Sayings Starting With the Letter ‘I’

We have phrases in spades that are just waiting to be explored! These sayings begin with the letter ‘I’ and they’re a great place to kick things off, so go ahead and get reading.


Sayings Starting With an ‘I’

I Smell a Rat
A suspicious feeling that something is not quite right; awry.


I Spy With My Little Eye
This phrase is used in a children’s guessing game.


If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
If something is working fine, it’s probably best to not make any changes that could potentially break it.


If You Can’t Stand The Heat, Get Out Of The Kitchen
One should stop doing a task or involving themselves in certain things if they cannot handle the pressure that comes with it.


In a Pickle
Being in a difficult predicament; a mess; an undesirable situation.


In One Fell Swoop
Doing something in a single action, or something that is done/completed quickly.


In The Red
If someone is “in the red,” they are losing money or are in debt.


It Ain’t Over Till The Fat Lady Sings
One should not assume the outcome of a situation until it reaches it’s end, because things can change.


It’s Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be
Failing to meet expectations; not being as good as people say.


It’s Not Brain Surgery
A thing that lacks complexity and is thus considered easy to do.


It’s Not Rocket Science
Simple to accomplish or understand; easy.


Note: More common phrases starting with “I” are below.


I Have No Clue
To be unsure about something; this is another way of saying “I don’t know.”


I Haven’t Slept a Wink
A person who has not slept well recently, if at all.


I’m Stumped
If someone says “I’m stumped,” they are bewildered and do not know the answer to a question or they do not know the solution to a problem.


In a Nutshell
To summarize something up (e.g., in a nutshell, this website is about phrases).


In For a Penny, In For a Pound
This phrase means that if a person has started doing something, instead of stopping, they might as well see the whole thing through to its end.


In Spades
If a person has something “in spades,” they have a large amount of it.


In The Bag
Having confidence in someone or something.


In The Nick Of Time
Arriving somewhere just before running out of time.