Idioms

Self-study
For first and second year students
The purpose of this self-study work is to enhance students’ vocabulary and improve their
understanding of particular English. This work provides tests for a wide variety of idioms
in common use. It helps students acquire these idioms in exactly the right context so that
they can express themselves with more subtlety and variety. Student doing this work
should find the learning of idioms both stimulating and enjoyable, and start to develop a
real sensitivity to the language.

1. Could you explain what an idiom is. Give some examples of English idioms.

2. Could you list the most common idioms in English

3. Read information about top 10 most common idioms in English. Compare the
list of the most popular idioms with your list.

T O P 1 0 MO S T C O MM O N I DI O M S I N E NG L I S H

( h t t p s : / / v o x y .c o m/ b l o g / i n d e x .p h p / 2 0 1 2 / 0 2 / t o p - 1 0 - mo s t - c o mmo n -
i d i o ms - i n - e n g l i s h / )

You’re talking to your native English-speaking friend about your recent breakup and how
depressed you are when suddenly he turns toward you and says “Don’t worry about it
man, girls like that are a dime a dozen!” You then stare at your friend in confusion. You
simply don’t understand why your good friend is comparing the girl that was once the
love of your life to $1.20.
Actually “dime a dozen” doesn’t mean anything even remotely close to what the
individual words in the phrase implies. For native speakers of English, a dime a dozen
simply means that something is common and easy to obtain. Because we cannot figure out
the meaning by examining the phrase alone, “dime a dozen” is what we call an idiom. As
a non-native speaker of English, the best way to understand idioms is to memorize their
meanings from the standpoint of a native speaker. We’ve listed the 10 most common
idioms in English and their actual meanings.

1. Piece of cake – No, when someone says that the assignment they just finished was
a piece of cake, it does not mean that their professor gave them a red velvet cupcake
for their midterm paper, what piece of cake actually means is that something is very
easy to complete.

2. Costs an arm and a leg – It would be a strange world we lived in if buying that
fancy shiny purse literally required us to chop off our body parts to give as tribute
to the Louis Vuitton gods. When something costs an arm and a leg it actually means
that something is very expensive.

3. Break a leg – Oh, look, another idiom about legs. You’re about to take your
dreaded calculus final and before you head into your classroom your roommate
texts you, “Break a Leg!” Why, you think in your head, would he ever wish that
upon me? I thought we were cool with each other. Well, your roommate surely
doesn’t want your bones to break while walking to your seat in the exam room
that’s for sure. Break a leg actually means good luck!
4. Hit the books – If you’re a student in an English speaking environment you’re
probably going to be hearing this phrase a lot. Before you imagine students running
into their campus library and punching, kicking and wrestling apart the complete
works of Shakespeare, we would just like to say that hit the books actually means to
study. There there, you can still punch books in your spare time if you want, we
won’t judge you.

5. Let the cat out of the bag – Why would someone put their cat in a bag? What did
the cat ever do to them? Our last idiom actually means to disclose a secret that was
supposed to be kept, well, as a secret. The next time someone lets the cat out of the
bag do not immediately pick up your phone and call animal cruelty control.

6. Hit the nail on the head – This idiom has to do with doing or saying something
that is precisely right. If you don’t understand this, just think about that sweet
feeling you get when you swing a hammer at a nail and hit it perfectly.
7. When pigs fly – So, have you ever seen a pig fly before? Never? Me neither. This
idiom basically means that something will never happen, like fat little pink
mammals soaring toward the sun!

8. You can’t judge a book by its cover – How many awesome books do you think
you’ve never read in your life just because the cover did not catch your eye? This
idiom does not only apply to books however, but can be used for everything in
general. Essentially it means that you should not decide upon something based just
on outward appearances.

9. Bite off more than you can chew – Imagine your waiter brings you the biggest
juiciest hamburger from your favorite American restaurant. In your hunger, you
grab it quickly and take a giant bite out of it. Unfortunately, the bite you’ve taken is
too big, and you end up looking like an idiot trying to shove this bite down your
throat while drinking water and trying not to choke. That is the most literal sense of
 the meaning, but in general it just means to attempt to take on a task that is too
much for you to handle.

10.Scratch someone’s back – We all know how difficult it is to scratch that itch on
your back that your hand just aren’t flexible enough to reach, so why would you
want to scratch some random person’s smelly back? Because if you do, they may
eventually be willing to scratch your own smelly back when you need it! What this
idiom means is to help someone out with the assumption that they will return the
favor in the future!

4. Close the text and check your memory. Write down all the idioms from the
text you remember.

5. Match the idioms with the Russian equivalents.

Example: 1 E.
1. Dead-line A Быть в черном списке
2. Out of the blue
3. To add the fuel to the flame
4. At the death’s door
5. Talk to a brick wall
6. To haven’t a clue
7. Let me put you in the picture
8. On the tip of smb’s tongue
9. To beat about the bush
10.Let’s get straight to the point.
11.I heard on the grapevine.
12.To be on the same wavelength.
13.To get a word in edgeways
14.To have a quick word with smb.
15.To have the gift of the gab
16.To be at a loss for words
17.To speak out of the cuff
18.To be blacklisted
19.To spill the beans
20. Like a bat out of hell
21. From the horse’s mouth
B Не иметь представления; не понимать
C На волосок от смерти
D Ходить вокруг да около
E Последний срок
F Вертится на языке
G Давайте перейдем к делу
H Говорить наобум.
I Потерять дар речи.
J За словом в карман не полезет.
K Вставить словечко.
L Перекинуться словечком.
M Как об стенку горох
N Позвольте ввести Вас в курс дела.
O Как гром среди ясного неба./
Неожиданно.
P Усугубить. / Подлить масло в огонь.
Q Сорока на хвосте принесла./ Я слышал
по «сарафанному радио».
R Понимать друг друга с полуслова.
S Очень быстро
T 1) Выдать секрет, проболтаться 2)
расстроить чьи-л. планы 3) попасть в
глупое положение, в беду
U из первых рук; из надёжного
источника; из первоисточника

6. Fill in the gaps with the idioms from the table above (Ex.2). Make any changes
that may be necessary.

1 The sergeant seemed to be (1) ____, after being seriously injured . 2 By jumping on
John Beth’s, father only (2) ____ of his daughter’s love to this guy. 3 I must (3)
_____because I have a lot of difficulties passing my exams. 4 We didn’t wait for him. But
he arrived (4) ____. 5 (5) ____ to complete this project is tomorrow. 6 Tell me straight
what you want without (6) ______.7 We are absolutely different with her, it is really very
hard to understand her. We (7) _____ . 8 He tried to explain his point of you, but had no
luck. He was too excited and (8) _____. 9 I (9) _____ that the managing director has been
sacked.. 10 I repeated my question many times, but no luck. It’s like (10) ______. 11 He
dashed out of the room (11) ____. 12 It’s true, I tell you! I got it (12) ___. I trust this
person, she is the one who is responsible for decision making. 13 One man I know hasn’t
spoken to his wife for ten years, she was so talkative he can’t (13) _____.

7. The words in italics are in the wrong sentences. Find the correct item for each
one.
Example: Now that my summer holidays have begun I feel as free as houses. a bird
1. Without my glasses I’m as blind as a pig. -------
2. After our search, suddenly David turned up as large as rain! -------
3. As cool as a bat, the robber asked for all the money in the bank! -------
4. Our dog eats too much, and is getting as fat as a picture. -------
5. Little Sarah looked as pretty as a cucumber in her new dress. -------
6. Take this medicine, and in a few days you’ll be as right as life. -------
7. Don’t be frightened of being on this plane. It’s as safe as a bird. -------

8. Complete the expressions in italics in each sentence with a word from the box.

Down life round soul sound then time wide

Example: It’s extremely important. In fact, it’s a matter of life and death.
1. Ann is great fun, and is always the life and _____ of the party.
2. The police have been searching far and _____ for the stolen jewels.
3. We were completely lost, and drove round and ____ for hours.
4. I’ve told you ____ and again not to write tests in pencil!
5. The two missing explorers have been found safe and ____.
6. That man has been walking up and ___ outside the house all day.
7. I don’t see Paul very often, but I visit him now and _____.

9 Match up the definitions on the left (1-12 ) with the correct idiom on the
right (a - l).

1. the death penalty A a piece of cake

2. a sudden, clever thought or idea B a storm in a teacup
3. a short sleep in a chair (not in a bed) C a white-collar worker
4. something that is extremely easy (to do) D capital punishment
5. a worker who does an office job E break one’s word
6. a factory worker rather than an office F have a good time
worker
7. a lot of excitement and discussions about G a brainwave
something that is trivial
8. not keep a promise H a blue-collar worker
9. enjoy oneself I lose one’s temper
10.relax J a catnap
11. live from day to day, often without K put one’s feet up
regular money
12.become angry L live from hand to mouth
13.flash in the pan M a project, person, etc., that enjoys only
short-lived success
 10 Decide whether the idioms in the following sentences are used correctly.
Write true for the correct variant and false for the wrong variant.
1. If someone is green, he or she is not very experienced. ‫ٱ‬
2. I have stopped going to my English classes. I’ve dropped off. ‫ٱ‬
3. Men are not usually invited to a hen party. ‫ٱ‬
4. I forgot to phone David – it completely slipped my mind. ‫ٱ‬
5. The pop concert was a disaster. It went like a bomb. ‫ٱ‬
6. The policeman saw that I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, but fortunately he turned a blind
eye to it. ‫ٱ‬
7. He goes there often – at least once in a blue moon. ‫ٱ‬
8. He is an extremely good talker. He really does have the gift of the gab. ‫ٱ‬
9. I don’t understand; it’s all Greek to me. ‫ٱ‬
10.He was so hungry that he ate his heart out. ‫ٱ‬

11.Complete the sentences 1- 10 by choosing an ending from A – J.

1. She was late for work this morning because we ....
2. As we had over two hours to wait for our train, we ...
3. He talked so much that no one ...
4. I was feeling a bit under the weather so I ...
5. Now that he is out work he ...
6. He hadn’t prepared a speech but spoke ...
7. They wished me “many happy returns” ...
8. James is in a really bad mood this morning. He ...
9. Before he spoke, he asked for a glass of water because he ...
10.It was a secret, so I ...

A could get a word in edgeways.

B finds it hard to make ends meet.
C got caught in a traffic-jam.
D had a frog in his throat.
E decided to kill time by going into a pub for a drink.
F on my birthday.
G promised to keep it under my hat.
H decided not to go to work.
I must have got out of bed the wrong side.
J off the top of his head.

12. Look at the drawings below and try to work out what the people are saying.
Match the letters with the appropriate drawings. Choose from the following:
A. “I’ve got a splitting headache again , Arthur.”
B “Isn’t there any other way for you to make a living?”
C “Not too loud! She’s all ears you know.”
D “ He is as soft as butter, once he realizes that you’re not going to hurt him.”
E “Mirror, Mirror on the wall ... tell me a little white lie.”
1.
2.

3.

4.

5.

13 Fill in the missing words in the following newspaper headlines. Choose from
the following. (The words in brackets under each headline should help you.)
BROKEN - HEARTED; BLACKOUT; COME INTO FORCE; UNDER WAY; SPILL
THE BEANS ; WHITE PAPER; A FLASH IN THE PAN

1) NEW EMIGRATION LAWS

ON JULY 1ST

(become law)

2) WORK ON THE NEW TUNNEL

AT LAST
(progressing)

3)2-HOUR
CAUSES
LUNCHTIME
CHAOS
(electricity failure)

4) LATEST
SHOWS THAT ALCOHOLISM AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE
IS ON THE INCREASE
(government report)

5) NEW VIDEO PHONES JUST

(a passing novelty)

6) FAMOUS TV-STAR
AFTER SON’S DEATH
(very sad)

7) EX M15 AGENT THREATENS TO

(reveal everything he knows)

 14.Complete the following proverbs by choosing an ending from those marked a –
p. Then try to explain what each proverb means.
1. Absence ...
2. Beauty ...
3. First come, ...
4. When the cat’s away ...
5. 5 no news ...
6. A miss ...
7. One good turn ...
8. A bird in the hand ...
9. A bad workman ...
10. Charity ...
11. Practice ...
12. Necessity ...
13. A new broom ...
14. One man’s meat ...
15. Too many cooks ...
16. Where there’s a will ...

a ... is worth two in the bush.

b ... begins at home
c ...is as good as a mile.
d ... spoil the broth.
e ... is the mother of invention.
f ... makes the heart grow fonder.
g ... always blames his tools.
h ... sweeps clean.
i ... there is a way.
j ... is only skin deep.
k ... the mice will play.
l ... deserves another.
m ... first served.
n ... makes perfect.
o ... is good news.
p ... is another man’s poison.

Write your answers here.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

PRACTICE
 15.Find some English idioms (not less than 10) associated with food and prepare a
short funny story using some of these idioms.

Idioms and phrases exercise

(http://www.englishgrammar.org/idioms-phrases-exercise/)
16.) Each sentence given below contains an idiom/phrase. From the given
alternatives, choose the one that best expresses the meaning of this
idiom/phrase.

1. He has the gift of the gab.

a) He is gifted
b) He is a chatterbox
c) He is a good conservationist
2. Parental property has become a bone of contention between the siblings.

a) unifying factor
b) something that causes a quarrel
c) a firm view
d) none of these

3. Once in a blue moon, we meet each other.

a) frequently
b) hardly ever
 c) very seldom indeed
d) in the light of a blue moon
4. He has been jobless for several months, and it is his wife who keeps the pot
boiling.
a) avoids starvation
b) keeps the fire burning
c) is angry
d) keeps firing
5. In the end he had to eat the humble pie.
a) apologize humbly
b) defend himself vigorously
c) adopt an aggressive attitude
d) none of these
6. To be a good orator, you don’t have to play to the galleries.
a) offend audiences
b) to be prepared
c) appease select audience
d) to appeal to the lower taste
7. The officer took him to task.
a) rebuked him
b) dismissed him
c) promoted him
d) praised him

17.Have a look at pictures which present some idiomatic expressions. Try and
explain them. Translate them into Russian.
(Pictures are taken from:
https://www.google.ru/search?q=English+Idioms+pictures&newwindow=1&espv=2&biw
=1280&bih=890&tbm=isch&imgil=uy-54SsByjHi_M%253)
1)
2)

3)

4)
5)

6)

7)

8)
 9)

10)

18.Read the text. All of the English idioms are highlighted in the text below.
Decide whether the statements below are true or false.
(text taken from: http://www.english-idioms.com/articles/quiz-
results/files/55826253deb360efdbdf61aa1b3fba8a-48.html)

The Eager Beavers and Old Mr. Oldkool

Once upon a time, there was a wonderful class of very hard-working and well-educated
boys and girls in an amazing school in a far, far, far away fairytale land. Definitely
not couch potatoes, these boys and girls were, in fact, full of beans. Their teacher, Mr.
Oldkool, admired them, however, for their hard work and often called them his eager
beavers. The eager beavers loved to learn. They spelled, they read and they wrote. They
added, they subtracted and they multiplied. When Mr. Oldkool told them about a new and
fascinating subject, like the apple snail, they were all ears. When he gave them
assignments to do, they took them home eagerly and were as busy as bees. One day, Mr.
Oldkool surprised the eager beavers with a math test. It was 10 pages long and had the
most difficult questions on it that you could imagine. He handed out the test papers and
told the boys and girls to put their thinking caps on. ❝ Break a leg❞he said to the
students as he walked back to his desk and started working on another lesson plan on the
fascinating world of the apple snail. Looking at the math tests, the children’s faces,
surprisingly, did not look troubled. Remaining cool as a cucumber, they picked up their
pencils and went to work. It turned out that all of the eager beavers passed the test and, for
some, it was even a piece of cake. To celebrate, the kids got to watch a two-hour movie
on the apple snail as an aquarium pet. Who would have thought that their hard work
would pay off so well and that apple snails could be as big as 15 cm in diameter? The
answer to that question would have to be: Mr. Oldkool.

1) Couch potato means a person who is always busy with some useful things.
2) An eager beaver is a keen and enthusiastic person who works very hard.
3) In the passage “all ears” means lack of attentiveness and concentration.
4) “As busy as a bee” is an antonym to the idiom “coach potato”.
5) If you wish someone luck and success (e.g. in exam) you can use the idiomatic
expression “break a leg”.
6) A very complicated task that requires a lot of effort can be called as “a piece of
cake”.

19. Read the story below. Before reading try to match the idioms with their
appropriate Russian meaning.

1. Have got a short fuse a. очень сердитый

2. Yell one’s head off b. очень дорогой
3. As angry as a bear c. мне об этом рассказали по секрету
4. All bark and no bite d.подлить масло в огонь
5. A little bird told me e. бесполезный
6. One’s old flame f.быть на его месте
7. Cost someone an arm and leg g. орать целыми днями
8. Out of the blue h. внезапно, неожиданно
9. As useful as a chocolate teapot i. безобидный
10.Put myself in his shoes j. вспыльчивый
11.add fuel to the fire k. старая пассия

A story with idioms

My neighbor’s got a short fuse. Very often he is as angry as a bear. He can yell his
head off all day long. But many believe that it is all bark and no bite. A little bird
 told me that he is very lonely. He some lost his old flame time ago and it was the last
straw, they say. He bought her a gold ring, it cost him an arm and leg. But out of
the blue she left him. Now he thinks he is as useful as a chocolate teapot. Now I try
to put myself in his shoes. When I talk to him I never add fuel to the fire. I just take
his behavior easy. I hope we will be friends some day.

20.Replace the idioms in Ex. 21 with suitable words to make it simpler for
understanding.

21. Write down ten most popular Russian idioms and find their English
equivalents.

22.
23.Try and do the English idioms test. The test should take around 25 minutes to
complete.
English Idioms Test
(http://www.world-english.org/englishidiomstest.htm)

This test is designed for students of English as a second and foreign language, and
allows learners to quickly assess their knowledge of English idioms and fixed phrases. An
idiom is a common expression that has acquired a meaning that cannot easily be
understood from the ordinary meanings of the words, as in “It’s raining cats and dogs"
meaning "it's raining very heavily". At the end of the test you will see your test result.

1) Marcin and Magda are as different as ……… and cheese?

a) biscuits
b) chalk
c) ham
d) jam
2) My father wants me to study law, but I have made up my ……… to become an
archaeologist, instead.
a) heart
b) head
c) brain
d) mind

3) If something frightens you it gives you the ……… .

a) wood
b) bulls
 c) willies
d) hots

4) You haven't been studying much recently and you'd better ……… if you want to
pass the Cambridge CPE exam.
a) thread your way through
b) meet your Waterloo
c) pull your socks up
d) change your spots

5) Magda was ……… after she heard that she had won a televison in a competition.
a) over the hill
b) on cloud nine
c) on the hop
d) over the peg

6) Donna ……… after her husband left her for a younger woman.
a) read between the lines
b) lead the field
c) took to the bottle
d) spared the rod

7) Don't throw that old FCE testbook away. It will ……… in handy when your sister
is studying for the college entry examination.
a) turn
b) find
c) come
d) give

8) Simon was given the cold ……… by the other teachers after informing the
newspapers about widespread corruption at the college.
a) chin
b) shoulder
c) neck
d) back

9) Wild boar haven't been seen in this ……… of the woods for about ten years
because of overhunting in the past.
 a) walk
b) ward
c) neck
d) leg
10) Charles has been in Kamila's ……… since he called her a fat slag.
a) bad letters
b) bad books
c) bad records
c) bad paper
11) The school director's resignation came like a bolt from the ……… . Nobody had
expected it. a) a) green
b) red
c) black
d) blue

12) Marcin's father wasn't happy to find his son ……… drunk on the bathroom
floor with a bottle of Vodka beside him.
a) blind
b) stiff
c) deep
d) tight

13) The President is very old. He's as old as the ……… .

a) moon
b) grave
c) rock
d) hills

14) The Skwierzyna football team never win. So I wouldn't put my ……… on them
if I were you. You'll only lose it!
a) shoes
b) shirt
c) jacket
d) hat

15) If you tell Maria there's a surprise English test today, you won't see her for
……… .
 a) dust
b) cloud
c) rain
d) fog
16) Neil is famous for making up the most incredible stories, so you'd better take
them with a pinch of ……… .
a) snuff
b) pepper
c) salt
d) herbs

17) If you ……… you work very hard.

a) work to the winds
b) work like a new leaf
c) work your fingers to the bone
d) work until you are blue and black
18) It took me several seconds to grasp the meaning of her statement but finally the
……… dropped.
a) penny
b) axe
c) hammer
d) stone

19) Jarek is the best swimmer in the water polo team. He can ……… spots off
everyone else.
a) brush
b) knock
c) put
d) win

20) Donata has never turned her ……… on her family and offers help whenever they
need it.
a) hair
b) eyes
c) back
d) stomach
You can find more information about idioms and fixed expression on sites:
http://broadskyblog.blogspot.ru/2012/11/over-1000-of-most-common-fixed.html;
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/category/vocabulary-1;
http://www.world-english.org/englishidiomstest.htm

HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED THE ACTIVITIES!