Idiom quiz

Do you want to learn some new idioms? My newsletter regularly features an idiom quiz as well as many other tips about learning English. Sign up here to receive my monthly newsletter direct to your inbox.

Quiz answers

In newsletter 24 we did a spot of revision and I introduced some new idioms. Here are the answers.

1. Burn the candle at both ends.

2. Don't dig your heels in.

3. His efforts really put ours to shame.

4. I'm feeling a bit under the weather at the moment.

5. They were over the moon when they heard that they had won the contract.

Here are the answers to the idiom quiz in newsletter 23.

1. He couldn't keep a straight face.

2. Everyone was up in arms about the planned road.

3. You're in for a treat tonight. It's going to be a good show.

4. I'm going to pluck up the courage and do it.

5. Every cloud has a silver lining.

In newsletter 22 I tested you on the words check and control. Here are the answers:

1. He is a control freak.

2. I love red and white checked duvets.

3. Have you checked the bill?

4. She has worked as a financial controller for many years.

5. Checkmate! The game is over.

The answers to the vocabulary and idiom quiz in issue 21 are as follows:

1. stickler

2. rule the roost

3. mumbling

4. closet

5. shame

In issue 20 we did an abbreviations quiz. Here are the answers:

1. I don't care

2. In my humble opinion

3. For your information

4. To be honest

5. If I recall correctly

Here are the answers to the idiom quiz in newsletter 18

1.  Err on the side of caution. = It's better to be cautious rather than reckless

2. Turn a blind eye to it. = Ignore something, don't report it

3. Make up your mind. = Decide

4. I need to recharge my batteries. = Take time to get more energy. Note that we say batteries in the plural in English.

5. We had better go before it starts snowing. = We should go

The idioms in Newsletter 17 were partly inspired by Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. Here are the answers:

1A. I couldn't put my finger on it = I couldn't quite identify 'it'

2B. To pull somebody's leg = to trick someone (in a friendly way)

3A. He really gets people's backs up = He annoys other people

4A. Don't beat about the bush = get to the point (we rarely praise someone for beating about the bush!)

5A. To blow your own trumpet = to praise yourself

The answers to the idiom quiz in Newsletter 16 are:

1A. We put our plans on the back burner = our plans are on hold

2A. We're not out of the woods yet = we're still in danger

3B. I can read him like a book = you know what he is thinking

4A. She knows how to push my buttons = she knows how to annoy me, to wind me up

5B. The vultures are circling = someone is waiting to take advantage of a difficult situation

Ask Google (or a different search engine) if you want to find out more about the meanings of these idioms.

The answers to the idiom quiz in Newsletter 15 are as follows:

1. B. Stick to your guns

2. A. It's out of the question

3. B. If you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours

4. B. It was the final nail in the coffin

5. A. You've got the wrong end of the stick

The answers to the idiom quiz in Newsletter 14 are as follows:

1. B. Stick to your guns

2. A. It's out of the question

3. A. If you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours

4. A. She is quick on the uptake (quick off the mark is a different idiom)

5. B. She rubs me up the wrong way

Here are the answers to the idiom quiz in Newsletter 10.

1. Hold your horses

2. They were up in arms about the new plans. (anger/ arms/ ears)

3. Their hands were tied. (strings/ feet / hands)

4. He is a safe pair of hands. (fine / tidy / safe)

5. That’s par for the course. (par / average / far )

Want to discover more about idioms? Click here to read what idioms are and why they can be tricky to learn.

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