Idioms in context Exercises

The deciding cue is “later offered her a much better job”: it identifies the meaning “something bad initially that later proves beneficial”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “a blessing in disguise” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “Missing that train was a blessing in disguise.”.

The deciding cue is “much larger hidden problem”: it identifies the meaning “small visible part of a much larger problem”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “the tip of the iceberg” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “These errors are the tip of the iceberg.”.

The deciding cue is “understand one another’s ideas”: it identifies the meaning “thinking in a similar and mutually understood way”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “on the same wavelength” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “The designers are on the same wavelength.”.

The deciding cue is “does not clearly permit or forbid”: it identifies the meaning “situation whose rules or boundaries are unclear”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “a grey area” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “Personal use of the software is a grey area.”.

The deciding cue is “exhausted our patience”: it identifies the meaning “final annoyance that makes a situation intolerable”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “the last straw” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “Another cancelled meeting was the last straw.”.

The deciding cue is “emphasises both sides together”: it identifies the meaning “something with both benefits and disadvantages”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “a double-edged sword” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “Constant connectivity is a double-edged sword.”.

The deciding cue is “led to a much better career”: it identifies the meaning “something bad initially that later proves beneficial”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “a blessing in disguise” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “Losing that job led to a much better career; it was a blessing in disguise.”.

The deciding cue is “many more are suspected”: it identifies the meaning “small visible part of a much larger problem”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “the tip of the iceberg” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “Only two missing payments are known, but many more are suspected; they may be the tip of the iceberg.”.

The deciding cue is “understand each other’s ideas”: it identifies the meaning “thinking in a similar and mutually understood way”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “on the same wavelength” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “We understand each other’s ideas immediately; we are on the same wavelength.”.

The deciding cue is “neither clearly permits nor forbids”: it identifies the meaning “situation whose rules or boundaries are unclear”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “a grey area” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “The policy neither clearly permits nor forbids this; it is a grey area.”.

The deciding cue is “that made us cancel”: it identifies the meaning “final annoyance that makes a situation intolerable”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “the last straw” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “After months of delays, the extra fee was the last straw that made us cancel.”.

The deciding cue is “saves time but can remove jobs”: it identifies the meaning “something with both benefits and disadvantages”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “a double-edged sword” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “Automation saves time but can remove jobs; it is a double-edged sword.”.

The deciding cue is “beyond your normal duties”: it identifies the meaning “make more effort than is expected”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “go the extra mile” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “You really go the extra mile when you stay late to help a customer beyond your normal duties.”.

The deciding cue is “ease the initial awkwardness”: it identifies the meaning “make people feel relaxed at a first meeting”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “break the ice” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “At a meeting with strangers, you can break the ice by asking a friendly question to ease the initial awkwardness.”.

The deciding cue is “cancelled too”: it identifies the meaning “be in the same difficult situation”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “be in the same boat” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “If your flight is cancelled too, you will be in the same boat as the other stranded passengers.”.

The deciding cue is “after the deadline”: it identifies the meaning “lose an opportunity by acting too late”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “miss the boat” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “If you apply after the deadline, you will miss the boat and lose the chance to join the programme.”.

The deciding cue is “must say which”: it identifies the meaning “avoid choosing between opposing sides”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “sit on the fence” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “You cannot sit on the fence forever; eventually you must say which of the two proposals you support.”.

The deciding cue is “capacity for only one”: it identifies the meaning “take on more work than you can manage”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “bite off more than you can chew” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “If you accept three projects despite having capacity for only one, which idiom specifically describes exceeding your ability to manage them? bite off more than you can chew”.

The deciding cue is “more than the minimum”: it identifies the meaning “make more effort than is expected”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “go the extra mile” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “To provide exceptional service, you should go the extra mile and do more than the minimum required.”.

The deciding cue is “just met feel relaxed”: it identifies the meaning “make people feel relaxed at a first meeting”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “break the ice” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “A light joke may help you break the ice so that people who have just met feel relaxed enough to talk.”.

The deciding cue is “all of you lose access”: it identifies the meaning “be in the same difficult situation”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “be in the same boat” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “You may be in the same boat as your classmates if all of you lose access to the same essential textbook.”.

The deciding cue is “keep delaying”: it identifies the meaning “lose an opportunity by acting too late”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “miss the boat” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “The places are filling quickly; you might miss the boat if you keep delaying your application.”.

The deciding cue is “refusing to choose either side”: it identifies the meaning “avoid choosing between opposing sides”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “sit on the fence” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “By refusing to choose either side of the debate, you continue to sit on the fence.”.

The deciding cue is “more work than you can realistically manage”: it identifies the meaning “take on more work than you can manage”. Check the relationship between events and the speaker’s intended meaning; “bite off more than you can chew” expresses that specific meaning here. Completed wording: “Taking on more work than you can realistically manage, rather than merely doing more than expected, is to bite off more than you can chew.”.