Idiom 4

Question 1

Hands are tied

Answer 1

Not able to act; held back from doing what you want to do; powerless to do anything.
Ex. I’d like to help you with homework, but the teacher said we had to work alone, so my hands are tied.

Question 2

Handwriting on the wall

Answer 2

A sign that something bad is going to happen; a warning of danger or trouble. Ex. When the police questioned him, Phil saw the handwriting on the wall and confessed.

Question 3

Head and shoulders above someone

Answer 3

Far superior; much better than

Ex. When it comes to catching fish, Lew is head and shoulders above everyone else.

Question 4

High horse

Answer 4

Acting superior and arrogant as if you were better than other people. Ex. I wish that new girl in drama class would get down off her high horse.

Question 5

Hot under the collar

Answer 5

Very angry; upset

Ex. Better say good night. My father is starting to get hot under the collar.

Question 6

If the shoe fits, wear it

Answer 6

If a remark applies to you, you should admit that it is true.

Ex. Some students never clean up after art class, I’m not mentioning names, but if the shoe fits, wear it.

Question 7

Ignorance is bliss

Answer 7

It is better not to know bad news sometimes, especially if you’re happy.

Ex. The bad news can wait until tomorrow. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

Question 8

In a nutshell

Answer 8

In a very few words; briefly; clearly and to the point

Ex. In a nutshell, tell me what the show was about.

Question 9

In hot water

Answer 9

In serious trouble or in an embarrassing situation with someone of authority.

Ex. Raul was in hot water with the coach when he missed three practices in a row.

Question 10

In one ear and out the other

Answer 10

Not listening to what is being said; not attentive.

Ex. I warned him about bringing his pet tarantual to school for show-and-tell, but my advice went in one ear and out the other.

Question 11

In the bag

Answer 11

Absolutely certain to be won, gotten, achieved; sure, definite; certain of success

Ex. Our soccer team had the championship in the bag when the other team’s player got sick.

Question 12

In the doghouse

Answer 12

In disgrace or dislike; facing punishment

Ex. My mother forgot it was my father’s birthday, so she’s in the doghouse.

Question 13

In the driver’s seat

Answer 13

In control; in position of authority

Ex. Now that Mr. Tecumseh is retired from the company, his son is in the driver’s seat.

Question 14

In the limelight

Answer 14

At the center of attention

Ex. James loves to be in the limelight. Wait until he sees his picture on the front page.

Question 15

In the nick of time

Answer 15

Just at the exact right time; almost too late but still soon enough; at the precise moment required. Ex. Luckily, David backed up his crucial files in the nick of time. A minute later, his computer crashed.

Question 16

In two shakes of lamb’s tail

Answer 16

Extremely fast; right-away; with no delay

Ex. When the fire alarm sounded, the teacher told us to leave the classroom in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.

Question 17

It takes two to tango

Answer 17

Two people are required to accomplish this deed

Ex. It takes two to tango. Who was your accomplice?

Question 18

Straw that broke the camel’s back

Answer 18

One final problem or misfortune that, added to previous troubles, proves more than a person can bear.

Ex. That last mistake was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Question 19

Jack-of-all-trades

Answer 19

A person who can do many different kinds of work well.

Ex. Our handyman is a jack-of-all-trades. He can fix anything.

Question 20

Johnny-come-lately

Answer 20

Someone who is new to a place or group; an inexperienced person

Ex. The older teachers in the math department call the new teacher a Johnny-come-lately.

Question 21

Jump down your throat

Answer 21

To talk or scream at someone in a sudden, angry way.

Question 22

Jump off the deep end

Answer 22

To act emotionally without carefully thinking about hte end result; to become deeply involved before you’re ready to go.

Ex. Ed and Esther just met, but they’re getting married. They’re jumping off the deep end.

Question 23

Jump the gun

Answer 23

To do or say something before you should; to act prematurely or hastily.

Ex. I couldn’t wait to give my mother her Mother’s Day gift, so I jumped the gun and gave it to her a week early.

Question 24

Just deserts

Answer 24

The punishment a person deserves

Ex. He got his just deserts when he overslept and missed the last train.

Question 25

Keep a stiff upper lip

Answer 25

To be brave and not show emotion in a time of trouble.

Ex. Even when the boss yelled at Brenda for dropping the soup in the lady’s lap, she kept a stiff upper lip.

Question 26

Keep your ear to the ground

Answer 26

Know what’s going on; pay attention and be well informed

Ex. Dennis always keeps his ear to the ground and knows who’s who and what’s what.

Question 27

Wet behind the ears

Answer 27

Young, inexperienced, and immature

Ex. Lisa wouldn’t hire him as a manager because he was too wet behind the ears.

Question 28

Push the envelope

Answer 28

to move beyond the limit of what has usually been done or was the accepted standard Ex. TV shows are really pushing the envelope by showing so much sex and violence.

Question 29

Pissing/spitting in the wind

Answer 29

to waste time trying to achieve something that cannot be achieved

ex. The government is spitting in the wind if they think a few regulations will stop multinational companies from avoiding tax. Trying to get a pay increase here is like pissing in the wind.

Question 30

take a page from (leaf out of) someone’s book

Answer 30

to behave or to do something in a way that someone else would

Ex, When you act like that, you’re taking a leaf out of your sister’s book, and I don’t like it! You had better do it your way. Don’t take a leaf out of my book. I don’t do it well.

Question 31

call a spade a spade

Answer 31

to call something by its right name; to speak frankly about something, even if it is unpleasant

Ex. Well, I believe it’s time to call a spade a spade. We are just avoiding the issue. Let’s call a spade a spade. The man is a liar.

Question 32

call it a day

Answer 32

to stop some activity

Ex. All professional athletes know they will reach a point when they have to call it a day.

Question 33

grasping at straws

Answer 33

trying to find reasons to feel hopeful about a bad situation.

Ex. She thinks he might still be interested because he calls her now and then but I think she’s clutching at straws.

Question 34

a big fish in a small pond

Answer 34

one of the most important people in a small group or organization, who would have much less power and importance if they were part of a larger group or organization

Ex. As the manager of a local company, he enjoys being a big fish in a small pond.

Question 35

born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth

Answer 35

born into wealth and privilege

Ex. James doesn’t know anything about working for a living; he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Most of the students at the exclusive private college were born with silver spoons in their mouths.

Question 36

go to bat for someone

Answer 36

to support or help someone

Ex. I tried to go to bat for Bill, but he said he didn’t want any help. I heard them gossiping about Sally, so I went to bat for her.

Question 37

I should be so lucky

Answer 37

said when what you want is extremely unlikely to happen

Ex. You might win first prize.” “I should be so lucky.”

Question 38

spread like wildfire

Answer 38

to spread rapidly

Ex. Rumors spread like wildfire when people are excited. This disease will spread like wildfire when it gets going.

Question 39

right the ship

Answer 39

right the ship is to bring it back to an upright, vertical, position

Question 40

the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

Answer 40

kids are like their parents

Ex. I looked at the father, then at the son, and I thought, The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Question 41

where the rubber meets the road

Answer 41

at the point in a process where there are challenges, issues, or problems

Ex. Now we have spelled out the main area of dissent. This is where the rubber meets the road.

Question 42

the be-all, end-all

Answer 42

the best, the greatest

Ex. Brian believes he’s the be-all, end-all in politics, but wait until he loses the next election

Question 43

the best things in life are free

Answer 43

the sun, the stars, the ocean, etc. are free

Ex. We went on a camping trip and discovered that the best things in life are free.

Question 44

the best of both worlds

Answer 44

the best parts of two cultures or styles etc

Ex. If you have Italian design and German engineering, you have the best of both worlds, eh.

Question 45

eat away at someone

Answer 45

to trouble someone constantly

Ex. The nasty situation at work began to eat away at me.

Question 46

have your ducks in a row

Answer 46

to organize things well

Ex. I thought Mike was extremely smart and always had his ducks in a row.

Question 47

in bed with somebody

Answer 47

secretly helping someone and receiving help from them in return

Ex. The senator isn’t the only person in Washington who’s in bed with military equipment manufacturers.

Question 48

Don’t hold your breath

Answer 48

expression used when referring to something that is unlikely to happen soon.

Ex. “Will the economy recover any soon?” - “Don’t hold your breath.”

Question 49

Throwing shade

Answer 49

to talk trash about a friend or acquaintance, to publicly denounce or disrespect

Ex. How does Kimmy keep any friends? Last night, at the party, all she did was throw shade at people.

.. courtesy of urbandictionary

Question 50

throw somebody for a loop

Answer 50

to upset someone unexpectedly and severely

Ex. Seeing an accident on the road always throws me for a loop.

Question 51

plot thickens

Answer 51

Things are becoming more complicated or interesting.

Ex. The police assumed that the woman was murdered by her ex-husband, but he has an alibi. The plot thickens. John is supposed to be going out with Mary, but I saw him last night with Sally. The plot thickens.