Idioms Exercise Notes.

English Grammar Topic Idioms Exercises.

1. Idioms Exercises

2. a blessing in disguise , a drop in the ocean, a piece of cake, actions speak louder than words, an arm and a leg, chip on his shoulder, it’s a small world, jumping the gun, once in a blue moon, over the moon. 1 . Getting my car fixed is going to cost me _________ as the engine has completely blown, but I have no choice. I need it for work. 2.  The flu I had a few weeks ago which prevented me from going on holiday with my friends was ____________ . They had a terrible time. Everything went wrong and it cost them a lot of money. 3 . I was in a café in Italy and amazingly I saw Paul from down the road in there _____________.  4 . Jan is finally getting a chance to go on her trip of a life time, a holiday to Australia! She was__________  when I spoke to her. 5 . 3 pounds may seem like______________  but if everyone contributed that much we'd have thousands.

3. 6 . The government keeps talking about reducing poverty but what do they ever do about it? Nothing! ___________ . 7 . I've got a promotion at work, but all John did was make a joke about it. He has a real___________  . I think he is just jealous. 8 . The interview for that new job was___________  . They asked me really easy questions. 9 . The new Martin Scorsese film is out at the cinema. A film that comes out that I really enjoy and want to see happens___________  , so I'll definitely go and see it. 10 . He was __________  when he gave up his job to start university. Now he has found out he can't get a grant.

4. Answers : 1. an arm and a leg 2. a blessing in disguise 3. it's a small world 4. over the moon 5. a drop in the ocean 6. actions speak louder than words 7. chip on his shoulder 8. a piece of cake 9. once in a blue moon 10. jumping the gun an arm and a leg

5. Back to the drawing board, between the rock and a hard place, biting my tongue, cut to the chase, every cloud has a silver lining, find your feet, fixed in the ways, get up on the wrong side of the bed, went the extra mile, put all your eggs in one basket. 1 . Can you __________  and tell us if we are going to lose our jobs or not? 2.  Don't be so grumpy with me! Did you _________ ? 3 . He's very ___________ . He'll never vote Labor. He's voted for the Conservative party his whole life. 4 . I know everything seems very bad at the moment but __________  . I'm sure something good will come out of it. 5 . I know you shouldn’t __________ but I'm going to sell all my stocks and shares and purchase an off-plan property in Spain. I'm sure it will be fine.

6. 6 . I was ________  in that meeting. I really wanted to tell him that his idea was no good but you can't say that to the boss. 7 . It doesn't look like this strategy to improve the company's profits is working, so it’s _________  ! 8 . Jane really ________  yesterday. I only asked her to pick the kids up from school, but she took them home, helped with their homework and put them to bed. 9 . She’s _________  . Her marriage isn't working so she's very unhappy at home, but if she moves out and leaves him her family will blame her and won't talk to her. 10 . The job might seem confusing at first as there are a lot of different departments you need to work with but you'll soon ____________  .

7. Answers : 1. cut to the chase 2. get up on the wrong side of the bed 3. fixed in his ways 4. every cloud has a silver lining 5. put all your eggs in one basket 6. biting my tongue 7. back to the drawing board 8. went the extra mile 9. between a rock and a hard place 10. find your feet

8. bite the hand that feeds you , heat of the moment, hit the nail on the head, if it’s not one thing, it’s the other, keep an eye on, kick the bucket, let sleeping dogs lie, let the cat out of the bag, over the top, sit on the fence. 1. I missed my bus this morning, then when I went for a taxi I realized I'd left my wallet at home. Then when I got back home I couldn't find my key. Now my computer has crashed. Honestly, _________ . 2.  I hope Joyce hasn’t ________ . She was in her 90s. She got taken off to hospital the other day as she was very unwell.

9. 3 . I ________ as I accidentally mentioned that we are all meeting for a drink tonight. Sorry, I know you didn't want him to know. 4 . I tend to _______ over most controversial issues. I'm never sure which side of the argument to support. 5 . The boss never disciplined John over the fact that he came into work late twice last week. He must have decided to ________  . 6 . Try to keep up good relations with your boss. You don't want to _________ . 7 . He _________  when he said the reason we lost the match is because of weakness in our defense. That's definitely the reason.

10. 8 .He doesn't really hate you. He just said it in the _________ . 9 . An IELTS examiner has to _________  the time in the speaking test. It should not be more than 14 minutes. 10 . Her angry response to your email was way ________  . You had every right to say what you did.

11. Answers : 1. if it's not one thing, it's the other 2. kicked the bucket 3. let the cat out of the bag 4. sit on the fence 5. let sleeping dogs lie 6. bite the hand that feeds you 7. hit the nail on the head 8. heat of the moment 9. keep an eye on 10. over the top

12. practice makes perfect, pulling my leg, rue of thumb, smell a rat, take a rain check, the ball’s in your court, the spitting image, till the cows come home, tongue-in-check, under the weather. Wow – the painting is_________ of you. Who drew it? 2.  I'm a bit busy so I’ll __________ , but thanks for inviting me. 3 . I've been a bit ______  since last night. I think it may have been something I ate.

13. 4 . Are you ________ ? I don't believe you really did that. 5 . The police ________  when he said he wasn't involved in the crime. Someone fitting his description had been seen in the area. 6 . Don't worry if you can't do it yet. Keep trying. ___________  . 7 . The _________  in our house is not to talk about politics – it always ends in arguments!

14. 8 . The TV programmed was a ________ look at American culture. It wasn't that serious. 9 . I've told him how angry I am, so _________  now. We'll see what he does. 10 . We'll be waiting __________  for England to win the football World Cup again.

15. Answers : 1. the spitting image 2. take a rain check 3. under the weather 4. pulling my leg 5. smelt a rat 6. practice makes perfect 7. rule of thumb 8. tongue-in-cheek 9. the ball's in his court 10. till the cows come home

16. bend over backwards, break a leg, drive someone up the wall, flogging a dead horse, hold your horses, playing devil’s advocate, water under the bridge, working against the clock, you are what you eat, you can’t judge a book by its cover. 1 . We'll be _______ to get this finished. It's 4pm so we only have an hour left. 2.  ________ mate! I'm sure you'll do well. You're easily the best team. 3 . I agree with you really. I'm just ________ so you know what those who disagree with you may say.

17. 4 . Please, don't worry about what you said anymore. It's all _________ . I know you were just feeling upset at the time. 5 . Stop trying to get back with your ex-girlfriend. You’re _________ . There is no love between you anymore. 6 . I thought John was an idiot when I first saw him just because of the way he dressed. But _________ he's a really good bloke. 7 . My doctor always says ___________ when I go to see him about my weight. It's very true as I have a poor diet.

18. 8 . The government __________is  before the election to appear united. They know the electorate needs to believe in them. 9 . My younger brother really _________ . He argues and disagrees with everything I say. 10 . I think you should __________  ! You aren't ready yet to quit and start your own business. You need more experience.

19. Answers : 1. working against the clock 2. break a leg 3. playing devil's advocate 4. water under the bridge 5. flogging a dead horse 6. you can't judge a book by its cover 7. you are what you eat 8. bending over backwards 9. drives me up the wall 10. hold your horses

20. 1. He has the gift of the gab. He is gifted He is chatterbox He is a good conversationalist 2. Parental property has become a bone of contention between the siblings. Unifying factor Cause of qua rrel Cause of riv alry

21. 3. Once in a blue moon, we meet each other. Frequently Sometimes Very seldom Indeed 4. He has been jobless for several months, and it is his wife who keeps the pot boiling. Keeps the fire burning Avoids starvation Keeps firing Gets angry

22. 5. In the end he had to eat the humble pie. Apologize humbly Defend himself vigorously Adopt an aggressive attitude 6. To be a good orator, you don’t have to play to the galleries. Make a fool of yourself Offend the audience Appeal to the lower taste Appease select audience

23. 7. The officer took him to task. Praised him Reprimanded him severely Dismissed him Promoted him

24. Answers : 1. He is a good conversationalist. 2. something that causes a quarrel 3. very seldom indeed 4. avoids starvation 5. apologize humbly 6. to appeal to the lower taste 7. rebuked him

25. 1. Janet and Peter are getting married. I heard it straight from the ....................... mouth. Elephant’s Horse’s Camel’s 2. I wanted the party to be a secret but my sister let the ......................... out of the bag. Dog Brid cat

26. 3. The moment she started ....................... me up, I knew that she wanted to gain a favor. Pampering Barking Buttering 4. The two brothers are always pulling each other's ......................... Ear Leg hand

27. 5. Don't trust him. He is a ........................ in sheep's clothing. Wolf Fox Dog 6. He won the race ...................... down. Hands Legs Head

28. 7. By taking action against him for your failure you are just .................. up the wrong tree. Cutting Peeling Barking 8. Don't try to make fun of him. He ........................... off the handle pretty easily. Runs flies drives

29. 9. That laptop cost me ................... An arm and a leg An eye and a ear A finger and a toe 10. I hate having to tell him what I really think of him but I have to ............................ the bullet now. Fire Bite dodge

30. 11. The indulgent mother turns a ...................... to her son's faults. Blind eye Black eye Partial eye 12. The enemy was armed to the ....................; yet our soldiers managed to beat them. Teeth Neck Nose

31. Answers : 1. Janet and Peter are getting married. I heard it straight from the horse’s mouth. 2. I wanted the party to be a secret but my sister let the cat out of the bag. 3. The moment she started buttering me up, I knew that she wanted to gain a favor. 4. The two brothers are always pulling each other’s leg. 5. Don’t trust him. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. 6. He won the race hands down.

32. 7. By taking action against him for your failure you are just barking up the wrong tree. 8. Don’t try to make fun of him. He flies off the handle pretty easily. 9. That laptop cost me an arm and a leg. 10. I hate having to tell him what I really think of him but I have to bite the bullet now. 11. The indulgent mother turns a blind eye to her son’s faults. 12. The enemy was armed to the teeth; yet our soldiers managed to beat them.

33. A fair weather friend always tries  to fish in troubled waters  of his friends and  benefactors. A.     To borrow money B.     To steal belongings of C.     To get benefit in bad situation. D.     To extend a helping hand. His arrogant behavior with others has left him  high and dry . A. To be penniless B. To be very sick. C. To be very famous D. Isolated.

34. All the residents of the colony  painted the town red on the eve of festival. A. To white wash buildings B. To renovate buildings C. To celebrate noisily in public places. D. To create nuisances. The chairman  pulled  a long face  when the house did not accept the suggestions put forth by him. A. To look disappointed B. To get annoyed C. To be agitated D. To make a quarrel.

35. The  fair and square  policy of the chairman of the committee has made him very popular among the residents of the town. A. Clever and Deceitful B. Honest C. Ambiguous D. Relevant and practical. Answers : 1.C      2.D      3.C    4.A      5.B.

36. Due his bad habit of borrowing money from others, he will  be in the mire   one day. A.  to be punished B. To be imprisoned C. To be insulted D. to be in trouble. I do not like his habit of  mincing matters . A. Not to speak plainly. B. To brag about C. To be talkative D. To show off.

37. 3. The chairman of the  corporation  plays a  second fiddle  to the minister. A.  To extend a helping hand B. To play a secondary role. C. To be guiding person. D. To be facilitator. In order to become a successful administrator in the office, an executive has  to keep his  ears to the ground . A. To be very polite B. To encourage backbiting C. To keep informed about happening in surrounding. D. To have a strict control over all.

38. 5. He had  to go through the motion   of starting with this new project as he was  least interested to take  up it. A. To complete quickly. B. To do a work without enthusiasm C. To do without any interest. D. To work at a slow  speed. Answers : 1.D.  2.A    3.B     4.C        5.B.

39. 1. Rahul is known for his ................................. fuse. The other day he yelled at the teacher for asking him to leave the class. Quick Tight Short 2. I had ........................................ in my stomach as I waited for the results to be announced. Dragons Spiders butterflies

40. 3. Peter made the national team by the skin of his ...................................; you can tell that he hasn't fully recovered from his injuries. Face Nose Teeth 4. If you always cry ................................., no one will be there to help you when you actually need it. Tiger Fox wolf

41. 5. Cut him some ................................ After all, he is a mere child. Ice Space Slack 6. I didn't go to the party because I was down for the .................................. after working all day in the garden. moment Count Hell

42. 7. I know getting fired is no fun but remember that every cloud has a ....................................... lining. White Silver Golden 8. Finding a good job these days is as hard as finding a ............................................... in a haystack. Needle Knife pin

43. 9. I felt like a ...................................... out of water at the party because I didn't know anyone there. Fish Frog Turtle 10. I have to get this off my ……………………………… - I was the person who reported you to the police. Head Throat chest

44. 11. I have never gone scuba diving, but I am going to give it a .................................... Swirl Whirl Twirl 12. Her career went down in .................................... after she started doing drugs. Arms Smoke flames

45. Answers : 1. Rahul is known for his short fuse. The other day he yelled at the teacher for asking him to leave the class. 2. I had butterflies in my stomach as I waited for the results to be announced. 3. Peter made the national team by the skin of his teeth; you can tell that he hasn’t fully recovered from his injuries. 4. If you always cry wolf, no one will be there to help you when you actually need it. 5. Cut him some slack. After all, he is a mere child. 6. I didn’t go to the party because I was down for the count after working all day in the garden.

46. 7. I know getting fired is no fun but remember that ever cloud has a silver lining. 8. Finding a good job these days is as hard as finding a needle in a haystack. 9. I felt like a fish out of water at the party because I didn’t know anyone there. 10. I have to get this off my chest – I was the person who reported you to the police. 11. I have never gone scuba diving, but I am going to give it a whirl. 12. Her career went down in flames after she started doing drugs.

47. 1. John, put a ........................................ in it! Can you not see that I am listening to the radio? Plug Pin Switch Cork 2. She never missed even a single opportunity to put me ................................................ and that was the reason we decided to part ways. Down Away Up out

48. 3. I wish you would not put your ................................................... in where it is not wanted. Mouth Nose Arm Toes 4. My neighbor likes to put .................................................. in front of me. On the dog On the cat On the horse On the ass

49. 5. They put him ..................................................... for fourteen years but that did not reform him. Up On Away Off 6. Do not believe what she says. She is just putting you ..................................................! Up Down On

50. 7. Feel free to call me if you cannot find a good hotel. I will put you .................................................. Up Off Down In 8. I put ...................................................... on him but that did not help because he was already broke. The plug The bite The nip The choice

51. 9. During the identification parade, the girl put .................................................. on the man who killed her mother. The hand The thumb The finger The arm 10. My girlfriend is putting ................................................... on me to buy her a diamond necklace. The screws The lid The hammer The nails

52. 11. He suspected that his business partner was putting ................................................. him, but he had nothing to prove it. Something over Something on Something over on 12. The hostess really put ....................................................... to see that everyone was comfortable. Herself in Herself across Herself out

53. Answers : 1. John, put a  cork  in it! Can you not see that I am listening to the radio? 2. She never missed even a single opportunity to put me  down  and that was the reason we decided to part ways. 3. I wish you would not put your  nose  in where it is not wanted. 4. My neighbor likes to put  on the dog  in front of me. 5. They put him  away  for fourteen years but that did not reform him. 6. Do not believe what she says. She is just putting you  on!

54. 7. Feel free to call me if you cannot find a good hotel. I will put you   up. 8. I put  the bite  on him but that did not help because he was already broke. 9. During the identification parade, the girl  put the finger  on the man who killed her mother. 10. My girlfriend is  putting the screws  on me to buy her a diamond necklace. 11. He suspected that his business partner was  putting something over on  him, but he had nothing to prove it. 12. The hostess really   put herself out  to see that everyone was comfortable.

55. Refer to a dictionary and find out at least three Idioms that contain the following words. The word may occur anywhere in the expression. Full Leave Neck Pull order

56. Answers : Full full to the brim – very busy/completely full I have a lot of meetings and deadlines, my schedules are full to the brim. Full of it – not telling the truth; tending to exaggerate things “you’re so full of it!’ she retorted furiously. To the full – to the greatest possible degree I’ve always believed in living life to the full.

57. Leave Leave no stone turned – making all the efforts I wanted some money, so I left one stone unturned and at last I succeeded. Take leave (of somebody) – to say goodbye With a nod and smile, she took leave of her friends. Leave somebody in the lurch – to fail to help somebody when they are relying on you to do so They trusted you a lot. Don’t leave them in the lurch.

58. Neck Neck and neck – extremely close together The two athletes have been neck and neck for this entire race. Neck of the words – a particular place or area He’s from your neck of the woods. (He’s from the area where you live) Be up to your neck in something – to be very busy with something She’s up to her neck in her work.

59. Pull Pull one’s leg – to tease or joke with someone. When I pulled my friend’s leg, he became angry with me. Pull your socks up – to improve your performance, work, behaviour, etc. You’re going to have to pull your socks up. Pull the wool over somebody’s eyes – to try to trick somebody. She is very clever. You cannot pull the wool over her eyes.

60. Order Place an order – submit an order for something. My mother placed an order for a new computer. Out of order – not working correctly. The phone is out of order. In running order – working well (especially of machines). The engine is now in perfect running order.

61. Provide the meaning of the following Idioms and use them in sentences of your own. Ride on As sound / clear as a bell Touch-and-go Be worlds apart A slip of the tongue

62. Answers : Ride on - to continue to travel The bull stopped for a movement and it rode on till evening. As sound / clear as a bell – very easy to hear Unfortunately our next door neighbours fight a lot and we can hear them as clear as a bell. Touch and go – extremely uncertain as to the outcome of something It was a touch and go match from the beginning to the end. Be worlds apart – very difficult The levels of quality of the two products are worlds apart. A slip of the tongue – something that is said by mistake. I had no intention of saying that to her, it was a slip of the tongue.

63. Use the Idioms from the box and complete the sentences. ( bet my bottom dollar, Bring home the bacon, call the shots, Out of the blue, Blow-to-blow ) Who _______ in your family? I would ________ that we will not be able to win the tournament. It is up to the boss to _______ She was at the accident so she was able to give a _______ description to the police. The sky seemed to be clear and when ______ it poured!

64. Answers : Brings home the bacon Bet my bottom dollar Call the shots Blow-to-blow Out of the blue

65. Look at some Idioms and find out their meanings and use them in your own sentences. Once in a blue moon An arm and a leg A piece of cake A drop in the ocean Bite one’s tongue Go the extra mile Get ducks in a row Let the cat out of the bag Working against the clock

66. Flogging a dead horse On cloud nine Bolt from the blue Storm in a tea cup Make hay while the sun shines Beat black and blue Fight and uphill battle Donkey’s years At the eleventh hour Bee in one’s bonnet

67. Cook someone’s goose Feather in one’s cap Rags to riches In the blink of an eye In / by leaps and bounds Risk life and limb Save one’s neck/skin Birds of a feather flock together Keep at arm’s length Bite of more than you can chew Take the bull by the horns

68. Leave no stone unturned No spring chicken Beyond wildest dreams Keep your nose to the grindstone Paddle your own canoe Have a bone to pick Give a tongue-lashing Dressed up the nines Make one’s ears burn Turn a deaf ear

69. Back to the salt mines Nuts and bolts Step into someone’s shoes Catch-22 At the drop of a hat Wild goose chase Taste of your own medicine Blow one’s horn Burn the midnight oil Thrilled to bits

70. Look at some Idioms and their meanings. Use them in your own sentences. A hot potato - controversial and sensitive issue. Beat around the bush – avoid the main topic. Judge a book by its cover – judge something primarily on appearance. Caught between two stools – find it difficult to choose between two alternatives. Devil’s advocate – one who advocates an opposing or unpopular cause for the sake of an argument. Put all your eggs in one basket – put all the resources in one possibility.

71. Every cloud has a silver lining – every misfortune has some positive aspect. Hit the mail on the head – do or say something exactly right. Last straw – the final one in a series of problems. Steal someone’s thunder – to take the credit for something, someone else did. Acid test – something that proves the effectiveness of something. Chase your tails – spend a lot of time and energy but achieve little. Explore all avenues – try out every possibility to get a result. Work line a charm – work very well. Waiting in the wings – waiting for an opportunity to take action.

72. A blessing in disguise – something good that isn’t recognized at first. A chip on your shoulder – hold a grudge about something that happened in the past. A slap on the wrist – a very mild punishment. All Greek to me – meaningless and incomprehensible. Apple of my eye – someone who is cherished above all others. Cross your fingers – to hope something happens the way you want it to. Beat a dead horse – try to revive interest in a hopeless issue. Back to square one – having to start all over again. Dark horse – one who is previously unknown and is now prominent.

73. Elvis has left the building – the show has come to an end. Hit the sack – got to bed. Hit the books – to study, especially for a test. Give him the slip – to escape. Haste makes waste – doing things hastily results in a poor ending. Head over heels – madly in love. Get itchy feet – to become bored with the place or situation that you are in. Make a mountain out of a mole hill – to make a small problem seem big.

74. Keep your powder dry – to be ready for a possible emergency. From top to bottom – very thoroughly. Rap someone on the knuckles – criticize or punish someone for doing something wrong. Tie the knot – to get married. A knight in shining armour – a man who rescues you from danger. Keep the pot boiling – keep going on actively / keep a controversy alive. You reap what you sow – what happens to you is the result of things which you did in the past.

75. The best of both worlds – all the benefits and advantages of two different things. Dead to the world – sleeping very deeply. An old wives' tale – a common belief based on traditional ideas. Whistle in the wind – try without success to solve a problem. Red tape – official rules that seem complicated and cause delay. Lose your shirt – to lose all your money on a bad investment. A red letter day – a day when something very important happens. Chase rainbows – to waste your time trying to get something that you can’t.

76. Part and parcel – an essential or basic element. Grease someone’s palm – to give money to an official for an unfair advantage. Like oil and water – two people who are different from each other. A night owl – someone who regularly prefers to work late at night. Nickel and dine – not very important or functioning only on a small scale. A square meal – a large, filling, nutritious meal. By fair means or foul – by any possible method. The lion’s share – the largest part of something.

77. A labour of love – a task that you do for pleasure without expecting payment. Horses for courses – different people are suitable for different things. Teach your grandmother to suck eggs – to advise someone who actually knows more about it than you. Get a raw deal – to be treated badly. Out of the blue – unexpectedly.