Basics of idiomatic language. 45 questions on common body, colour, animal, and weather idioms — inferring meaning from context and matching idiom to situation.
What this test covers
- Body Part Idioms
- Colour, Animal, and Weather Idioms
- Everyday Fixed Expressions and Food Idioms
Answer the 45 questions below. Each answer is checked straight away, with an explanation. Press Submit at the end to get your score and save it to your dashboard. Answers are not kept if you leave before submitting.
All 45 questions with answers
Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.
-
Q1Before your dance performance, your friend says, 'Good luck! ___!'
Answer: A. Break a leg
This is a famous way to say 'Good luck!' to someone about to perform on stage, like in a play or a dance. It sounds scary, but it is actually a very kind thing to say. We do not say things like 'Break an arm' or 'Break a foot'.
-
Q2My cousin visits us once in a blue moon. What does this mean?
Answer: D. Very rarely
We use this phrase to describe something that happens very rarely or almost never. Because a 'blue moon' is a very rare event in the sky, the idiom means the cousin does not visit often.
-
Q3The math exam was a ___ of cake; I finished it in ten minutes.
Answer: B. piece
If something is 'a piece of cake,' it is very easy to do. For example: 'I studied hard, so the test was a piece of cake.' We do not use words like 'slice' or 'bit' in this specific expression.
-
Q4I accidentally ___ by mentioning the surprise party.
Answer: B. let the cat out of the bag
This expression means you told a secret by mistake. If you tell someone about a surprise party too early, you 'let the cat out of the bag.' The words 'box' or 'cage' are not used in this idiom.
-
Q5I feel a bit under the weather today, so I am staying in bed.
Answer: B. Feeling unwell
When you feel 'under the weather,' you feel a little bit sick, perhaps with a cold or a headache. It does not mean you are happy or healthy.
-
Q6The new luxury car cost an arm and a leg. It was ___.
Answer: D. very expensive
We use this phrase to say that something is very expensive. It costs so much money that it feels like you are giving away part of your body!
-
Q7Could you please ___ an eye on my luggage while I buy a coffee?
Answer: A. keep
To 'keep an eye on' something means to watch it carefully for a short time to make sure it is safe. We do not use 'hold' or 'take' in this idiom.
-
Q8I wanted to finish my report and buy groceries on the way home. I decided to ___.
Answer: A. kill two birds with one stone
To 'kill two birds with one stone' means finishing two different tasks with just one action. In this story, the person finishes work and buys food during the same trip to save time.
-
Q9I felt so embarrassed when I ___ by asking about her ex-boyfriend.
Answer: B. put my foot in it
To 'put your foot in it' means to say something by mistake that makes you feel embarrassed or accidentally upsets someone else.
-
Q10The police caught the thief ___ while he was stealing the bike.
Answer: C. red-handed
If someone is caught 'red-handed,' they are caught exactly at the moment they are doing something bad. The police saw the thief while he was actually taking the bike.
-
Q11He told me the secret, and I promised not to ___ the beans.
Answer: A. spill
To 'spill the beans' means to tell a secret that was supposed to be private. It is very similar to 'letting the cat out of the bag.' We always say 'spill,' not 'drop' or 'pour'.
-
Q12Don't worry about the bad news; every cloud has a ___ lining.
Answer: D. silver
This means that even in a bad or sad situation (the 'cloud'), there is usually something good (the 'silver lining') that can happen. It is a way to tell someone to stay positive.
-
Q13She got cold feet before the wedding. What does this mean?
Answer: C. She became nervous/afraid
When someone gets 'cold feet,' they suddenly feel very nervous or scared about doing something big, like getting married. It has nothing to do with the temperature of their feet!
-
Q14Don't believe everything he says; it might be a red herring.
Answer: B. a misleading clue
A 'red herring' is a piece of information that is meant to distract you or lead you in the wrong direction. It is a clue that is not actually important to the real story.
-
Q15You should take his advice with a ___ of salt because he is often wrong. (Note: 'Pinch of salt' is standard in both British and American English).
Answer: C. pinch
If you take something with a 'pinch of salt,' you don't completely believe it because it might not be 100% true. You are being careful about what you believe.
-
Q16My grandmother is the kindest person I know. She has ___.
Answer: D. a heart of gold
Someone with a 'heart of gold' is a person who is incredibly kind and generous. We use 'gold' because it is a very valuable and good metal. A 'heart of stone' would mean someone is mean or cold.
-
Q17She was green with envy when she saw her friend's new promotion.
Answer: D. very jealous
If you are 'green with envy,' you are very jealous of someone else. For example, you might feel this way if your friend gets a new car and you want one too.
-
Q18Hold your horses! We don't need to leave for another twenty minutes.
Answer: B. Wait
This is a friendly way to tell someone to 'Wait!' or 'Slow down!' It is used when someone is rushing or being too impatient.
-
Q19They were arguing about which color to paint the wall. It was just a storm in a teacup.
Answer: C. A lot of fuss over something minor
A 'storm in a teacup' is when people get very angry or upset about something that is actually very small and not important at all.
-
Q20To put it in a ___, the project was a total failure.
Answer: C. nutshell
To put something 'in a nutshell' means to explain it using only a few words. It is a way to give a very short summary of a long story.
-
Q21I know his name! It is on the ___ of my tongue.
Answer: B. tip
When a word is 'on the tip of your tongue,' you know the word and you are almost ready to say it, but you just cannot remember it at that exact moment.
-
Q22I think he is ___ when he says he won the lottery.
Answer: B. pulling my leg
If someone is 'pulling your leg,' they are joking with you or telling you a lie just for fun. It doesn't mean they are touching your actual leg!
-
Q23He has been feeling blue since he lost his job.
Answer: A. feeling very sad
In English, the color blue is often used to describe sadness. If you are 'feeling blue,' you feel sad or unhappy.
-
Q24The minor problem we see is just the ___ of the iceberg.
Answer: A. tip
An iceberg is a giant piece of ice in the ocean, but you only see the small top part. The 'tip of the iceberg' means a small part of a much bigger, hidden problem.
-
Q25The business had a difficult year, but they managed to ___ the storm.
Answer: B. weather
To 'weather the storm' is the established idiom meaning to endure a very difficult period. Like a ship staying safe during a big storm at sea, the business stayed strong despite adversity. Words like 'solve' or 'pass' do not fit this specific idiomatic phrase.
-
Q26The boss decided to turn a ___ eye to the small mistake.
Answer: A. blind
To 'turn a blind eye' means you choose to ignore something, even though you know it happened. You pretend you didn't see the mistake.
-
Q27He is ___ if he thinks I stole his pen.
Answer: B. barking up the wrong tree
This means you are looking in the wrong place or you have the wrong idea about a situation. The person thinks I stole the pen, but they are wrong.
-
Q28The rules about office dress code are a ___ for new employees.
Answer: B. grey area
A 'grey area' is a situation where the rules are not clear. It is not black (wrong) or white (right), but somewhere in the middle. Phrases like 'grey place' are incorrect.
-
Q29I think you have bitten off more than you can chew with this project.
Answer: A. You have taken on too much work
This means you have tried to do a task that is too big or too difficult for you to finish. It's like putting too much food in your mouth at once!
-
Q30She ___ when she described the problem.
Answer: A. hit the nail on the head
When you 'hit the nail on the head,' you say something that is exactly right or you find the perfect answer to a problem.
-
Q31Stop ___ and tell me what you really think.
Answer: C. beating around the bush
If someone is 'beating around the bush,' they are talking a lot but avoiding the main point because it might be uncomfortable. You want them to be direct.
-
Q32Losing my job was a ___ because I found a better one.
Answer: A. blessing in disguise
A 'blessing in disguise' is something that seems bad at first, but later you realize it was actually good for you.
-
Q33I have been ___ to finish this report.
Answer: B. burning the midnight oil
To 'burn the midnight oil' means to stay up very late to work or study. Long ago, people used oil lamps to see at night, which is where the phrase comes from.
-
Q34I ___ on that sale; it ended yesterday.
Answer: C. missed the boat
To 'miss the boat' means you were too slow to take an opportunity, and now it is gone. In this case, the person was too late for the sale.
-
Q35Searching for that lost key was ___.
Answer: D. a wild goose chase
A 'wild goose chase' is a search for something that is impossible to find, or a task that is a complete waste of time.
-
Q36I wish I could be ___ during that secret meeting.
Answer: C. a fly on the wall
If you want to be a 'fly on the wall,' you want to be in a room to listen to what people are saying without anyone noticing you are there.
-
Q37Every family has ___.
Answer: D. a skeleton in the closet
A 'skeleton in the closet' is a shocking or embarrassing secret from the past that a person or family keeps hidden from others.
-
Q38His contribution was just ___ compared to what we needed.
Answer: A. a drop in the bucket
This describes a very small amount that doesn't really help because the problem is so big. One drop of water doesn't change much in a big bucket.
-
Q39The manager gave him ___ for being late.
Answer: A. a slap on the wrist
A 'slap on the wrist' is a very small punishment for doing something wrong. It means the person didn't get into much trouble.
-
Q40Be careful of him; he is ___.
Answer: D. a wolf in sheep's clothing
A 'wolf in sheep's clothing' is a person who seems friendly and kind on the outside, but is actually mean or dangerous on the inside.
-
Q41I felt like ___ at the fancy party.
Answer: C. a fish out of water
A fish needs to be in water to feel right. If you feel like a 'fish out of water,' you feel very uncomfortable or out of place in a new situation.
-
Q42Her new ideas were ___ for the team.
Answer: D. a breath of fresh air
A 'breath of fresh air' is something new, exciting, and different that makes a situation feel much better.
-
Q43He has ___ about his past failures.
Answer: A. a chip on his shoulder
If someone has a 'chip on their shoulder,' they are often angry or ready to argue because they feel they were treated unfairly in the past.
-
Q44He is such a ___; he watches TV all day.
Answer: D. couch potato
A 'couch potato' is a person who is lazy and sits on the sofa (couch) for a long time watching television.
-
Q45She is a ___ who only calls when she needs money.
Answer: C. fair-weather friend
A 'fair-weather friend' is someone who is only your friend when things are going well, but leaves you when you have problems.
Done? Submit to get your score.
Answer at least one question to submit. Questions you leave out count as skipped.