play it by ear, bite off more than you can chew, keep your cards close to your chest, throw someone under the bus, make a mountain out of a molehill: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 34. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. play it by ear · idiom/pleɪ ɪt baɪ ɪr/

   to improvise and decide as you go instead of planning ahead

   Let’s not plan too much—let’s just play it by ear and see what happens.

   Origin: From music — musicians who couldn't read sheet music played songs purely by listening to other performers.

2. bite off more than you can chew · idiom/baɪt ɔf mɔr ðæn ju kən tʃu/

   to take on more responsibilities or tasks than you can handle

   I bit off more than I could chew when I agreed to work two jobs at once.

   Origin: An American 1800s expression — possibly from tobacco chewers who took more than they could comfortably handle.

3. keep your cards close to your chest · idiom/kip jʊr kɑrdz kloʊs tu jʊr tʃɛst/

   to keep your plans or thoughts secret

   He’s keeping his cards close to his chest about his next career move.

   Origin: From poker — players hold cards near their chest to prevent opponents from seeing their hand by accident.

4. throw someone under the bus · idiom/θroʊ ˈsʌmwʌn ˈʌndɚ ðə bʌs/

   to betray someone to save yourself or gain an advantage

   I trusted him, but he threw me under the bus to save himself.

   Origin: An American expression from the 1980s political world — sacrificing an ally to protect oneself from blame.

5. make a mountain out of a molehill · idiom/meɪk ə ˈmaʊntən aʊt əv ə ˈmoʊlhɪl/

   to exaggerate a small problem and turn it into something bigger than it is

   Come on, it’s just a minor mistake—don’t make a mountain out of a molehill.

   Origin: From the 1500s — a molehill is a tiny mound of earth, making a mountain from it requires absurd exaggeration.