Common English Idioms (Part 1)

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

Please wait while the activity loads.
If this activity does not load, try refreshing your browser. Also, this page requires javascript. Please visit using a browser with javascript enabled.

If loading fails, click here to try again

Congratulations - you have completed Common English Idioms Quiz. You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%. Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%%

Your answers are highlighted below.

Question 1

I can't carry all these books. Can you lend me a hand?

lend a hand = ___________________-

A	help
B	raise your hand
C	carry something

Question 1 Explanation:

In this specific case, the speaker is asking a friend to carry the books. However, "lend a hand" means "to help" in general - maybe with carrying, maybe with building, maybe with assembling a computer, etc.

Question 2

I'm giving a presentation to 500 people at the conference next month. I already have butterflies in my stomach!

have butterflies in (my/his/her) stomach = __________________________

A	to be nervous
B	to be fat
C	to have a stomachache

Question 3

Kristen has a short fuse. Yesterday she yelled at me for an hour just because I didn't answer her phone call right away!

has a short fuse = _________________

A	has a difficult personality
B	gets angry easily
C	is not very tall

Question 4

My girlfriend took me to a dance class, even though I've never danced in my life. I felt like a fish out of water.

like a fish out of water = _______________________

A	out of place
B	embarrassed
C	nervous about swimming

Question 5

"Do you like to ski?"

"I do, but I only go once in a blue moon because it's so expensive."

once in a blue moon = ____________________

A	when the moon is visible at night
B	once in a while, not frequently
C	one time every year

Question 6

"I can eat an entire pizza by myself."

"I don't believe it! Put your money where your mouth is!"

put your money where your mouth is = ____________________________

A	buy some food to eat
B	prove or show that what you're saying is true
C	talk about how much money you have

Question 7

My brother-in-law and I don't see eye to eye on politics. He believes in a big government with lots of laws, and I support less government interference in citizens' lives.

see eye to eye = _____________________