11. Clothes II (Idioms), Colours

Question 1

Clothes Idioms:

and finally; used to introduce the last and often worst thing in a list

It rained all the time, the hotel was horrible, and, ____, we lost our passports.

Answer 1

and, to cap it all

It rained all the time, the hotel was horrible, and, to cap it all, we lost our passports.

Question 2

Clothes Idioms:

immediately and without thinking

If he proposed to her, she would definitely marry him ____ .

Answer 2

at the drop of a hat

If he proposed to her, she would definitely marry him at the drop of a hat.

Question 3

Clothes Idioms:

to have less money than you should have

My expenses cost me more than they paid me, so I worked and ended up ____.

Answer 3

to be out of pocket

My expenses cost me more than they paid me, so I worked and ended up out of pocket.

[Note : I don’t want you to be out of pocket: an expression used to check if sb will have enough money themselves if they lend you money]

Question 4

Clothes Idioms:

unfair and cruel; for a criticism/remark/comment

You should apologise to Jo. What you said to her last night was really ____.

Answer 4

below the belt

You should apologise to Jo. What you said to her last night was really below the belt.

Question 5

Clothes Idioms:

to fit perfectly

I was sure this coat was going to be too big for me, but it ____.

Answer 5

to fit like a glove

I was sure this coat was going to be too big for me, but it fits like a glove.

Question 6

Clothes Idioms:

(informal) be dismissed from your job

Jim ____ last week for persistently being late.

Answer 6

to get the boot

[Note: to give/be given the boot]

Jim got the boot last week for persistently being late.

Question 7

Clothes Idioms:

to get angry about sth; generally used to describe sb else - not yourself

What are you getting so ____ about?

Answer 7

to get hot under the collar about sth

What are you getting so hot under the collar about?

Question 8

Clothes Idioms:

to have already achieved or done sth

Once they had got their first championship ____, there was no stopping them.

Answer 8

to get/have sth under your belt

Once they had got their first championship under their belts, there was no stopping them.

Question 9

Clothes Idioms:

to have a secret plan or idea

It seemed to be a hopeless case but his lawyer had something ____.

Answer 9

to have sth up your sleeve

It seemed to be a hopeless case but his lawyer had something up his sleeve.

Question 10

Clothes Idioms:

if I were you/him/etc

If I ____, I would seriously think about taking him to court.

Answer 10

If I were in your/his/etc shoes

If I were in their shoes, I would seriously think about taking him to court.

Question 11

Clothes Idioms:

to work harder and start trying to improve your work/behaviour/performance

If you don’t ____, you are going to fail these exams.

Answer 11

to pull your socks up

If you don’t pull your socks up, you are going to fail these exams.

Question 12

Clothes Idioms:

(informal) to be the dominant partner of the two people involved

generally used about women

Jenny ____ in that house. Nathan won’t breathe unless she gives him permission!

Answer 12

sb wears the trousers (in that house)

Jenny wears the trousers in that house. Nathan won’t breathe unless she gives him permission!

Question 13

Colours:

to be bruised everywhere

I didn’t break any bones, but I was ____ all over after falling down the stairs.

Answer 13

to be black and blue all over

I didn’t break any bones, but I was black and blue all over after falling down the stairs.

Question 14

Colours:

to look angrily at sb

Everyone gave me ____ when I said I was bored.

Answer 14

to give sb a black look

Everyone gave me black looks when I said I was bored.

Question 15

Colours:

written or printed

There it was, in ____; he had passed!

Answer 15

in black and white

There it was, in black and white; he had passed!

[Note: to have sth down in black and white: to have written proof of sth]

Question 16

Colours:

the illegal buying and selling of goods or the illegal changing of money

He bought the tickets on the ____ .

Answer 16

the black market

He bought the tickets on the black market.

Question 17

Colours:

not very often

He still writes, but only once ____.

Answer 17

once in a blue moon

He still writes, but only once in a blue moon.

Question 18

Colours:

suddenly and unexpectedly

I hadn’t heard from him for ten years, then, ____, I got a fax from him.

Answer 18

out of the blue

I hadn’t heard from him for ten years, then, out of the blue, I got a fax from him.

Question 19

Colours:

you can (scream/argue) as much as you like but (I won’t change my mind/we won’t let you …)

You can scream and shout until you’re ____, but you’re not borrowing the car.

Answer 19

you can … until you are blue in the face, but

You can scream and shout until you’re blue in the face, but you’re not borrowing the car.

Question 20

Colours:

an area of countryside that surrounds a city and in which the construction of houses is strictly controlled

Living in ____ is both peaceful and convenient.

Answer 20

the green belt

Living in the green belt is both peaceful and convenient.

Question 21

Colours:

to give sb (especially a business) permission to do smth

All we need is the council to give us ____, and we can go ahead with the project.

Answer 21

to give sb the green light (to do sth)

All we need is the council to give us the green light, and we can go ahead with the project.

Question 22

Colours:

to be very good at growing and looking after plants

Cedric’s garden is lovely, but then, he does have ____.

Answer 22

to have green fingers

Cedric’s garden is lovely, but then, he does have green fingers.

Question 23

Colours:

complicated official rules and regulations/bureaucracy

We decided against setting up an office there because of the ____ that would be involved.

Answer 23

red tape

We decided against setting up an office there because of the red tape that would be involved.

Question 24

Colours:

to have spent more money than is in your account - so that you owe the bank money

We can’t still be ____. I put £3,000 into our account last week.

Answer 24

to be in the red

We can’t still be in the red. I put £3,000 into our account last week.

Question 25

Colours:

to catch or discover sb while they are in the middle of doing sth wrong

Of course I’m going to plead guilty. What else can I do? I was caught ____.

Answer 25

to catch sb red-handed

Of course I’m going to plead guilty. What else can I do? I was caught red-handed.

Question 26

Colour:

an office job

____ jobs may be routine but they are less tiring than factory work.

Answer 26

a white-collar job

[Note: blue-collar work: manual labour]

White collar jobs may be routine but they are less tiring than factory work.

Question 27

Colours:

to lose all the colour in your face because you are very shocked or sick

When I told her the news, she went as ____.

Answer 27

to go as white as a sheet

When I told her the news, she went as white as a sheet

Question 28

Colours:

the telephone directory that contains the telephone numbers of local businesses and services

Why don’t you look up their number in the _____?

Answer 28

the Yellow Pages

Why don’t you look up their number in the Yellow Pages?

Question 29

Colours:

two yellow lines along the side of a road which mean no parking

If you park on a ____ line, you will be fined.

Answer 29

a double yellow line

If you park on a double yellow line, you will be fined.

Question 30

Colours:

to be a coward

It is better to face a bully rather than be ____ and run away.

Answer 30

to be yellow

It is better to face a bully rather than be yellow and run away.