Idioms about luck, risk and choices: meanings and examples
Short answer: Idioms about luck, risk and choices describe hoping for luck, taking a risk and making a decision. “Keep your fingers crossed” means hope for good luck, “on thin ice” means close to trouble, and “the ball is in your court” means it is your turn to decide.
What do these expressions mean?
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Keep your fingers crossed | Hope for good luck | I'm keeping my fingers crossed for good weather on Saturday. |
| On thin ice | Close to getting into trouble | He is late again, so he is on thin ice with his boss. |
| Put all your eggs in one basket | To risk everything on one plan | Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Apply to more than one school. |
| Sit on the fence | To not choose a side | I can't sit on the fence any longer. I have to choose. |
| The ball is in your court | Now it is your turn to act or decide | I made my offer. Now the ball is in your court. |
| Miss the boat | To lose a chance | Tickets sold out in an hour, and I missed the boat. |
| The best of both worlds | To enjoy the good parts of two different things | A small town near a big city gives you the best of both worlds. |
| Jump on the bandwagon | To do something because many others are doing it | Everyone is buying that game, so I jumped on the bandwagon. |
When do you use these idioms?
- To hope for a good result: “I'm keeping my fingers crossed.”
- To warn about risk: “You are on thin ice”, “Don't put all your eggs in one basket.”
- To talk about a decision: “sit on the fence”, “the ball is in your court”.
- To talk about a lost chance: “miss the boat”.
Common mistakes with these idioms
- “Put all your eggs in one basket” is a warning: it means to risk everything on one plan.
- “Sit on the fence” means to not choose a side. It does not describe a real fence.
- “Jump on the bandwagon” means to do something because many others do it. It can sound a little critical.
- Say “on thin ice”, not “on a thin ice”.
Similar expressions
“Miss the boat” and “miss the bus” are both about losing a chance, but “miss the boat” is the fixed idiom. “The best of both worlds” means to enjoy the good parts of two different things.
More idioms
- English idioms: meanings and examples (all groups)
- Idioms about mistakes and trouble: meanings and examples
- Idioms for school and work: meanings and examples
- Idioms for advice and encouragement: meanings and examples
Questions
What does “keep your fingers crossed” mean?
It means to hope for good luck. People often cross their fingers when they say it.
What does “on thin ice” mean?
It means close to getting into trouble. For example, “He is late again, so he is on thin ice.”
What does “the ball is in your court” mean?
It means that now it is your turn to act or decide.
What does “miss the boat” mean?
It means to lose a chance, because you were too slow.
What does “sit on the fence” mean?
It means to not choose a side when people disagree.
Part of the English idioms guide in the 💬 Idioms tool.
Written for English learners by the English for Fun team. How we write our lessons · Last updated 2026-11-05.