Idioms and Phrases MCQs: Understanding common expressions

“Bite the bullet” means: A) To avoid a difficult situation. B) To endure a painful experience. C) To act quickly. D) To celebrate success. Answer: B) To endure a painful experience. “Hit the nail on the head” means: A) To avoid talking about the main issue. B) To confront someone. C) To criticize harshly. D) To describe something accurately. Answer: D) To describe something accurately. “Burning the midnight oil” means: A) Working late into the night. B) Wasting time. C) Enjoying a party. D) Taking a long break. Answer: A) Working late into the night. “Don’t cry over spilled milk” means: A) To ignore accidents. B) To clean up messes immediately. C) To regret past mistakes excessively. D) To avoid dairy products. Answer: C) To regret past mistakes excessively. “Under the weather” means: A) Feeling cold. B) Feeling depressed. C) Feeling sick. D) Feeling excited. Answer: C) Feeling sick. “Cost an arm and a leg” means: A) To require a lot of effort. B) To be extremely expensive. C) To be physically demanding. D) To be easily affordable. Answer: B) To be extremely expensive. “Break the ice” means: A) To create tension. B) To relax a tense situation. C) To cause an argument. D) To freeze water. Answer: B) To relax a tense situation. “Piece of cake” means: A) A difficult task. B) A simple task. C) A delicious dessert. D) A broken object. Answer: B) A simple task. “Once in a blue moon” means: A) Very often. B) Occasionally. C) Every night. D) Every month. Answer: B) Occasionally. “Spill the beans” means: A) To cook a meal. B) To reveal a secret. C) To make a mess. D) To break something. Answer: B) To reveal a secret. “Jump the gun” means: A) To start a race too soon. B) To be well-prepared. C) To make a quick decision. D) To delay action. Answer: A) To start a race too soon. “A dime a dozen” means: A) Very rare. B) Very valuable. C) Very common. D) Very expensive. Answer: C) Very common. “Cut to the chase” means: A) To start a conversation. B) To get to the main point. C) To avoid difficult topics. D) To tell a long story. Answer: B) To get to the main point. “Down to earth” means: A) Unrealistic. B) Practical and realistic. C) Suspended in the air. D) Disconnected from reality. Answer: B) Practical and realistic. “Let the cat out of the bag” means: A) To feed a pet cat. B) To reveal a secret. C) To hide something. D) To buy a new bag. Answer: B) To reveal a secret. “A drop in the bucket” means: A) A significant amount. B) A small amount compared to what is needed. C) An empty bucket. D) A heavy load. Answer: B) A small amount compared to what is needed. “Throw in the towel” means: A) To surrender or give up. B) To start a fight. C) To organize a competition. D) To clean the house. Answer: A) To surrender or give up. “Spice things up” means: A) To make something bland. B) To add excitement or variety. C) To calm things down. D) To remove flavor. Answer: B) To add excitement or variety. “Get cold feet” means: A) To have cold feet. B) To lose interest. C) To become scared or hesitant. D) To feel confident. Answer: C) To become scared or hesitant. “Hold your horses” means: A) To ride a horse. B) To wait or be patient. C) To control someone. D) To release something. Answer: B) To wait or be patient. “Kill two birds with one stone” means: A) To harm birds. B) To accomplish two things with one action. C) To waste time. D) To throw stones. Answer: B) To accomplish two things with one action. “When pigs fly” means: A) Pigs are flying. B) Something is impossible or unlikely to happen. C) Pigs are landing. D) Pigs are running. Answer: B) Something is impossible or unlikely to happen. “Let sleeping dogs lie” means: A) To wake up dogs. B) To leave a situation alone to avoid problems. C) To pet dogs. D) To feed dogs. Answer: B) To leave a situation alone to avoid problems. “Cost an arm and a leg” means: A) To require a lot of effort. B) To be extremely expensive. C) To be physically demanding. D) To be easily affordable. Answer: B) To be extremely expensive. “Straight from the horse’s mouth” means: A) Directly from a horse. B) From a reliable source. C) From a dishonest person. D) From an unknown source. Answer: B) From a reliable source. “Like a fish out of water” means: A) Comfortable in a situation. B) Uncomfortable or awkward in a situation. C) Swimming in water. D) Eating fish. Answer: B) Uncomfortable or awkward in a situation. “Break a leg” means: A) To fracture a bone. B) To wish someone good luck. C) To wish someone harm. D) To fail. Answer: B) To wish someone good luck. “Beat around the bush” means: A) To confront an issue directly. B) To avoid talking about the main issue. C) To take a long walk. D) To dance around a topic. Answer: B) To avoid talking about the main issue. “Take it with a grain of salt” means: A) To take something seriously. B) To ignore something. C) To cook with salt. D) To consider something with skepticism. Answer: D) To consider something with skepticism. “All ears” means: A) Having large ears. B) Eagerly listening or paying full attention. C) Being deaf. D) Being distracted. Answer: B) Eagerly listening or paying full attention. “Raining cats and dogs” means: A) Cats and dogs are falling from the sky. B) Heavy rain. C) Sunny weather. D) Hailstorm. Answer: B) Heavy rain. “Turn a blind eye” means: A) To close one eye. B) To ignore or pretend not to see something. C) To focus on something. D) To open one’s eyes wide. Answer: B) To ignore or pretend not to see something. “Beat a dead horse” means: A) To harm an animal. B) To continue discussing a topic that is already resolved. C) To run fast. D) To stop an action abruptly. Answer: B) To continue discussing a topic that is already resolved. “Keep your chin up” means: A) To lower your head. B) To stay positive or optimistic. C) To cry. D) To lose hope. Answer: B) To stay positive or optimistic. “A penny for your thoughts” means: A) To buy thoughts. B) To ask someone to share their thoughts or opinions. C) To keep thoughts to oneself. D) To save thoughts. Answer: B) To ask someone to share their thoughts or opinions. “Throw caution to the wind” means: A) To be cautious. B) To take a risk without thinking about the consequences. C) To protect oneself. D) To avoid risks. Answer: B) To take a risk without thinking about the consequences. “Hit the sack” means: A) To hit a bag. B) To go to bed or sleep. C) To exercise. D) To hit someone. Answer: B) To go to bed or sleep. “Cry over spilled milk” means: A) To clean up spilled milk. B) To avoid accidents. C) To regret past actions excessively. D) To drink milk. Answer: C) To regret past actions excessively. “Go the extra mile” means: A) To walk a long distance. B) To make an additional effort. C) To avoid effort. D) To be lazy. Answer: B) To make an additional effort. “A piece of cake” means: A) A difficult task. B) A simple task. C) A delicious dessert. D) A broken object. Answer: B) A simple task. “Cutting corners” means: A) To take shortcuts or do something in a careless way. B) To take a long route. C) To avoid corners. D) To avoid work. Answer: A) To take shortcuts or do something in a careless way. “Cost an arm and a leg” means: A) To require a lot of effort. B) To be extremely expensive. C) To be physically demanding. D) To be easily affordable. Answer: B) To be extremely expensive. “A drop in the bucket” means: A) A significant amount. B) A small amount compared to what is needed. C) An empty bucket. D) A heavy load. Answer: B) A small amount compared to what is needed. “Caught red-handed” means: A) To have red hands. B) To be caught in the act of doing something wrong. C) To paint something red. D) To be praised. Answer: B) To be caught in the act of doing something wrong. “Bite off more than you can chew” means: A) To eat quickly. B) To take on more responsibilities than one can handle. C) To chew gum. D) To avoid challenges. Answer: B) To take on more responsibilities than one can handle. “The ball is in your court” means: A) To play a game. B) To take responsibility or make a decision. C) To avoid responsibility. D) To throw a ball. Answer: B) To take responsibility or make a decision. “On thin ice” means: A) Walking on ice. B) In a risky or dangerous situation. C) In a cold environment. D) In a stable situation. Answer: B) In a risky or dangerous situation. “Every cloud has a silver lining” means: A) Every cloud is silver. B) Every situation has a positive aspect. C) Every situation is negative. D) Clouds are beautiful. Answer: B) Every situation has a positive aspect. “To steal someone’s thunder” means: A) To steal someone’s property. B) To take credit for someone else’s achievements. C) To make a loud noise. D) To avoid attention. Answer: B) To take credit for someone else’s achievements. “In hot water” means: A) In a heated environment. B) In a comfortable situation. C) In trouble or facing difficulties. D) In a cold environment. Answer: C) In trouble or facing difficulties.