8. Body Idioms

Question 1

Body Idioms:

a very annoying person, thing or task

All he does is complain all the time. He is a real ____.

Answer 1

a pain in the neck

All he does is complain all the time. He is a real pain in the neck.

Question 2

Body Idioms:

at the bottom of (a hill, mountain, the stairs, a tree, your bed, etc)

He fell asleep at ____ a tree.

Answer 2

at the foot of

He fell asleep at the foot of a tree.

Question 3

Body Idioms:

to be very expensive

Getting this roof fixed will cost us ____.

Answer 3

to cost an arm and a leg

Getting this roof fixed will cost us an arm and a leg.

Question 4

Body Idioms:

to cry a lot

It was a very sad film. I cried ____ all the way through it.

Answer 4

to cry your eyes out

It was a very sad film. I cried my eyes out all the way through it.

Question 5

Body Idioms:

to play against another team

If they win this match, they will have ____ Lazio in the next round.

Answer 5

to face a team

If they win this match, they will have to face Lazio in the next round.

Question 6

Body Idioms:

to fall madly and completely in love
(with sb)

He spotted her across a crowded room and ____ with her.

Answer 6

to fall head over heels In love
(with sb)

He spotted her across a crowded room and fell head over heels in love with her.

Question 7

Body Idioms:

to pay the bill at a restaurant or hotel

(used to emphasise that you thought sb else was going to pay)

Not only did I sit there waiting for him for over an hour but he left me ____!

Answer 7

to foot the bill

Not only did I sit there waiting for him for over an hour but he left me to foot the bill!

Question 8

Body Idioms:

to suddenly feel that you are not brave enough to do sth important

He ____ at the last minute and withdrew from the competition.

Answer 8

to get cold feet

He got cold feet at the last minute and withdrew from the competition.

Question 9

Body Idioms:

to tell sb sth that has been worrying you

He told them the secret to get it ____.

Answer 9

to get sth off your chest

He told them the secret to get it off his chest.

Question 10

Body Idioms:

to annoy sb

My neighbours deliberately play their radio at maximum volume to ____.

Answer 10

to get up sb’s nose

My neighbours deliberately play their radio at maximum volume to get up my nose.

Question 11

Body Idioms:

to help sb do sth

I’m sure Tim will give ____ to move the fridge.

Answer 11

to give sb a hand (with sth)

I’m sure Tim will give you a hand to move the fridge.

Question 12

Body Idioms:

to be happy when sb leaves or when sth is finished

She’s so irritating! I’d be glad to ____.

Answer 12

to be glad to see the back of sb/sth

She’s so irritating! I’d be glad to see the back of her.

Question 13

Body Idioms:

to be obsessed by sth and think about it all the time

He’s got motorbikes ____. It’s all he ever thinks about.

Answer 13

to have sth on the brain

He’s got motorbikes on the brain. It’s all he ever thinks about.

Question 14

Body Idioms:

to have seen sth (in a shop, for example) that you want to buy/have

I’ve had ____ a ring from Munn’s Stores forages.

Answer 14

to have your eye on sth

I’ve had my eye on a ring from Munn’s Stores forages.

Question 15

Body Idioms:

to have/give sb an advantage over a competitor (in business)/other people (in life)

We sent him to a private school to ____ in life.

Answer 15

to have/give sb a head start

We sent him to a private school to give him a head start in life.

Question 16

Body Idioms:

to leave somewhere in order to go home

I think we’d better ____. It’s getting late.

Answer 16

to head home

I think we’d better head home. It’s getting late.

Question 17

Body Idioms:

to know that sth is wrong or different, but be unable to say exactly what it is

I couldn’t ____ what it was, but there was something different about her appearance.

Answer 17

I can’t put my finger on

I couldn’t put my finger on what it was, but there was something different about her appearance.

Question 18

Body Idioms:

I couldn’t stop laughing

He couldn’t ____ during the interview.

Answer 18

I couldn’t keep a straight face

He couldn’t keep a straight face during the interview.

Question 19

Body Idioms:

(informal)
I can’t tell/answer until I have checked first

“What time do we land?”
“I don’t ____. I’ll have to check the tickets.”

Answer 19

I don’t know off-hand

“What time do we land?”
“I don’t know off-hand. I’ll have to check the tickets.”

Question 20

Body Idioms:

I would really like to

I’d give ____ have a fantastic job like his.

Answer 20

I’d give my right arm to

I’d give my right arm to have a fantastic job like his.

Question 21

Body Idioms:

legally, according to the laws of the land

You knowingly drove through a red light and in ____ that is a criminal offence.

Answer 21

in the eyes of the law

You knowingly drove through a red light and in the eyes of the law that is a criminal offence.

Question 22

Body Idioms:

to look after sth/sb

Could you keep ____ my plants while we are away?

Answer 22

to keep an eye on sth/sb

Could you keep an eye on my plants while we are away?

Question 23

Body Idioms:

to know a particular place very well
(not used for people)

I know Venice like ____.

Answer 23

to know somewhere like the back of your hand

I know Venice like the back of my hand.

Question 24

Body Idioms:

to learn not to depend on others
(e.g. one’s parents)

He’s 36, so it’s time he learned to ____.

Answer 24

to learn to stand on one’s own two feet

He’s 36, so it’s time he learned to stand on his own two feet.

Question 25

Body Idioms:

to rapidly make or lose large sums of money

We had to close the business because we were losing money ____.

Answer 25

to make/lose money hand over fist

We had to close the business because we were losing money hand over fist.

Question 26

Body Idioms:

information given immediately without full knowledge of the facts

____, I would say that it will cost about £2,000.

Answer 26

off the top of one’s head

Off the top off my head, I would say that it will cost about £2,000.

Question 27

Body Idioms:

sth (a car, a television, etc) is in very bad condition and will very soon stop working

This car is ____. It’s time we bought a new one.

Answer 27

sth is on its last legs

This car is on its last legs. It’s time we bought a new one.

Question 28

Body Idioms:

to play a joke on sb and make them believe sth that is not true

He wasn’t being serious. He was ____.

Answer 28

to pull sb’s leg

He wasn’t being serious. He was pulling your leg.

Question 29

Body Idioms:

to become strict and tell sb (generally a child) that they must/can’t do sth

Well, you’ll have to put ____ and tell him he can’t do whatever he likes.

Answer 29

to put your foot down

Well, you’ll have to put your foot down and tell him he can’t do whatever he likes.

Question 30

Body Idioms:

to see sb, often for the first time

The minute he ____ her, he knew she was the one.

Answer 30

to set eyes on sb

The minute he set eyes on her, he knew she was the one.

Question 31

Body Idioms:

to really want sth

I’d set ____ that house and I was devastated when it was sold.

Answer 31

to set your heart on sth

I’d set my heart on that house and I was devastated when it was sold.

Question 32

Body Idioms:

sb is very close to sth when it happens/is happening and yet they do not notice it

The children were copying from each other during the test, ____.

Answer 32

sth happens right under sb’s nose

The children were copying from each other during the test, right under the teacher’s nose.

Question 33

Body Idioms:

to interfere in a situation which does not concern you, with the result that you cause other people problems

Now she hates you. That’s what you get for ____ her affairs.

Answer 33

to stick your nose into other people’s business/affairs

Now she hates you. That’s what you get for sticking your nose into her affairs.

Question 34

Body Idioms:

to be able to give good answers to unexpected questions

The ability to ____ is essential if you want to be a politician.

Answer 34

to think on your feet

The ability to think on your feet is essential if you want to be a politician.

Question 35

Body Idioms:

in order to (+ noun or -ing form)

He married her with ____ getting his hands on her money.

Answer 35

with an eye to

He married her with an eye to getting his hands on her money.

Question 36

Body Idioms:

to show by the expression on your face how you really feel

She said she wasn’t angry, but clearly she was. It was ____.

Answer 36

(it’s) written all over your face

She said she wasn’t angry, but clearly she was. It was written all over her face.

Question 37

Body Idioms:

you have to admire and respect sb
(for sth they have done)

You may not like the way Charles runs his business, but you ____ him, he gets results.

Answer 37

you have to hand it to sb

You may not like the way Charles runs his business, but you have to hand it to him, he gets results.