Read and Respond: Idioms

An idiom is a word or phrase with a meaning different from what it actually or literally means.

Straight from the horse’s mouth, or often from the mouth of the horse: from the best authority, or from someone you can trust who really experienced what happened

Read the following passage.

Nalia was unsure what to do. Her teacher had put her in charge of organizing the classroom bulletin board. It was an easy enough task, but she realized that there wasn’t enough space to post everyone’s latest art project. Nalia decided to ask Mr. Willis for help. “Here’s what I’d do,” he explained. “Layer everyone’s projects on top of one another a little, like a collage. It’ll be like art made out of art!” Nalia smiled. She knew she could trust the advice that she got from Mr. Willis, who’d been teaching for 15 years.

Which detail from the passage could be rewritten using the idiom “straight from the horse’s mouth”?

• “Nalia was unsure what to do.”

• “...an easy enough task...”

• “...from Mr. Willis, who’d been teaching for 15 years.”

• “Her teacher had put her in charge of organizing the classroom bulletin board.”

Get on the ball: to pay closer attention to improve performance or do something correctly

Read the following passage.

It was Alexis’ turn next. She checked the laces of her ice skates to make sure they were extra tight. She’d been waiting half the day to demonstrate the new flip she’d learned to the judges. Even though she’d been longing for this moment, she felt like she couldn’t think straight. “Come on, Alexis,” she thought to herself, “Concentrate.” She could hear the rustle of the crowd, the woosh from the rink’s cooling system, the laughter of her teammates.

Which detail from the passage could be rewritten using the idiom “get on the ball”?

• “...to make sure they were extra tight.”

• “...she felt like she couldn’t think straight.”

• “She could hear the rustle of the crowd, the woosh from the rink’s cooling system...”

• “'Come on Alexis,’ she thought to herself, ‘Concentrate.’"

Get out of hand: get out of control or become hard to control

Read the following passage.

Devon the Clown hated working children’s birthday parties. He thought of himself as a clowning artist. He thought he should be performing for audiences full of quiet, respectful adults. Adults would respond to his balloon animals with hushed applause. Instead, he was surrounded by sticky cake and rooms where children screamed loudly and ran around as soon as he walked through the door. “What a waste of my talent,” sighed Devon.

Which detail from the passage could be rewritten using the idiom “get out of hand”?

• “...hated working children’s birthday parties.”

• “...screamed loudly and ran around...”

• “...thought he should be performing of audiences of quiet, respectful adults.”

• “...hushed applause.”

Up in the air: undecided or uncertain

Read the following passage.

Kenya was excited to welcome her brother home. He’d been away at school for weeks. “When do you think he’ll get here?” she kept asking her mother.

“He’s driving, and there’s traffic, so it’s not clear,” her mother kept saying. “It could be in an hour, in two hours or later tonight!”

Kenya squirmed anxiously and went back to daydreaming about all the things that she and Austin would do together.

Which detail from the passage could be rewritten using the idiom “up in the air”?

• “Kenya was excited to welcome her brother home.”

• “When do you think he’ll get here?” she kept asking her mother.”

• “‘...it’s not clear,’ her mother kept saying. ‘It could be in an hour, in two hours or later tonight!’"

• “Kenya squirmed anxiously...”

Bite off more than you can chew: to do more than you can deal with, to do something that is too difficult

Read the following passage.

Jamie looked around and realized that she’d agreed to do more work than she could handle. She was the youngest zookeeper at the zoo, and she was eager to prove that she could take care of the animals well. So, Jamie had volunteered to clean the walruses’ pool by herself. It was late in the afternoon, almost closing time. Now, Jamie stood in the murky water, surrounded by nervous walruses. She was filled with regret.

Which detail from the passage could be rewritten using the idiom “bite off more than you can chew”?

• “...was the youngest zookeeper at the zoo.”

• “...realized that she’d agreed to do more work than she could handle.”

• “It was late in the afternoon....”

• “She was filled with regret.”

Under the weather: feeling slightly sick

Read the following passage.

Marta stared out the window. She hated to be inside while everyone else was playing in the snow, building snow people and making snow angels. But Marta’s throat hurt, and her head ached. She knew that she would just feel worse if she joined her friends outside. Marta watched longingly as sparkly white snowflakes fell quietly from the clouds. When a snowball landed against the window with a “splat,” Marta angrily closed the shade.

Which detail from the passage could be rewritten using the idiom “under the weather”?

• "But Marta’s throat hurt, and her head ached..."

• "...sparkly white snowflakes fell quietly from the clouds.”

• “She hated to be inside while everyone else was playing in the snow...”

• “...Marta angrily closed the shade.”

Hang in there: to keep trying, to persevere through difficult times

Read the following passage.

More than anything, Quinn wanted to learn how to use the trapeze. In his dreams, he flew through the air with ease, performed tricks up high, all the while looking elegant and poised. In reality, he often couldn’t even hang on to the bar. Yesterday, Quinn had a nasty fall, scraping both his knees and his face. His teammates hadn’t expected him to show up at practice today. But there he was. With bandages and a brave face, he tried the same trick again and again.

Which detail from the passage could be rewritten using the idiom “hang in there”?

• “In reality, he often couldn’t even hang onto the bar.”

• “With bandages and a brave face, he tried the same trick again and again.”

• “More than anything...”

• “...all the while looking elegant and poised.”