Starting the new academic year can feel both exciting and overwhelming. If you’re a teacher looking for a day-one ice-breaker or a creative figurative language warm-up, these back-to-school idioms will energize your class discussions. For self-study learners, these phrases are ideal for your first college semester or new term to help you sound more natural and confident in English conversations.
Dörnyei (2001) notes that motivation grows when students see language as practical and authentic – idioms like these build cultural fluency while boosting engagement. Let’s explore these school-themed idioms and enrich your vocabulary today.
Why Teach School-Themed Idioms?
Idioms are powerful tools to build students’ cultural fluency, comprehension, and confidence. Idioms about learning feel immediately relevant at the start of term, creating an engaging bridge between daily experience and figurative language learning. They also enhance speaking and writing, helping learners express ideas vividly. Whether discussing study habits, upcoming exams, or class routines, these idioms help learners prepare for authentic interactions in both academic and casual settings. Teaching them as the year begins sets a positive, relatable tone and demonstrates English’s playful, creative nature.
Master List: 25 Back-to-School Idioms
| Idiom | Plain Meaning | Classroom Sentence | Synonym Phrase |
| Hit the books | Start studying hard | “Time to hit the books before tomorrow’s quiz.” | Study hard |
| Ace the test | Get a perfect score | “She aced the test on fractions.” | Get full marks |
| School of hard knocks | Life lessons from hardship | “He learned business skills in the school of hard knocks.” | Learn by experience |
| Learn the ropes | Learn how something works | “New students will learn the ropes this week.” | Get familiar |
| Raise your hand | Ask to speak | “Please raise your hand if you know the answer.” | Signal to speak |
| Chalk and talk | Teacher lectures | “Today’s lesson is chalk and talk on grammar rules.” | Lecture method |
| Make the grade | Meet required standard | “He worked hard to make the grade in chemistry.” | Succeed |
| Pass with flying colours | Pass easily and well | “She passed her driving test with flying colours.” | Pass easily |
| Show of hands | Quick vote or count | “Let’s have a show of hands for your favorite book.” | Raise hands |
| Old-school | Traditional way | “My teacher is old-school and avoids digital tools.” | Traditional |
| Bookworm | Loves reading | “He’s a real bookworm, always at the library.” | Avid reader |
| Copycat | Imitator | “Don’t be a copycat during the spelling test.” | Imitator |
| Teacher’s pet | Favourite student | “She’s the teacher’s pet, always helping out.” | Favourite pupil |
| Brainstorm | Think of ideas | “Let’s brainstorm essay topics together.” | Generate ideas |
| Burn the midnight oil | Study late at night | “He burned the midnight oil before exams.” | Stay up studying |
| Put on your thinking cap | Prepare to think hard | “Put on your thinking cap for this math puzzle.” | Concentrate |
| Play hooky | Skip school | “They played hooky and went to the mall.” | Skip class |
| Drop the ball (in class) | Make a mistake or forget | “I dropped the ball by forgetting my homework.” | Mess up |
| Extra credit | Optional bonus work | “She did extra credit to raise her grade.” | Bonus assignment |
| Skip class | Not attend | “If you skip class today, you’ll miss notes.” | Play truant |
| Pop quiz | Surprise test | “We had a pop quiz on grammar today.” | Surprise test |
| Grade on a curve | Adjust scores based on group | “Our professor grades on a curve, so averages matter.” | Adjusted grading |
| Learn by heart | Memorize | “Learn these idioms by heart for the quiz.” | Memorize |
| Hit the sack early | Go to bed early | “Big test tomorrow – hit the sack early tonight.” | Sleep early |
| On the honor roll | Top academic list | “He’s on the honor roll again this term.” | Top student list |
Etymology Nuggets
- Hit the books: First recorded in American English in the late 19th century, it simply means to literally open one’s books and study.
- Ace the test: Derived from ‘ace’ meaning ‘a single point playing card’ or ‘best pilot’ in WWI, now used for achieving perfection.
- Burn the midnight oil: This idiom dates back to the 16th century and refers to working late into the night, traditionally by the light of an oil lamp. It signifies putting in extra effort and time, especially when studying or working on important tasks.
Classroom Idioms Mini-Quiz
Teacher Tip & Self-Study Tip
Teacher Tip: Try Bell-Ringer Charades. Choose five idioms from today’s list and have students act them out as classmates guess. This could be a fun activity to end the lesson. You can also make an activity where students try to come up with their own new idioms that they can act out.
Self-Study Tip: Create flashcards with idioms on one side and meanings on the other- it can be helpful to write an example of the idiom being used in a normal setting or situation. Sprint through them daily to build recall speed and confidence, as well as to have some on-demand usage phrases ready.
Classroom Idiom Worksheet
📥 Practice these idioms anytime to build natural fluency.
FAQ
Most are informal or conversational, ideal for academic and everyday English, and even more creative ones often find themselves in day-to-day conversations now. Use them in class discussions or casual writing to sound natural.
Introduce 5-7 idioms per class to ensure understanding and retention without overwhelm. You can have the class break down the meaning and give examples as well as use them in real life conversation and writing examples.
References:
Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Motivational Strategies in the Language Classroom. Available on Amazon
Cambridge Dictionary – Hit the Books Definition
