned the ABCs of swimming in class.
Alternative Meaning: It means starting from the beginning. / You learn the easy, first steps.
34. The bell rings a bell
Meaning: Something sounds familiar.
To Provide an Example: That name rings a bell I think I’ve heard it before. / Her story rings a bell. I read one like it.
Alternative Meaning: You remember something from before. / It feels familiar.
35. Out to lunch
Meaning: Not paying attention.
To Provide an Example: He was out to lunch during math. / I asked her a question, but she was out to lunch.
Alternative Meaning: You are not listening. / You’re not focused.
36. Count noses
Meaning: To count how many people are there.
To Provide an Example: The teacher counted noses before we left the classroom. / Let’s count noses before the field trip.
Alternative Meaning: It means counting people. / You check who is with the group.
37. Brain freeze
Meaning: When your mind goes blank or you can’t think.
To Provide an Example: I had a brain freeze during the spelling test. / He got a brain freeze when asked the question.
Alternative Meaning: You forget something for a moment. / Your brain gets stuck.
38. Pencil something in
Meaning: To make a plan that may change later.
To Provide an Example: We penciled in the group project for Friday. / She penciled in a meeting with her teacher.
Alternative Meaning: You plan, but not for sure. / It might change.
39. Read up on
Meaning: To read and learn more about something.
To Provide an Example: I read up on frogs for science. / She read up on clouds for her report.
Alternative Meaning: You find out more by reading. / You learn more about something.
40. Put your nose to the grindstone
Meaning: To work very hard.
To Provide an Example: He put his nose to the grindstone and finished the project. / I put my nose to the grindstone to learn all my spelling words.
Alternative Meaning: You focus and work hard. / You don’t stop until it’s done.
41. Cover a lot of ground
Meaning: To learn or talk about many things.
To Provide an Example: We covered a lot of ground in history today. / The teacher covered a lot of ground before the quiz.
Alternative Meaning: You learn many topics. / You go through a lot of lessons.
42. Back to basics
Meaning: To go back and review the simple things.
To Provide an Example: We went back to basics in math. / She needed to go back to basics with reading sounds.
Alternative Meaning: You start over with easy stuff. / You review the first steps again.
43. Hit the ground running
Meaning: To start something with energy and speed.
To Provide an Example: We hit the ground running when school started. / He hit the ground running in his new reading group.
Alternative Meaning: You start quickly and work hard. / No slow beginning.
44. In hot water
Meaning: To be in trouble.
To Provide an Example: He was in hot water for not doing homework. / I forgot my project and got in hot water.
Alternative Meaning: It means you’re in trouble. / You did something wrong.
45. Bright as a button
Meaning: Very smart or clever.
To Provide an Example: She’s bright as a button in math. / He’s bright as a button and always asks questions.
Alternative Meaning: It means someone is quick and smart. / A clever thinker.
46. Learn something the hard way
Meaning: To understand something after a mistake or problem.
To Provide an Example: I learned the hard way that I should check my homework. / She learned the hard way not to wait until the last minute.
Alternative Meaning: You make a mistake and learn from it. / Learning by doing something wrong.
47. Put your thinking cap on
Meaning: To start thinking carefully.
To Provide an Example: Let’s put our thinking caps on to solve this puzzle. / I had to put my thinking cap on to figure out the answer.
Alternative Meaning: It means start thinking smart. / Use your brain to find the answer.
48. A quick study
Meaning: Someone who learns things fast.
To Provide an Example: She’s a quick study and learned the game in one try. / He’s a quick study and knew the song right away.
Alternative Meaning: Learns things quickly. / Doesn’t take long to understand.
49. Come to grips with
Meaning: To begin to understand something.
To Provide an Example: I’m coming to grips with how to write a good story. / He came to grips with long division after lots of practice.
Alternative Meaning: You start to get it. / You begin to understand.
50. Learn the ropes
Meaning: To figure out how something works.
To Provide an Example: I learned the ropes on how to use the new computer. / She learned the ropes in her new reading group.
Alternative Meaning: To understand how to do something. / Learn step by step.
Trials for Success: Idioms about Studying
- I had to ________ last night to finish my book report before school.
- Mia didn’t do her homework and got ________ with her teacher.
- When the teacher gave the surprise quiz, Jake had a ________ and forgot everything.
- We ________ when the teacher asked us to think of ideas for our class play.
- My little brother is starting school, so he is just learning the ________ of reading.
- I studied for hours and ________ on my spelling test.
- We had to ________ after our science project didn’t work.
- During the field trip, the teacher ________ to make sure we were all there.
- I raised my hand to answer because I thought I ________ with my guess.
- We were all ________ because no one remembered the homework was due.
- The teacher said I was ________ because I always help and follow the rules.
- After summer break, I had to ________ again and start learning.
- Mom told me to ________ so I could solve the puzzle on my worksheet.
- I ________ during reading time and didn’t hear the directions.
- Dad said I need to ________ if I want to do well on my math quiz tomorrow.
Answer Key
- burn the midnight oil
- in hot water
- brain freeze
- brainstorm
- ABCs
- passed with flying colors
- go back to the drawing board
- counted noses
- hit the nail on the head
- in the same boat
- teacher’s pet
- go back to basics
- put on your thinking cap
- goofed off
- hit the books
Conclusion
Learning can be tricky sometimes. Idioms help us talk about studying in fun and smart ways. They can make us smile, and they can also help us understand how others feel.
Now that you know these idioms, try using them. You might hear them in class, at home, or even on TV. They can help you talk about school in a better way. Keep learning, and keep growing.
