Idioms are groups of words that don't mean exactly what they say. For example, "It's raining cats and dogs" does not mean animals are falling out of the sky. We know that it means it is raining very heavily. For question below, write down the idiom in italics and it's meaning (not just the letter!).
Q1 I cannot understand why she did that, it really doesn't add up.
(a) doesn't calculate
(c) doesn't make sense
(b) isn't mathematics
(d) makes the wrong addition
Q2 All the students got high marks in the test but Mary stood out.
(a) got a lot of marks
(c) got very good marks
(b) got higher marks than someone
(d) got the most marks of all
Q3 He has sold his house and has no job and so now he has next to nothing.
(a) he is unemployed
(c) he has a few things
(b) he has almost no money
(d) he has nothing at all
Q4 As a newspaper reporter she always wanted to get information at first hand.
(a) quickly
(b) slowly
(c) easily
(d) directly
Q5 I think we can safely say now that we have got our money back, we are home and dry.
(a) have not got wet
(c) have been successful
(b) have got no water
(d) have got home dry
Q6 He is the man who owns all the land and is the big fish around here.
(a) the fat man
(b) the huge man
(c) the important man
(d) the enormous man
Q7 She never stops talking about herself and is full of herself.
(a) is very fat
(b) is too fat
(c) is very full
(d) is very conceited
Q8 You will not slip over because the floor is as dry as a bone.
(a) completely hard
(b) extremely flat
(c) totally dry
(d) completely cracked
Q9 He kept saying he didn't do it but in the end he said he had done it.
(a) at the end
(b) finally
(c) at last
(d) by the end
Q10 I know you are very sorry that you broke the pot but accidents will happen.
(a) things will take place
(c) things take place often
(b) things do occur
(d) things often go wrong
Q1 He's up to his ears in work and cannot possibly see you now.
(a) fully occupied with
(b) very interested in
(c) not involved with
(d) concerned with
Q2 If you give me a hand, then I shall be able to finish more quickly.
(a) take my hand
(b) help me
(c) take my fingers
(d) pick me up
Q3 I prefer to talk to people face to face rather than to talk on the phone.
(a) in person
(b) facing them
(c) looking at them
(d) seeing them
Q4 The manager dismissed the new proposal out of hand and said that it was not at all practical.
(a) quickly
(b) utterly
(c) directly
(d) simply
Q5 As she is new to the job I would ask you to keep an eye on her for the time being.
(a) look at
(b) consider
(c) check
(d) observe
Q6 The opposition in parliament accused the government of playing games and refusing to accept the
seriousness of the situation.
(a) being light hearted
(b) being heavy hearted
(c) being down hearted
(d) being faint hearted
Q7 He accused her of talking through her hat and refused to accept a word of what she said.
(a) talking sense
(b) talking straight
(c) talking nonsense
(d) talking tough
Q8 The police advised them to go down to the cellar in order to be out of harm's way.
(a) away from the noise
(b) inside the area
(c) into safety
(d) away from danger
Q1 I cannot understand why she did that, it really doesn't add up.
(a) doesn't calculate
(c) doesn't make sense
(b) isn't mathematics
(d) makes the wrong addition
Q2 All the students got high marks in the test but Mary stood out.
(a) got a lot of marks
(c) got very good marks
(b) got higher marks than someone
(d) got the most marks of all
Q3 He has sold his house and has no job and so now he has next to nothing.
(a) he is unemployed
(c) he has a few things
(b) he has almost no money
(d) he has nothing at all
Q4 As a newspaper reporter she always wanted to get information at first hand.
(a) quickly
(b) slowly
(c) easily
(d) directly
Q5 I think we can safely say now that we have got our money back, we are home and dry.
(a) have not got wet
(c) have been successful
(b) have got no water
(d) have got home dry
Q6 He is the man who owns all the land and is the big fish around here.
(a) the fat man
(b) the huge man
(c) the important man
(d) the enormous man
Q7 She never stops talking about herself and is full of herself.
(a) is very fat
(b) is too fat
(c) is very full
(d) is very conceited
Q8 You will not slip over because the floor is as dry as a bone.
(a) completely hard
(b) extremely flat
(c) totally dry
(d) completely cracked
Q9 He kept saying he didn't do it but in the end he said he had done it.
(a) at the end
(b) finally
(c) at last
(d) by the end
Q10 I know you are very sorry that you broke the pot but accidents will happen.
(a) things will take place
(c) things take place often
(b) things do occur
(d) things often go wrong
Q1 He's up to his ears in work and cannot possibly see you now.
(a) fully occupied with
(b) very interested in
(c) not involved with
(d) concerned with
Q2 If you give me a hand, then I shall be able to finish more quickly.
(a) take my hand
(b) help me
(c) take my fingers
(d) pick me up
Q3 I prefer to talk to people face to face rather than to talk on the phone.
(a) in person
(b) facing them
(c) looking at them
(d) seeing them
Q4 The manager dismissed the new proposal out of hand and said that it was not at all practical.
(a) quickly
(b) utterly
(c) directly
(d) simply
Q5 As she is new to the job I would ask you to keep an eye on her for the time being.
(a) look at
(b) consider
(c) check
(d) observe
Q6 The opposition in parliament accused the government of playing games and refusing to accept the
seriousness of the situation.
(a) being light hearted
(b) being heavy hearted
(c) being down hearted
(d) being faint hearted
Q7 He accused her of talking through her hat and refused to accept a word of what she said.
(a) talking sense
(b) talking straight
(c) talking nonsense
(d) talking tough
Q8 The police advised them to go down to the cellar in order to be out of harm's way.
(a) away from the noise
(b) inside the area
(c) into safety
(d) away from danger