56567 essential idioms practice sheet

1


IDIOM

MEANING/SENTENCE

ish
a basket case
a breath of fresh air
a change of heart
a blessing in disguise
a dead end
a gut feeling
a matter of opinion
a piece of cake
a rip off
a pain in the neck
be in hot water
in the same boat
on the same wave length
be on the ball
it's only a matter of time
be that as it may
up in arms
up in the air
bend over backwards
Big deal!
cost an arm and a leg
cross your fingers
draw a blank

Easier said than done.
Am fed up with
from scratch
for the time being
get cold feet
get out of the wrong side

2


of the bed
get the picture
get your act together
give it a shot
give him a piece of your
mind
give him the cold shoulder
go all out
go downhill
go up in smoke
have a chip on your
shoulder
had it up to here
mixed feelings
second thoughts
throw a fit
I’m all ears.
in the bag
in the middle of nowhere
Just my luck!

keep an eye on
bear in mind
learn by heart
let the cat out of the bag
make my day
miss the point
no way
don't have a clue
don't have the faintest
idea
off the top of my head
on the dot
out of sight, out of mind

3


out of the blue
play it by ear
pull someone's leg
red tape
read between the lines
safe and sound
see eye to eye
sour grapes
slipped my mind
small talk
talk shop
the icing on the cake
the last straw

time flies
you can say that again
you name it
wouldn't be caught dead
she's a doll
full of beans
full of baloney
like 2 peas in a pod
a piece of cake
sounds fishy
a frog in my throat
smell a rat
go to the dogs
cat got your tongue
for the birds
pay through the nose
tongue in cheek
all thumbs
get off my back
drive me up a wall

4


spill the beans
hit the ceiling
go fly a kite
dressed to kill
in stitches
feel like a million dollars

at the end of my rope
my head is killing me.
that's out of the question
I’m beat
It'll knock your socks off!
beats me
hands down
goody-goody
pain in the neck
like pulling teeth
for crying out loud
I’m at my wit's end
like beating a dead horse
out of this world
cost an arm and a leg
go figure
in the nick of time
I’m up to my eyeballs in
I had a blast/a ball
win-win situation
I’m swamped
It's a steal
the sticks
break the ice
give me a break
like talking to the wall
see eye to eye

5

It's about time
pays peanuts
sleep like a log
ace
easy as pie
blabbermouth
don't bug me
by the skin of my teeth
can't make head nor tail of
cool as a cucumber

6