IELTS Speaking – Compilation of Idioms on the Topic Culture and Society
08 September, 2023IELTS idioms
The IELTS Speaking topic of Culture & Society is a frequent occurrence in the test. Therefore, in this article, azVocab has compiled idioms that may appear in the Culture & Society topic for your reference!
CULTURE
In IELTS Speaking exams, you often encounter the Culture topic. It’s not a completely unfamiliar topic in our daily lives, but not all candidates can excel in answering questions related to it. In the following article, azVocab provides you with idioms related to this topic. These idioms reflect wisdom accumulated through generations, years of history, and culture. Let’s dive right into it!
| IDIOMS | MEANING | EXAMPLE |
| A leopard can’t/doesn’t change its spots | something you say that means a person’s character, especially if it is bad, will not change, even if they pretend that it will | The teacher tried to be kind to her students, but a leopard can’t change its spots, she was still very mean. |
| Every cloud has a silver lining | every difficult or unpleasant situation has some advantage | He told us about his resignation – an absolute disaster at the time, but every cloud has a silver lining because it led to my appointment. |
| Keep your friends close and your enemies closer | you’ll be safer if you know more about your enemies than you know about your friends | As a politician, you must keep your friends close and your enemies closer. |
| The grass is always greener on the side of the fence | something that you say that means that other people always seem to be in a better situation than you, although they may not be | I sometimes think I’d be happier teaching in Spain. Oh well, the grass is always greener on the other side! |
| The pen is mightier than the sword | thinking and writing have more influence on people and events than the use of force or violence | This newspaper works on the belief that the pen is mightier than the sword. |
| You can’t judge a book by its cover | you cannot know what something or someone is like by looking only at that person or thing’s appearance | That man may look very small and insignificant, but don’t judge a book by its cover – he’s a very powerful man in his circle. |
| You can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs first | it is hard to achieve something important without causing unpleasant effects | I have wanted to venture into the teaching profession from the longest time but you can’t make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. |
| Pride comes/goes before a/the fall | said to emphasize that if you are too confident about your abilities, something bad will happen that shows that you are not as good as you think | A: “There’s no way they’d fire me – I’m way too important to the company!”B: “Just be careful, Tom. Pride comes before the fall, after all.” |
| Put (something) down to experience | to regard a bad situation, action, or outcome as a learning experience rather than dwelling on its negative impact | I know you’re upset about failing your exam, but just put it down to experience and study harder next time. |
| Teach someone a lesson | to show someone, as a result of experience, what should not be done in the future | I sat in the sun all day at the beach and got a terrible sunburn – it really taught me a lesson. |
| Time will tell | you will discover in the future what the result of a present situation is | Time will tell whether we made the right decision. |
| Too many cooks spoil the broth | said when there are too many people involved in trying to do the same thing, so that the final result will not be good | A: “We’ve got my boss, his boss, the assistant manager, a freelance consultant, and the head of IT all involved, and it’s turning into a complete disaster!”B: “It sounds to me like there are too many cooks.” |
| Truth will out | the facts of the situation will always and inevitably be known or discovered | The government is trying to hide the use of torture on political prisoners from the public eye, but the truth will out one way or another. |
| While the cat’s away, the mice will play | said when the person who is in charge of a place is not there, and the people there behave badly | When the teacher left for a few minutes, the children nearly wrecked the classroom. When the cat’s away, the mice will play. |
SOCIETY
Below are idioms for the SOCIETY topic in IELTS Speaking. These idioms help you talk about social strata, positions in society, and the importance of certain individuals. Take a look at the idioms below.
| IDIOMS | MEANING | EXAMPLE |
| Café society | the rich and famous subset of society who spend much of their time going to trendy places | My grandmother always says that my favorite Hollywood gossip magazines talk about “café society” whatever that is. |
| High society | the wealthiest, most cultured, and most fashionable portion of society; the prestigious and fashionable social elites or aristocrats | The young actor’s meteoric rise to fame thrust her into the center of high society. |
| Mutual admiration society | a disparaging term for two (or more) people who engage in lavish mutual praise and admiration | I can’t stand working with Tony and Linda. They praise each other from the moment they walk through the door—it’s like they’ve formed a mutual admiration society! |
| On the fringe(s) of society | outside of the mainstream population | Mary has devoted her life to helping people, especially those on the fringes of society who have largely been left to fend for themselves. |
| Pay (one’s) dues to society | to serve the sentence given to one upon conviction of a crime | In the eyes of the law, he has paid his dues to society, so he shouldn’t be facing any further punishment for his past crimes. |
| Pillar of society | one who is a particularly active, respected, and influential member of one’s local social sphere | My grandfather was a pillar of society because of how many people his businesses employed. |
| Pillar of the community | one who is a particularly active, respected, and influential member of one’s local social sphere | She was long considered a pillar of the community, so she won the mayoral election with ease. |
| Polite society | the most affluent, powerful, or influential class in society | The fancy awards ceremony was a chance for me to see polite society up close for a night. |
| Anybody/anyone who is/was anybody/anyone | all the most famous and important people | Anybody who is anybody in Hollywood will be at the movie premiere tonight. |
| Big fish in a small pond | an important person in a small community | Since she was so popular and well-known within the walls of her small high school, Jennifer was used to being a big fish in a small pond. |
| Flavour of the month | the most popular person at a particular time | This new social media app is the flavor of the month for teenagers across the country. |
| Head and shoulders above (someone/something) | significantly better than someone or something | I think John should definitely get the job – he’s head and shoulders above all the other applicants. |
| New kid on the block | a new arrival in a place, group, or organization | We moved around the country a lot when I was growing up, so I was always the new kid on the block in school. |
Hopefully, with the information shared here, you can effectively expand your English vocabulary for the Culture and Society topic! Best of luck with your studies, and don’t hesitate to ask azVocab for support with any questions or difficulties you encounter during your IELTS preparation!
