Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
From 'spill the beans' to 'glow up', English is full of colourful phrases with fascinating stories. But how well do people actually know them?
We hit the streets of London to ask the public about some classic and quirky English idioms — from Shakespeare to TikTok. Can you guess what 'ate and left no crumbs' means? Or where 'chin chin' comes from?
👉 Watch to find out who really understands the assignment when it comes to English phrases — and why the British Council is celebrating idioms from around the world this World English Day.
📚 Download our free collection of 100 global phrases — exploring the rich cultural roots and surprising origins of the expressions we use every day: britishcouncil.org/world-english-day
🌍 Celebrate with us and discover how English evolves through history, heritage and human connection.
🗣 What’s your favourite phrase? Share it in the comments and follow us to join the World English Day conversation!
#WorldEnglishDay #shakespeare #britishcouncil #idioms #languagelearning #englishphrases #learnenglish
From 'spill the beans' to 'glow up', English is full of colourful phrases with fascinating stories. But how well do people actually know them?
We hit the streets of London to ask the public about some classic and quirky English idioms — from Shakespeare to TikTok. Can you guess what 'ate and left no crumbs' means? Or where 'chin chin' comes from?
👉 Watch to find out who really understands the assignment when it comes to English phrases — and why the British Council is celebrating idioms from around the world this World English Day.
📚 Download our free collection of 100 global phrases — exploring the rich cultural roots and surprising origins of the expressions we use every day: britishcouncil.org/world-english-day
🌍 Celebrate with us and discover how English evolves through history, heritage and human connection.
🗣 What’s your favourite phrase? Share it in the comments and follow us to join the World English Day conversation!
#WorldEnglishDay #shakespeare #britishcouncil #idioms #languagelearning #englishphrases #learnenglish
