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Questions and Answers
What does the expression 'A blessing in disguise' mean?
What does the expression 'A blessing in disguise' mean?
Which phrase means to terminate the workday?
Which phrase means to terminate the workday?
What does the phrase 'Beat around the bush' imply?
What does the phrase 'Beat around the bush' imply?
Which expression suggests the idea of helping someone lighten their burden?
Which expression suggests the idea of helping someone lighten their burden?
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What is the meaning of 'Go back to the drawing board'?
What is the meaning of 'Go back to the drawing board'?
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What does 'Cutting corners' refer to?
What does 'Cutting corners' refer to?
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What does the phrase 'Get your act together' mean?
What does the phrase 'Get your act together' mean?
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What does 'Easy does it' suggest?
What does 'Easy does it' suggest?
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What does the phrase 'a little learning is a dangerous thing' imply?
What does the phrase 'a little learning is a dangerous thing' imply?
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What does the phrase 'a storm in a teacup' refer to?
What does the phrase 'a storm in a teacup' refer to?
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What does 'curiosity killed the cat' mean?
What does 'curiosity killed the cat' mean?
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What does 'fit as a fiddle' describe?
What does 'fit as a fiddle' describe?
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The phrase 'fortune favours the bold' suggests that:
The phrase 'fortune favours the bold' suggests that:
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What does 'it takes two to tango' mean?
What does 'it takes two to tango' mean?
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What does the phrase 'you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink' signify?
What does the phrase 'you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink' signify?
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The expression 'too many cooks spoil the broth' means:
The expression 'too many cooks spoil the broth' means:
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What does 'a stitch in time saves nine' imply?
What does 'a stitch in time saves nine' imply?
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What does 'waste not, want not' suggest?
What does 'waste not, want not' suggest?
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What does the phrase 'to get bent out of shape' mean?
What does the phrase 'to get bent out of shape' mean?
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Which idiom suggests that you should not count on something until it is certain?
Which idiom suggests that you should not count on something until it is certain?
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What does the idiom 'to break the ice' mean?
What does the idiom 'to break the ice' mean?
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What would 'to add insult to injury' imply in a situation?
What would 'to add insult to injury' imply in a situation?
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What is meant by 'to kill two birds with one stone'?
What is meant by 'to kill two birds with one stone'?
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What does 'the elephant in the room' refer to?
What does 'the elephant in the room' refer to?
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What does 'to let the cat out of the bag' imply?
What does 'to let the cat out of the bag' imply?
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Which idiom suggests that appearances can be misleading?
Which idiom suggests that appearances can be misleading?
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What does 'play devil's advocate' mean?
What does 'play devil's advocate' mean?
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What does the expression 'time flies when you're having fun' convey?
What does the expression 'time flies when you're having fun' convey?
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Which idiom advises not to trust things that seem too good to be true?
Which idiom advises not to trust things that seem too good to be true?
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What does 'your guess is as good as mine' indicate?
What does 'your guess is as good as mine' indicate?
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Which idiom would indicate the importance of caution and planning?
Which idiom would indicate the importance of caution and planning?
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What is implied by the expression 'spilling the beans'?
What is implied by the expression 'spilling the beans'?
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Study Notes
Common English Idioms and Expressions
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Common Expressions (High Frequency):
- A blessing in disguise: A negative event that ultimately has a positive outcome.
- A dime a dozen: Something common; readily available.
- Beat around the bush: Avoid directly stating something unpleasant or difficult.
- Better late than never: It's better to do something late than not do it at all.
- Bite the bullet: To endure something unpleasant or painful.
- Break a leg: Good luck!
- Call it a day: End the workday.
- Cut somebody some slack: Be lenient on someone; not criticize too harshly.
- Cutting corners: Do something quickly at the expense of quality.
- Easy does it: Carefully; proceed gently.
- Get out of hand: To become uncontrolled or unruly.
- Get something out of your system: Do something you want to do to get it out of your mind.
- Get your act together: Improve one's behavior or performance.
- Give someone the benefit of the doubt: Believe the person even if there is no clear proof.
- Go back to the drawing board: Start over from the beginning.
- Hang in there: Don't give up.
- Hit the sack: Go to sleep.
- It's not rocket science: It's not complicated.
- Let someone off the hook: Avoid holding someone accountable for something.
- Make a long story short: To summarize.
- Miss the boat: Be too late.
- No pain, no gain: Hard work is necessary to get rewards.
- On the ball: Doing a good job; being efficient.
- Pull someone's leg: To tease or trick someone.
- Pull yourself together: Calm down.
- So far so good: Until now, everything is fine.
- Speak of the devil: (Literally) Speaking of the devil. Implies that the person mentioned arrives soon after the discussion.
- That's the last straw: The final negative event or hardship.
- The best of both worlds: An ideal situation combining the benefits of two different options.
- Time flies when you're having fun: Time passes quickly when enjoying oneself.
- To get bent out of shape: To become angry.
- To make matters worse: To worsen a situation.
- Under the weather: To be sick.
- We'll cross that bridge when we come to it: We will deal with it later.
- Wrap your head around something: To understand something complex.
- You can say that again: I completely agree.
- Your guess is as good as mine: I have no idea.
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Intermediate Expressions (Used less frequently, but still understood):
- A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: It's better to have something you're sure of than to risk getting something better.
- A penny for your thoughts: What are you thinking?
- A penny saved is a penny earned: Saving money is good.
- A perfect storm: A combination of problems in a situation to make it even worse.
- A picture is worth 1000 words: A picture conveys more information than spoken words.
- Actions speak louder than words: One's actions are more meaningful than their words.
- Add insult to injury: To worsen a bad situation through an additional insult or action.
- Barking up the wrong tree: Searching in the wrong place.
- Birds of a feather flock together: People with similar traits tend to group.
- Bite off more than you can chew: To take on more than you can handle.
- Break the ice: To relieve awkwardness or tension.
- By the skin of your teeth: Barely.
- Comparing apples to oranges: Comparing things that aren't comparable.
- Costs an arm and a leg: Very expensive.
- Do something at the drop of a hat: To do something spontaneously.
(and so on, continuing the list of intermediate and less common idioms)
Less Common Idioms
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Less Common Expressions (For Advanced Learners):
- A little learning is a dangerous thing: A superficial understanding of a subject can be problematic.
- A snowball effect: A chain reaction; exponential growth.
- A snowball's chance in hell: No chance at all.
- A stitch in time saves nine: An early solution is better than a later one.
- A storm in a teacup: A trivial disagreement or problem.
- An apple a day keeps the doctor away: Preventive measures are good.
- An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: Early prevention is better than treatment.
- As right as rain: Perfectly fine.
- Bolt from the blue: Suddenly; unexpectedly.
- Burn bridges: To sever relationships permanently.
- Calm before the storm: A period of peace or stillness before a difficult or intense event.
(and so on, continuing the list of less common idioms)
Studying That Suits You
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Description
Test your knowledge of common English idioms and expressions with this engaging quiz. Learn the meanings and usage of phrases that are frequently used in everyday conversation. Challenge yourself and enhance your understanding of these expressions!
