Idioms Flashcards
Over 50 of the most common English-language idioms. Learn them and feel savvier socially!
1
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
ad nauseam
A
To continue to a sickening or excessive degree; from Latin “to [the point of] nausea”
2
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
all thumbs
A
Clumsy
3
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
alma mater
A
The school or university that one graduated from
4
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
baker’s dozen
A
Thirteen; in the past, bakers provided an extra roll for each dozen sold
5
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
beat around the bush
A
To avoid an issue or topic
6
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
bite the bullet
A
To endure an unpleasant situation or circumstance
7
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
break the ice
A
To remove tension when meeting people for the first time
8
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
bury the hatchet
A
To make peace; to agree to end a quarrel.
9
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
butter someone up
A
To excessively praise or flatter someone
10
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
chip off the old block
A
People who closely resemble their parents in some aspect
11
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
climb on the bandwagon
A
To join a particular cause or political party
12
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
cold feet
A
To be too afraid to complete an action
13
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
cold shoulder
A
To ignore someone on purpose
14
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
crème de la crème
A
The best of the best
15
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
déjà vu
A
The sense that one’s present experience has already occurred in the past when it hasn’t
16
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
draw the line
A
To establish a limit
17
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
elbow grease
A
Intense physical effort
18
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
eleventh hour
A
The last minute
19
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
ergo
A
Word of Latin origin meaning “therefore”
20
Q
What is the meaning of the following idiom?
face the music
A
To accept unpleasant consequences for wrongdoing
21
Q
Which idiom means the following?
To continue to a sickening or excessive degree; from Latin “to [the point of] nausea”
A
ad nauseam
22
Q
Which idiom means the following?
Clumsy
A
all thumbs
23
Q
Which idiom means the following?
The school or university that one graduated from
A
alma mater
24
Q
Which idiom means the following?
Thirteen; in the past, bakers provided an extra roll for each dozen sold
A
baker’s dozen
25
# Which idiom means the following?
To avoid an issue or topic
beat around the bush
26
# Which idiom means the following?
To endure an unpleasant situation or circumstance
bite the bullet
27
# Which idiom means the following?
To remove tension when meeting people for the first time
break the ice
28
# Which idiom means the following?
To make peace; to agree to end a quarrel.
bury the hatchet
29
# Which idiom means the following?
To excessively praise or flatter someone
butter someone up
30
# Which idiom means the following?
People who closely resemble their parents in some aspect
chip off the old block
31
# Which idiom means the following?
To join a particular cause or political party
climb on the bandwagon
32
# Which idiom means the following?
To be too afraid to complete an action
cold feet
33
# Which idiom means the following?
To ignore someone on purpose
cold shoulder
34
# Which idiom means the following?
The best of the best
crème de la crème
35
# Which idiom means the following?
The sense that one's present experience has already occurred in the past when it hasn't
déjà vu
36
# Which idiom means the following?
To establish a limit
draw the line
37
# Which idiom means the following?
Intense physical effort
elbow grease
38
# Which idiom means the following?
The last minute
eleventh hour
39
# Which idiom means the following?
Word of Latin origin meaning "therefore"
ergo
40
# Which idiom means the following?
To accept unpleasant consequences for wrongdoing
face the music
41
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
fly off the handle
To suddenly become enraged
42
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
get something off one's chest
to confess something; to unburden oneself
43
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
get up on the wrong side of the bed
To be unpleasant because the day started badly
44
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
grain of salt
To treat a piece of information with skepticism
45
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
gung-ho
Extremely enthusiastic
46
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
in hot water
In deep trouble
47
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
Indian summer
A period of unusually warm weather during the fall season
48
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
John Hancock
A signature; refers to John Hancock's signature on the *Declaration of Independence*
49
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
kick the bucket
To die
50
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
know the ropes
To understand the intricacies of an operation very well
51
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
lowbrow
Vulgar, uncultured
52
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
make ends meet
To earn just enough income to provide for basic needs
53
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
make my day
To make someone really happy
54
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
no-brainer
An extremely easy task that requires little thought
55
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
nouveau riche
An offensive term for someone who recently becomes rich and spends money conspicuously
56
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
pay through the nose
To pay an unreasonably high price for something
57
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
p.c.
Abbreviation for "politically correct". Refers to social, political, and educational changes made to correct historical injustices towards race, gender, ethnic background, and sexual orientation.
58
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
play it by ear
To improvise
59
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
pop the question
To propose marriage
60
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
pull somebody's leg
To tease someone
61
# Which idiom means the following?
To suddenly become enraged
fly off the handle
62
# Which idiom means the following?
to confess something; to unburden oneself
get something off one's chest
63
# Which idiom means the following?
To be unpleasant because the day started badly
get up on the wrong side of the bed
64
# Which idiom means the following?
To treat a piece of information with skepticism
grain of salt
65
# Which idiom means the following?
Extremely enthusiastic
gung-ho
66
# Which idiom means the following?
In deep trouble
in hot water
67
# Which idiom means the following?
A period of unusually warm weather during the fall season
Indian summer
68
# Which idiom means the following?
A signature; refers to John Hancock's signature on the *Declaration of Independence*
John Hancock
69
# Which idiom means the following?
To die
kick the bucket
70
# Which idiom means the following?
To understand the intricacies of an operation very well
know the ropes
71
# Which idiom means the following?
Vulgar, uncultured
lowbrow
72
# Which idiom means the following?
To earn just enough income to provide for basic needs
make ends meet
73
# Which idiom means the following?
To make someone really happy
make my day
74
# Which idiom means the following?
An extremely easy task that requires little thought
no-brainer
75
# Which idiom means the following?
An offensive term for someone who recently becomes rich and spends money conspicuously
nouveau riche
76
# Which idiom means the following?
To pay an unreasonably high price for something
pay through the nose
77
# Which idiom means the following?
Abbreviation for "politically correct". Refers to social, political, and educational changes made to correct historical injustices towards race, gender, ethnic background, and sexual orientation.
p.c.
78
# Which idiom means the following?
To improvise
play it by ear
79
# Which idiom means the following?
To propose marriage
pop the question
80
# Which idiom means the following?
To tease someone
pull somebody's leg
81
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
quid pro quo
A fair exchange
82
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
raining cats and dogs
Raining very heavily
83
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
rule of thumb
A practical principle that comes from experience and not meant to be reliable for every situation
84
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
run of the mill
Common, ordinary
85
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
second wind
A second surge of energy after a period of exhaustion
86
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
see eye to eye
To be in agreement
87
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
shalom
A Hebrew word that means both "hello" and "goodbye"
88
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
sit on the fence
To remain neutral, to not take a side in an argument
89
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
sitting duck
An easy target
90
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
smell a rat
To sense something is suspicious
91
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
steal someone's thunder
To undermine someone's accomplishments
92
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
take the cake
To be extremely good or outstanding; sometimes used in a derogatory manner
93
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
throw down the gauntlet
To issue a challenge
94
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
throw in the towel
To quit or give up
95
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
thumbs up (down)
To approve or disapprove, respectively
96
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
time is of the essence
When something must be done immediately
97
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
touch and go
Precarious or uncertain
98
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
turn over a new leaf
To begin again; to have a fresh start
99
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
upper crust
Upper class
100
# What is the meaning of the following idiom?
wet blanket
A negative person who spoils other people's joy
101
# Which idiom means the following?
A fair exchange
quid pro quo
102
# Which idiom means the following?
Raining very heavily
raining cats and dogs
103
# Which idiom means the following?
A practical principle that comes from experience and not meant to be reliable for every situation
rule of thumb
104
# Which idiom means the following?
Common, ordinary
run of the mill
105
# Which idiom means the following?
A second surge of energy after a period of exhaustion
second wind
106
# Which idiom means the following?
To be in agreement
see eye to eye
107
# Which idiom means the following?
A Hebrew word that means both "hello" and "goodbye"
shalom
108
# Which idiom means the following?
To remain neutral, to not take a side in an argument
sit on the fence
109
# Which idiom means the following?
An easy target
sitting duck
110
# Which idiom means the following?
To sense something is suspicious
smell a rat
111
# Which idiom means the following?
To undermine someone's accomplishments
steal someone's thunder
112
# Which idiom means the following?
To be extremely good or outstanding; sometimes used in a derogatory manner
take the cake
113
# Which idiom means the following?
To issue a challenge
throw down the gauntlet
114
# Which idiom means the following?
To quit or give up
throw in the towel
115
# Which idiom means the following?
To approve or disapprove, respectively
thumbs up (down)
116
# Which idiom means the following?
When something must be done immediately
time is of the essence
117
# Which idiom means the following?
Precarious or uncertain
touch and go
118
# Which idiom means the following?
To begin again; to have a fresh start
turn over a new leaf
119
# Which idiom means the following?
Upper class
upper crust
120
# Which idiom means the following?
A negative person who spoils other people's joy
wet blanket
