Idioms
Idioms
EXERCISES
1. It finally______home to me that it was time to buy a place of my own.
A. arrived B. came C. hit D. reached
2. Well, it’s 7 p.m. I’d better hit the________if I want to get home before it’s dark
A. roof B. headlines C. newspaper D. road
3. She’s the type who can’t sit on holiday and is always_________the move.
A. in B. on C. at D. by
4. She had never been to Prague before, and she_________in love with it straight away.
A. dropped B. fell C. tripped D. crashed
5. He didn’t speak a word of French when he first moved to France. He had to pick up the language from.
A. scratch B. start C. nought D. nil
6. Tamara has set her___________on becoming a ballet-dancer.
A. head B. feet C. brain D. heart
7. Why not buy the dress on__________then you can take it back if it doesn’t fit your mother?
A. agreement B. approval C. affirmation D. affection
8. We’re free most of the weekend, but we’ve got a few bits and_____________to do on Sunday morning.
A. things B. stuff C. pieces D. ends
9. It was so exciting! I was on the_____________of my seat!
A. side B. edge C. end D. front
10. Insects and bugs_________.
A. make my skin run B. make my skin walk
C. make my skin crawl D. make my skin march
11. There are about twenty_________so people waiting in the outer office.
A. but B. and C. or D. so
12. Whether or not you like some kinds of modern furniture is a matter of____________.
A. comparison B. taste C. favor D. vogue
13. Clare was___________her homework when her boyfriend called.
A. at the centre B. in between
C. halfway through D. in the middle of
14. I’m starving! I could eat like a__________.
A. cow B. horse C. house D. pig
15. You must have your head in the__________if you think you’re going to succeed without hard work.
A. ground B. clouds C. sky D. air
16. How much longer do we have to wait? This is starting to get on my____________.
A. mind B. back C. nerves D. nose
17. “I’m_____________to listen to your pathetic excuses,” she said.
A. sick and tired B. having enough
C. in no mood D. sick to death
18. The fact of the___________that we have a government that will do what it wants to do for the next two
years.
A. matter B. problem C. point D. situation
19. ________! You deserved to win.
A. Unfair luck B. Nasty luck C. Hard luck D. Bad fortune
20. Mary wanted to give Nigel a present that was a little bit out of the_____________.
A. normal B. ordinary C. average D. everyday
21. I know it’s early but I thought we ought to leave_________.
A. timely B. on time C. at the time D. in good time
22. The nearest town was 80 km away, I mean really in the middle of___________.
A. everywhere B. somewhere C. anywhere D. nowhere
23. I need to get some cash. Do you think we might pass a bank_____________?
A. in the way B. to the way C. on the way D. at the way
24. I couldn’t finish the exam because I was just too___________time.
A. run out of B. wasted C. spent D. short of
25. “Did you sleep well?” “Yeah, like a____________”.
A. drunk B. log C. horse D. fish
26. Phillips offered Joan a to cry on after her husband’s death.
A. shoulder B. arm C. hand D. leg
27. There were a few small villages_______________, but no major city for miles around.
A. on and off B. here and there
C. back and forth D. up and down
28. During the match, someone________fire to the stadium.
A. opened B. put C. set D. caught
29. Several angry drivers shook their________at me as I drove away
A. elbows B. arms C. hands D. fists
30. Each time I sneezed, everyone said: “________you!”
A. Cough B. Bless C. Cold D. Thank
31. I need an assistant - I’m up to__________with work.
A. my eyes B. my ears C. here C. All are correct
32. Stop making that noise! You’re getting on my___!
A. muscles B. brains C. nerves D. blood
33. I don’t have any cash just now. I’m____________.
A. flat broken B. flat broke C. no money D. less money
34. She’s won the lottery! She’s___________the moon!
A. across B. over C. along D. through
35. I know your name is Jim. When I called you Tim it was just a____________of
A. slip B. skid C. skim D. slight
36. After a six-year-relationship, Martha and Billy have decided to___________.
A. break the bank B turn the page
C. make the grade D. tie the knot
37. If he thinks he’s capable of building a house on his own, he’s living______________.
A. in a fantasy world B. in the clouds
C. on the moon D. in the sky
38. She may seem unapproachable when you first meet her, but the truth is she has a(n)___________
of gold.
A. heart B. soul C. attitude D. feeling
39. On first coming to England, I fell_________in love with a girl who lived in the flat below mine.
A. feet over hands B. elbow to toe
C. foot in mouth D. head over heels
40. He’s such a__________! Just when everyone is having a good time he starts moaning about being
tired.
A. dry bone B. soft touch C. wet blanket D. drop kick
41. The suspect was seen_________with intent outside of the jewellery store.
A. lying B. loitering C. waiting D. standing
42. I could tell from her face that she was on the__________of bursting into tears.
A. limit B. edge C. verge D. border
43. “Did you enjoy the party?”. Well, kind_________.
A. off B. of C. like D. or
44. Let’s settle this argument once and for_________.
A. all B. ever C. always D. once
45. I______in love with her the first time, I saw her and we’ve just celebrated our 50th anniversary.
A. fell B. stumbled C. tripped D. tie the knot
46. “Can you tell me where Portsmouth Road is?
“Sorry, I haven’t got a__________.”
A. idea B. faintest C. clue D. knowledge
47. I don’t want to listen to any more of your half-____________ideas. Come back when you have some
ideas that aren’t impractical and stupid.
A. mashed B. peeled C. rinsed D. baked
48. Students sometimes support themselves by__________of evening jobs.
A. efforts B. methods C. means D. ways
49. She’s a very_________person, so her friends often ask her for advice.
A. practiced B. basic C. earthy D. down-to-earth
50. You should take notice of warnings which state that guard dogs are on______________.
A. alert B. patrol C. defence D. watch
51. I revised my views_______comments from colleagues.
A. against B. further to
C. in the light of D. consequent upon
52. Eating a bar of chocolate from time____________time won’t do you any harm.
A. in B. to C. at D. with
53. In most countries, driving tests are available on____________.
A. demand B. requesting C. question D. asking
54. What a heavy fog we have! I’m sure our flight will surely fall behind____________.
A. plan B. shipment C. time D. schedule
55. Mr. Henry was given a medal in__________of his service to his country.
A. response____________B. gratitude _______C. recognition D. knowledge
56. I won’t buy that car because it has too much_________on it.
A. ups and downs B. adds and ends
C. wear and tear D white lie
57. She passed the National High School Graduation Exam with__________colours.
A. bright B. flying C. red D. true
58. Taxis don’t follow any schedule; they come and go_____________.
A. in sequence B. chronologically
C. at random D. punctually
59. I shall do the job to the best of my_____________.
A. ability B. knowledge C. talent D. capacity
60. Can you deliver this letter____________hand?
A. in B. with C. to D. by
61. I’m opting out of the__________race and going to live on a small farm in the countryside.
A. horse B. dog C. rat D. cat and mouse
62. You can talk to him until you are ______in the face, but he still won’t understand.
A. white B. green C. yellow D. blue
63. He has been caught in the rain, and has been wet_____________.
A. over and over B. once for all
C. to and fro D. through and through
64. I’m very lazy. I only go to the gym once in a___________moon.
A. full B. black C. new D. blue
65. Of course an encyclopedia is not a book you read__________.
A. from cover by page B. from cover to cover
C. from the start to the stop D. from the top to the end
66. Mr. Simkins is the big _________in the company as he has just been promoted to the position of
Managing Diretor.
A. bread B. cheese C. meat D. ends and odds
67. My English is progressing___________.
A. odds and ends B. leaps and bounds
C. bounds and leaps D. ends and oods
68. When you do something, you should_____________.
A. get through to B. turn over a new leaf
C. weigh up the pros and cons D. go down well with
69. We regret to tell tou that the materials you ordered are_______________.
A. out of reach B. out of practice
C. out of stock D. out of work
70. In the rush hour, the traffic _________ its way over the bridge into the city.
A. crawled B. inched C. forced D. wormed
71. He put the two letters into the wrong envelopes____________mistake.
A. on B. by C. with D. in
72. I read the contract again and again____________avoiding making spelling mistakes.
A. in terms of B. by means of
C. with a view to D. in view of
73. Everyone can join our club,__________age and sex.
A. in place of B. regardless of
C. in case of D. not mention
74. When you use the Internet, you have so much information at your_______________.
A. fingers B. hands C. thumbs D. fingertips
75. Without written evidence, we don’t have a_________on.
A. leg to stand B. foot to stand
C. leg to lean D. foot to lean
76. Human beings have driven rare animals and plants_____________of extinction in the past 100 years
A. on the verge B. to the verge
C. under the verge D. at the verge
78. You can’t just bury your_________in the sand and hope that this problem goes away.
A. book B. hand C. head D. foot
79. He’s sometimes bad-tempered but he’s a good fellow___________.
A. in heart B. by heart C. at heart D. with heart
80. Stop_________about the bush, John! Just tell me exactly what the problem is.
A. rushing B. hiding C. beating D. moving
81. The director and the producer don’t see_________on certain aspects of products.
A. face to face B. heart to heart
C. mind to mind D. eye to eye
82. Mary Smith decided to give up her job for the_____________of her children.
A. reason B. concern C. care D. sake
83. According to a recent survey, most people are on good___________with their neighbours.
A. relations B. terms C. acquaintance D. relationships
84. I just took it_________that hed always be available.
A. for granted B. into consideration
C. easy D. into account
85. She clearly joined the firm with a(n)___________to improving herself
professionally.
A. view B. aim C. plan D. ambition
86. Stefania’s decision to give up her job came as a__________to all her colleagues.
A. surprise B. delight C. pleasure D. concern
87. It’s a good idea in theory, but it’s going to be hard to put it into___________.
A. practice B. trial C. test D. examination
88. If you take into______stopping for lunch on the way, the journey should
take about four hours.
A. thought B allowance C. reminder D. account
89. The opposition will be elected into government at the next election, without a___________ of a doubt.
A. shade B. shadow C. benefit D. hue
90. I’ve never really enjoyed going to the ballet or the opera; they’re not really my____________.
A. piece of cake B. sweets and candy
C. biscuit D. cup of tea
91. In the________of security, personnel must wear their identity badges at all time.
A. interests B. demands
C. assistance D. requirement
92. Vietnam’s Got Talent is the game show that has taken audiences____________.
A. by storm B. by wind C. by night D. by heart
93. When I got my case back, it had been damaged_____________repair.
A. over B. further C. above D. beyond
94. We need to discuss the_and bolts of the proposal before going any further.
A. component B. nuts C. summary D. details
95. Mr. Nixon refused to answer the questions on the_________that the matter was confidential.
A. reasons B. excuses C. grounds D. foundations
96. Jo was shocked when I disagreed with her. She’s so used to getting her own_________.
A. mind B. way C. opinion D. views
97. After listening to all arguments I am now of the__________that there should be no new road.
A. opinion B. idea C. thought D. attitude
98. He left the country__________arrest if he returned.
A. with threat of B. in fear of
C. with fear of D. under threat of
99. He was a natural singer with a voice that was as clear as________________.
A. a mirror B. a lake C. a bell D. a water fall
100. He may be shy now, but he will soon come out of his__________when he meets the right girl.
A. shell B. shoe C. shed D. hole
101. Luggage may be placed here________the owner’s risk.
A. at B. by C. under D. with
102. The police are____________certain who the culprit is.
A. in some ways B. here and there
C. more or less D. by and by
103. Don’t quote me. what I am about to say is__________ the record.
A. on B. above C. off D. without
104. I’ve been doing my best to reduce the backlog, but I must admit that I’ve hardly put___________ in
the problem so far.
A. a foot B. a dent C. a brave face D. damper
105. We may win, we may lose - it’s just the luck of the____________.
A. draw B. odd C. fate D. chance
106. They are having serious problems. Their relationship is on the___________.
A. rocks B. cliffs C. stones D. grass
107. Unemployment threat has been______________for a while now.
A. daunting on the lookout B. intimidating on the air
C. overwhelming on the wing D. looming on the horizon
108. I don’t like turning down work, but I’ll have to, I’m afraid I’ve got far too much______________
at the moment.
A. on my plate B. in effect C. on my mind D. up my sleeve
109. William is an authority____________ medieval tapestries.
A. on B. with C. about D. in
110. My grandfather can’t remember anything about his life because he has lost his______________.
A. head B. brain C. memory D. mind
111. Losing my job was a________. I never would have found this one if it hadn’t happened.
A. bleeding heart B. breath of fresh air
C. blessing in disguise D. bone to pick with
112. We’re__________if we continue with genetic modification of our food.
A. playing out of our skin B. playing with fire
C. playing over D. adding fuel to the fire
113. After their argument, John didn’t know if Rick was a friend or a______________.
A. friend B. rival C. blood D. foe
114. I applied for the job_______the off chance, but I didn’t seriously expect to get it.
A. with B. on C. by D. for
115. They agreed to the changes___________that they would be introduced gradually.
A. with the conditions B. by the comprehension
C. for the interpretation D. on the understanding
116. The police are warning the public to be on the_______________for suspicious packages.
A. guard B. care C. alert D. alarm
117. The issue is still__________discussion.
A. in B. on C. under D. for
118. Sitting uncomfortably among many people he didn’t know, Joe was like____________.
A. water off a duck’s back B. a fish out of water
C. a duck to water D. water under the bridge
119. What’s wrong with you today? Did you get out of bed on the wrong________________?
A. edge B. foot C. side D. end
120. This house costs an arm and a_______________.
A. leg B. hand C. finger D. forearm
121. He longs___________to see his family again.
A. above all B. all of a sudden C. as a rule D. all at once
122. The company can’t expect me to move my home and family at the drop of_____________.
A. blood B. a water C. rain D. a hat
123. An accident of this magnitude could easily bring the factory’s production to a___________.
A. halt B. quit C. stay D. block
124. Nothing___________the ordinary ever happens here.
A. out of B. within C. from D. bout
125. A journalist is_______on a politician in order to damage the politician’s image.
A. digging his own grave B. digging up dirt
C. digging up out of the earth D. digging it out
126. We were having dinner in a restaurant last night when this guy at the next table____________
because the waiter brought the wrong thing.
A. flew by the seat of his pants B. flushed out of some place
C. flew into the face of danger D. flew off the handle
127. Even if you are rich, you should save some money for a________________day.
A. windy B. rainy C. foggy D. snowy
128. Why don’t you sit down and________________?
A. make yourself at peace B. make it your own home
C. make yourself at home D. make yourself at rest
129. Do I have to________my age?
A. do B. follow C. act D. see
130. I________and realized that I would have made exactly the same choice.
A. place myself in Tom’s shoes B. put Tom in his place
C. put myself in Tom’s shoes D. put Tom in place
131. We still meet up for a drink and a chat once___________.
A. in a black mood B. at a time C. in a blue moon D. in a while
132. I called Jenna yesterday with a view__________her about the project.
A. of asking B. to asking C. in asking D. for asking
133. We have our________of course, but we are still quite satisfied with our life.
A. odds and ends B. ups and downs
C. safe and sound D. hair on his head
134. Peter was born and brought up in Hastings and knows it like the_________.
A. nose on his face B. tip of his tongue
C. back of his hand D. hair on his head
135. It rained___________yesterday, so we could not go sailing.
A. cats and dogs B. chalk and cheese
C. fast and furious D. ups and downs
136. I’m sorry! I didn’t break that vase on_________.
A. time B. purpose C. intention D. my mind
137. I’ve never really enjoyed going to the ballet or the opera; they’re not really my__________.
A. piece of cake B. sweets and candy
C. biscuit D. cup of tea
138. After running up the stairs, I was_____________breath.
A. away from B. without C. no D. out of
139. _______wait for no man.
A. Tide and fire B. Time and tide
C. Time and fire D. Tide and time
140. I know his name, but I can’t recall it at the moment. It’s on the tip of__________.
A. tongue B. brain C. mind D. memory
141. The worried man walked_______in the corridor waiting for the announce - ment.
A. back and fro B. to and forth
C. to and fro D. to and back
142. Chris’s father could not afford to send him to school because he was_____________.
A. in high spirit B. at loss C. on approval D. in debt
143. I am trying to_________the sundial in the back garden.
A. make allowance for B. make up
C. put up D. make room for
144. Don’t try to bite off more than you can _____________I am afraid you are not so talented.
A. take B. swallow C. hold D. chew
145. Sorry, I can’t talk now. I am_____________.
A. in the nick of time B. on approval
C. out of reach D. in a hurry
KEY – IDIOMS