Consolidation 2

Question 1

above board
His plans for opening a coffee shop are completely above board.

Answer 1

honest, legal

Question 2

bark up the wrong tree
You’re barking up the wrong tree if you’re expecting us to lend you any money.

Answer 2

make a mistake

Question 3

be full of beans/life
She’s full of beans this morning.

Answer 3

be very lively

Question 4

be in the black books

Answer 4

not very popular

Question 5

behind bars
The murderer is now safely behind bars.

Answer 5

be in prison

Question 6

big-headed

Answer 6

conceited, boastful
having a very high opinion of how important and clever you are; too proud

Question 7

black and blue all over

Answer 7

covered with bruises

Question 8

blessing in disguise
Losing your job might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

Answer 8

Sth which appears bad at first but turns out well

Question 9

blue-eyed boy
My class president is the Literature’s blue-eyed boy

Answer 9

a person treated with special favour by somebody

Question 10

bolt from the blue
Her dismissal came as a bolt from the blue.

Answer 10

suddenly

Question 11

brainwave

Answer 11

sudden clear idea/thought

Question 12

break even
The company just about broke even last year.

Answer 12

show neither loss nor profit

Question 13

be browned off
By now the passengers were getting browned off with the delay.

Answer 13

be fed up or bored with sth

Question 14

butter the boss up
He’s always trying to butter up the boss.

Answer 14

flatter or say nice things to sb

Question 15

by and large = to a large extent

Answer 15

generally speaking

Question 16

chip off the old block

Answer 16

sb who is very like one of their parents

Question 17

cost a bomb | cost the earth | cost an arm and a leg | break the bank

Answer 17

be very expensive

Question 18

deal a blow to
Her sudden death **dealt a blow to the whole country.*

Answer 18

damage sb’s hopes

Question 19

don’t hold your breath
She said she’d do it this week, but don’t hold your breath!

Answer 19

wait for sb anxiously

Question 20

drive a hard bargain

Answer 20

be a tough businessman

Question 21

drop a brick/clanger

Answer 21

say sth tactlessly

Question 22

feel in sb’s bones
I know I’m going to fail this exam—I can feel it in my bones.

Answer 22

feeling sth instinctively

Question 23

get your own back
I’ll get my own back on him one day, I swear!

Answer 23

take/get revenge on sb

Question 24

have a bee in sb’s bonnet
Our teacher has a bee in his bonnet about punctuation.

Answer 24

have an obsession about sth

Question 25

have butterflies in sb’s stomach
I’m having butterflies in my stomach about my English score.

Answer 25

be very nervous about sth

Question 26

in black and white
I never thought they’d put it in black and white on the front page.

Answer 26

in writing; clear

Question 27

(be/hang) in the balance
The long-term future of the space programme hangs in the balance.

Answer 27

Uncertain

Question 28

kick the bucket

Answer 28

die

Question 29

lay bare
Every aspect of their private lives has been laid bare.

Answer 29

make public

Question 30

make a clean breast of
He made a clean breast of everything and admitted taking the money.

Answer 30

confess

Question 31

make sb’s blood boil
(The way he treats his employees really makes my blood boil.*

Answer 31

cause sb to be very angry

Question 32

take the bull by the horns
Nora decided to take the bull by the horns and organize things for herself.

Answer 32

take a bold step immediately

Question 33

wet blanket
I hate to be a wet blanket, but I thought the show was terrible.

Answer 33

dull person who spoils people’s happiness