IDIOM OF THE WEEK

Idiom = a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the
meanings of each word on its own. (Cambridge Dictionary)
Week 28.04.2014 02.05.2014

See red
Meaning: If you see red, you become extremely angry.
For example: We were playing baseball when one of the batters saw red after a pitcher threw the ball
straight at his head. He ran up to the guy and punched him. There's no point getting into a fight, so if
you see red just count to ten and wait for the anger to die down.
Origin: Possibly related to the fact that in bull-fighting a matador waves a red cape at a bull in order
to make it angry.
Quick Quiz
We were playing a game of cards when Marty suddenly saw red. He said it was because:
a) he got some great cards
b) he only got hearts and diamonds
c) he saw Harry cheating
Correct answer: C
Week 05.05.2014 12.05.2014

Achilles' heel
Meaning: An Achilles' heel is a weakness that could result in failure.
For example:He's a good football player, but his Achilles' heel is his left leg.
Origin: From the ancient Greek myth of Achilles whose mother made him invulnerable to attack by
dipping him headfirst into a sacred river when he was a baby. She was holding him by one foot, and
the heel of this foot wasn't touched by the water so it became his "weak point" later in life.
Quick Quiz
She's a good sales agent, but her Achilles' heel is:
a) her good personality
b) her work experience
c) her poor English
Correct answer: C

Week 12.05.2014 19.05.2014

A bag of tricks
Meaning: Someone has a bag of tricks if they use their own techniques or methods to get a job done
or to achieve a goal.
For example:
Most English teachers are always looking for new games and activities to add to their bag of tricks.
Quick Quiz:
Which of the following might a teacher pull out of their bag of tricks during classes?
a. a pack of cards
b. a white rabbit
c. a new vocabulary game

Correct answer: C

Week 19.05.2014 26.05.2014

A couch potato
Meaning: Someone is a couch potato if they're very lazy and they spend a lot of time sitting around
watching TV and eating junk food.
For example:
Since she lost her job, Mary has become a couch potato.
If you turn off the TV, get some exercise, and eat healthy food, you'll soon look good and feel great.
Quick Quiz:
When she was out of work, Mary was a couch potato and she
a. put on a lot of weight
b. lost a lot of weight
a. lost a lot of height

Correct answer: A

Week 26.05.2014 01.06.2014

A done deal (American English - Informal)

Meaning: A done deal is an agreement or a decision that is final.

For example: It's a done deal so we can go ahead and start planning the details.
No one knew about it, but the contract has been a done deal since the CEO spoke to the Prime Minister last year.
Variety: This idiom is typically used in American English but may be used in other varieties of English too.

Quick Quiz:

Her appointment as Head of Marketing is a done deal. She:

a. might get the job
b. will get the job
c. won't get the job

Correct answer: B

Week 03.06.2014 08.06.2014

(something) escapes you (American English - Informal)

Meaning: If you say something escapes you, it means you can't remember it.

For example: I'm really sorry, but your name escapes me at the moment.
Quick Quiz:

Her name escaped me just as I was introducing her to other guests. I felt:
a. really embarrassed
b. very proud
c. quite angry
Correct answer: A

Week 09.06.2014 15.06.2014

A fair-weather friend
Meaning: A fair-weather friend is a person who will only be your friend when things are going well for
you.
For example: He had lots of friends when he was rich and successful, but when the money was gone
it became clear that most were only fair-weather friends.
Quick Quiz:

You'll find out who your fair-weather friends are when you get:
a. rich and famous
b. sick and depressed
c. married and have kids

Correct answer: B

Week 16.06.2014 22.06.2014

A gut feeling
Meaning: If you have a gut feeling, you sense something about a person or a situation, without
knowing why, but you're sure what you sense is true.
For example:
As soon as I came in I had a gut feeling that something was wrong - and then I felt the knife against
my neck.

Origin: Probably derived from the fact that many people experience emotions and intuitive feelings as
being centred on, or having a strong effect on the stomach area, which is also called the gut.
Quick Quiz:

Jane said she had a gut feeling that her husband was cheating on her, but she
a. couldn't prove it
b. could prove it
c. had proved it already
Correct answer: A

Week 23.06.2014 29.06.2014

(your) hands are tied

Meaning: You can say your hands are tied if you're prevented from doing something that you'd
normally have the power or the authority to do.
For example: The dean of the university says he'd like to spend more on the science department but
his hands are tied by the small budget.
Quick Quiz:

The bank clerk who approves loans said his hands were tied and he
a. can't untie them
b. would be happy to give us the loan
c. couldn't approve our loan
Correct answer: C
Week 30.06.2014 06.07.2014

An ivory tower
Meaning: You can say someone's in an ivory tower if they're in a place that separates them from
everyday life; are being isolated.
For example: People often complain that politicians stuck in their ivory towers don't really understand
the problems of the average person.
Quick Quiz:

If Professor Jones didn't spend all his time in his ivory tower, he would:
a. be much healthier than he is
b. make much more money
c. know what people were thinking
Correct answer: C
Week 07.07.2014 13.07.2014

A jack of all trades

Meaning: If you're a jack of all trades, you have many skills and can do many different jobs.
For example: Henry is a real jack of all trades. He knows all about computers, can do graphic design,
and knows a lot of other stuff too.
Quick Quiz:

For which job would a jack of all trades be best suited?

a. a dealer in a casino
b. a caretaker in a school
c. a teller in a bank

Correct answer: B

Week 14.07.2014 20.07.2014

A kick in the teeth

Meaning: If you get a kick in the teeth, something bad happens to you or you feel that you've been
treated poorly.
For example: I'd just lost my job, so hearing that my best friend passed away as well was a real kick
in the teeth.
Quick Quiz:

Jack said it was a real kick in the teeth when he

a. lost his job
b. found a job
c. did the job
Correct answer: A

Week 21.07.2014 27.07.2014

Labour of love | labor of love

Meaning: A labour of love is work that's done for pleasure or for someone's benefit rather than for money.
For example: Sarah's website was a labour of love that she made so that people could learn about jazz and blues
music.
Note: "Labour" is the British spelling and "labor" is the American spelling.

Quick Quiz:

Karen's book is a labour of love, so she doesn't really care about

a. how good it is
b. making money from it
c. anything except books
Correct answer: B
Week 28.07.2014 06.08.2014

A matter of life and death

Meaning: If something is a matter of life and death, it's extremely important and it could involve someone's survival.
For example: Getting someone to hospital quickly after an accident or a heart attack is a matter of life and death.
Just a few minutes can make all the difference.
Quick Quiz:

Alice says that one of the issues we face that's a matter of life and death for the whole planet is
a. global warming
b. illegal immigration
c. copyright infringement
Correct answer: A

Week 18.08.2014 24.08.2014

(someone's) name is mud

Meaning: If someone's name is mud, other people are angry with them, or they're no longer popular, because
they've done something wrong.
For example: John's name is mud now because everyone thinks he was the one who stole the money.
Quick Quiz:

Her name is mud because:

a. she changed it
b. she didn't clean up
c. she was caught cheating

Correct answer: C

Week 25.08.2014 31.08.2014

(something) occurs to you

Meaning: If something occurs to you, you think of it.
For example: I was surprised when I heard that Anne had quit. It had never occurred to me that she wasn't happy
working here.
Has it ever occurred to you that your daughter's happiness is more important than what your friends might think if
they know she's gay?
Quick Quiz:

It had never occurred to Elisa that her husband might run off with a younger woman one day. She was
a. not at all surprised
b. very surprised
c. expecting it to happen
Correct answer: B
Week 01.09.2014 07.09.2014

A pain in the neck - Informal

Meaning: You can say someone is a pain in the neck if they annoy you, or something is a pain in the neck if you
don't like doing it.
For example: Mike's being a pain in the neck today. He keeps interrupting me while I'm trying to work.
It's a real pain in the neck when you're trying to get some sleep on the train.
Quick Quiz:

Mike's being a pain in the neck this morning, so

a) I'll try to avoid him
b) I'll help him with his work
c) I'll give him a massage

Correct answer: A

Week 08.09.2014 14.09.2014

A quantum leap
Meaning: A quantum leap is a major step in the development of something, or in the improvement of something.
For example: The discovery of penicillin was a quantum leap in the treatment of bacterial infections.
The election of an African-American president amounted to a quantum leap forward for racial equality.
Quick Quiz:

Which of the following could be called a quantum leap in the development of technology?
a) the invention of the padded bra
b) the discovery of alcohol-free beer
c) the creation of the first computer
Correct answer: C
Week 15.09.2014 21.09.2014

(it's) raining cats and dogs

Meaning: You can say "it's raining cats and dogs" if it's raining very hard.
For example: We can't go now because it's raining cats and dogs.
Why do people always use "it's raining cats and dogs" as an example of an idiom? No-one actually uses it any more,
do they?
Origin: The first time this phrase appeared in print was in Jonathan Swift's A Complete Collection of Polite and
Ingenious Conversation in 1738, in which he wrote, "I know Sir John will go, though he was sure it would rain cats
and dogs".
Quick Quiz:

It's raining cats and dogs, so:

a) watch out for falling animals
b) make sure you take an umbrella
c) keep your pets inside

Correct answer: B

Week 22.09.2014 28.09.2014

(it) stands to reason

Meaning: You can say it stands to reason that something should be so if it seems reasonable to you that it should be
so.
For example: If you eat good food and get plenty of exercise it stands to reason that you'll have a good chance of
living to a ripe old age.
It stands to reason that kids who study the hardest get the best grades.
Origin: The first time this phrase appeared in print was in Jonathan Swift's A Complete Collection of Polite and
Ingenious Conversation in 1738, in which he wrote, "I know Sir John will go, though he was sure it would rain cats
and dogs".

Quick Quiz:

It stands to reason that the best way to learn to speak a foreign language is to
a) read about it
b) think about it
c) practise using it
Correct answer: C
Week 29.09.2014 05.10.2014

A tall order
Meaning: If you say something's a tall order, you mean that it'll be hard to do or difficult to achieve.
For example: Winning six gold medals at the Olympic Games is a tall order, but not impossible. Mark Spitz won seven
at the 1972 Olympics.
Getting kids to read 600-page books is a tall order these days, but the writer of the Harry Potter books has managed
to do it.
Quick Quiz:

We told the boss we'd do our best, but it's a tall order to
a) take more days off
b) double our sales in a year
c) increase our debts in six months

Correct answer: B

Week 03.10.2014 10.10.2014

An unknown quantity
Meaning: If a thing or a person is an unknown quantity, not much is known about them.
For example: The Saints have signed a new player, but he's an unknown quantity at this stage as very few people
have seen him play.
We've all heard stories about a great new Ferrari engine, but it's still an unknown quantity as far as racing is
concerned.
Quick Quiz:

Our new sales manager is an unknown quantity because

a) we don't like her
b) we don't need her
c) we haven't met her
Correct answer: C

Week 10.10.2014 17.10.2014

A vested interest
Meaning: If you have a vested interest in something, you have a strong personal interest in it because you stand to
gain from it.

For example: The Minister of Commerce is suspected of having vested interests in several companies that have won
big government contracts recently.
As both a shareholder in a publishing company and a published author, the newspaper's book reviewer is seen as
having vested interests in certain publishers.
Note: This idiom is mostly used in reference to people who use their power or influence unethically for their
personal benefit.
Quick Quiz:

Which type of person is most often accused of corruption involving vested interests in companies?
a) English teachers
b) dairy farmers
c) politicians
Correct answer: C
Week 17.10.2014 24.10.2014

(like) Water off a duck's back

Meaning: You can say an insult or criticism is like water off a duck's back if it doesn't upset you.
For example:
I asked Amy if she got upset when journalists wrote negative things about her, and she said she didn't care what they
wrote - it was like water off a duck's back.
Terry said he was too sensitive about criticism and he wanted to be like one of those people for whom it's like water
off a duck's back.
Origin: Probably related to the fact that ducks have oily feathers and water can't get through them, so water runs off
their backs. In the same way, criticism can either get through to someone and upset them, or not get through to
them and not upset them, and be "like water off a duck's back."
Quick Quiz:

Many people claim that insults or negative comments are like water off a duck's back, but in reality, many of them
are
a) pleased by such things
b) upset by such things
c) unaffected by such things Correct answer: B
Week 24.10.2014 31.10.2014

The x-factor
Meaning: If someone has the x-factor, they have a certain charismatic appeal and magnetic quality.
For example:
He's not a great singer but people can't take their eyes off him, so he must have the x-factor.
You can't teach anyone the x-factor; they've either got it or they haven't.
Quick Quiz:

Jim's definitely got the x-factor. He's:

a) just had an x-ray

b) putting on weight
c) an amazing performer

Correct answer: C

Week 31.10.2014 07.11.2014

(your) Bread and butter

Meaning: Your bread and butter is your livelihood or the source of your income.
For example:
Teaching is my bread and butter at the moment, but I'm trying to get into acting.
Quick Quiz:

This job is my bread and butter, so:

a) I don't really need it
b) I don't get paid for it
c) I can't afford to lose it

Correct answer: C

Week 07.11.2014 14.11.2014

A drop in the bucket - American English

Meaning: If an amount is a drop in the bucket, it's a very small portion of the amount that's needed.
For example:
I know twenty dollars is just a drop in the bucket, but if everyone gave that much it'd make a big difference.
Note: The British and Australian equivalent is "a drop in the ocean".
Variety: This idiom is typically used in American English but may be used in other varieties of English too.
Quick Quiz:

If a donation to help people in need is a drop in the bucket, it is:

a) nearly enough to solve the problem
b) not much, but better than nothing
c) not enough to make a difference
Correct answer: B
Week 14.11.2014 21.11.2014

(have) egg on your face Informal

Meaning: You have egg on your face if you've said or done something wrong, and it's made you feel embarrassed or
stupid.
For example:
Stan had egg on his face after saying he could easily do fifty push-ups, and then giving up after doing just twenty.

Quick Quiz:

Silvio had egg on his face after saying he was much better than all the other drivers, and then:
a) winning the race
b) coming last in the race
c) coming second in the race
Correct answer: B
Week 21.11.2014 28.11.2014

get a look in
Meaning: If you get a look in, you get a fair chance to do something.
For example:
With so many graduates from top universities trying to get the job, someone like me wouldn't get a look in.
Note: Usually used in the negative, as in "I didn't get a look in..."
Quick Quiz:

The university was supposed to be open to everyone, but you wouldn't get a look in unless you:
a) went to a famous high school
b) went to a normal high school
c) hadn't been to high school
Correct answer: A
Week 28.11.2014 05.12.2014

(your) heart goes out to (someone)

Meaning: If your heart goes out to someone, you feel great sympathy for them.
For example:
We're so sorry to hear of your loss, and our hearts go out to you in this difficult time.
Quick Quiz:

The president said his heart went out to:

a) all the earthquake victims
b) all his old girlfriends
c) all the money he lost

Correct answer: A

Week 05.12.2014 12.12.2014

I owe you one! Informal

Meaning: You can say "I owe you one!" when someone has done something for you and you'd be happy to return
the favour one day.
For example:
Thanks for helping me out, Bob. I owe you one!

Quick Quiz:

Johnny was very grateful and said "Man, I really owe you one!" after I'd:
a) saved his drowning son
b) passed him the salt
c) opened the door for him

Correct answer: A

Week 12.12.2014 19.12.2014

a jam session
Meaning: If musicians play in a jam session, they play whatever they feel like playing in an informal setting.
For example:
Why don't you come over on Sunday and have a jam session with me and the band?
Quick Quiz:

We're going to have a jam session later on, so don't forget to bring:
a) your bread and butter
b) your saxophone
c) your tennis racket
Correct answer: B