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Royal Idioms

With the jubilee still fresh in people's minds, the royal family are a hot topic of conversation and there are plenty of idioms in the English language that highlight the monarchy's place within the U.K.. Let's take a look...

Drama Queen 'She can be a real drama queen when she doesn't get her own way.'


Calling someone a drama queen means that they are very over the top in their response to a situation and tend to overreact, often using dramatic tone of voice and exaggerated body language.

Prince Charming

'She has waited her whole life for prince charming to come along.'


Prince Charming is a fictional character from the Cinderella story. He is supposed to be the 'perfect man'. For this reason, prince charming is used to describe a man who comes along and sweeps a woman off her feet, and 'waiting for her Prince Charming' can be used to describe either a woman who has been unlucky in love and deserves someone nice, or a woman who has set very high expectations when looking for a partner.

Queen Bee


'She really thinks she is the queen bee around here!' If someone is called or thinks they are the queen bee it means they are the leader or most influential in a group. However, it is also often used in a negative way to describe someone who is full of their own self-importance.

Royal Pain 'You can be a royal pain when you want to be.' Calling someone a royal pain means they are the biggest of pains and are causing you issue or discomfort. However, it is often used in a tongue in cheek way, for example, when a child asks a parent for a lift somewhere they may call them a royal pain but then still drive them.

King's Ransom


'I was going to buy the car, but they want a king's ransom for it.'


A king's ransom is used to describe an item that is very expensive and often, unjustly so. It is often used when an item is in short supply but has a big demand and so the seller puts the price up unfairly.

Be A Princess 'Stop being such a princess and help me!'


Being a princess is a derogatory term for someone who wants everything their own way, wants everything done for them or someone who is not prepared to get stuck in with the work that is being undertaken.

Royal Treatment


'When he arrives, remember to give him the royal treatment.'


Giving someone the royal treatment means that they will receive the best service possible or service in a very grand way. This is normally because they are very important, famous or you are trying to impress them.

We hope you have enjoyed this blog. As always, you will progress more by reading, listening and practising your English so make sure you check out IQ Global for free resources and our YouTube channel. See you next time!



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