Common Idioms

Common Idioms

By Jessica Fleischman

• English idioms, proverbs, and expressions are an important part of everyday English. They come up all the time in both written and spoken English.

• ​Since idioms don't always make sense literally, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the meaning and usage of each idiom.

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​Idioms

• Next you will find slides with some of the most common English idioms. Choose the answer that fits the phrase best.

• Extra credit spin for each of the top 5 students in each class period.

• Begin and good luck!​

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​Some text here about the topic of discussion.

​Directions

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Multiple Choice

A blessing in disguise

• A good thing that seemed bad at first

• Something common

• Avoid saying whta you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable

• Better to arive late than not to come at all

Multiple Choice

A dime a dozen

• A good thing that seems bad at first

• Something common

• Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable

• Better to arrive late than not to come at all

Multiple Choice

Beat around the bush

• A good thing that seemed bad at first

• Something uncommon

• Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable

• Better to arrive late than not to come at all

Multiple Choice

Better late than never

• A good thing that seemed bad at first

• Something uncommon

• Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable

• Better to arrive late than not to come at all

Multiple Choice

Bite the bullet

• To get something over with because it is inevitable

• Good luck

• Stop working on something

• Don't be critical

Multiple Choice

Break a leg

• To get something over with because it is inevitable

• Good luck

• Stop working on something

• Don't be so critical

Multiple Choice

Call it a day

• To get something over with because it is inevitable

• Good luck

• Stop working on something

• Don't be so critical

Multiple Choice

Cut somebody some slack

• To get something over with because it is inevitable

• Good luck

• Stop working on something

• Don't be so critical

Multiple Choice

Cutting corners

• Doing something poorly in order to save time or money

• Slow down

• Get out of control

• Do the thing you've been waiting to do so you can move on

Multiple Choice

Easy does it

• Doing something poorly in order to save time or money

• Slow down

• Get out of control

• Do the thing you've been waiting to do so you can move on

Multiple Choice

Get out of hand

• Doing something poorly in order to save time or money

• Slow down

• Get out of control

• Do the thing you've been waiting to do so you can move on

Multiple Choice

Get something out of your system

• Do something poorly in order to save time or money

• Slow down

• Get out of control

• Do the thing you've been waiting to do so you can move on

Multiple Choice

Get your act together

• Work better or leave

• Trust what someone says

• Start over

• Don't give up

Multiple Choice

Give someone the benefit of the doubt

• Work better or leave

• Trust what someone says

• Start over

• Don't give up

Multiple Choice

Go back to the drawing board

• Work better or leave

• Trust what someone says

• Start over

• Don't give up

Multiple Choice

Hang in there

• Work better or leave

• Trust what someone says

• Start over

• Don't give up

Multiple Choice

Hit the sack

• Go to sleep

• It's not complicated

• To not hold someone responsible for something

• Tell something briefly

Multiple Choice

It's not rocket science

• Go to sleep

• It's not complicated

• To not hold someone responsible for something

• Tell something briefly

Multiple Choice

Let someone off the hook

• Go to sleep

• It's not complicated

• To not hold someone responsible for something

• Tell something briefly

Multiple Choice

Make a long story short

• Go to sleep

• It's not complicated

• To not hold someone responsible for something

• Tell something briefly

Multiple Choice

Miss the boat

• It's too late

• You have to work for what you want

• Doing a good job

• To joke with someone

Multiple Choice

No pain, no gain

• It's too late

• You have to work for what you want

• Doing a good job

• To joke with someone

Multiple Choice

On the ball

• It's too late

• You have to work for what you want

• Doing a good job

• To joke with someone

Multiple Choice

Pull someone's leg

• It's too late

• You have to work for what you want

• Doing a good job

• To joke with someone

Multiple Choice

Pull yourself together

• Calm down

• Things ar going well so far

• The person we were just talking about showed up!

• My patience has run out

Multiple Choice

So far so good

• Calm down

• Things are going well so far

• The person we were just talking about showed up!

• My patience has run out

Multiple Choice

Speak of the devil

• Calm down

• Things are going well so far

• The person we were just talking about showed up!

• My patience has run out

Multiple Choice

That's the last straw

• Calm down

• Things are going well so far

• The person we were just talking about showed up!

• My pateince has run out

Multiple Choice

The best of both worlds

• My patience has run out

• An ideal situation

• We won't notice how long something lasts when it's fun

• To get upset

Multiple Choice

Time flies when you're having fun

• My patience has run out

• An ideal situation

• You don't notice how long something lasts when it's fun

• To get upset

Multiple Choice

To get bent out of shape

• My patience has run out

• An ideal situation

• You don't notice how long something takes when it's fun

• To get upsete

Multiple Choice

To make matters worse

• Make a problem worse

• Sick

• Let's not talk about that problem right now

• Understand something complecated

Multiple Choice

Under the weather

• Make a problem worse

• Sick

• Let's not talk about that problem right now

• Understand something complicated

Multiple Choice

We'll cross that bridge when we come to it

• Make a problem worse

• Sick

• Let's not talk about that problem right now

• Understand something complicated

Multiple Choice

Wrap your head around something

• Make a problem worse

• Sick

• Let's not talk about that problem right now

• Understand something complicated

Multiple Choice

You can say that again

• Let's not talk about that problem right now

• Understand something complicated

• That's true, I agree

• I have no idea

Multiple Choice

Your guess is as good as mine

• Let's not talk about that problem right now

• Understand something complicated

• That's true, I agree

• I have no idea

Multiple Choice

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush

• What you have is worth more than what you might have later

• Tell me what you're thinking

• Money you save today you can spend later

• The worst possible situation

Multiple Choice

A penny for your thoughts

• What you have is worth more than what you might have later

• Tell me what you're thinking

• Money you save today you can spend later

• The worst possible situation

Multiple Choice

A penny saved is a penny earned

• What you have is worth more than what you might have later

• Tell me what you're thinking

• Money you save today you can spend later

• The worst possible situation

Multiple Choice

A perfect storm

• What you have is worth more than what you might have later

• Tell me what you're thinking

• Money you save today you can spend later

• Teh worst possible situation

Multiple Choice

A picture is worth 1000 words

• Better to show than tell

• Believe what people do and not what they say

• To make a bad situation worse

• To be mistaken, to be looking for solutions in the worse

Multiple Choice

Actions speak louder than words

• Better to show than tell

• Believe what people do and not what they say

• To make a bad situation worse

• To be mistaken, to be looking for solutions in the wrong place

Multiple Choice

Add insult to injury

• Better to show than tell

• Believe what people do and not what they say

• To make a bad situation worse

• To be mistaken, to be looking for solutions in the wrong place

Multiple Choice

Barking up the wrong tree

• Better to show than tell

• Believe what people do and not what they say

• To make a bad situation worse

• To be mistaken, to be looking for solutions in the wrong place

Multiple Choice

Birds of a feather flock together

• People who are alike are often friends (usually used negatively)

• Take on a project that you cannot finish

• Make people feel more comfortable

• Just barely

Multiple Choice

Bite off more than you can chew

• People who are alike are often friends (usually used negatively)

• Take on a project that you cannot finish

• Make people feel more comfortable

• Just barely

Multiple Choice

Break the ice

• People who are alike are often friends (usually used negatively)

• Take on a project that you cannot finish

• Make people feel more comfortable

• Just barely

Multiple Choice

By the skin of your teeth

• People who are alike are often friends (usually used negatively)

• Take on a project that you cannot finish

• Make people feel more comfortable

• Just barely