2.5 Idioms | Exercise with Answers

Exercises with Answers:

1. Fill in the blanks with the meanings for the following Idioms.
1. take five – __________

2. pieces of eight – ________

3. black and blue – __________

4. wild goose chase – ________

5. seventh heaven – _______

6. a couch potato – __________

7. the lion’s share – _________

8. in black and white – _____

9. drop the ball – __________

10.cat’s meow – __________

Answers:
1. take five – for a break

2. Pieces of eight – treasure

3. black and blue – severely

4. wild goose chase – wasteful

5. seventh heaven – very happy

6. a couch potato – lazy person

7. the lion’s share – biggest share

8. in black and white – written

9. drop the ball – making a mistake

10. cat’s meow – excellent

2. Given below are some idioms related to water. Match the idioms with it’s meaning.

Idioms	Meanings
Blood runs thicker than water	Family members have stronger obligations with each other than with people outside the family
To be a fish out of water	To be uncomfortable in a particular situation
Dull as dishwater	Boring, uninteresting
As a duck takes to water	Naturally, with ease
Come hell or high water	No matter what happens
You never miss the water till the well runs dry	People are not grateful for what they have until they lose it
Pour cold water on something	To criticize or stop something that some people are enthusiastic about
Tread water	To be active but without making progress or falling farther behind
Be (like) water off a duck’s back	Criticism to someone that has no effect on them at all
To be in deep water	To be in a difficult situation

Answer:

Idioms	Meanings
Blood runs thicker than water	Family members have stronger obligations with each other than with people outside the family
To be a fish out of water	To be uncomfortable in a particular situation
Dull as dishwater	Boring, uninteresting
As a duck takes to water	Naturally, with ease
Come hell or high water	No matter what happens
You never miss the water till the well runs dry	People are not grateful for what they have until they lose it
Pour cold water on something	To criticize or stop something that some people are enthusiastic about
Tread water	To be active but without making progress or falling farther behind
Be (like) water off a duck’s back	Criticism to someone that has no effect on them at all
To be in deep water	To be in a difficult situation

3. Write the Idioms and Phrases for the following

Idioms	Phrases
1. Competent –	1. to meet or find by chance –
2. Become more confident in expressing oneself	2. to exercise –
3. Extremely happy –	3. To accept a challenge with confidence –
4. Mentally agile –	4. To have a friendly relationship –
5. Listen –	5. To keep something –

Answers:

Idioms	Phrases
1. Competent – on the ball	1. to meet or find by chance – come across
2. Become more confident in expressing oneself – find one’s voice	2. to exercise – work out
3. Extremely happy – over the moon	3. To accept a challenge with confidence – bring it on
4. Mentally agile – sharp as a tack	4. To have a friendly relationship – get along
5. Listen – lend an ear	5. To keep something – hang on

4. In column A are some of the idiomatic phrases. Match them with column B:

A	B
go far	reveal
blow up	submit
show up	explode
call on	succeed
break off	finish
knuckle under	require

Answer:

A	B	Sentences
go far	succeed	If you keep working this hard, you’re going to go far in your career.
blow up	explode	She blew up when she found out her brother had taken her laptop without asking.
show up	reveal	He didn’t show up to the meeting until it was almost over.
call on	require	The teacher called on James to answer the question.
break off	finish	They broke off their engagement after realizing they wanted different things in life.
knuckle under	submit	He didn’t want to help, but he finally knuckled under after everyone kept insisting.

5. Given below are some idiomatic phrases. Find the meaning of it. (With Answers)

put on – wear

come in – enter

try again – repeat

walk away – avoid

time out – time is over

6. Tick the correct answer.

1. The boar slept until the fading sun told him it was time to get up. What does the phrase until the fading sun mean? a. until evening b. until sun fades in colour

2. The farmer was thankful at the sight of the verdant bowl because ___________
a. it was a pond of water b. he wanted green grass

3. They all stood around the little jewel of blue means _________
a. They stood around the pond. b. They stood around the jewel which was blue.

4. The dry earth soaked up the moisture as a hungry puppy laps up milk. It means ____
a. The puppy was very hungry. b. The dry earth absorbed the water very quickly.

Answers:
1. a. until evening
2. a. it was a pond of water
3. a. They stood around the pond.
4. b. The dry earth absorbed the water very quickly.

7. Find out the anagrams. Use each pair of phrases as clues.

1. The past tense of leap ———————– Something to serve food on ——————
2. A place to grow flowers ——————– Something to be careful of ——————–
3. Another word for under ——————– A part of your arm —————————–
4. Try to hear ———————————— Another word for quiet ————————
5. Another word for gift ———————- A large snake or a dragon ———————-
6. Minutes and hours ————————– A thing on a list ———————————
7. An organ that pumps blood ————— The planet we live on —————————-
8. Something used to water plants ———– A thing you put on your foot ——————-

Answer:
1. Leapt – Plate
2. Garden – Danger
3. Below – Elbow
4. Lisen – Silent
5. Present – Serpent
6. Time – Item
7. Heart – Earth
8. Hose – Shoe

8. Use the following phrases in sentences of your own.

earn one’s name	in the rear of	to see one fight	devoid of
air and manner	quick as a flash	in wild haste	make a pass

Answers:

Phrase	Meaning	Sentence
earn one’s name	Make a name for oneself	She earned her name in politics, as a powerful leader.
in the rear of	At the back of	Harry was sitting in the rear seat of the car.
to see one fight	To struggle to get through something	I can see him fighting for his vote.
devoid of	Lacking in	This apartment is devoid of all comforts.
air and manner	A person’s general appearance, behavior, and way of carrying themselves — especially in terms of attitude or personality.	Despite being nervous, he carried the air and manner of confidence.
quick as a flash	Very quickly	He was at her side as quick as a flash.
in wild haste	Rapidly	It is very important that decisions are not taken in wild haste.
make a pass	Make advances to someone	She was surprised when a complete stranger made a pass at her in the café.

9. Give Idioms and Meaning and also form sentences with the following animals/insects/birds:

Lion

Mouse

Parrot

Fox

Hawk

Snake

Monkey

Dog

Snail

Bee

Answers:

Word	Idiom	Meaning	Sentences
Lion	The lion’s share	The largest portion of something.	The eldest son received the lion’s share of the inheritance.
Lion	Put your head in the lion’s mouth	To take a great risk.	Going to complain to the boss like that is putting your head in the lion’s mouth.
Mouse	As quiet as a mouse	Very quiet and silent.	She was as quiet as a mouse during the meeting, afraid to speak up.
Mouse	When the cat’s away, the mice will play	People will misbehave when their supervisor or authority figure is not around.	As soon as the teacher left the room, the students started shouting like when the cat’s away, the mice will play.
Parrot	Parrot fashion	Repeating something without understanding it.	He learned the speech parrot fashion, but couldn’t explain what it meant.
Fox	As sly as a fox	Very clever and tricky.	Don’t trust him easily—he’s as sly as a fox.
Fox	Outfox someone	To outsmart someone.	She outfoxed her opponents in the debate with her quick wit.
Hawk	Watch like a hawk	To watch very closely and carefully.	The teacher watched the students like a hawk during the test.
Hawk	Hawk-eyed	Having sharp vision or being very observant.	The editor was hawk-eyed and spotted every tiny mistake.
Snake	Snake in the grass	A deceitful or treacherous person.	He pretended to be my friend, but he was a real snake in the grass.
Snake	To snake out of something	To avoid doing something by being sneaky.	She always tries to snake out of doing the dishes.
Monkey	Monkey business	Mischief or dishonest behavior.	There’s some monkey business going on with the accounts.
Monkey	More fun than a barrel of monkeys	Very fun or entertaining.	The birthday party was more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
Dog	Let sleeping dogs lie	Don’t disturb a situation that is currently calm.	I was going to ask her about the argument, but decided to let sleeping dogs lie.
Dog	Every dog has its day	Everyone gets a chance eventually.	Don’t worry—you’ll get the promotion. Every dog has its day.
Snail	At a snail’s pace	Very slowly.	Traffic moved at a snail’s pace during the storm.
Bee	Busy as a bee	Very busy and hardworking.	She was as busy as a bee preparing for the wedding.

10. Read the description of each of the idioms given below. Then match these idioms with their meaning given in the box.

1. throw in the towel: Wet towels are kept near a boxing ring to wipe the sweat of boxers between rounds. When a boxer was getting badly beaten, his manager would throw a towel in the ring to end the fight.
2. in our corner: In a boxing match, the corners are the two opposite angles of a boxing ring where the boxers rest between rounds.
3. on the ropes: Boxing rings are typically enclosed by four ropes. As a boxer when your opponent has forced you against the ropes with his/her attack, you are in trouble.
4. below the belt: Hits below the beltline are generally considered illegal in boxing.
5. square off: facing each other at the beginning of a match

Meaning
a. state of near collapse or defeat
b. unfair or unsporting behaviour
c. prepare for a conflict
d. on your side in an argument or dispute
e. to give up

Answers:

Idioms	Meanings
1. throw in the towel: Wet towels are kept near a boxing ring to wipe the sweat of boxers between rounds. When a boxer was getting badly beaten, his manager would throw a towel in the ring to end the fight.	e. to give up
2. in our corner: In a boxing match, the corners are the two opposite angles of a boxing ring where the boxers rest between rounds.	d. on your side in an argument or dispute
3. on the ropes: Boxing rings are typically enclosed by four ropes. As a boxer when your opponent has forced you against the ropes with his/her attack, you are in trouble.	a. state of near collapse or defeat
4. below the belt: Hits below the beltline are generally considered illegal in boxing.	b. unfair or unsporting behaviour
5. square off: facing each other at the beginning of a match	c. prepare for a conflict

11. Give meaning of the following Idioms and make sentences:

1. tight corners

2. shot his bolt

3. in a nice pickle

4. have cold feet

Answers:

Idiom	Meaning	Sentence
1. Tight corners	Difficult or dangerous situations; facing trouble.	After losing his job and getting into debt, he found himself in some really tight corners.
2. Shot his bolt	Used up all his resources or energy; tried everything and has nothing left.	He shot his bolt during the first half of the race and couldn’t keep up in the end.
3. In a nice pickle	In a difficult or troublesome situation.	She forgot her passport at home and now she’s in a nice pickle at the airport.
4. Have cold feet	To become nervous or hesitant about a major decision.	He was all set to go skydiving, but got cold feet at the last minute.

12. Match the following idioms related to difficult situations with their meanings.

A		B
1	alarm bells ringing	a	abandoning one who is in difficulty
2	back to the wall	b	try any method to overcome a crisis
3	grasp /clutch at straws	c	sign of something going wrong
4	saved by the bell	d	in serious difficulty
5	hang out to dry	e	help at the last moment rescuing one from a difficult situation

Answers:

A		B
1	alarm bells ringing	c	sign of something going wrong
2	back to the wall	d	in serious difficulty
3	grasp /clutch at straws	b	try any method to overcome a crisis
4	saved by the bell	e	help at the last moment rescuing one from a difficult situation
5	hang out to dry	a	abandoning one who is in difficulty

13. Look at the list of idioms given below. Find their meanings. Read the sentences that follow and replace the words in italics with the appropriate idioms, making suitable changes wherever necessary.

right up one’s alley –

drive one up the wall –

hit the road –

take (one) for a ride –

in panic mode –

The old man got irritated at the loud noise outside.
We were driving, when it started raining heavily. After stopping for an hour, we began the journey again.
Ramesh gave false excuses for not attending the meeting and deceived me.
At the interview when questions were fired at me rapidly, I forgot everything and grew irritated.
I love thrillers and this book appeals to me strongly.

Answers:

Idiom	Meaning	Sentence
right up one’s alley	To be the type of thing that you are interested in or that you enjoy doing	I love thrillers and this book is right up my alley.
drive one up the wall	To annoy or irritate someone	The old man drove up the wall at the loud noise.
hit the road	To leave; To begin one’s journey.	We were driving, when it started raining heavily. After stopping for an hour, we hit the road.
take (one) for a ride	To trick, cheat or lie to someone.	Ramesh gave false excuses for not attending the meeting and took me for a ride.
in panic mode	Fear	At the interview when questions were fired at me rapidly, I was in a panic mode.

14. Match the idioms under column A with their meanings in column B:

A. IDIOMS	B. MEANINGS
save one’s skin	a sudden unexpected event or news
make both ends meet	to be the most powerful
a bolt out of a clear sky	viewed with suspicion and distrust
go to grave	to protect oneself from difficulty
have the whip hand	manage one’s expenses within one’s income
under a cloud	to exit the world

Answers:

A. IDIOMS	B. MEANINGS
save one’s skin	to protect oneself from difficulty
make both ends meet	manage one’s expenses within one’s income
a bolt out of a clear sky	a sudden unexpected event or news
go to grave	to exit the world
have the whip hand	to be the most powerful
under a cloud	viewed with suspicion and distrust

15. Fill in the blanks with the right idioms. Choose from the given idioms.

a) wait for the dust to settle
b) get/have all your ducks in a row
c) fetch and carry (for somebody)
d) do the math
e) round the corner

1. The Sherpas are cheerful, gallant men, who________________ tents, oxygen, food etc., for climbers during their ascent of the summit.
2. The team _______________ carefully so as to reach the summit successfully.
3. When they had to climb through deep new snow the party sometimes had to _________________.
4. Each member of the team had all their _________________.
5. We could not believe that with a few more whacks of the ice axe in the firm snow we were _________________ to the top.

Answers:
1. c 2. d 3. a 4. b 5. e

16. Understand the meaning of the given idiomatic expression and choose the right one to complete the sentence.

a) the icing on the cake – something extra and not essential, but is added to make it even better
b) break the ice – to make people more relaxed, especially at the beginning of the meeting

1. The conference room was silent though packed. The chairman introduced an interactive session to _____________________________.

2. Our headmistress not only promised us to take us for an excursion, but also announced that on return we would get a holiday. It was like__________________________.

Answers:
1. b) break the ice
2. a) the icing on the cake

17. Look at the following expressions. Match them with their meanings.

Questions:

let down	to complain or scold
chuckled to himself	try one’s luck/ take a risk
take cheer	become enraged
raise the devil	disappointed
black with anger	laughed softly to himself
take chances	to be encouraged

Answers:

let down	disappointed
chuckled to himself	laughed softly to himself
take cheer	to be encouraged
raise the devil	to complain or scold
black with anger	become enraged
take chances	try one’s luck/ take a risk

18. Write the following idioms in meaningful sentences of your own.

1. a heart of stone – said of someone without sympathy
2. bare (one’s) heart – share one’s feelings or thoughts
3. break (one’s) heart – cause someone emotional distress
4. cross my heart – said as an oath to assert one’s honesty
5. faint of heart – lacking courage
6. heart skips a beat – said of someone excited, frightened, or surprised
7. heavy heart – sadness
8. from the bottom/depths of (one’s)heart – profoundly
9. lose heart – become discouraged
10. wear (one’s) heart on (one’s) sleeve – openly show one’s emotions

Answers:
1. A heart of stone – Even after hearing the child’s desperate plea, the landlord refused to help — he truly has a heart of stone.
2. Bare one’s heart – During the therapy session, she finally felt safe enough to bare her heart and talk about her past.
3. Break one’s heart – It broke my heart to see my best friend move away after so many years together.
4. Cross my heart – I didn’t touch your phone, cross my heart — I was in the kitchen the whole time!
5. Faint of heart – That horror movie isn’t for the faint of heart—I couldn’t sleep all night after watching it!
6. Heart skips a beat – My heart skipped a beat when I saw my exam results—thankfully, I passed!
7. Heavy heart – With a heavy heart, she said goodbye to her childhood home.
8. From the bottom/depths of (one’s) heart – I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me through such a tough time.
9. Lose heart – Don’t lose heart—keep practicing, and you’ll eventually master the guitar.
10. Wear (one’s) heart on (one’s) sleeve – You can always tell how he’s feeling; he wears his heart on his sleeve.

19. Match the idioms given below with their meaning.

Idioms	Meanings
Road hog	lose focus
Get off track	something ethical or noble
On the trail	starting to achieve something
High road	a driver who does not allow other motorists to pass
On the road to	seeking someone or something

Answers:

Idioms	Meanings
Road hog	a driver who does not allow other motorists to pass
Get off track	lose focus
On the trail	seeking someone or something
High road	something ethical or noble
On the road to	starting to achieve something

20. Link the sentences with the idioms given.

paper trail
all roads lead to Rome
road show
pit stop
on the right track

1. Many methods will produce the same result.
2. A theatrical performance given by a troupe on tour
3. Documents from which a person’s action may be traced
4. A brief rest, especially during a journey
5. Doing something correctly or well

Answers:

Idioms	Sentences
All roads lead to Rome	1. Many methods will produce the same result.
Road show	2. A theatrical performance given by a troupe on tour
Paper trail	3. Documents from which a person’s action may be traced
Pit stop	4. A brief rest, especially during a journey
On the right track	5. Doing something correctly or well

21. Choose the expressions from the boxes to complete the sentences given below:

gripped the world
caught off guard
in high spirits
running out of time

1. Many residents were ………………… by the fury of the storm.
2. The joyful man, Tony appeared…………………… despite his injury.
3. We were …………………………….., so we decided to return home.
4. The Thai cave rescue story which…………………., had a happy ending.

Answers:
1. caught off guard
2. In high spirits
3. running out of time
4. gripped the world

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2.5 Idioms | Exercise with Answers

Exercises with Answers:

11. Give meaning of the following Idioms and make sentences:

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