Do We Speak in Idioms All the Time?

A student once asked me: “Do native speakers use idioms all the time?”

Great question!

The short answer: Yes, we do use idioms—but not constantly.

Idioms Are Everywhere

Idioms sneak into our daily speech without us even noticing.

For example:

• “I’m over the moon” → I’m really happy.

• “That exam was a piece of cake” → It was super easy.

• “I’m broke” → My wallet is crying.

They make our speech more colorful and fun.

But Imagine This…

If we ONLY spoke in idioms, it would sound like a giant riddle.

Here’s what a conversation might look like:

👩 “Hey, how are you?”

👨 “Well, I’m under the weather, but I’ll bite the bullet because every cloud has a silver lining… though honestly, I’m skating on thin ice right now.”

Confused? Exactly!

Idioms are amazing, but if we stack too many together, it feels like decoding a puzzle.

Idioms should be like salt on your fries—just enough to make things tasty, not so much that you can’t enjoy the food.

When We Use Idioms

• Chatting with friends → “That movie was out of this world!”

• Telling stories → “He chickened out at the last minute.”

• Joking around → “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”

When We Don’t Use Idioms

• Writing essays or reports (your teacher won’t love “The Battle of Hastings was a piece of cake” 😅)

• Speaking in serious situations, like interviews

• Talking with someone who might not understand them

The Big Answer

So, do we speak in idioms all the time?

👉 Nope! We use them often, but not nonstop. If we did, we’d sound like we were speaking in riddles instead of having a normal conversation.

Use idioms like sprinkles on ice cream: they make things more fun, but you don’t want a whole bowl of just sprinkles.