Common English Idioms (Part 3)

Common English Idioms
Have you ever “missed the boat”?

An idiom is a word or phrase with a meaning that is different from the actual words. Read the example sentences in the quiz and then choose the best answer for the meaning of each idiom. Good luck!

Common English Idioms Quiz 3

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Question 1
"Are you sure Brad is leaving the company?"

"I know it's true! I heard it straight from the horse's mouth!"

hear it straight from the horse's mouth = ____________________

A
to find out a person loves animals
B
to discover that a person has been fired from his/her job
C
to get information from a reliable source
Question 2
"So, are you going to take the new job or not?"

"I'm not sure. I'll have to sleep on it."

sleep on it = ____________________

A
get enough rest before starting something new
B
think about something for a while before making a decision
C
fall asleep on the job
Question 3
Can I borrow $20 for gas money? I'm broke.

broke = ____________________

A
to have a broken car
B
to have no gas
C
to have no money
Question 4
My husband worked a 16-hour day. He's down for the count.

down for the count = ____________________

A
completely exhausted
B
counting the hours
C
downstairs
Question 4 Explanation: 
This expression comes from boxing. If one boxer stays down on the floor while the official counts up to 10, he loses the match.
Question 5
This morning, I hit a car in the company parking lot. To add insult to injury, it was my boss' car. to add insult to injury = ____________________
A
to hurt a person
B
to have a traffic accident
C
to make a bad situation worse
Question 6
The furniture from that store costs an arm and a leg! $10,000 for a couch is ridiculous!

costs an arm and a leg = ____________________

A
is difficult to put together
B
is very heavy
C
is very expensive
Question 7
The doctor says I have to take it easy for a few weeks after the surgery.

take it easy = ____________________

A
do easy work
B
take a little medicine
C
rest, relax
Question 8
I should have gone to the optional training session - everyone who went said it was really useful for their jobs! I sure missed the boat on that one.

miss the boat = ____________________

A
not understand something
B
lose a good opportunity
C
be too late for something
Question 9
Last semester, I was taking 10 classes, working part-time, playing on the volleyball team, and volunteering at the animal shelter. I think I bit off more than I could chew.

bite off more than you can chew = ____________________

A
eat more than you should
B
take responsibility for more than you can manage
C
feel very stressed
Question 10
"Of course we can drive to New York - we just need to get your brother to lend us his car for the weekend."

"Easier said than done! He doesn't even let his wife drive it."

easier said than done = ____________________

A
not as easy as it appears to be
B
easier to do something than to explain it
C
this person is difficult to get along with
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There are 10 questions to complete.

 

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