bark up the wrong tree, shake like a leaf, once in a blue moon, there are plenty more fish in the sea, when it rains it pours: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 12. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. bark up the wrong tree · idiom/bɑrk ʌp ðə rɔŋ tri/

   to be wrong about the reasons for something; waste your time and energy in the wrong way

   If you are trying to say that I was the one who told the police, then you are barking up the wrong tree.

   Origin: From American hunting in the 1800s — dogs would bark at the wrong tree, having lost the trail of their prey.

2. shake like a leaf · idiom/ʃeɪk laɪk ə lif/

   to shake a lot because you are scared

   Claire was very nervous and started to shake like a leaf, so I tried to calm her down a little bit.

   Origin: Used by Chaucer in the 1380s — leaves on a branch tremble visibly with even the slightest wind.

3. once in a blue moon · idiom/wʌns ɪn ə blu mun/

   very rarely

   Such astronomical events do not happen very often, just once in a blue moon.

   Origin: Refers to a rare second full moon in one month; the phrase dates to the 1500s as an image of rarity.

4. there are plenty more fish in the sea · idiom/ˈplɛnti mɔr fɪʃ ɪn ðə si/

   used to say that there are a lot of possible future romantic partners

   Don't worry, there are plenty more fish in the sea. You'll find someone better soon.

   Origin: A 19th-century expression used to comfort the heartbroken — implying countless other romantic possibilities.

5. when it rains it pours · idiom/wɛn ɪt reɪnz ɪt pɔrz/

   used to say that when something bad happens, it is followed by many other bad things

   I had lost my job, my girlfirend left me and I had to move out of my flat. You know when it rains, it pours.

   Origin: Popularized by the Morton Salt slogan in 1911, though the underlying proverb is older — bad luck multiplies.