Idioms Related to Media in English

In the article below you will see the most used idioms related to media along with illustrations to be useful for ESL learners.

Idioms Related to Media

1. Surf the net/web – to spend time looking at different pages on the Internet.

• He stayed up all night surfing the net.

2. Get your wires crossed –a misunderstanding between people, usually related to making arrangements.

•  I’m afraid they got their wires crossed and he printed the wrong book.
• We got our wired crossed about when to meet.

3. To take by storm – to captivate people ‘s attention; when something becomes very popular.

• The new politician is really taking this town by storm! The new movie is taking theaters by storm.

4. It went viral -quickly and widely spread or popularized especially by person-to-person electronic communication.

• A viral video. It was amazing how fast the story went viral.

5. Behind closed doors – Events which take place hidden from view.

• The meeting took place behind closed doors. The presidents made plans behind closed doors.

6. Both sides of the coin – To see both points of view in an argument.

• To be a diplomat, you must see both sides of the coin.
• Being able to understand both sides of the coin is important for building strong relationships and bringing unity.

7. Pull the wool over (someone’s) eyes – To deceive.

• She is angry because they pulled the wool over her eyes.
• He is a sharp man! You cannot easily pull the wool over his eyes.

8. Raise/lift the curtain – To make something public; disclose.

• The president decided to lift the curtain on the new plans.
• When will you lift the curtains for the new story line?

9. Turn a blind eye – To ignore something and pretend not to see it.

• Too many people turn a blind eye to the helpless. Instead of helping her, he just turned a blind eye.

10. No news is good news – If you don‘t hear any news it means nothing is wrong.

• A: Have you heard from them yet? I’m worried!
• B: Don’t worry. No news is good news.
  

11. Whistle-blower – a person who tells police, reporters, etc., about something (such as a crime) that has been kept secret.

• Edward Snowden, formerly of the CIA, blew the whistle on the NSA.
• The journalist was a famous whistle blower after exposing the truth.

12. A corporate whistle-blower [=a person who works for a corporation and tells people about the corporation’s illegal activities]