Deck 5

Question 1

itching palm

Answer 1

• A desire for money, greed; also, wanting a bribe.

The porter has an itchy palm; he wants a big tip

Question 2

the primrose path

Answer 2

• the pursuit of pleasure, especially when it is seen to bring disastrous consequences.

Blithely unaware of his doom, he continued down his primrose path

Question 3

break one’s fall

Answer 3

• to stop oneself/someone from falling

She stumbled off the balcony, but luckily, a hedge below her broke her fall.

Question 4

wash one’s hands of

Answer 4

• disclaim responsibility for

The social services washed their hands of his daughter.

Question 5

to become reconciled with

Answer 5

-To forgive, accept, or make peace with someone, something, or some situation

TTP hopes to become reconciled with GOP

Question 6

to militate against

Answer 6

to make (something) unlikely to happen

His inexperience militates against his getting an early promotion.

Question 7

wages of sin

Answer 7

• Immoral or evil behavior only yields bad outcomes or results

the notorious CEO is finally going to prison, his entire fortune stripped from him and his family.
It’s true, it seems, that the wages of sin is death.

Question 8

With one’s tongue in one’s cheek

Answer 8

• In a way that is not serious and that is meant to be funny

Talking with his tongue in his cheek

Question 9

to talk through one’s hat

Answer 9

talk foolishly, wildly, or ignorantly.

Come on, you’re talking through your hat on that

Question 10

to let the grass grow under one’s feet

Answer 10

to wait before doing something or to do something slowly

He has never been one to let the grass grow under his feet.

Question 11

to keep one’s finger crossed

Answer 11

-put one finger across another as a sign of hoping for good luck.

we will be keeping our fingers crossed that a quick thaw is on its way

Question 12

A storm in the teacup

Answer 12

• great outrage or excitement about a trivial matter

Parnell said that he thought the whole matter a storm in a teacup and that it would pass quickly.

Question 13

hum and haw

Answer 13

• hesitate; be indecisive.

I was humming and hawing over buying copies
When asked about their wedding date, she hemmed and hawed

Question 14

penny-wise and pound-foolish

Answer 14

The plans to cut funding are penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Question 15

smash hit

Answer 15

• Something that is tremendously popular or successful.

The cookies, though soft and gooey, proved a smash hit at the party.

Question 16

Murphy’s law

Answer 16

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong

The bus is always late but today when I was late it came on time - that’s Murphy’s law!

Question 17

place in the sun

Answer 17

• A very good, successful, or desirable position

After years of struggling as an unknown actor, he has finally found his/a place in the sun.

Question 18

wooden spoon

Answer 18

• an imaginary prize that a person or team is given if they finish last in a race or competition

Our college team took the wooden spoon in the inter-collegiate league this season.

Question 19

go bananas

Answer 19

• to become very excited or angry

The crowd went bananas when the concert began.

Question 20

beard the lion in his den

Answer 20

• confront or challenge someone on their own ground

A risk very often doesn’t turn out well, but if you don’t face it and beard the lion in his den, you will never achieve the success you truly desire.