A good example of a science-oriented idiom would be to “blind someone with science” which means to confuse someone with language that is highly technical. Another would be “to have something down to a science” which means something is totally understood and managed extremely well. Let’s look at more idioms that refer to science and some that are included in science jargon.
Science Idioms
Science is a very broad field and there are many idioms that could be related to science. Here are some examples (the idiomatic expression is listed first, along with the meaning after it):
- All singing all dancing - latest version of something with newest features
- Bells and whistles - all the features of a new product
- Blow a fuse - get very angry
- Fire on all cylinders - everything is working well
- Garbage in garbage out - refers to a computer system or database
- Get the wires crossed - not understanding someone
- Light years ahead - out in front with new developments or successes
- Not rocket science - easy to do or understand
- On the same wavelength - means to have the same ideas and opinions
- Silver surfer - an older person who uses the Internet
- Sputnik moment - when you realize you need to work harder to catch up
- Well-oiled machine - anything that functions as it should
- Hit the panic button - suddenly panic
- In tune with someone - have the same ideas and opinions
- Re-invent the wheel - waste time doing something that has already been done in an effective way
- Cog in the machine - a person or thing that is part of a larger system
- As easy-as-pie - something simple or easy
- A piece of cake - something simple or easy
- Up and running - ready for use
- Beat your brains out - try hard to understand something, like a scientific concept
- Bent out of shape - worried about or stressed about something needlessly
- The bottom line - the most essential or key information
- Burn the midnight oil - study or work all night
- Make heads or tails of it - Understand something, like a difficult science concept
- Cram - try to learn as much as possible in a short time, such as trying to learn lot of science information all at once.
- Elbow grease - effort and hard work
Science can also include a study of the senses, animals, and food. Some idioms related to these scientific categories include:
- A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush - do not take a risk and lose everything
- Actions speak louder than words - take action instead of just talking about it.
- Apple of my eye - a person who is loved
- Bark up the wrong tree - made a wrong decision
- Bite your tongue - to not talk
- Change horses in midstream - make different plans after starting something
- Cry wolf - false alarm
- Eat crow - admit you were wrong
- Half-baked - a plan that has not been carefully made or thought about
- Hit the bulls-eye - make the correct point
- Hot potato - a controversial issue
- Lend me your ear - ask someone to listen
- Make a mountain out of a molehill - make unimportant things important
- Monkey business - unscrupulous actions
- Piece of cake - something easy to do
- Polish the apple - to flatter
- Smell a rat - suspect something bad
- Take with a grain of salt - only believe part of something
- Turn a blind eye - ignoring something that is unethical or illegal
- Worth one’s salt - being a good employee or being worth the money
- Kick the bucket - die
- Bright as a button - smart
- Not the brightest bulb - dumb
- Bull-headed - inflexible or stubborn
- By the skin of your teeth - just barely succeed at something
- An eager beaver - someone always excited and willing to do something extra
- An egghead - a very smart person
These different idioms are all related to the science of the human condition or of plants and animals. Because science is such a broad field and because there are so many idioms in the English language, there is a good chance you'll hear idioms related to science on a regular basis.