common expressions that are based on music

Idioms derived from music are all around us. Here are some of my favorite common expressions that are based on music.

  • Tone deaf: Not good at perceiving the impact of one’s words, insensitive.
  • Preaching to the choir: advocate something to people who already share one’s convictions about its merits or importance.
  • Face the music: deal with the consequences.
  • Music to my ears: Good to hear; welcome news
  • Blowing your own trumpet: Brag; emphasize one’s own contributions
  • Toot your own horn: Brag; emphasize one’s own contributions
  • Like a broken record: someone who keeps talking about the same story over and over again.
  • Strike a chord: Used to describe something that is familiar to you, reminds you of something or is connected to you somehow.
  • Change your tune: To change one’s opinion about something.
  • Dance to someone’s tune: Follow someone’s directions or influence
  • Sing a different tune: Change direction or opinion
  • All that jazz: and such similar things.
  • Jazz something up: improve something, give it more sparkle
  • March to the beat of your own drum: When someone does things the way they want to, without taking anybody else or anything else into consideration.
  • Drum up support/ Business / Interest: Try to get extra support/business/interest by various means.
  • Fit as a fiddle: extremely healthy
  • Playing second fiddle: To play a subordinate role to someone
  • Jam session / Jamming: Playing music with various instruments in an improvised and informal setting.
  • Elevator music: Pleasant but boring recorded music that is played in public places.
  • Fine Tuning: fixing details
  • Pitch perfect:
    • exactly right in tone, mood, or pitch.”a pitch-perfect, hilarious send-up of a Ken Burns–style documentary”
turned on black samsung smartphone between headphones