Directions (1-15): The following sentences will only succeed in making sense with the help of idioms and phrases. Choose the correct idioms/phrases to fill in the blanks to help the sentences make it contextual sense.
Q1. Don’t _______________________________ and tell me frankly what you think of my proposition.
(a) bark up the wrong tree
(b) fight tooth and nail
(c) beat around the bush
(d) don’t put all your eggs in one basket
(e) None of these
Q2. The government’s decision to curb benefits to some sections of society is like _____________________.
(a) feeling a bit under the weather
(b) a hot potato
(c) all ears
(d) wild goose chase
(e) None of these
Q3. When the business went bankrupt, twenty years of hard work ___________________________.
(a) had a blast
(b) went up in smoke
(c) snatched victory from the jaws of defeat
(d) made a long story short
(e) None of these
Q4. I’m always looking for a great book to _________________________.
(a) open the floodgates
(b) push my luck
(c) see eye to eye
(d) sink my teeth into
(e) None of these
Q5. She wishes she could _____________________________ and start over in a different career.
(a) shoot in the dark
(b) jump on the bandwagon
(c) wipe the slate clean
(d) whistle in the dark
(e) None of these
Q6. Politicians are all the same, all talk but no work; do they realize that ______________________________________?
(a) actions speak louder than words
(b) an apple a day keeps the doctor away
(c) fortune favours the bold
(d) every cloud has a silver lining
(e) None of these
Q7. All eighty opposition members of parliament have ____________________________ their resignation.
(a) turned a blind eye to
(b) fended for
(c) zeroed in on
(d) handed in
(e) None of these
Q8. Gabriel had to bite his cheeks to ___________________________________ bursting out laughing.
(a) cut corners from
(b) get under his skin from
(c) keep from
(d) throw in the towel from
(e) None of these
Q9. Jane and Sarah had a disagreement that suddenly ______________________________ and then everyone was shouting.
(a) tied the knot
(b) got out of hand
(c) raised a white flag
(d) fell flat on their face
(e) None of these
Q10. My friends were having a discussion about the future of the financial markets, but it was ______________________________________.
(a) all Greek to me
(b) the pot calling the kettle black
(c) hearing something straight from the horse’s mouth
(d) gathering dust
(e) None of these
Q11. People will file lawsuits ___________________________________ these days.
(a) through thick and thin
(b) on a silver platter
(c) to make up for lost time
(d) at the drop of a hat
(e) None of these
Q12. She jogs after work to _______________________.
(a) let the cat out of the bag
(b) let off steam
(c) hit below the belt
(d) reap the harvest
(e) None of these
Q13. He lost his cool during the meeting and in the _______________________________, shouted at his boss and called him names.
(a) heat of the moment
(b) tight spot
(c) heavy heart
(d) nick of time
(e) None of these
Q14. I don’t know how we’ll pay the bills if you quit your job, but we’ll _____________________________________________.
(a) cross that bridge when we come to it
(b) have our head in the clouds
(c) count our chickens before the eggs have hatched
(d) take a back seat
(e) None of these
Q15. Our development team is working _________________________ to meet the deadline.
(a) in a nutshell
(b) in seventh heaven
(c) in full swing
(d) and giving a cold shoulder
(e) None of these
Solutions
S1. Ans (c)
Sol. The correct choice of idiom to complete the sentence is beat around the bush.
Beat around the bush– to talk about lots of unimportant things because you want to avoid talking about what is really important.
S2. Ans (b)
Sol. The correct choice of idiom to complete the sentence is a hot potato.
A hot potato– a controversial question or issue that involves unpleasant or dangerous consequences for anyone dealing with it.
S3. Ans (b)
Sol. The correct choice of idiom to complete the sentence is went up in smoke.
Went up in smoke– to be wasted.
S4. Ans (d)
Sol. The correct choice of idiom to complete the sentence is sink my teeth into.
Sink your teeth into something– to become completely involved in something.
S5. Ans (c)
Sol. The correct choice of idiom to complete the sentence is wipe the slate clean.
If you wipe the slate clean, you decide to forget previous mistakes, failures, or debts and to start again.
S6. Ans (a)
Sol. The correct choice of idiom to complete the sentence is actions speak louder than words.
Actions speak louder than words– to emphasize that what you do is more important and shows your intentions and feelings more clearly than what you say.
S7. Ans (d)
Sol. The correct choice of phrasal verb to complete the sentence is handed in.
If you hand in your notice or resignation, you tell your employer, in speech or in writing, that you no longer wish to work for them.
S8. Ans (c)
Sol. The correct choice of phrasal verb to complete the sentence is keep from.
Keep from– to not do or experience (something).
S9. Ans (b)
Sol. The correct choice of phrasal verb to complete the sentence is got out of hand.
To get out of hand– to become chaotic, unmanageable, or uncontrollable
S10. Ans (a)
Sol. The correct choice of idiom to complete the sentence is all Greek to me.
All Greek to me– you can’t comprehend what is being written or said.
S11. Ans (d)
Sol. The correct choice of idiom to complete the sentence is drop of a hat.
If you do something at the drop of a hat, you do it immediately without stopping to think about it.
S12. Ans (b)
Sol. The correct choice of idiom to complete the sentence is let off steam.
Let off steam– to do or say something that helps you to get rid of strong feelings or energy.
S13. Ans (a)
Sol. The correct choice of idiom to complete the sentence is heat of the moment.
Heat of the moment– without stopping to think about what you are doing or saying, because you are angry or excited.
S14. Ans (a)
Sol. The correct choice of idiom to complete the sentence is cross that bridge when we come to it.
Cross the bridge when we come to it– to not worry about a possible problem until it actually happens.
S15. Ans (c)
Sol. The correct choice of idiom to complete the sentence is in full swing.
In full swing– at a stage when the level of activity is at its highest.
