Welcome to this blog post where we’ll look at some common English idioms and phrases related to babies. We are delighted to announce the arrival of the latest member of the Intrepid English family; our wonderful teacher, Jen, has given birth to a beautiful baby girl and we are pleased to report that mother, baby and family are all doing well. Congratulations, Jen!
In celebration, I’ve polished up one of the most popular Intrepid English blog posts focusing on baby idioms. Don’t forget to download your free Baby Idioms cheat sheet at the bottom of the blog!
In English, we have several idioms related to babies and children. Here are some of the most common baby idioms for you to use in your English conversations.
1. Child’s play
If something is child’s play, it means it’s such a simple and easy task, even a child could do it.
- If you’re not confident at cooking, I have a really simple recipe for tomato soup. It’s child’s play.
- The new computer system is child’s play. I learned how to use it in a couple of hours.
2. Sleep like a baby
To sleep like a baby is to sleep really well.
- People who say that they sleep like a baby have obviously never had children!
- I slept like a baby for the whole flight from New York to London.
3. Out of the mouths of babes
People used to use this idiom when a child would say something surprisingly intelligent or wise. Nowadays, it is used in a more sarcastic sense, when a child says something brutally honest.
- Grandma, your hair reminds me of a bird’s nest… Thank you, sweety. Out of the mouth of babes!
4. New kid on the block
In English, we often refer to children as kids. If we describe someone as being the new kid on the block, it means that they are new to the company, team or organisation, and they don’t yet know how everything should work.
- Lucy is the new kid on the block so please make her feel welcome in the team.
- It seems like only yesterday when I was a new kid on the block at this company.
5. Smooth as a baby’s bottom
Extremely smooth and soft with no flaws or imperfections.
- This fabric is so silky, it’s as smooth as a baby’s bottom!
- The white sand on my favourite beach is as smooth as a baby’s bottom.
Exercise: Now it’s your turn. Fill in the gaps in the sentences below with one of the baby idioms above.
- I love the texture of peaches. They feel as ____________________ .
- Sam learned to play the guitar in less than a year. He said it was ____________________ .
- Luke is training a new starter at work. It can be hard to be the ____________________ .
- I’m absolutely exhausted. I’m going to ____________________ tonight!
Don’t forget to download your free Baby Idioms Cheat Sheet right here!
If you enjoyed these idioms you’ll also love our free eBook of Essential English Idioms! Learn twenty-five essential English idioms for all occasions and test your understanding with practice activities. Download your copy right here.
If you have any questions, or you would like to request a topic for a future blog, you can contact us using the green chat box or email us at Intrepid English.
Book a trial lesson today and talk about your learning goals with an experienced native English teacher. Say goodbye to boring English lessons! If you’re not sure what you want to learn, let your teacher choose from the range of English courses that have been designed to help our students to achieve their goals.
The Intrepid English Academy
Your personal path to success in English
