Metaphorical idioms (B2 Vocabulary)

Informal idioms: the last straw (the final problem), under the weather (a bit unwell), a piece of cake (very easy).

Idioms for feelings and difficulty

Not ""Her criticism was the last stick."" — say ""Her criticism was the last straw."". An idiom is fixed: the last straw, not "the last stick".
Try it: Sofia: Was the form hard to fill in? Diego: Not at all. It was ___. Choose the words for the blank. (a piece of cake / a piece of pie / a cake piece) Answer: a piece of cake — "A piece of cake" is the fixed idiom for something very easy.

Word	Pronunciation	Example
the last straw	/ðə ˈlæst ˈstrɔ/	Missing the deadline was bad, but her rude email was the last straw.
under the weather	/ˈʌndər ðə ˈwɛðər/	I'm feeling a bit under the weather, so I'll skip the run today.
a piece of cake	/ə ˈpis əv ˈkeɪk/	After all that practice, the driving test was a piece of cake.

Informal idioms for problems: open a can of worms, the tip of the iceberg, walk on eggshells; on the same page means in agreement.

Not ""In this formal report, the findings are just the tip of the iceberg."" — say ""In this report, the findings point to a much larger underlying problem."". These idioms are informal; use plain wording in a formal report.
Try it: Ethan: Why are people so quiet around Ira today? Yasmin: She got bad news, so we ___ today. Choose the words for the blank. (walk on eggshells / walk on eggs / walk on the eggshell) Answer: walk on eggshells — The idiom is "walk on eggshells", with a plural noun and no "the".
Try it: Hiroshi: Two readers wrote to the Herald about the late buses. Liam: That's only ___. Half the school is complaining. Choose the words for the blank. (the tip of the iceberg / a piece of cake / under the weather) Answer: the tip of the iceberg — "The tip of the iceberg" is the small visible part of a much bigger problem.

Word	Pronunciation	Example
open a can of worms	/ˈoʊpən ə ˈkæn əv ˈwɜrmz/	Asking about the budget really opened a can of worms in that meeting.
the tip of the iceberg	/ðə ˈtɪp əv ði ˈaɪsbɜrɡ/	These complaints are just the tip of the iceberg; the real problem is much bigger.
on the same page	/ɑn ðə ˈseɪm ˈpeɪdʒ/	Let's have a quick call so we're all on the same page before we start.
walk on eggshells	/ˈwɔk ɑn ˈɛɡʃɛlz/	Everyone walks on eggshells around him after a bad review.

Hit a bump in the road (a small setback), nip it in the bud (stop it early), throw someone under the bus (blame them unfairly).

Try it: Matilda: How was your camping trip? Hiroshi: I ___ early on: my tent leaked. The rest was great. Choose the words for the blank. (hit a bump in the road / hit a bump in the street / hit a hole in the road) Answer: hit a bump in the road — The idiom is fixed: "hit a bump in the road" means meet a small setback.

Word	Pronunciation	Example
hit a bump in the road	/ˈhɪt ə ˈbʌmp ɪn ðə ˈroʊd/	The band hit a bump in the road when the venue canceled, but the tour went on.
nip it in the bud	/ˈnɪp ɪt ɪn ðə ˈbʌd/	The teacher nipped the rumor in the bud on the first day.
throw someone under the bus	/ˈθroʊ ˈsʌmˌwʌn ˈʌndər ðə ˈbʌs/	When the vase broke, the older boy threw his little brother under the bus.

Incorrect	Correct	Why
"Her criticism was the last stick."	"Her criticism was the last straw."	An idiom is fixed: the last straw, not "the last stick".
"In this formal report, the findings are just the tip of the iceberg."	"In this report, the findings point to a much larger underlying problem."	These idioms are informal; use plain wording in a formal report.