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Questions and Answers
What does the phrase 'tall order' refer to in the context provided?
What does the phrase 'tall order' refer to in the context provided?
What does 'fifth wheel' mean in the context provided?
What does 'fifth wheel' mean in the context provided?
What does 'going under the knife' imply?
What does 'going under the knife' imply?
What does the phrase 'whistling Dixie' suggest about a person's belief?
What does the phrase 'whistling Dixie' suggest about a person's belief?
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What does 'under the weather' mean in the context provided?
What does 'under the weather' mean in the context provided?
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What does the phrase 'sink or swim' imply?
What does the phrase 'sink or swim' imply?
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What does 'kicked our asses' mean in this context?
What does 'kicked our asses' mean in this context?
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What does the phrase 'that ship has sailed' imply?
What does the phrase 'that ship has sailed' imply?
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What does the idiom 'cut class' mean?
What does the idiom 'cut class' mean?
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What is a 'ballpark figure'?
What is a 'ballpark figure'?
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What does it mean to 'face the music'?
What does it mean to 'face the music'?
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What is implied when someone is described as 'down in the dumps'?
What is implied when someone is described as 'down in the dumps'?
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What does the idiom 'easy come, easy go' imply?
What does the idiom 'easy come, easy go' imply?
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What does the phrase 'cash in on it' mean?
What does the phrase 'cash in on it' mean?
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How is the idiom 'get cold feet' best understood?
How is the idiom 'get cold feet' best understood?
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What does 'dirt cheap' mean?
What does 'dirt cheap' mean?
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What does the expression 'break new ground' refer to?
What does the expression 'break new ground' refer to?
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What is meant by 'the bee's knees'?
What is meant by 'the bee's knees'?
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What does the idiom 'go Dutch' mean?
What does the idiom 'go Dutch' mean?
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What does it mean to 'iron out difficulties'?
What does it mean to 'iron out difficulties'?
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What does 'have your hands full' indicate?
What does 'have your hands full' indicate?
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What does 'kick back' mean in conversation?
What does 'kick back' mean in conversation?
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Study Notes
American Idioms and Expressions
- "Come hell or high water": No matter what happens.
- "Tall order": A difficult task.
- "In the blink of an eye": Instantly.
- "In a fog": Confused.
- "Second wind": Renewed energy.
- "Quick as a flash": Very fast.
- "Fifth wheel": A superfluous person.
- "Rain on someone's parade": Spoil someone's plans.
- "Under the knife": Undergo surgery.
- "Sink or swim": Fail or succeed.
- "Whistling Dixie": Unrealistically optimistic.
- "Quick-and-dirty": Approximate.
- "That ship has sailed": Too late.
- "Off his trolley": Insane.
- "Right as rain": Absolutely correct.
- "Tough sledding": Difficult progress.
- "Year in, year out": Annually, without change.
- "Old hat": Old-fashioned.
- "By a whisker": A very short distance.
- "Amount to a hill of beans": Unimportant.
- "Iron out": Resolve.
- "Playing with fire": Very risky.
- "Ball-park figure": Approximate number/estimation.
- "Big fish in a little sea": Famous/well-known but only in a small area.
- "Bite to eat": Getting something to eat.
- "Don't bite the hand that feeds you": Don't mistreat someone helping you.
- "Breaking ground": Doing something new.
- "Burst into tears": Start crying suddenly.
- "Cash in on it": Gaining profit.
- "Catch your eye": Something/someone attracts attention.
- "Come out of the closet": Admitting sexual orientation.
- "Come what may": Whatever happens.
- "The crack of dawn": Right at dawn.
- "Cut class": Missing class.
- "Cut loose": Relaxing, having fun.
- "Dead ringer": Someone/something that looks exactly like another.
- "Dirt cheap": Extremely inexpensive.
- "Drown your sorrows": Drinking to forget problems.
- "Down in the dumps": Sad/depressed.
- "Easy as pie": Very easy.
- "Easy come, easy go": Simple to obtain and lose.
- "Everything but the kitchen sink": Nearly everything.
- "Elbow room": Enough space.
- "Eat your words": Admitting you were wrong.
- "Eat your heart out": Jealous.
- "Face the music": Admitting wrongdoing.
- "Fall short": Not having enough.
- "Feel like a new person": Feeling revived.
- "Follow your heart": Acting based on feelings.
- "Full plate": Extremely busy.
- "Get carried away": Exaggerate something/blow it out of proportion.
- "Get cold feet": Second-guessing/becoming frightened.
- "Get something off your chest": Admitting something bothering you.
- "Go Dutch": Everyone pays for themselves.
- "Go over with a fine-tooth comb": Looking at something very closely.
- "Golden opportunity": Good chance.
- "Hand-me-down": Something passed down.
- "Hands full": Having too much to do.
- "Hit the spot": Gratifying/fulfilling.
- "Hit a snag": Encountering a problem.
- "At your ease": Uneasy about something/uncomfortable.
- "Kick back": Relaxing.
- "Knock on wood": Hoping for good luck.
- "Under the weather": Not feeling well.
- "Got our asses kicked": Defeat badly.
- "Mother Nature": The natural world.
- "Behind the times": Old-fashioned.
- "Ass kicked": Defeat badly.
Additional Idioms (from examples of usage)
- "Crosword, not rocket science": Something not difficult.
- "Hang in there": Keep trying.
- "Cutting corners": Doing things inefficiently or dangerously.
- "Bite the bullet": Accept something difficult.
- "Back to the drawing board": Start over.
- "Hit the sack": Go to bed.
- "Speak of the devil": Someone you were talking about just arrived.
- "On the ball": Very good at what they do.
- "Cheeky one": Playful or mischievous.
- "Chuffed to bits": Extremely happy.
- "Good old chinwag": Conversation with lots of gossip.
- "Bee's knee's": Something cool and trendy.
- "An arm and a leg": Very expensive.
- "Car Boot": Car trunk.
- "On a bender": Constantly getting up to something.
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Description
Test your knowledge of common American idioms and expressions with this engaging quiz. Learn the meanings behind phrases like 'come hell or high water' and 'sink or swim' as you challenge yourself. Perfect for language learners and enthusiasts alike!
