As you get into the first quiz, here is a hint for this and subsequent three quizzes: some

of the multiple choices may not even be idioms (revisit definition of the idiom at the
beginning of the post to know why) and therefore should be ruled out right at the
outset.

Quiz 1

1. With only two days left for the exam and half the syllabus yet to complete, he has
_____.

A. Fallen head over heels

B. Bent over backwards

C. His back against the wall

D. Burnt his boats

2. His performance with the guitar _____.

A. Mesmerized the audience

B. Took my breath away

C. Sent me on cloud nine

D. Was a small cog in a large wheel

3. I received a much smaller year-end bonus than I thought I would. I found myself
_____.

A. Left in the cold

B. In a chicken and egg situation

C. Running around in circles

D. Burning my boats

4. I was _____ after receiving the news that I topped the exam.

A. On the other side of the coin

B. On cloud nine

C. Cooling my heels
D. Selling like hot cakes

5. I dislike him and I _____.

A. Decided to break new ground with him

B. Decided not to speak to him

C. Handled him with kid gloves

D. Made no bones about it

6. The local people are _____ against the new immigration law passed by the
government.

A. Driving a hard bargain

B. Turning the clock back

C. Up in arms

D. Head over heels

7. After I found my friend bitching about me, I’ve started to _____.

A. Keep him at arm’s length

B. Bend over backwards

C. See the other side of the coin

D. Pour cold water on him

8. After he came to know that I come from a wealthy family, he _____.

A. Turned the clock back

B. Tried to be friends with me

C. Cut corners

D. Changed his tune

9. The party president moved in to _____.

A. Leave his outspoken party-man in the cold

B. Cut his outspoken party-man to size

C. Put his outspoken party-man under a cloud

D. Turn the clock back on his outspoken party-man

10. I wasn’t assigned any work immediately after my promotion. I _____ for nearly a
week.

A. Cooled my toes

B. Cooled my ankles

C. Cooled my heels

D. Cooled my feet

1. C   2. B  [‘Mesmerized the audience’ is not an idiom because meaning can be

directly deduced] 3. A   4. B   5. D  [‘Decided not to speak to him’ is not an idiom] 6.
C   7. A   8. D  [‘Tried to be friends with me’ is not an idiom] 9. B   10. C
Quiz 2

1. I drew the only blank chit (that amounted to jackpot) in the draw of lots containing
36 chits. I had _____.

A. The luck of the devil

B. To face the music

C. The luck of the angel

D. To face the lecture

2. The presentation is not yet done. _____.

A. Don’t go against the grain

B. Hold your horses

C. Don’t drag your feet

D. Don’t look for needle in the haystack

3. He is a regular visitor to this bar, and I bet he’ll _____ again today.

A. Hit the soda

B. Hit the alcohol

C. Hit the bottle

D. Hit the bar

4. My explanation for my poor performance in the exam didn’t _____ with the class
teacher.

A. Get me off the hook

B. Cut any ice

C. See light of the day

D. Put me in my place

5. I _____ and didn’t respond despite humiliating words from my boss.

A. Swallowed my pride
B. Turned a deaf ear

C. Made a mountain of a molehill

D. Held my tongue

6. The petitioners have filed several petitions with the utility company over the issue
of inflated electricity bills, but they’ve all fallen on _____.

A. Blind eye

B. Thin ice

C. One eye

D. Deaf ears

7. The thief made off with the necklace _____ of the jeweler.

A. Under the eye

B. Under the nose

C. Under the mouth

D. Under the shadow

8. This deal seems to be _____ considering that Amit hasn’t cracked anything
significant in the last two years.

A. Worth its weight in gold

B. Cutting no ice

C. Flash in the pan

D. A case of swallowing pride

9. It has been raining _____ now for almost three hours.

A. Cats and bulls

B. Cats and birds

C. Cats and cows

D. Cats and dogs

10. After switching to another political party, the disgruntled politician _____ about
nepotism in his earlier party.

A. Poured his heart out

B. Took people for a ride

C. Moved heaven and earth

D. Let his hair down

Answer: 1. A   2. B   3. C   4. B   5. A   6. D   7. B   8. C   9. D   10. A

Quiz 3

1. The selection committee _____ by bypassing me and selecting a player who was
not even a dark horse.

A. Ignored me

B. Saved its skin

C. Threw its weight around

D. Rubbed salt into my wounds

2. I’m _____ because I don’t have money to pay the next installment of loan that is
due in ten days.

A. In a tight spot

B. Walking a tightrope

C. Spreading myself thin

D. Swallowing a bitter pill

3. People thought I was nuts when I decided to invest in that company’s shares. But
now I’m _____.

A. Laughing all the way to the bank

B. Setting the record straight

C. In full swing

D. Able to keep my word

4. The manager _____ on why the bank’s important client’s complaint wasn’t
addressed for two weeks.

A. Gave his staff a run for their money

B. Allowed the dust to settle

C. Lost his temper

D. Called the shots

5. The presidential candidate _____ his rival on popularity charts.

A. Has called the shots over

B. Is head and shoulders above

C. Has walked a tightrope compared to

D. Has a foot in the door compared to

6. Trailing 0-2 at half time, Manchester United was _____.

A. On the ropes

B. Calling the shots

C. Saving its skin

D. Trailing

7. The prank didn’t work because someone in the know ____.

A. Walked a tightrope

B. Stole the show

C. Spilled the beans

D. Blew the cover

8. I _____ to finish the project by Friday night.

A. Left no stone unturned

B. Turned the tables on my colleagues

C. Turned the tide

D. Spread myself thin

9. The last-hour rain _____ in our plans to play cricket.

A. Saved our skin

B. Was a shot in the dark

C. Threw a spanner

D. Was a spoiler

10. The additional assignment _____ the overburdened students.

A. Was a bitter pill to swallow for

B. Increased difficulties for

C. Was a thorn in the flesh of

D. Was the last straw for

answer: 1. D  [‘Ignored me’ is not an idiom] 2. A   3. A   4. C   5. B   6. A   7. C   8. A 
9. C  [‘Was a spoiler’ is not an idiom] 10. D  [‘Increased difficulties for’ is not an
idiom]

Quiz 4

1. The two friends fell out of each other and _____.

A. Washed their dirty linen in the public

B. Threw up their hands

C. Indulged in wild-goose chase

D. Had their work cut out

2. The investors’ $10 million was written off. They clearly _____.
A. Ate humble pie

B. Had their cake and ate it too

C. Killed the goose that laid golden eggs

D. Backed the wrong horse

3. My 3-day holiday cost me _____.

A. A lot

B. An arm and a leg

C. A piece of cake

D. A bolt from the blue

4. My friend, quite shy, was like _____ in the party.

A. Shooting from the hip

B. A fish out of water

C. A white elephant

D. A bolt from the blue

5. This house has _____ since it was built in 1986.

A. Changed so many hands

B. Tried my patience

C. Been off the mark

D. Taken a back seat

6. The applicant _____ by contacting the admissions team too often.

A. Shot from the hip

B. Called a spade a spade

C. Belled the cat

D. Shot himself in the foot

7. Both the airlines _____ as they’re facing losses for the past three quarters because
of rising fuel prices.

A. Had egg on their face

B. Shot themselves in the foot

C. Are in the same boat

D. Called it a day

8. The CEO had to _____ after the company’s product failed to live up to pre-launch
claims.

A. Watch his steps

B. Eat humble pie

C. Eat like a bird

D. Throw up his hands

9. He was _____ after standing first in his school in class 12 exam.

A. On top of the world

B. Off the mark

C. Extremely happy

D. Like a cat on hot tin roof

10. The Vice President, Marketing, has resigned. I know it’s true, because I’ve heard
from _____, his assistant.

A. Bird’s mouth

B. The grapevine

C. Horse’s mouth

D. White elephant
Answer: 1. A   2. D   3. B  [‘A lot’ is not an idiom] 4. B   5. A   6. D   7. C   8. B   9. A 
[‘Extremely happy’ is not an idiom] 10. C