Figurative language including idioms, I once found tricky. This can be the case for those who may take language more literally, and think that phrases mean exactly what they say. I once experienced difficulties with figurative language. However, there has been an underlying improvement in me, including my language ability. Now, I wish to use my experience with the aim of helping those who have difficulty with figurative language find ways to understand them more easily.
In this video, watch how I explore how idioms, like 'a piece of cake' can be better understood through everyday experiences. Furthermore, if you find it interesting and informative, you might enjoy the video below about 'walking on eggshells', where I talk about it in relation to being careful with choices of words in conversations.
Meanwhile, if you wish, feel free to enjoy a few short stories below, showing how these expressions can come to life in everyday conversation. They are short stories that I got inspiration to write during the Covid-19 pandemic. They are set in imaginary pandemic worlds, and in them diverse characters help each other uncover the meanings of idioms. Feel free to bring these expressions to life in your own ways and celebrate the richness of language and cultural diversity. And, if you enjoy the idiom-inspired tales below, don’t miss my newest collections.
Are you ready for an adventure? Read on and let’s explore idioms together!
A piece of cake
In hot water
Over the moon
Raining cats and dogs
A mountain to climb
Out of the woods
On thin ice
The acid test
Out of your depth
Biting off more than you can chew
Thrown in the deep end
Sink or swim
The horse that has already bolted
A needle in a haystack
Autumn Idioms: Stories and Meanings.
If you enjoy the idiom-inspired tales below, why not explore more on a colourful autumn journey with more idioms that capture the spirit of the season.
Part 1 - Go back to the start of the season with idioms like "A Breath of Fresh Air" and "Harvest Your Hard Work." These stories explore themes of growth and transformation through my autistic perspective.
Part 2 - Uncover the heart of autumn with idioms like "As Right as Rain" and "Turn Over a New Leaf." For me these tales highlight resilience, courage, creativity, and finding peace during life’s changes.
Part 3 - Celebrate autumn’s vibrant finale before winter with idioms like "A Blaze of Glory" and "Harvest the Fruits of Your Labour." A reflection on rewards, transitions, and fleeting beauty.
Looking for festive idioms this season? Then why not check out my latest Christmas idioms explained through short stories below. Each week I aim to bring heartwarming stories inspired by these themes, seen through my perspective on the autism spectrum. Dive in and explore the festive spirit:
Advent - Week 1: The Theme is Hope
Advent - Week 2: The Theme is Peace
Advent - Week 3: The Theme is Rejoicing
Christmas Stories featuring autistic characters and the magic of inclusion
The world has been going through a pandemic. A potentially lethal virus has spread throughout it, disrupting lives in many ways. One of these ways was not being able to attend important events, birthday parties included.
But one day lockdown restrictions are eased, allowing large gatherings again. And on the day restrictions were eased, plans were almost in place for a birthday party. There was only one thing missing, a cake.
Character 1: Fancy helping me to bake a cake for today’s birthday celebration?
Character 2: I don’t know, I’ve never baked a cake before.
Character 1: Don’t worry, we’ll both work on it together and I’ll show you some useful techniques.
And so characters 1 and 2 got working on making the cake. A short while later a delicious looking cake was baked, nicely decorated, and everything was now ready for the party.
Character 2: I never realised how easy that was.
Character 1: Yes, just like a piece of cake.
The world is in the midst of a pandemic. A potentially deadly virus has spread throughout the world, disrupting lives in many different ways. Many activities had been banned to safeguard people’s health.
But one day there came a period where cases had been falling, to the extent that certain restrictions could gradually be lifted.
And on that day, character 1 sees it’s warm and sunny. What’s more, it’s on a day on which they’re allowed to go swimming again.
On the way there they meet one of their friends.
Character 2: Hi there, off somewhere good?
Character 1: Yes, I’m off for a swim. The restrictions have been lifted to allow us to go swimming again.
Character 2: Well be careful you don’t get into hot water, or you’ll get into trouble.
Character 1: How? Where’s the trouble in hot water?
Character 2: Trouble with hot water? The trouble with hot water is, if you get into hot water, you could get burned.
The world has been going through a pandemic. A potentially lethal virus has spread throughout it, disrupting lives in many ways.
But one day character 1 is out and about, walking down the street. Soon they see character 2 jumping for joy on a trampoline in their garden.
Character 1: Alright there, you look overjoyed. What’s up?
Character 2: Haven’t you heard? They’re going to start easing the lockdown soon.
Character 1: Really? I knew cases of the virus had been falling, but I never thought enough to ease lockdown.
Character 2: Apparently, according to a news report, the current strain of the virus is judged to be not as deadly.
Character 1: And it’s no surprise you’re jumping so high. It looks like you're jumping over the moon.
Character 2: Where’s the moon, I can’t see it.
Character 1: I can. I can see it emerging from the clouds clearing close to the horizon and behind you.
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The world has been going through a pandemic. A potentially lethal virus has spread throughout it, disrupting lives in many ways.
But now a decision was made to allow outdoor activities again. However, on the day the restrictions were relaxed it began to rain. And it rained heavily, delaying outdoor activities a little longer.
Character 1: Look outside, it’s raining cats and dogs.
Character 2 walks over to the window, confused.
Character 2: Raining cats and dogs? I don’t see any cats and dogs falling from the sky.
All I see is it’s raining heavily. It sounds rather noisy too, especially the raindrops clattering on the roof. And of course cats and dogs are much heavier than raindrops,
Character 1: Correct. So, the next time it’s raining heavily, have a listen to all the noise it makes. And imagine how much noise falling cats and dogs would make on impact.
Character 2: Thanks, that makes it clearer to me.
The world has been going through a pandemic. A potentially lethal virus has spread throughout it, disrupting lives in many different ways.
But one day lockdown restrictions are eased to the point where people can go about their activities again.
Two characters go to watch their friend play a tennis match against a very good opponent.
Character 1: If our friend is to win this match, he’s got a mountain to climb.
Character 2: A mountain to climb? I don’t understand. I can’t see any mountains to climb around here.
Character 1: Oh I see. Well, let’s have a think about it here. Imagine you’re at the bottom of a tall mountain and you intend to climb it.
Character 2: Yes.
Character 1: Now picture yourself climbing the mountain. You’d be coming across very steep parts, along with lots of rough and uneven terrains.
Character 2: Yes. It sounds like climbing a mountain would be a very hard task to me. Steep slopes would, no doubt, be very tiring.
Character 1: So, now do understand our friend has a hard task if he’s to win this match.
Character 2: Yes, it makes a lot more sense to me now.
The world has been going through a pandemic. A potentially lethal virus has spread throughout it, interrupting lives in many ways.
But at one point, two characters watched a news report. The number of daily cases were getting less. Restrictions were eased a lot, but people still needed to use common sense.
But one of two characters got excited at the prospect of life being closer to normality once again.
The world has been going through a pandemic. A potentially lethal virus has spread throughout it, interrupting lives in many ways.
But at one point, two characters watched a news report. The number of daily cases were getting less. Restrictions were eased a lot, but people still needed to use common sense.
But one of two characters got excited at the prospect of life being closer to normality once again.
Character 2: We’ll all still need to be careful. We’re not out of the woods yet.
Character 1: What woods? We’re not in any woods. We’re in a room, in a house.
Character 2: Alright, I see. Let’s imagine you’re in the densest area of the woods, surrounded by lots of trees. It’s going to be darker.
Character 1: And what about the darker areas of the woods? You’re less likely to see and spot dangers until it’s too late?
Character 2: Quite likely so. Try to imagine wild animals suddenly leaping out of hiding to get you.
Character 1: That sounds like a dangerous and scary situation.
Character 2: And the virus is dangerous, as it has killed many people.
Character 1: Ah, so thinking back to being in dense woods, you’d have to always be listening carefully for any dangerous animals moving about in the bushes and trees.
Character 2: Yes, it seems like you’re getting the idea.
Character 1: And there are people still out there getting the virus. It’s still going around, even though we can’t see it, like you can’t always see hidden in dense areas of the woods. This is probably why we’re not out of the woods yet.
Character 2: Correct.
Character 1: Thanks, it all seems more understandable to me now.
The world is in the midst of a pandemic. A potentially lethal virus has spread throughout it, disrupting lives in many ways. Businesses had to close in order to minimise the spread of the virus and losing money. Some are now in danger of going out of business.
Character 1: If this lockdown lasts much longer, plenty of businesses will be on thin ice.
Character 2: On thin ice? I don’t understand. I don’t ever see any shop, business or building on thin ice. In fact, I don’t even see ice anywhere.
Character 1: Alright, I see what you mean. Let’s have a think about it here. Thin ice is more likely to crack under somebody’s weight.
Character 2: That sounds like a very dangerous and scary situation to me.
Character 1: Yes, especially if the water is freezing cold, deep and the person who may have fallen through the ice is out of reach of safety.
Character 2: And if they don’t get help quickly enough, they may die in quick time.
Character 1: Yes.
Character 2: Ah, it’s beginning to make sense to me now. It’s like the businesses could die, and be non-existent if they don’t have any money going to them soon.
The world has been going through a pandemic. A potentially lethal virus has spread throughout it, killing many people and disrupting many lives in many different ways. But restrictions were now being lifted in various stages without any sudden large rises in cases. Two characters listen intently to a news report on this.
Character 2: Could this latest news mean the pandemic is coming to an end?
Character 1: I don’t know, but for me this last relaxing of restrictions will be the acid test.
Character 2: What acid test? We don’t even have any acid available. But one thing I do know is that acid is one of the most dangerous substances which can dissolve some materials.
Character 1: You seem to have the right idea there. Now, since you're interested in science, imagine a material that is going to be tested for how it may survive being put in a number of liquids, including the most dangerous acid.
Character 2: And if the material survives being put in the most dangerous acid, that can be counted as success right?
Character 1: Yes, and what do you think would be a successful outcome following the latest relaxing of restrictions?
Character 2: Ah, I think it’s beginning to make more sense now. A successful outcome would be where there are no more sudden surges of people becoming ill with the virus in question.
Character 1: Well done.
The world has been struggling through a pandemic, during which a virus has spread widely. Lives have been disrupted, including the postponement of important events. Some time later, cases had dropped enough to allow restrictions to be lifted, allowing significant events to take place. Such events included swimming races at the Olympic games. Two characters happened to know somebody taking part in the 1st round of the swimming races.
Character 1:Look at the competitors our friend is up against. He looks out of his depth to me.
Character 2: How’s our friend out of his depth? He’s not in any water.
Character 1: Oh I see. Right, let’s have a think about it here. If you’re in deep enough water, there may be enough water to cover you completely.
Character 2: And then there would be the risk of you drowning.
Character 1: Yes. However, unless you make an effort to swim or stay afloat some other way, your chances of survival are considerably reduced.
Character 2: And so wouldn’t better competitors alongside you be like being in water deeper than you?
Character 1: In a way yes. You seem to be getting the right idea here.
Character 2: And so against competitors who may be better than you, you’d have to at least make an effort to have a chance of progressing to the next round.
Character 1: Yes.
Character 2: Thanks for that. It’s much clearer to me now. Competing against others who may be better than you at something is like being covered by water deeper than you.
The Olympic games were well underway after being not allowed to go ahead due to a virus spreading throughout the world. Two characters watched the games on television. One of them, more of an optimist, had high hopes for athletes from their home country.
Character 2: I predict a large amount of medals will be won by those from our country.
Character 1: I think they’d be trying to bite off more than they can chew.
Character 2: I don’t understand. I can’t see them eating or biting anything.
Character 1: Think about that new triple sized burger you can buy from a famous fast food outlet.
Character 2: Yes
Character 1: Well, as it happens, I have an empty box into which it goes when somebody buys one.
Character 2: It seems as though the burger would be too big for me to chew.
Character 1: Yes, can you now see that you’d be trying to bite off more than you can chew.
Character 2: Yes, it kind of looks like somebody trying to achieve something beyond their capabilities.
Character 1: Yes, you’re correct there. Those people may be top athletes. However, my view is they are just competing with too many better competitors to win many medals.
Character 2: Ah, it makes more sense to me now. Our own country's athletes would be trying to bite off more than they could chew.
Character 1: Yes.
The world has been going through a pandemic. A potentially lethal virus has spread throughout it, disrupting lives in many ways, including job losses. But one day lockdown restrictions are allowed to be eased to the point where society can open up again.
Character 1: There will be lots of people with no jobs. However, a friend of mine has been thrown in the deep end in a new job.
Character 2: I’m confused here. How can your friend have possibly been thrown in at the deep end and starting a new job at the same time?
Character 1: Alright, I see what you mean. Well let’s think about it here. Imagine you’re in the deep end of the swimming pool, right?
Character 2: Yes, you’re likely to be in water deeper than you are tall, increasing the risk of you drowning, especially if you couldn't swim very far.
Character 1: Good. Now imagine a situation where one starts a new job in a new industry, especially without any help, training or introduction.
Character 2: Ah, it’s becoming clearer to me now. They’d be likely to struggle, just like you’d struggle in the deep end if you weren’t a good swimmer.
Character 1: And you’re likely to be right there. If you found yourself in the deep end and you weren’t a good swimmer, you’d need some help to get you out of the difficult situation.
The world has been going through a pandemic. A potentially lethal virus has spread throughout it, disrupting lives in many ways. Many businesses, including shops, restaurants, hotels and leisure centres are forced to close in order to reduce the spread of the virus.
Character 1: The income for shops and many other businesses will be reduced greatly. It looks like it’ll be sink or swim time for them.
Character 2: Sink or swim time? I don’t understand. How can shops and other buildings be in water?
Character 1: OK, let’s calm down and have a think about it here. Firstly, can you try to picture yourself in water?
Character 2: Yes. If you can swim well you’ll more than likely survive.
Character 1: Right, good. Now then, what about, if you’re not a particularly good swimmer?
Character 2: And if the water is deeper than you are tall, the chances are you’ll struggle to survive.
Character 1: Correct. You’ve got the right idea.
Character 2: Ah, I think I understand it now. Many shops and public places may have to close permanently if they can’t get enough money from enough customers.
A dangerous virus is spreading throughout the world, with some countries implementing restrictions, disrupting lives in many different ways.
Characters 1 and 2 live in a country yet to apply any restrictions to protect its people.
But one day, such action is taken, as case numbers are getting too high throughout the world.
Character 2: Well, it’s about time these restrictions are in place now.
Character 1: True, but I think the horse may have already bolted here.
Character 2: Horse already bolted? What horse? I don’t understand.
Character 1: Alright, let’s start from the beginning. You know that a stable is a place in which a horse can live
Character 2: Yes.
Character 1: Right, now imagine you go to close the stable doors to ensure the horse stays in, but find it has gone.
Character 2: Ah, I think I'm beginning to understand now. It would clearly be too late to close the stable doors if the horse had already left the stable, and be out there running around.
Character 1: Good! You’ve got the right idea here.
Character 2: So, like the horse escaping from an open stable door, you’re thinking the virus is already here in our country, and possibly spreading quickly the population.
Character 1: Correct.
The world is in the midst of pandemic. Characters 1 and 2 are getting ready for a forthcoming family wedding, which is allowed to go ahead but with only a limited number of people. However, they have one problem. They’re trying to find suitable shoes for a relative with little success.
Character 1: Trying to find the right shoes in shops in this part of the country will be like looking for a needle in the haystack
Character 2: A needle in a haystack? I’m confused.
Character 1: Right OK. Try picturing the sizes of haystacks and pins.
Character 2: Yes, I know haystacks can be very big in comparison to needles, which can be very tiny.
Character 1: And now can you imagine searching for a needle in the middle of a haystack.
Character 2: Yes, trying to find it wouldn’t exactly be impossible, but it would certainly be extremely difficult.
Character 1: Good, it seems like you’ve got the right idea now.
Character 2: I have. Trying to find the right shoes will be extremely difficult in this part of the country.
Now that you’ve read the idiom stories, why not try and put your knowledge and understanding to the test! Below the quizzes are organised by levels to suit a range of abilities. Start with Level 1 if you’re a beginner, and if you’re feeling confident, try the higher levels. Good luck!
If you enjoyed the stories and wish to explore more about figurative language, check out my most popular podcast episode in the link below, 'From Literal to Figurative. Navigating Language on the Spectrum'. In this episode, I discuss my journey from literal meanings to the richness of figurative language, ideal for enhancing your own understanding!
There is also a page where one can try to answer multiple choice questions based on understanding idioms in context.
Have you ever found yourself 'breaking the ice' in an unexpected way? What did you say or do to start a conversation going?
What other idioms do you have difficulty with and would like to see explained?
Plus share your favourites in the comments below!
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Hi Stephen,
you have written nice, simple , imaginative stories, and I enjoyed reading them thank you. I also went to 'The REAson I jump' about young people on the autistic spectrum and it was a really good documentary based on the book as you know, by a Japanese boy, written when he was only 13. His name is Naoki Higashida. One of the young people in the documentary is a very talented artist and I think her name is Amrit and she is from India - you could google her if you like and look at some of her paintings. All the best, Christina
Hi Christina, creative writing is becoming a stronger interest for me now. I have written other series of stories that have yet to be published in the public domain, but hope to self-publish at some point in the future.
Hi Steve, a brilliant post. It sets out so clearly where confusion can come in and how simple explanation in the right way can clear things up.
Have you thought of taking these to a social group setting for others who think similarly to you? I’m sure this would help others.
I like this minimalist quality that gives the reader freedom to project their identity unto the characters! Very creative and fun to read!
I feel like each one leaves a profound sense of wisdom, as in the hot water story where in the advice is straightforward, and that is its value!
Thanks for your positive comment. I hope others see value in this post.
Hi Stephen,
you have excellent, imaginative stories, and I enjoyed reading them. Thank you.
Hi Geetha, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! I'm delighted to hear that you enjoyed the imaginative stories in this post. Any feedback, including yours, truly means a lot to me. Thank you for reading my blog.