LESSON SUMMARY

Learn common English phrasal verbs and expressions

  • Bring home the bacon
  • To have (one’s) finger in too many pies (in many pots) 
  • Light bulb went off (light bulb goes off) 
  • Sound like a broken record 
  • No way José 
  • Nothing to write home about 
  • Everything will be rosy 
  • To lead a life of sloths 
  • As thick as a brick 
  • A splitting headache 
  • Mind-boggling 
  • Like two peas in a pod 
  • Drop-dead gorgeous 
  • Born with a silver spoon in your mouth 
  • Bred-in-the-bone 
  • Tasks

IDIOMS

BRING HOME THE BACON – to earn money for a family to live on
TO HAVE (ONE’S) FINGER IN TOO MANY PIES (IN MANY POTS) – to have too many responsibilities or be involved in too many tasks to be effective
LIGHT BULB WENT OFF (LIGHT BULB GOES OFF) – used to say that a person suddenly understands something or has a great idea
SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD – used to say that someone keeps saying the same thing over and over again
NO WAY JOSÉ – absolutely not
NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT – not exciting or special
EVERYTHING WILL BE ROSY – everything is satisfactory, is going well, or could not be better
TO LEAD A LIFE OF SLOTHS – about someone who is very lazy
AS THICK AS A BRICK – remarkably stupid, dimwitted, or obtuse
A SPLITTING HEADACHE – a very intense, painful headache
MIND-BOGGLING – extremely surprising and difficult to understand or imagine
LIKE TWO PEAS IN A POD – very similar, especially in appearance
DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS – very handsome
BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN YOUR MOUTH – to have a high social position and be rich from birth
BRED-IN-THE-BONE – deeply and firmly rooted, ingrained, or established

TASKS

Match the idioms to their similar meanings

A

  1. It’s raining cats and dogs.
  2. They’re in hot water.
  3. He’s all tied up.
  4. I’m all ears.
  5. Put on your thinking cap!
  6. He has butterflies in his stomach.
  7. They’re going bananas!
  8. She’s down in the dumps.
  9. He’s catching some z’s.
  10. He’s a couch potato.
 
  1. He watches too much TV.
  2. He’s nervous.
  3. He’s sleeping.
  4. He’s very busy.
  5. I’m listening carefully.
  6. It’s raining very hard.
  7. She’s very sad.
  8. They’re behaving in a crazy way.
  9. They’re in trouble.
  10. Try to solve a problem.

B

  1. Don’t let the cat out of the bag.
  2. It goes in one ear and out the other.
  3. Stop pulling my leg!
  4. Hold your horses.
  5. Stay on your toes.
  6. She has a heart of gold.
  7. I’m on top of the world.
  8. His head is in the clouds.
  9. I put my foot in my mouth.
  10. She’s been hitting the books.
 
  1. Stop teasing me.
  2. She’s been studying hard.
  3. She is a kind, generous person.
  4. Pay close attention.
  5. I’m very happy.
  6. I said something I shouldn’t have.
  7. He’s daydreaming.
  8. He doesn’t pay attention.
  9. Don’t tell the secret.
  10. Be patient.

C

  1. Don’t open a can of worms.
  2. Don’t bury your head in the sand.
  3. She gave me the cold shoulder.
  4. She has egg on her face.
  5. He’s a barrel of laughs.
  6. She has ants in her pants.
  7. Get off your high horse.
  8. She laughed her head off.
  9. The cat’s got her tongue.
  10. She got cold feet.
 
  1. Don’t ignore things.
  2. Don’t start trouble.
  3. He’s funny.
  4. She can’t sit still.
  5. She ignored me.
  6. She laughed and laughed.
  7. She lost the courage to act.
  8. She’s embarrassed.
  9. She’s so shy she can’t speak.
  10. Stop acting conceited.

D

  1. I’m feeling under the weather.
  2. I’m green with envy.
  3. It’s a piece of cake.
  4. She’s afraid of her own shadow.
  5. It costs an arm and a leg.
  6. I had to eat my words.
  7. That knocked my socks off.
  8. He’s a big cheese.
  9. Don’t cry over spilled milk.
  10. We see eye to eye.
 
  1. We agree.
  2. That was really amazing.
  3. She’s easily frightened.
  4. It’s expensive.
  5. It’s easy to do.
  6. I’m very jealous.
  7. I’m feeling sick.
  8. I had to take back what I said.
  9. He’s a very important person.
  10. Don’t cry over what can’t be undone.

ANSWERS

IDIOM

1.        It’s raining cats and dogs.

2.        They’re in hot water.

3.        He’s all tied up.

4.        I’m all ears.

5.        Put on your thinking cap!

6.        He has butterflies in his stomach.

7.        They’re going bananas!

8.        She’s down in the dumps.

9.        He’s catching some z’s.

10.      He’s a couch potato.

11.      Don’t let the cat out of the bag.

12.      It goes in one ear and out the other.

13.      Stop pulling my leg!

14.      Hold your horses.

15.      Stay on your toes.

16.      She has a heart of gold.

17.      I’m on top of the world.

18.      His head is in the clouds.

19.      I put my foot in my mouth.

20.      She’s been hitting the books.

21.      Don’t open a can of worms.

22.      Don’t bury your head in the sand.

23.      She gave me the cold shoulder.

24.      She has egg on her face.

25.      He’s a barrel of laughs.

26.      She has ants in her pants.

27.      Get off your high horse.

28.      She laughed her head off.

29.      The cat’s got her tongue.

30.      She got cold feet.

31.      I’m feeling under the weather.

32.      I’m green with envy.

33.      It’s a piece of cake.

34.      She’s afraid of her own shadow.

35.      It costs an arm and a leg.

36.      I had to eat my words.

37.      That knocked my socks off.

38.      He’s a big cheese.

39.      Don’t cry over spilled milk.

40.      We see eye to eye.

MEANING

It’s raining very hard.

They’re in trouble.

He’s very busy.

I’m listening carefully.

Try to solve a problem.

He’s nervous.

They’re behaving in a crazy way.

She’s very sad.

He’s sleeping.

He watches too much TV.

Don’t tell the secret.

He doesn’t pay attention.

Stop teasing me.

Be patient.

Pay close attention.

She is a kind, generous person.

I’m very happy.

He’s daydreaming.

I said something I shouldn’t have.

She’s been studying hard.

Don’t start trouble.

Don’t ignore things.

She ignored me.

She’s embarrassed.

He’s funny.

She can’t sit still.

Stop acting conceited.

She laughed and laughed.

She’s so shy she can’t speak.

She lost the courage to act.

I’m feeling sick.

I’m very jealous.

It’s easy to do.

She’s easily frightened.

It’s expensive.

I had to take back what I said.

That was really amazing.

He’s a very important person.

Don’t cry over what can’t be undone.

We agree.