Idioms and Their Meanings Quiz

Phrasal Expressions and Their Meanings

• Burn the midnight oil: To stay up late working or studying, often until the early hours.
• Call it a day: To stop working and go home after completing tasks, usually when one feels satisfied.
• Catch some Z’s: A casual way to say going to sleep, particularly after a tiring day.
• Caught red-handed: Being caught in the act of doing something wrong or illegal.
• Clean as a whistle: Describes something that is very clean; often used to emphasize tidiness.
• Clean slate: Represents a fresh start or a new beginning, usually after a mistake has been rectified.
• Cold feet: Refers to feelings of nervousness or anxiety, particularly before significant events like weddings.
• Cold turkey: To quit a bad habit abruptly, without gradual reduction.
• Cost an arm and a leg: Indicates something that is very expensive; emphasizes high cost.
• Crunch time: A critical period when deadlines are imminent, necessitating hard work and focus.
• Curiosity killed the cat: A proverb warning that excessive curiosity can lead to trouble.
• Days are numbered: Suggests that someone's time in a situation is limited or may soon end.
• Down in the dumps: A phrase describing a feeling of sadness or depression.
• Don’t count your chickens before they hatch: Advises against assuming success before it happens; wait for certain outcomes.
• Drag one’s feet: To delay or procrastinate when completing a task or making progress.
• Drive one crazy: Describes a behavior that is particularly irritating or annoying.
• Drive one up the wall: Similar to "drive one crazy," it indicates significant annoyance.

Additional Expressions

• Easier said than done: Describes a situation where talking about something is much simpler than actually doing it.
• Easy does it!: A caution to proceed carefully and not rush.
• Eating at someone: Describes a situation in which something bothers or disturbs someone.
• Every cloud has a silver lining: Suggests that even negative situations contain hopeful or positive aspects.
• Face-to-face: Refers to direct interaction between two people, in person.
• Fair-weather friend: A friend who is only supportive during good times but not during difficulties.
• False alarm: A situation where there is a mistaken panic or concern, often discovering that it wasn't necessary.
• Fall for it: Means to be tricked or deceived by a lie or prank.
• Fly off the handle: To become extremely angry suddenly or unexpectedly.
• Follow in the footsteps of: To imitate or take inspiration from someone admired, often in a professional or personal context.
• From scratch: To start something anew, particularly with no prior preparation or materials.

Experiencing and Managing Responsibilities

• Get a kick out of something: To derive enjoyment or pleasure from a particular activity or experience.
• Get with the program: To become aware of what is important and act accordingly.
• Give one’s right arm: To be willing to sacrifice a lot for something or someone valued.
• Give someone a hand: Can mean to help someone with a task or to applaud someone's efforts.
• Go against the grain: To act contrary to what is generally accepted or expected.
• Go bananas/Go crazy: To become extremely excited or agitated.
• Grab a bite to eat: To obtain something to eat, often quickly.

Other Common Sayings

• Green with envy: Describes a strong feeling of jealousy.
• Have one’s hands full: Indicates being busy with numerous responsibilities at once.
• Hit the books: A directive to study hard.
• Hit the nail on the head: To describe a perfect or accurate assessment of a situation.
• Hit the spot: Refers to something that perfectly satisfies a craving or need.
• Hold your horses: A request for patience or to slow down.

Additional Insights on Challenges

• In ages: Refers to a long duration, often used for time gone by without an event.
• In over one’s head: Describes someone who has taken on responsibilities too complex or numerous to handle.
• In the nick of time: Just barely in time to avoid a negative outcome.
• It’s a piece of cake: Indicates that something is very easy to accomplish.
• John Hancock: A colloquial term for a signature, referring to its uniqueness.
• Jump the gun: To act too soon or prematurely.

Knowledge and Skills

• Know by heart: Refers to memorizing something thoroughly.
• Know the ropes: Describes familiarity with a process or situation.
• Make ends meet: To manage one's finances so that income covers expenditures.
• Scare the living daylights out of: To frighten someone significantly.
• Sick as a dog: Describes someone feeling extremely ill.
• Skeleton in the closet: A hidden, often embarrassing secret.

Sleep and Awareness

• Sleeping like a baby: Refers to sleeping deeply and peacefully.
• Sleeping like a log: Denotes deep sleep where one is hard to wake up.
• Smell a rat: To suspect that something is not trustworthy.
• Spick and span: Describes a clean and tidy condition.
• Stab in the back: To betray someone, often unexpectedly.
• Stick one’s neck out: To take a risk, often for someone else's benefit.
• Sweet tooth: A strong desire or preference for sweet foods.

Communication and Reasoning

• Talking in circles: Describes unclear and repetitive speech that fails to make a point.
• That does not hold water: It signifies an argument does not stand up to scrutiny.
• That is a bunch of baloney: Refers to a lie or nonsensical statement.