Complete the following idioms (the pictures are NOT always
clues).
1. I'm doing the best I can to teach my students English, but
they're just not interested.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink.
What does it mean? You can give someone the opportunity to do
something,
but you cannot force them to do it if they do not want to.
2. Take an umbrella if you're going out. It's raining cats and dogs
What does it mean? It's raining heavily.
3. I can't come to the game tonight. I'm feeling a bit under the
weather
What does it mean? To feel ill.
4. You can't date others now that you're engaged! You can't have
your cake
and eat it.
What does it mean? To have or do two things at the same time
that are
impossible to have or do at the same time. Also: You can't have it
both ways or
and you can't have the best of both worlds.
5. He's so full of himself! He thinks he's the best thing since
sliced bread
What does it mean? To be an excellent person or thing.
6. You could visit your parents when you're on that business trip
next month and kill two birds with one stone.
What does it mean? To succeed in achieving two things in a
single action.
7. You haven't got the job yet but you're already thinking how to
spend your first salary? Don't count your chickens until they're
hatched!
What does it mean? Don't assume that you'll get the things you
want until you have them.
8. That can't be true! Are you pulling my leg ?
What does it mean? To try to make someone believe something
which is not true as a joke.
9. Due to the financial crisis, we'll have to put those plans on back
burner
What does it mean? Give a low priority; delay; not deal with
something until later.
10. Join you on a skiing trip? I'm afraid skiing is not my cup of tea
What does it mean? Often used in the negative form to say that
something doesn't really interest
IDIOMS
Match the idioms with the definitions.
 In hot water
 Cold shoulder
 Bring home the bacon
 To have a blast
 When the going gets tough, the tough gets going
 Monkey see, monkey do
 Hit the books
 Take the cake
 Full of hot air
 Once in a blue moon
 Paint the town red
 Put a lid on it
 Put one’s foot in one’s mouth
 Poker face
 Raining cats and dogs
 Let the cat out of the bag
 What goes around comes around
 Cold fish
 Fine tooth comb
 You bet
( ) to say something that is really embarrassing
( ) to have a great time
( ) to be unfriendly to someone on purpose
( ) In trouble.
( ) Shut up.
( ) Go out and enjoy the exciting
entertainment of the city.
( ) Yes, sure. / Of course!
( )A person who talks a lot about topics he or she doesn't really
understand or does not know.
( )When the situation is difficult, it's time for you to show you can
do it.
( )To study, to prepare for a test.
( )A person who is distant and unfeeling
( )A face with no expression.
( )Raining a lot.
( ) To earn a living, especially for a family.
( ) To accidentally expose secret information.
( ) If you do something bad, a bad thing will happen to you and if
you do something good a good thing will happen to you.
( ) When one person does something, another one follows and
does the same thing.
( ) Once in a while, occasionally.
( ) To be an extreme or special example.
( ) The act of examining something closely.