Here are some nature sayings about the elements – Earth, wind, fire and water

earth idioms

Our beautiful Earth is a planet home to billions of people, plants, and animals. It’s comprised of land and sea with many different terrains including mountains and deserts.

There is actually a particularly good BBC show called Planet Earth. The narrator speaks very slowly so it’s good for practicing your English listening skills.

 

Planet Earth is also referred to as ‘the world’. e.g.

  • Paul is the best snooker player ON Earth.
  • Paul is the best snooker player IN the world.

Did you notice which prepositions we use for world and Earth? Don’t ask me why they are different, it’s just one of the quirks of English!

earth idioms and sayings
earth sayings - charge the earth
earth sayings - down to earth
earth idioms - four corners of the earth
earth idioms - move heaven and earth
earth idioms - salt of the earth
world idioms and expressions
world expressions - all the time in the world
world expressions - carry the weight of the world on one’s shoulders
world expressions - dead to the world
world expressions - dog eat dog world
world expressions - man/woman of the world
world expressions - on top of the world
world idioms - hand that rocks the cradle rules the world
world expressions - watch the world go by

wind idioms

Breeze is to do with the wind, it means a light gentle wind.
Fun fact – breeze can also mean ‘easy’ e.g. The exam was a breeze, I got 100%.

wind idioms and sayings - breeze
breeze idioms - be a breeze
breeze idioms - shoot the breeze

The wind is the movement of the air outside.

wind idioms and sayings
wind idioms and sayings- break wind
wind idioms and phrases - get wind of something
wind idioms and phrases - know which way the wind blows
wind idioms and sayings - sail close to the wind
wind idioms - second wind
wind idioms and sayings - see which way the wind blows
wind idioms - take the wind out of someone's sails
wind idioms and phrases - three sheets to the wind
wind idioms and phrases - throw caution to the wind

fire expressions

Fire is a combustion between substances and oxygen. It gives out light and heat.

Fun fact – Fire is also a verb, it means to dismiss someone from their job.

fire idioms and expressions
fire expressions - add fuel to the fire/flames
fire idioms - get fired
fire expressions - get on like a house on fire
fire idioms - no smoke without fire
fire expressions - old flame
fire idioms - out of the frying pan, into the fire
fire expressions - spread like wildfire
fire idioms - where there’s smoke there's fire

Smoke is they grey/black cloud of carbon and other particles that is produced when you burn something. To smoke is also a verb associated with cigarettes and tobacco (it’s regular).

 

Fun fact: The word smoke can be combined with the word fog (thick clouds of water particles near the Earth’s surface) to make a new word ‘smog’. This type of word is called a blend word.

smoke idioms and sayings
smoke idioms and sayings - no smoke without fire
smoke idioms and sayings - where there’s smoke there's fire
smoke idioms - smoking hot

water expressions

Water is the clear liquid that all living organisms drink to stay alive. It also comprises seas, lakes, rivers, and rains down on us. Not all water is safe to drink, some is too dirty, and some is too salty.

Water is also a verb; it means to give water to a living organism e.g. Can you water my plants whilst I’m away?

Fun fact – water rhymes with daughter. Isn’t the English language strange!

water idioms and expressions
water idioms - blood is thicker than water
water idioms - dead in the water
water idioms - dead in the water
nature idioms with water - in deep water
water sayings- in hot water
nature idioms - keep one’s head above water
water sayings - like a fish out of water
water idioms - make one's mouth water
water idioms - spend money like water
water idioms - still waters run deep
water idioms - take to something like a duck to water
test the water meaning
water idioms - throw cold water on
water expressions - tread water
water sayings - uncharted waters
water idioms - water down
water expressions - water off a duck’s back
water phrases - water under the bridge