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Questions and Answers
What does it mean to 'give someone the cold shoulder'?
What does it mean to 'give someone the cold shoulder'?
What does 'sitting on the fence' imply?
What does 'sitting on the fence' imply?
What does it mean to 'hit the nail on the head'?
What does it mean to 'hit the nail on the head'?
When someone is 'as fit as a fiddle', what does it indicate?
When someone is 'as fit as a fiddle', what does it indicate?
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What does 'get it out of your system' mean?
What does 'get it out of your system' mean?
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What does the phrase 'speak of the devil' refer to?
What does the phrase 'speak of the devil' refer to?
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To 'give someone the benefit of the doubt' means to...
To 'give someone the benefit of the doubt' means to...
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What principle does 'no pain, no gain' emphasize?
What principle does 'no pain, no gain' emphasize?
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What does the phrase 'no pain, no gain' imply in relation to public speaking skills?
What does the phrase 'no pain, no gain' imply in relation to public speaking skills?
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What does the phrase 'hang in there' mean?
What does the phrase 'hang in there' mean?
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What is indicated by the phrase 'it's not rocket science'?
What is indicated by the phrase 'it's not rocket science'?
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What does 'to let someone off the hook' mean?
What does 'to let someone off the hook' mean?
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The expression 'to go back to the drawing board' suggests what?
The expression 'to go back to the drawing board' suggests what?
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What does the phrase 'once in a blue moon' mean?
What does the phrase 'once in a blue moon' mean?
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What does 'at the drop of a hat' imply?
What does 'at the drop of a hat' imply?
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What is the meaning of the phrase 'to make a long story short'?
What is the meaning of the phrase 'to make a long story short'?
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What does 'to pull someone's leg' mean?
What does 'to pull someone's leg' mean?
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What does the phrase 'time flies when you're having fun' indicate?
What does the phrase 'time flies when you're having fun' indicate?
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What does it mean to 'have your ducks in a row'?
What does it mean to 'have your ducks in a row'?
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What does 'the balls in your court' mean?
What does 'the balls in your court' mean?
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What does 'to add insult to injury' suggest?
What does 'to add insult to injury' suggest?
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What does the phrase 'to be bent out of shape' refer to?
What does the phrase 'to be bent out of shape' refer to?
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What does the phrase 'best thing since sliced bread' typically refer to?
What does the phrase 'best thing since sliced bread' typically refer to?
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What does the expression 'come rain or shine' imply?
What does the expression 'come rain or shine' imply?
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Which phrase means to do something quickly but without following proper rules?
Which phrase means to do something quickly but without following proper rules?
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What does 'get your act together' encourage someone to do?
What does 'get your act together' encourage someone to do?
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When is the expression 'clear as mud' typically used?
When is the expression 'clear as mud' typically used?
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What is meant by the phrase 'rock the boat'?
What is meant by the phrase 'rock the boat'?
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What does the phrase 'got out of hand' refer to?
What does the phrase 'got out of hand' refer to?
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What does 'a bad apple' mean in a group context?
What does 'a bad apple' mean in a group context?
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What does 'cut to the chase' mean?
What does 'cut to the chase' mean?
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When something 'comes in handy,' what does that indicate?
When something 'comes in handy,' what does that indicate?
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What does the idiom 'cost an arm and a leg' refer to?
What does the idiom 'cost an arm and a leg' refer to?
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What does the expression 'cry over spilt milk' imply?
What does the expression 'cry over spilt milk' imply?
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What is the meaning of 'curiosity killed the cat'?
What is the meaning of 'curiosity killed the cat'?
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What is meant by the idiom 'to spill the beans'?
What is meant by the idiom 'to spill the beans'?
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What does 'a blessing in disguise' refer to?
What does 'a blessing in disguise' refer to?
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What is described by the term 'a dime a dozen'?
What is described by the term 'a dime a dozen'?
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What does it mean to 'beat around the bush'?
What does it mean to 'beat around the bush'?
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What is implied by 'better late than never'?
What is implied by 'better late than never'?
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What does 'to bite the bullet' mean?
What does 'to bite the bullet' mean?
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What does 'break a leg' signify in a performance context?
What does 'break a leg' signify in a performance context?
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What does 'to call it a day' mean?
What does 'to call it a day' mean?
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What does 'to cut somebody some slack' imply?
What does 'to cut somebody some slack' imply?
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What does 'to be glad to see the back of' someone mean?
What does 'to be glad to see the back of' someone mean?
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What does 'to miss the boat' signify?
What does 'to miss the boat' signify?
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Study Notes
Idioms and Their Meanings
- Giving the cold shoulder: Ignoring someone; a way of asking why someone is angry.
- Sitting on the fence: Delaying a decision, often due to difficulty.
- Hitting the nail on the head: Accurately explaining a problem or situation.
- As fit as a fiddle: Feeling great; having good health.
- Get something out of your system: Doing something to move on from it, often something you've talked about for a while.
- Speak of the devil: Someone appears when you're mentioning them.
- Give someone the benefit of the doubt: Trusting someone's explanation, especially when they're late.
- No pain, no gain: Hard work is necessary for success.
- Hang in there: Don't give up.
- A penny for your thoughts: Asking what someone is thinking.
- Not rocket science: Easily understood; not complicated.
- Let someone off the hook: Not punishing someone for a mistake.
- Long story short: A brief summary of a long or complicated story.
- Easy does it: Slow down.
- Go back to the drawing board: Start over; create a new plan.
- Once in a blue moon: Rarely.
- At the drop of a hat: Immediately.
- Add insult to injury: Making a bad situation worse.
- Hit the sack: Go to bed.
- The ball is in your court: Your turn to make the next decision.
- Barking up the wrong tree: Looking in the wrong place or accusing the wrong person.
- Have your ducks in a row: Be well prepared or organized.
- The best of both worlds: Enjoying the advantages of two different things at once.
- The lion's share: The largest portion.
- On the ball: Performing extremely well.
- Pull someone's leg: Joking with someone.
- Pull yourself together: Calm down.
- False alarm: A false alert that causes agitation.
- So far, so good: Everything is okay until now.
- The last straw: The final event causing loss of patience.
- Time flies when you're having fun: Time passes quickly when you are doing enjoyable activities.
- Bent out of shape: Upset, angry.
- Make matters worse: To exacerbate existing problems.
- Don't judge a book by its cover: Don't judge someone based on their appearance.
- Fall between two stools: Fail to achieve two separate goals.
- Cost an arm and a leg: Exceptionally expensive.
- Cross the bridge when you come to it: Deal with a problem when it arises.
- Cry over spilt milk: Complaining about a past problem.
- Curiosity killed the cat: Asking too many questions can lead to trouble.
- Miss the boat: Lose an opportunity due to inaction.
- On fire: Performing extremely well.
- Spill the beans: Reveal a secret.
- Under the weather: Feeling unwell.
- A blessing in disguise: A seemingly bad situation with a positive outcome later.
- A dime a dozen: Common, not special.
- Beat around the bush: Avoid saying what you mean.
- Better late than never: It is better to do something late than not at all.
- Bite the bullet: Force yourself to do something unpleasant.
- Break a leg: Good luck (for a performance).
- Call it a day: Stop working for the day.
- Cut someone some slack: Be lenient; understanding.
- Glad to see the back of: Happy that someone has left.
- The best thing since sliced bread: Extremely useful or excellent.
- There are plenty of fish in the sea: Several options are available (often romantic relationships).
- Come rain or shine: Despite circumstances, an event will take place.
- Cut corners: Do something in the cheapest, easiest or quickest way, often by not following rules.
- Get your act together: Organize and live effectively.
- Break the ice: Help people feel more comfortable.
- Clear as mud: Difficult to understand.
- Crystal clear: Very clear and easy to understand.
- Rock the boat: Do or say something that could upset people.
- Get out of hand: Get out of control.
- A bad apple: A bad person within a group.
- Cut to the chase: Only talk about the most important points.
- Come in handy: Be useful for a specific purpose.
Additional Phrases and Explanations
- To be or to go...: Phrases such as "be on the ball" and "be the last straw".
- Examples: Various examples to illustrate the meaning of each idiom are given throughout the text.
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Description
Test your knowledge of common idioms and their meanings with this engaging quiz. From giving the cold shoulder to no pain, no gain, see how well you understand these expressions. Perfect for language learners and enthusiasts alike!
