> Afraid of one’s own shadow: Very nervous or easily frightened
E.g. I’ve never seen anyone so easily scared – she’s afraid of her own shadow.
> Make your blood run cold: It shocks or scares you a lot
E.g. The look in the prisoner’s eyes made my blood run cold.
> Bundle of nerves: Nervous, tense or worried
E.g. My son is doing his driving test today. Needless to say he’s a bundle of nerves!
> Have butterflies in your stomach: You are feeling very nervous
E.g. At the beginning of an exam, I always have butterflies in my stomach.
> Get your fingers burnt: Result of an unsuccessful action
E.g. He got his fingers so badly burnt in the last elections that he decided to withdraw from politics.
> Have one’s heart in one’s mouth: Feels extremely anxious or nervous
E.g. Emma had her heart in her mouth when she saw her 2-year-old son standing in front of the open window.
> Your heart misses a beat: Sudden feeling of fear or excitement
E.g. When the lights suddenly went out, her heart missed a beat.
> Spilling the beans: to share private information or secrets
E.g. He accidentally spilled the beans about his bachelor’s party.
E.g. The look in the prisoner’s eyes made my blood run cold.
E.g. My son is doing his driving test today. Needless to say he’s a bundle of nerves!
E.g. At the beginning of an exam, I always have butterflies in my stomach.
E.g. He got his fingers so badly burnt in the last elections that he decided to withdraw from politics.
E.g. Emma had her heart in her mouth when she saw her 2-year-old son standing in front of the open window.
E.g. When the lights suddenly went out, her heart missed a beat.
E.g. He accidentally spilled the beans about his bachelor’s party.
Checkout More Common English Idioms
used for IELTS Speaking Exam