Idioms

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Idioms Practice Exercise

Word Set 1

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


Getting my car fixed is going to cost me an arm and a leg 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 a blessing in disguise. 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. 

it's a small world


4. Jan is finally getting a chance to go on her trip of a life time, a holiday to Australia! She was over the moon when I spoke to her.


5. 3 pounds may seem like a drop in the ocean but if everyone contributed that much we'd have thousands.


6. The government keeps talking about reducing poverty but what do they ever do about it? Nothing! actions speak louder than words

 

7. I've got a promotion at work, but all John did was make a joke about it. He has a real chip on his shoulder. I think he is just jealous


8. The interview for that new job was a piece of cake. 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 once in a blue moon, so I'll definitely go and see it.


10. He was jumping the gun when he gave up his job to start university. Now he has found out he can't get a grant.

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https://englishtestsonline.com/illustrated-everyday-expressions-with-stories-1-lesson-13-mcq-test/

show off = show proudly; display proudly

She wanted to show off her expensive coat.

He showed off his new shoes at school.


run across = find or meet by chance; come across; encounter; discover

She ran across her old boyfriend at the store.

If you run across that file, please let me know.


run out of = use up; finish; exhaust

Oh no! The store ran out of bread!


run away = leave a place quickly; escape

He ran away from the bear.


run after = chase; follow

The kids ran after the ice cream truck


prove to be = turn out to be

He proved to be the strongest.


put down = set something on a surface

The bag was too heavy, so I put it down


see off = say goodbye to

Can I come and see you off?


set up = build; put up

The campers set up their tent.

A: Have you used the new computer that you got last week?

B: No, Ihaven’t. It’s still in the box because I don’t know how to set it up!


put off = delay; postpone; defer

A: Do you like cleaning your room?

B: No. I put it off as long as possible.


put on = get dressed in; wear; have on

he put on her swimming suit


put together = join parts together; assemble

The boy put together a model airplane.


put up with = suffer without complaining; stand; tolerate

A: Ha-Ha! You’re stupid. You can’t do math!

B: Stop it! I can’t put up with your teasing me anymore.


quite a few = many; not a few; a number of; a lot of

There are quite a few good movies at the cinema.


shake hands with = hold someone’s hand and move it up and down as a greeting

They are shaking hands with each other.

The president shook hands with the prime minister.


remind A of B = make A think of B; be reminiscent of; evoke

She reminds me of a movie star.


remove A from B = get rid of; take away from

I removed his name from the list.


result from = be caused by; arise from

A big stomach can result from eating too much


right away = immediately; without delay; at once; right now

He needs help right away.

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https://englishtestsonline.com/illustrated-everyday-expressions-with-stories-2-lesson-13-mcq-test/


at first glance = after a quick look

The problem looked easy at first glance.


attend to = take care of

She attended to her guests.


back and forth = go and come between two places

The dog ran back and forth across the yard.


be no use -ing = does not change the situation

It‘s no use getting upset over an ex-girlfriend.


clear-cut = easily seen; clear

It looks like we have a clear-cut winner!


drive one crazy = make angry; bother or annoy

He’s beginning to drive me crazy.


fed up with = sick of; at the limit of one’s endurance

I’m fed up with your behavior!


play a part in = have an effect on something; be involved with

Regular exercise plays a part in staying healthy.


take into account = consider

He didn’t take into account the possibility that the bus might be late.


turn into = become; change to

They say when I drink, I turn into a monster

_______

I'm so broke/I'm flat broke. 

I don't have any money. 


I don't have a bean (I don't have any money.) 

You need to tighten your belt. (You should try to spend less.)

He's flush (with cash). (He's got a lot of money.) 

She's rolling in it. (She's very rich.)


We really splashed out on our new car. 

We spent a lot of money on our new car.  

This dress cost me an arm and a leg. 

This dress was very expensive.  

This bag was dirt cheap.  

This bag wasn't expensive.  


I got this new top for a song

This blouse was very cheap. 


I can't believe the price of a cup of coffee here. It's daylight robbery! 

This cafe charges very high prices for its coffee.


Money burns a hole in your pocket. 

You spend your money too quickly. 

All that glitters (is not gold).  

Don't judge something by its appearance. It may look like it's worth a lot of money but it might actually be quite cheap. 

Money talks.  

People who are rich have more power and influence than people who are poor

Don't count your chickens (before they hatch).  

You shouldn't spend money (or make plans) based on what you expect to have (or happen) in the future. 

Where there's muck (there's brass).  

You can earn a lot of money if you don't mind getting a bit dirty. 


Many hands (make light work). 

This is the opposite of "Too many cooks" and means that if we all work 

together we will complete the task more quickly than if we each work by ourselves.  


A bad workman (always blames his tools).  

If you don't do a task well it's because you don't have the skills to do it 

not because the instruments you used weren't good enough.  


You can't teach an old dog (new tricks).  

As people get older, they usually don't like to try new things or new 

ways of doing things.  


Make hay (while the sun shines). 

Don't wait till tomorrow to do what you can do today because tomorrow 

your circumstances might change and you may not be able to do it. 

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Phrasal verbs - out  

Pour out something/Pour something out: Talk about emotions or 

feelings 

You can pour out your troubles to me. I won't tell anyone.  

She really poured her heart out to her mum after she failed her exams.  


Find out (something): Learn something (by reading or hearing it)  

I only found out last week that she's getting married. She kept that one 

a secret!  

When she found out he was having an affair, she divorced him.

  

Go out (with someone): Have a romantic or sexual relationship 

with someone  

They've been going out for 5 years and he still hasn't asked her to 

marry him.  

He asked her to go out with him but she didn't fancy him so she said 

"No."  


Point out something/Point something out: Inform or tell  

We had a great tour guide in Paris . She pointed out lots of secret 

places we'd never heard of before. When I make a mistake I hate the 

way he always points it out .  


Fall out (with someone): Have an argument or disagreement 

with someone and stop being friends with him or her  

She fell out with me after all these years over an invite to a party! 

They were best friends for years but they fell out and now they don't 

even talk to each other.  


Run out (of something): Not have anything left of something  

This pen has run out . Can I borrow yours? 

Our car ran out of petrol and we had to walk 10 miles to a garage to 

buy some more.  


Figure something out/Figure out something: Think about 

something until you discover the answer 

He figured out how his new DVD player worked after he read the 

instruction manual. 

 

There are plenty more fish in the sea: (idiom):  

There are other people available (in this episode, Helen suggest there 

are other girlfriends apart from Alice for Michal).  


to give someone a knock-back (informal):  

to reject someone 

------------------

Break into has several other meanings:


 to enter or be let into a profession

 If you want to break into journalism, it’s a good idea to work on a college newspaper.

 These days it’s difficult to break into investment banking.


Interrupt. Boris and I were talking. 

Please don’t try to break into our conversation.


Enter illegally or by force. 

Somebody broke into Peter’s house and stole his DVD player.


To suddenly begin an activity, such as singing.

 After receiving the check from the National Cookie Company, Susan broke into song.

--------------------

When someone has a secret: 

To be a dark horse: This means that someone has a mysterious past or 

hidden talent. It comes from horse racing, when a successful horse was 

disguised by changing its colour.  


To have a skeleton in the cupboard (US closet): This means that 

someone has a bad or shameful secret in their past, perhaps they were 

once a criminal. A closet is a small cupboard that people keep their 

clothes in, so it is a personal space.  


To have a trick up your sleeve: This means that you have a secret 

plan or strategy that you will use at the right time in order to be 

successful. This hidden trick will surprise your opponent. The idiom 

probably comes from the world of performing magic.  


It is written all over your face: This means that you can easily realise 

that someone has a secret, simply by looking at that person's face.  


A little bird told me: We use this phrase when we want to keep a 

source of information secret, when we don't want to say who told us 

something.  


When you try to find out a secret : 

Curiosity killed the cat: We use this to stop someone from trying to 

find out a secret. It is a warning that looking for the secret might be 

dangerous  


Keep your nose out of it: We use this to tell someone to stop asking 

about a secret or about business that is private.  

Mind your own business: We use this to tell someone to stop asking 

about a secret or about business that is private.  


Keep your ear to the ground: We use this to tell someone to try to 

find out a secret or private information. If you keep your ear to the 

ground, you listen carefully for advance warning of something. 


Keep it under your hat: We use this to tell someone to keep 

something secret 


To spill the beans: This means to tell someone a secret.  


to bend the rules:  

to do (or be permitted to do) something that's not normally allowed

---------------

to strike it rich (informal): 

to get a lot of money suddenly or unexpectedly  


sumptuous (adj): 

very expensive and impressive  


to have impeccable taste:  

to be able to choose the best things  


the till (n): 

the place where you pay for things you buy in a shop  


to get good reception: 

when talking about mobile phones, this means that the signal is strong 

and that you can hear the other person clearly

.................

7 common english idioms origins

1. His reaction to the prize was completely ______ — he acted like it was the end of the world.

over the top


2. After the scandal she somehow walked away ______ and no charges were filed.

scot-free


3. She always seems to ___________; even small criticisms make her defensive.

have a chip on her shoulder


4. How many items are in a "baker's dozen"?

13


5. Shan and Josue got married last month. They are _______ in Laos.

spending their honeymoon


6. Please stop ______ and say what you really mean.

beating around the bush


7. Her story about escaping the situation sounded so exaggerated. It was ________.

over the top


8. The word "lunatic" is used to describe someone who is:

crazy


9. The origin of the word "lunatic" relates to:

the moon


10. The origin of "honeymoon" has to do with which drink?

mead










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