1. Please stop being a couch potato! Go outside and do something productive.
Idioms
a person who watches a lot of television and does not have an active life.
2. You solved the problem in five minutes. You are a real egghead.
Jackie will probably do well in that PhD program. She has always been known to be a bit of an
egghead from elementary school all the way through college.
He dismissed (do not consider someone as important) all scientists as a bunch of eggheads.
Idioms
a person who is very intelligent and only interested
in studying
3. We wanted to have a barbecue this weekend, but it's been raining cats and dogs
since Friday.
She wasn't wearing a raincoat even though it was raining cats and dogs.
Read the example sentences with idioms and guess their
meanings.
4. I know you are leaving the firm, but take my advice and don't burn your bridges
on your way out.
-Sarah quit the job and told all of her co-workers that she hated them.
-Oh my god! Why would she burn her bridges like that?
5. It cost them an arm and a leg to renovate their flat.
Buying a new care is so expensive, it is going to cost us an arm and a leg.
6. What's happened to all your brains Frankie boy? Cat got your tongue?
What's the matter? Has the cat got your tongue?
7. "-I haven't seen Leo for a while.
-Well, speak of the devil, here he is."
"-Hi guys, sorry for being late.
-Speak of the devil!! I was just telling them about the joke you said yesterday."
8. When he made that offer, I smelt a rat. It sounded too good to be true.
His wife smelt a rat when he suddenly started working late for the past few
weeks.
9. When I was in school, I used to burn the midnight oil for the exams.
Sorry I haven't been able to visit you lately, I've been burning the midnight oil
trying to get the new business going.
10. I tend to avoid social media, it's not my cup of tea.
Hiking is not my cup of tea but my husband enjoys it.
11. They said the test would be difficult, but it was a piece of cake for me.
I find cooking pretty challenging but baking is a piece of cake.
12. My dad is working in England but he visits us once in a blue moon.
"I think my son doesn't love me anymore, he comes home once in a blue moon."
13. Match the idioms with their meanings.
1) Raining cats and dogs.
2) Burn one’s bridges
3) Cost an arm and a leg
4) Cat got your tongue?
5) Speak of the devil
6) Smell a rat
7) Burn the midnight oil
8) Not my cut of tea
9) A piece of cake
10)Once in a blue moon
Idioms Meanings
a) To cost a lot of money.
b) Suspect deception
c) A thing that is very easy to
do.
d) Destroy relationships
e) Used when someone is
quiet and isn't talking.
f) Very rarely
g) It's raining heavily.
h) To work until late at night.
i) Used when a person you are
talking about arrives
j) It's not what you are
interested.
1. g
2. d
3. a
4. e
5. i
6. b
7. h
8. j
9. c
10. f
14. Complete the idioms.
1. Speak of ____________________
2. Cost an arm and _____________
3. A piece _____________________
4. Cat got ______________________
5. Not my cup __________________
6. Burn ________________________
7. Smell _______________________
8. Burn the _____________________
9. Once in ______________________
10. Raining _____________________
17. Fill the gaps with correct idioms and change the form if
necessary.
1. A: "I haven't seen Dave for a month now."
B: "Well, _____________ here he is."
2. I thought swimming is ________________ but I didn't know that I
have thalassophobia (the fear of deep water).
3. You are too young to __________ with your parents. You will not be
able to live alone!
4. "All you have to do is to tell us who attacked you and we will arrest
them." "Why so quiet? Has the _________________?"
5. My brother has a big exam next week so he is already
_________________.
6. I bought PRADA sunglasses a few weeks ago. It cost me
______________.
7. I don't know why she bought this guitar, she uses it
___________________.
18. Answer key
1. A: "I haven't seen Dave for a month now."
B: "Well, speak of the devil here he is."
2. I thought swimming is a piece of cake but I didn't know that I have
thalassophobia (the fear of water).
3. You are too young to burn your bridges with your parents. You will
not be able to live alone!
4. "All you have to do is to tell us who attacked you and we will arrest
them." "Why so quiet? Has the cat got your tongue?"
5. My brother has a big exam next week so he is already burning the
midnight oil.
6. I bought PRADA sunglasses a few weeks ago. It cost me an arm and
a leg.
7. I don't know why she bought this guitar, she uses it once in a blue
moon.
19. Discuss these questions with your partner.
1. Describe a time when you had to burn the
midnight oil.
2. Which subject is a piece of cake for you? English
or Mathematics?
3. Are you the kind of person who smells a rat
when someone is lying to you?
4. Have you ever trusted your gut feelings and
burn your bridges with someone?
5. Tell something you bought for yourself that cost
an arm and a leg.
20. Write a letter and ask your partner for a
piece of advice.
You have to choose one idiom and make a scenario to ask for
some advice.
Both of you have to write one letter each.
After writing, take turns and read out what you have written and
ask your partner for advice.
Then the other person has to give advice.
Once in a blue moon Cost an arm and a leg
Not my cup of tea Smell a rat
21. For example,
Dear _____ ,
I want to ask for your advice. My brother has got an
exam next week and he has been burning the midnight
oil ever since. He has been getting like 4 hours of sleep
at night and he does not eat much. And I am very
worried about his health. This exam is very important to
him and I don't want him to feel exhausted. What
should I do to help him? Can you please give me some
advice?
22. Last but not least, let’s watch a
video and guess the idioms.
