Answer Key

Idioms (2)

Choose the correct expressions to complete the idioms.
  1. Of course I want to hear your story – I'm all  [ears] .
  2. After she came back in the end and apologized to everyone, John had to  [eat his words]and felt very embarrassed.
  3. After her father suddenly died, they lived on the  [breadline] for about five years until her mother remarried.
  4. He dug in  [his heels] and refused to attend the farewell party.
  5. He bit my  [head] off for being late, even though I had called him before and apologized.
  6. When Joe and Lucy were dating, they always went  [Dutch] .
  7. “How much did you pay for it?” – – – “A fortune! It cost me  [an arm and a leg] .
  8. This is a good strategy. It's a real  [acid test] of her loyalty.
  9. Wow! That's a great plan! We could kill  [two birds with one stone] .
  10. At the briefing, the mayor made it very clear that it had to be his way  [or the highway] .

 

On the breadline. = having a very low income
Cost an arm and a leg. = very expensive
Go Dutch. = to split the cost of something
Eat your words. = to admit that what you said earlier was wrong
Acid test. = a situation that proves how good or effective something is
Kill two birds with one stone. = to succeed in doing two things at the same time
Dig in your heels. = to refuse to do something, especially if somebody is trying hard to talk you into doing it
Bite someone’s head off. = criticize somebody strongly (or unfairly)
My way or the highway. = there is no choice, you have to accept my decision
All ears. = listening very attentively