IDIOMS TEST

I think you need to put your _____ down and tell them you’re not willing to take on any new
projects right now.
I tend to be very honest and forthcoming with people. I’m an open _____.
When Molly left Manhattan to practice family law in a rural town, she felt like a big fish in a
small_____.
It was a race against the _____ to finish the construction project before the rainy season.
Trying to make a living as an artist didn’t work out for Travis. He’s moving back in with his
parents until he gets back on his _____.

I was working on the presentation and all of a sudden I realized it was 7:30. I was so involved in
what I was doing that I completely lost _____ of time.
Amazon stays _____ of the curve by constantly innovating.

I was happy to get my foot in the door with a respected company, and they were happy
willing to work long hours. It was a win- _____ situation.

There’s a rumor that layoffs are coming. Management wants to get rid of all
the dead _____. (Dead wood refers to people no longer useful to an organization.)

Let’s take advantage of this one-of-a-kind opportunity and not let it _____ through our
fingers.

They paid him with a briefcase full of cold, _____ cash. (Cold, hard cash means money
in the form of bills or coins (as opposed to a credit card payment, a check, etc.)

We’ve worked 60 hours a week for the last seven months. We can see the _____ at the end of
the tunnel, though. We should be finished by the end of next month.
On Friday, Kate was still a little jet-lagged. She looked completely spaced _____ at breakfast.
I grew up on the wrong side of the _____. Nothing was given to me and I had to work extremely
hard for everything I have. (Someone from the wrong side of the tracks is from the bad part of
town.)
He comes from a _____ collar, working-class background. (A blue collar worker is
someone who does manual labor or works with their hands. Blue collar is the opposite of white
collar. We can also use blue collar to describe things (jobs, positions, places, etc.)
He really _____ the jackpot with that investment. It’s tripled in value this year.
I knew that being bilingual would help put me _____ of the pack.
Neither solution appeals to me. I’m stuck between a rock and a _____ place. (Someone stuck
between a rock and a hard place is facing a difficult decision in which neither choice is
desirable.)
My wife and I have been married for 25 years. We’ve been together through thick and _____.
Dan’s starting to be successful as a writer. He’s really _____ places. (Someone going places is
on their way to becoming successful.)
Replacing Steven will be tough. He was the best personal assistant I’ve ever had. Everyone
else I’ve worked with can’t hold a _____ to him. (If someone can’t hold a candle to someone
else, it means that the person is far inferior to the other person.)
I didn’t get John’s offer in writing, but he is a man of his _____ and I know I can trust him.
I know you were angry, but mentioning his recent divorce was hitting below the ____.
I tend to be very honest and forthcoming with people. I’m an open _____.
I think we can easily resolve this disagreement if you compromise with us and _____ us
halfway.
Benny always wears his _____ on his sleeve. Some people think he should do a better job at
hiding his emotions. (If someone wears their heart on their sleeve, it means they openly
express their true emotions.)
It’s hard to overestimate how much potential he has. The sky’s the _____, really.
Andrew is exceptionally ambitious. He’s not content with being second in command. He wants
to be top _____. (A top dog is someone occupying the top position in an organization or
someone who has the highest authority.)
I hears she’s tough as _____ during negotiations. She always gets her way. (Someone tough as
nails is strong and determined.)
I don’t think being indirect will work. Let’s lay our _____ on the table and tell them exactly what
our demands are.
I’m willing to travel internationally, but relocating is _____ of the question. I don’t want to live in
another country.
I know we’ve had our share of disagreements, but that’s all water under the _____ now.
I’ve made bad investments before, but I’ve never _____ my shirt like I have on this deal. (To
lose one’s shirt means to lose a lot of money on a deal, transaction, investment, etc.)
When she made the investment some people thought she was _____ of her mind, but she
turned out to be right.
He started out working in the warehouse and ended up the CEO of the company. It’s a
classic rags to _____ story. (A rags to riches story refers to a situation in which someone goes
from poverty to wealth.)
High school was a lot of fun for Becky. She had the time of her _____.
Elizabeth is applying to law schools right now. Her father was a famous defense attorney. It
seems like she wants to follow in his _____.
What’s Mary’s problem today? Did something happen, or did she just get up on the
wrong _____ of the bed?
Despite all of her success, she remained a humble, _____ -to-earth person.
Five contractors submitted proposals, but only one _____ the cut.
I just found out we could have gotten the same product for half the price. I can’t believe
they ripped us _____ like that. (To rip someone off means to take advantage of someone in a
financial transaction.)
No way would I pay $10,000 for this car. You can’t take advantage of me like that. I wasn’t
born______.
The new product _____ flat. Sales were terrible. (To fall flat means to fail.)
The two candidates have been campaigning for months. Now comes the moment of _____.
You have plenty of money saved for retirement. You could lose half your money in the stock
market and still be _____ pretty. (Someone sitting pretty is in a very good, secure position.)
We are very different people, and we almost never see eye to _____.
We can’t just throw _____ at this problem and expect to resolve it. We’re going to need a real
strategy. (To throw money at something means to spend a lot of money trying to fix something
without having a real plan.)
Caroline has shown a lot of promise as a graphic designer. She’s definitely _____ places. (If
someone is going places, it means they are going to become successful.)
I’m too tired to be productive. Let’s call it a _____ and go home.
Getting some recognition during the meeting really made my _____.
My next meeting isn’t for another hour. I have some _____ to kill. Do you want to get a cup of
coffee?
We only had one day to prepare for our presentation. Somehow, we did really well. I have no
idea how we were able to pull it _____. (To pull something off means to successfully achieve
something difficult.)
If we fail to innovate and stay ahead of the curve, we’ll be dead in the _____. (Someone dead in
the water is not able to function or operate.)
Five years ago he was a great soccer player. Now he’s past his _____. (If someone is past
their prime, they are not as good as they once were due to advanced age.)
I have a _____ to pick with Mark. He searched for files on my computer without my permission.
(If someone has a bone to pick with someone, it means that they need to talk to someone about
something the person has done wrong.)
You’re not going to be able to convince her to change. She’s going to stick to her _____ and
continue with the plan. (To stick to one’s guns means to remain firm and not change one’s mind
or decision.)
By the time I found out my favorite band was in town, the concert had already sold out. I
completely missed the _____. (To miss the boat means to be too late to take advantage of
an opportunity.)
We’ve made Conrad an offer. Now all we can do is see if he accepts it. The ball is in his ____ .
It’s only a matter of time before they fire him. His _____ are numbered.
I was going to confront Katherine about it, but my manager talked me ____ of it. He told me it
would be better to just let it go.
I had some _____ in my stomach before the presentation, but everything went just fine.
I think you need to put your _____ down and tell them you’re not willing to take on any new
projects right now.
Liz said she felt like a _____ out of water in Tokyo. She’s used to living in a rural area.
Tyler’s a tough lawyer with a reputation for _____ hardball in the courtroom. (To play hardball
means to be ruthless and aggressive.)
Deciding to leave town for the weekend was a spur of the _____ decision. We just got in the car
and drove to the beach.
Our developers say that they have _____ headway on the new software release.
Mike’s a first- _____ architect who has won the respect and admiration of his peers.
(Someone first-rate is excellent. We can also say second rate and third rate to describe
someone of inferior quality)
I don’t think now is the right time to talk about this project. Let’s put it on the _____ burner for
now and we can revisit it next week. (If something has been put on the back burner, it has been
suspended temporarily. This idiom is similar to put something on hold.)
Don says he has so many clients that he can’t concentrate on all of them. He feels like
he’s spreading himself too _____. (to spread oneself too thin means to take on so many
responsibilities that they can’t be done properly.)
I tried to convince him to use social media, but he’s set in his _____ and doesn’t want to
consider it. (Someone set in their ways is not easily persuaded to change or consider other
ideas.)
Just like his father, Greg is a public accountant and spends his free time fishing and watching
football. I guess the apple doesn’t _____ far from the tree.
Kevin has a terrible temper. He has a reputation for flying off the _____ when things don’t go his
way. (To fly off the handle means to lose one’s temper very suddenly.)
Our supplier sent us the wrong laptops and we’re going to have to wait another two weeks to
get the ones we ordered. Our supervisor is not a _____ camper right now. (If someone is
a happy camper, they are content and satisfied. We often use this idiom in the negative form.
(Ex. He’s not a happy camper right now.)
I like the idea, but I’m not the one who calls the _____ around here. You’ll have to ask Stan.
These tuition prices are outrageous. Students shouldn’t have to pay _____ the nose just to get a
decent education. (To pay through the nose means to pay an excessive amount for something.)
You can file a complaint if you want, but you don’t have a _____ to stand on. It’s your word
against his — no one else was there. (If someone doesn’t have a leg to stand on, they
don’t have a valid argument.)
We had a great meeting with a prospective client today. We really knocked it out of the _____.
(If someone executes something extremely well, we can say they knocked it out of the park.)
Do you think he’ll be able to live ____ to the high expectations that management has for him?
We made small talk about soccer and the weather before getting down to _____ and discussing
the deal.
He served some time in jail, but now he’s trying to get a job and make an honest _____.
We’re going to have to nip this in the _____ or it’s going to become a much bigger problem. (To
nip something in the bud means to stop something at the onset before it develops and becomes
a bigger problem.)
I was _____ the fence about whether to accept the offer. After several days, I finally decided to
accept it. (Someone on the fence about something is unable to decide.)
I had to work hard for years to get where I am. I wasn’t born with a silver _____ in my mouth.
Last week a rare stamp sold for $250,000. I guess some people have more _____ than sense.
(We say someone has more money than sense when someone wastes money on something
expensive.)
Sometimes I have trouble writing but other times I get _____ the zone and effortlessly write for
hours. (Someone in the zone is in a focused state that results in good performance.)
His departure was supposed to be a secret, but somebody let the ____ out of the bag. (the cat)
In the waiting room, everyone was on pins and _____ while they waited to hear if Don would be
okay.
We’re in the desert. It only rains here once in a blue _____.
He’s always so calm, but one day he completely _____ off the handle and started screaming at
people. (To fly off the handle means to lose one’s temper very suddenly.)
I was such a happy-go- _____ kid. There was nothing to worry about. (Someone happy-go-
lucky is carefree and without worry.)
Did you see the news about the government official who embezzled million of dollars? The
government corruption in this country really makes my blood _____.
Medical professionals say there’s no time to _____ and that we must act now to stop this
epidemic.
In your culture, do the bride’s parents typically foot the _____ for the wedding?
He’s a man of few words and gets right to the _____ when he has something to say.
Kate’s the spitting _____ of her mother. They almost look like twins.
I don’t know if I want to attend the event or not. I’m _____ the fence about it. (Someone on the
fence about something is unable to make up their mind.)
Everyone in my department is from the United States except for me. Sometimes I feel like the
_____ man out. (The odd man out is someone who is different in some way from all the other
members in a group.)
It’s a competitive, dog-eat _____ environment in this industry. (Something dog eat dog is
ultra competitive and ruthless.)
Part of my success is due to hard work and perseverance, but I owe a lot of my success to
being in the right _____ at the right time.
I remember when our operations manager was an intern here. He’s certainly come a long ____.
This is a big decision. I’m going to have to _____ it over with my family, and then decide. (To
talk something over means to discuss something at length with the goal of making a decision.)
After the first round of layoffs, everyone in the building was a little _____ edge.
I have a tendency to overanalyze things and I often second _____ myself when I make an
important decision.
It’s not about how you react when things are going well. It’s about how you react when your
back’s against the _____. (Someone with their back against the wall is in a problematic situation
with few ways to react.)
Our leaders failed to reach an agreement. It seems they didn’t have any _____ ground to stand
on. (Common ground refers to mutual understanding between two parties.)
I’m the only one in my department who has to work late today. It looks like I got the short end of
the _____.
It’s obvious Ken is having trouble planning a party for 50 people. He’s definitely in over
his _____.
Eventually, we’re going to need to move into a bigger house, but for the time _____ we have
enough space.
I’ve had a couple job offers, but I haven’t decided which one I’ll take. I’m still weighing
my _____.
Trying to make a living as an artist didn’t work out for Travis. He’s moving back in with his
parents until he gets back on his _____.
We failed spectacularly. All our plans _____ up in our faces.
Calvin’s resignation put us in a tight _____. It was hard to find a suitable replacement. (in a tight
spot (also, in a bind, in a fix, in a jam) Someone in a tight spot is in a difficult situation.)
Dexter quit smoking and started a new diet. He says he’s turning over a new _____.
Tim said he heard about the new initiative _____ the grapevine. (If information is heard through
the grapevine, it means the information was obtained through informal gossip or
communication.)
Public officials stood their _____ and refused to give in to the union’s demands.
In college, I always waited until the last _____ to complete my assignments.
He’s not answering his cell phone or responding to emails. I simply can’t _____ a hold of him.
He asked for a raise but I wouldn’t give it to him. We can easily find someone else to do the job.
Guys like him are a _____ a dozen.
It’s a big decision. Why don’t you go home and _____ on it. You can tell me your decision in the
morning.
The speaker wasn’t very good and everyone looked _____ to tears during his talk. (bored to
tears/death)
The job interview couldn’t have possibly gone better. It’s _____ the bag.
I’ve never been the type of person who throws in the _____ when things get tough. I’m not a
quitter.
Normally he’s 100% reliable. I don’t know why he’s been so _____ his game lately.
(Someone off their game is performing below their normal level.)
Stop _____ around the bush and tell me what you have to say.
I know the place is a mess, but don’t get all _____ out of shape. I’ll straighten things up in a
minute.
Why are you asking me what he said? Why don’t you talk to him about it and get it straight from
the _____ mouth.
Their engagement was a secret. I can’t believe you spilled the _____ and told everyone in the
department.
If you put yourself in my _____, I think you’ll understand why I did what I did.
They didn’t like the proposal we put together. It looks like it’s back to the _____ board.
I almost missed my flight to London. I got to the gate in the nick of _____. Had I arrived five
minutes later, I would have missed it.
What I bring to the _____ is over 20 years of experience in this industry.
We need a leader who will be decisive and courageous when the chips are _____. (When the
chips are down refers to times when difficulty arises.)
I wanted to make some extra money and get some exercise, so I killed two _____ with one
stone and started a dog walking business.
There are many billionaires who started from very humble beginnings, but I can’t think of any off
the top of my _____ right now. (If something is said off the top of one’s head, it means the
speaker is speaking without giving something much thought or doing any research on the topic.)
I should brush _____ on my Spanish before my trip to Mexico.
Our client interviewed me to test my technical knowledge. It was easy. I passed with
flying _____.
Failing the certification test was a _____ pill to swallow for Lionel. (tough, hard, bitter – hard to
accept)
Not getting the job was a _____ in disguise. A month later I received a much better offer from
another firm. (A blessing in disguise is something that seems negative at first but turns out to be
positive.)
I felt _____ of the loop when I returned to the office after my two-week vacation.
Colin really put his _____ in his mouth when he told everyone his salary. It’s against company
policy.

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