Practice Idioms Question Bank

Practice Questions of Idioms and Phrases with answer keys: 

DIRECTION: Choose the correct meaning of an idom/ phrase.

1. To turn over a new leaf :

(a) To change completely one’s course of action

(b) To shift attention to new problems

(c) To cover up one’s faults by wearing new marks

(d) To change the old habits and adopt new ones

2. To wrangle over an ass’s shadow :

(a) To act in a foolish way

(b) To quarrel over trifles

(c) To waste time on petty things

(d) To do something funny

3. All agog :

(a) Everybody (b) All ready

(c) Restless (d) Almighty

4. To take with a grain of salt :

(a) To take with some reservation

(b) To take with total disbelief

(c) To take whole heartedly

(d) To take seriously

5. Hobson’s choice :

(a) Feeling of insecurity

(b) Accept or leave the other

(c) Feeling of strength

(d) Excellent choice

6. To talk through one’s hat :

(a) To speak fluently

(b) To talk nonsense

(c) To talk wisdom

(d) To speak at random

7. To snap one’s fingers :

(a) To speak abruptly

(b) To accept immediately

(c) To grasp eagerly

(d) To become contemptuous of

8. To take the bull by the horns :

(a) To punish a person severly for his arrogance

(b) To grapple courageously with difficulty that lies in our

way

(c) To handle it by fierce attack

(d) To bypass the legal process and take action according

to one’s own whims

9. To be in abeyance :

(a) To be in trouble

(b) Dual minded

(c) In a fighting mood

(d) Insuspense

10. To cast pearls before a swine :

(a) To spend recklessly

(b) To spend a lot of money on the unkeep of domestic hogs

(c) To waste monkey over trifles

(d) To offer to a person a thing which he cannot appreciate

11. To take people by storm :

(a) To put people in utter surprise

(b) To captivate them unexpectedly

(c) To exploit people’s agitation

(d) To bring out something sensational attracting people’s

attention

12. Harp on :

(a) To comment

(b) To criticise

(c) To keeep on talking

(d) To keep on insulting

13. To bring one’s eggs to a bad market :

(a) To face on humiliating situation

(b) To bring one’s commodities to a market where there is

no demand for them

(c) To show one’s talents before audience which is

incapable of appreciating them

(d) To fail in one’s plans because one goes to the wrong

people for help

14. To give/get the bird :

(a) To get the awaited

(b) To have good luck

(c) To send away

(d) To get the impossible

15. To save one’s face :

(a) To hide oneself

(b) To oppose

(c) To avade disgrace

(d) To say plainly

16. To split hours :

(a) To sidetrack the issue

(b) To quarrel over trifles

(c) To indulge in over-refined arguments

(d) To find faults with other

17. Will o’ the wisp :

(a) Anything which eludes or deceives

(b) To act in a childish way

(c) To act in a foolish way

(d) To have desires unbacked by efforts

18. To read between the lines :

(a) To concentrate

(b) To read carefully

(c) To suspect

(d) To grasp the hidden meaning

19. To flog a dead horse :

(a) To act in a foolish way

(b) To waste one’s efforts

(c) To revive interest in an old subject

(d) To revive old memories

20. A tall order :

(a) A task difficult to perform

(b) A bid problem

(c) A royal summon

(d) A big demand

21. To turn the tables :

(a) To defeat

(b) To oppose

(c) To create chaos

(d) To change the sorry scheme

(e) To change completely the position of disadvantage

22. To keep the ball rolling :

(a) To earn more and more

(b) To work constantly

(c) To keep the conversation going

(d) To make the best use of

23. All and sundry :

(a) Greater share

(b) All of a sudden

(c) Completion of work

(d) Everyone without distinction

24. To worship the rising sun :

(a) To honour a man who is coming into office

(b) To honour to promising people

(c) To indulge in flattery

(d) To welcome the coming events

25. To play fast and loose :

(a) To beguile others

(b) To be winning sometimes and losing at other times

(c) To play with someone’s feeling

(d) To play tricks

26. To have brush with :

(a) To start painting

(b) To have good and pleasing terms

(c) To be impressed

(d) To have a slight encounter

27. To pull one’s socks up :

(a) To prepare

(b) To try hard

(c) To get ready

(d) To depart

28. Dog in the manger :

(a) An undersized bull almost the shape of a dog

(b) A dog that has no kennel of its own

(c) A person who puts himself in difficulties on account

of other people

(d) A person who prevents others from enjoying

something useless to himself

29. To set the people by ears :

(a) To box the people

(b) To insult and disgrace the people

(c) To punish heavily

(d) To excite people to a quarrel

30. To give chapter and verse for a thing :

(a) To produce the proof of something

(b) To eulogize the qualities of a thing

(c) To make publicity of a thing

(d) To attach artificial value to a thing

31. To plough the sands :

(a) To work hard to achieve one’s aim

(b) To afford hope or ground for expecting a good result

(c) To busy oneself in a way which cannot lead to any

profitable result

(d) To advance one’s position in life

32. To take umbrage :

(a) To feel depressed

(b) To be offended

(c) To be satisfied

(d) To be pleased

33. To drink like a fish :

(a) To drink little

(b) To drink alone

(c) To be a drunkard

(d) To drink in the company of others

34. To fight to the bitter end :

(a) To fight with poison-tipped arrows

(b) To fight to the last paint of enemy position

(c) To die fighting

(d) To carry on a contest regardless of consequences

35. To give a false colouring :

(a) To misrepresent

(b) To submit the false report

(c) To be dishonest

(d) To conceal the facts

36. To show the white feather :

(a) To show signs to cowardice

(b) To seek peace

(c) To show arrogance

(d) To become polite

37. Spick and span :

(a) Neat and clean

(b) Outspoken

(c) A ready-made thing

(d) Garrulous

38. To take the wind out of another’s sails :

(a) To manouevre ot mislead another on the high seas

(b) To cause harm to another

(c) To defeat the motives of another

(d) To anticipate another and to gain advantage over him

39. To carry the coal to newcastle :

(a) To work hard

(b) To finish a jab

(c) To do unnecessary things

(d) To do menial jobs

40. The pros and cons :

(a) For and aginst a thing

(b) Foul and fair

(c) Good and evil

(d) Former and latter

41. A baker’s dozen :

(a) Twelve

(b) Charity

(c) Thirteen

(d) Allowance

42. A bull in a china shop :

(a) A person who is very ugly but loves the beautiful

things of life

(b) A person who takes a sadistic delight in harming

innocient people

(c) A person who becomes too excited where no excitment

is warranted

(d) A person who is rought and clumsy where skill and

care are required

43. Hard-pressed :

(a) Bewildered

(b) Insulted

(c) Hard discipline

(d) In difficulties

44. To be at one’s finger’s end :

(a) To be hopeless

(b) To be highly perplexed

(c) To be completely conversant with

(d) To count things

45. To pull strings :

(a) To exert hidden influence

(b) To tease someone

(c) To speed up

(d) To start something

46. A green horn :

(a) An envious lady

(b) A trainee

(c) An inexperienced man

(d) A soft-hearted man

47. To be old as the hills :

(a) To be very ancient

(b) To be wise tand learned

(c) To be old but foolish

(d) Not being worth the age

48. To pour oil in troubled water :

(a) To forment trouble

(b) To add to the trouble

(c) To instigate

(d) To calm a quarrel with sooting words

49. To mind one’s P’s and Q’s :

(a) To be cautious

(b) To be accurate and precise

(c) To be careful of one’s accounts

(d) To be careful of one’s personality

50. To break the ice :

(a) To start quarreling

(b) To end the hostility

(c) To start to conversation

(d) To end up partnership

51. To cool one’s heels :

(a) To rest for sometime

(b) To give no importance to someone

(c) To remain in a comfortable position

(d) To be kept waiting for sometime

52. A fool’s errand :

(a) A blunder

(b) An impossible task

(c) A useless undertaking

(d) None of these

53. Swan-song :

(a) Music as sweet as a song of birds

(b) A melodious song in praise of someone

(c) Praise of a woman by her lover

(d) Last work of a poet or musician before death

54. To oil the knocker :

(a) To instigate a person to do a job

(b) To do a work with increased pace

(c) To tip the office-boy

(d) To revive old enmity

55. By the rule of thumb :

(a) By the use of force

(b) By the use of trickery

(c) By cheating and deception

(d) By practical experience which is rather rough

56. To live fast :

(a) To lead a life of dissipation

(b) To accomplish a purpose

(c) to do a task hurriedly

(d) To use up one’s income as fast as it comes in

57. To hold somebody to ransom :

(a) To keep captive and demand concession

(b) To humiliate somebody

(c) To offer bribe

(d) To blackmail and extract money

58. To hit the jackpot :

(a) To gamble

(b) To get an unexpected victory

(c) To be wealthy

(d) To make money unexpectedly

59. To pay off old scores :

(a) To have one’s revenge

(b) To settle a dispute

(c) To repay the old loan

(d) None of these

60. To take a leaf out of somebody’s book :

(a) To take him as a model

(b) To steal something valuable

(c) To follow the dictates of someone

(d) To conform to other’s standard

61. To set the thames on fire :

(a) To do something remarkable

(b) To try to do the impossible

(c) To burn something to ashes

(d) To fling inonical remarks

62. To cast pearls before a swine :

(a) To offer some a thing which he cannot appreciate

(b) To bring something good before the eyes of a greedy

person

(c) To spend racklessly on a useless fellow

(d) To indulge in fruitless endeavours

63. To bear the palm :

(a) To win

(b) To accept a challenge

(c) To accept defeat

(d) To endure something

64. To change colour :

(a) To change appearance

(b) To shift allegiance to

(c) To favour the wrong person

(d) None of these

65. To cut the gordian knot :

(a) To solve a difficult problem

(b) To be victorious

(c) To break ties with someone

(d) To defeat to powerful person

66. To wrangle over an ass’s shadow :

(a) To act in a foolish way

(b) To do something funny

(c) To quarrel over trifles

(d) To quarrel over the possession of an ass

67. To have one’s heart in one’s boots :

(a) To be deeply depressed

(b) To be frightened

(c) To get angry

(d) To keep a secret

68. To strike one’s colours :

(a) To fight vigorously

(b) To work hard

(c) To surrender

(d) To make a rude gesture

69. To ride hell for Leather :

(a) To ride with furious speed

(b) To adopt flase means to succeed

(c) To work hard for a small accomplishment

(d) To earn money by all means

70. To speak daggers :

(a) To abuse someone

(b) To indulge in varacious talks

(c) To speak to a person with hostility

(d) None of these

71. Be in the mire :

(a) Be under dept

(b) Be in love

(c) Be in difficulties

(d) Be uneasy

72. To give a rap on the knuckles :

(a) To eulogise

(b) To chatise

(c) To condemn

(d) To rebuke

73. To be above board.

(a) To have a good height

(b) To be honest in any business deal

(c) Having no debts

(d) To try to be beautiful

74. To cry wolf.

(a) To listen eagerly (b) To give false alarm

(c) To turn pale (d) To keep off starvation

75. He is on the wrong side of seventy.

(a) more than seventy years old

(b) less than seventy years old

(c) seventy years old

(d) eighty years old

76. To have an axe to grind.

(a) a private end to serve

(b) to fail to arouse interest

(c) to have no result

(d) to work for both sides

77. To drive home.

(a) To find one’s root

(b) To return to place of rest

(c) Back to original position

(d) To emphasise

78. Once the case reached the court, the police washed their

hands off it.

(a) waited for a response to

(b) claimed credit for

(c) disassociated themselves from

(d) seemed eager to continue

79. She wanted to go hitch-hiking but her mother put her foot

down and now she’s going by bus.

(a) took a firm stand

(b) expressed her displeasure

(c) scolded her badly

(d) got irritated

80. Adolescence is a period of halcyon days.

(a) hard days (b) of mental pressure

(c) happy days (d) days of preparation

81. My sincere advice to my maidservant fell on stony ground.

(a) was counter productive (b) had a strong impact

(c) made on stubborn (d) had little success

82. He has all his ducks in a row; he is complacent.

(a) has everything ready (b) is well organised

(c) always scores a zero (d) never gets confused

83. With great difficulty, he was able to carve out a niche for

himself.

(a) became a sculptor

(b) did the best he could do

(c) destroyed his career

(d) developed a specific position for himself

84. You will succeed if you follow my advice to the letter.

(a) about writing letters (b) written in the letter

(c) in every detail (d) very thoughtfully

85. A critic's work is to read between the lines.

(a) to comprehend the meaning

(b) to appreciate the inner beauty

(c) to understand the inner meaning

(d) to read carefully

86. Where discipline is concerned I put my foot down.

(a) take a firm stand

(b) take a light stand

(c) take a heavy stand

(d) take a shaky stand

87. The convict claimed innocence and stood his ground in

spite of the repeated accusations.

(a) knelt

(b) surrendered

(c) kept standing

(d) refused to yield

88. We must work with all our might and main, otherwise we

cannot succeed.

(a) full force (b) complete trust

(c) exceptional skill (d) full unity

89. The sailors nailed their colours to their mast.

(a) put up a colourful mast

(b) refused to climb down

(c) took over the ship

(d) decided to abandon the ship

90. We had (had) better batten down the hatches. The weather

is unpredictable.

(a) stay in-door

(b) prepare for a difficult situation

(c) go somewhere safe

(d) face the obstacles

91. It is difficult to have a sensible discussion with her as she

flies off at a tangent.

(a) gets carried away

(b) starts discussing something irrelevant

(c) loses her temper easily

(d) does not really understand anything

92. The students found it hard to go at equal speed with the

professor.

(a) get away from (b) put up with

(c) keep up with (d) race against

 Answer Key: 

01 (d) 2 (b) 3 (c) 4 (a) 5 (b) 6 (b) 7 (d) 8 (b)9 (d) 10 (d) 

11 (b) 12 (c) 13 (d) 14 (c) 15 (c) 16 (c)17 (a) 18 (d) 19 (b) 20 (a) 

21 (d) 22 (c) 23 (d) 24 (a)25 (d) 26 (d) 27 (b) 28 (d) 29 (d) 30 (a) 

31 (c) 32 (b)33 (c) 34 (d) 35 (a) 36 (a) 37 (a) 38 (d) 39 (c) 40 (a)

41 (c) 42 (d) 43 (d) 44 (c) 45 (a) 46 (c) 47 (a) 48 (d)49 (b) 50(c) 

51 (d) 52 (c) 53 (d) 54 (c) 55 (d) 56 (a)57 (a) 58 (b) 59 (b) 60 (a) 

61 (b) 62 (a) 63 (a) 64 (b)65 (a) 66 (c) 67 (a) 68 (c) 69 (a) 70(c) 

71 (c) 72 (d)73 (b) 74 (b) 75 (a) 76 (a) 77 (d) 78 (c) 79 (a) 80 (c)

81 (d) 82 (b) 83 (d) 84 (c) 85 (c) 86 (a) 87 (d) 88 (a)89 (b) 90 (b) 

91 (b) 92 (b)