Home
Common English Idioms (Part 3)

Common English Idioms (Part 3)

Slang & Idiomatic Expressions
Common English Idioms (Part 3) Espresso English

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

Congratulations - you have completed Common English Idioms Quiz 3. You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%. Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%%
Your answers are highlighted below.
Question 1
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 1 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 2
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 have a traffic accident
B
to make a bad situation worse
C
to hurt a person
Question 3
"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
easier to do something than to explain it
B
not as easy as it appears to be
C
this person is difficult to get along with
Question 4
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
feel very stressed
B
eat more than you should
C
take responsibility for more than you can manage
Question 5
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
be too late for something
B
not understand something
C
lose a good opportunity
Question 6
"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
fall asleep on the job
B
get enough rest before starting something new
C
think about something for a while before making a decision
Question 7
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 very heavy
B
is very expensive
C
is difficult to put together
Question 8
The doctor says I have to take it easy for a few weeks after the surgery.

take it easy = ____________________

A
rest, relax
B
do easy work
C
take a little medicine
Question 9
"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 10
Can I borrow $20 for gas money? I'm broke.

broke = ____________________

A
to have a broken car
B
to have no money
C
to have no gas
Once you are finished, click the button below. Any items you have not completed will be marked incorrect. Get Results
There are 10 questions to complete.

 

A fun & easy way to learn English idioms

Common English Idioms (Part 3) Espresso English

Learn more about the Idioms Course

More Espresso English Lessons:

Slang Words: Food and Drink
English Slang Words for Appearance & Age
100 Idioms: Meanings & Examples

About The Author

Shayna Oliveira

Shayna Oliveira is the founder of Espresso English, where you can improve your English fast - even if you don’t have much time to study. Millions of students are learning English from her clear, friendly, and practical lessons! Shayna is a CELTA-certified teacher with 10+ years of experience helping English learners become more fluent in her English courses.