IDIOMS

MODUL 2
BY: KHLOO
20 IDIOMS WITH EXPLAINATION AND
EXAMPLE OF SENTENCE PATTERNS
OBJECTIVES
By the end of the lesson , students should
be able to
answer the idiom quizzes given
make correct sentences using the idioms
learnt.

1. a blessing in disguise

Meaning: You can say something is a blessing in disguise if
it appears to be bad at first, but it results in something very
good in the end.
For example:
Being caught in that traffic jam was a blessing in disguise. If I
hadn't missed the flight, I would have been on that plane
when it crashed.


His accident was a blessing in disguise because it gave him
lots of time to think about his life while he was recovering,
and as a result he made some important changes that
improved his life.


Quick Quiz:
Losing that job was a blessing in disguise because it meant I
A) got a much better job
B) lost my house
C) was unemployed for years

2. add insult to injury

Meaning: Someone adds insult to injury if they say or do something
to upset you a second time, after you've already been upset
somehow.
For example:
He said my clothes didn't suit me, and then to add insult to injury he
said I needed to lose some weight!


The bank took back my car, and then added insult to injury by
cancelling my credit cards!


Quick Quiz:
After saying Ahmad made too many mistakes, Farid added insult to
injury by saying
A) they were small mistakes
B) she worked very slowly
C) her work was excellent

3. clean as a whistle

Meaning: If something is as clean as a whistle, it's extremely clean,
or for a person it can mean they have a perfect record and have
never done anything illegal.
For example:
A political party will make sure a member's background is as clean
as a whistle before letting them run for office.


Everything in a hospital should be as clean as a whistle.


Quick Quiz:
The school thought their new teacher's record was as clean as a
whistle because he hadn't told them about
A) his arrest for drunk driving
B) his dirty bathroom
C) his cheating at cards

4. hang in there | hang on in
there Informal

Meaning: You can tell someone to hang in there, or hang on in
there, if they're in a difficult situation and you want to encourage
them, or tell them not to give up.
For example:
Giving up cigarettes is really hard, but it gets easier as each day
passes, so hang in there and you'll soon feel better.


I was exhausted, and I really wanted to quit, but I told myself to hang
on in there and finish the race.


Quick Quiz:
My friends all called and told me to hang in there after I'd
A) left for my honeymoon
B) decided to go sky-diving
C) broken my leg in an accident


5. leave well enough alone | let well enough
alone

Meaning: If you leave well enough alone, or let well enough alone,
you don't try to improve or change something that's already good
enough.
For example:
The kids seem happy enough now so let's just leave well enough
alone and forget about finding a new school for them.


Unless there's a problem, I'd suggest you just let well enough alone
and let your staff get on with their work.

Quick Quiz:
Some staff think we need new packaging for our products, and
others think we should leave well enough alone and
A) change to new packaging
B) go back to older packaging
C) keep the same packaging

6. playing with fire

Meaning: You're playing with fire if you're involved in an activity that could
be dangerous, or could lead to problems in the future.
For example:
You're really playing with fire if you have loaded guns in the house,
especially if there are kids around.


Suzie says that if someone with mental or emotional problems smokes
marijuana, they're playing with fire. She says it can make these problems
much worse.


Note: This is usually used in the continous tenses, such as "We are playing
with fire if we..." or "They should have known they were playing with fire."

Quick Quiz:
People who have sex with many partners without using condoms are
playing with fire because
A) they could get sick of having sex
B) they could get a disease such as AIDS
C) they aren't married

7. quick on the trigger | quick on the draw

Meaning: If you are quick on the trigger, or quick on the draw, you
act quickly when solving problems or answering questions.
For example:
Our smartest students are very quick on the trigger when they're
doing class quizzes.


Some people think the coach is too quick on the draw when it comes
to pulling players off the court when they make a mistake.


Quick Quiz:
In business, it's often necessary to be quick on the draw, but
sometimes it's better to
A) think carefully before doing something
B) do something faster than others
C) be slow to understand what's happening

8. read between the lines

Meaning: When you read between the lines you try to understand what someone
implies, but doesn't openly state, when they say or write something.
For example:
I got a letter from Robyn and she isn't happy. She didn't say anything but I could tell
by reading between the lines that something's wrong.


A good writer doesn't tell the reader everything directly but leaves it up to the reader
to figure things out for themselves by reading between the lines.


Origin: Probably derived from a form of cryptography in which secret information was
conveyed by writing it in invisible ink between the lines of a text.

Quick Quiz:
If you read between the lines, you will
A) know what the writer really thinks
B) be able to read a lot quicker
C) make up the story for yourself

9. under wraps

Meaning: If something is under wraps, it's being kept secret.
For example:
The organisers keep the name of the winner under wraps until it's
announced on the show.


Our new products are always under wraps until their official launch
because we don't want other companies seeing them and copying
them.


Note: The most common collocation for this idiom is "to keep
(something) under wraps".

Quick Quiz:
The best way to keep something under wraps is to
A) put it into the refrigerator
B) stop thinking about it
C) let as few people as possible know about it

10. You can say that again!

Meaning: If someone says "You can say that
again!", it shows they strongly agree with what
was just said.
For example:
Jean: "Phew! It's really hot today." Louis: "You
can say that again!"


Quick Quiz:
If someone says "You can say that again!", it
means they
A) want you to repeat what you said
B) didn't understand what you said
C) agree with what you said

11. (it) stands to reason

Meaning: You can say it stands to reason that something should be
so if it seems reasonable to you that it should be so.
For example:
If you eat good food and get plenty of exercise it stands to reason
that you'll have a good chance of living to a ripe old age.


It stands to reason that kids who study the hardest get the best
grades.


Quick Quiz:
It stands to reason that the best way to learn to speak a foreign
language is to
A) read about it
B) think about it
C) practice using it

12. (someone's) name is mud
Meaning: If someone's name is mud, other people are angry with
them, or they're no longer popular, because they've done something
wrong.
For example:
Ian's name is mud now because everyone thinks he was the one
who stole the money.


If any athletes test positive for a banned substance, their name will
be mud.


Quick Quiz:
Her name is mud these days because
A) she changed it
B) she didn't clean up
C) she was caught cheating

13. (something) escapes you

Meaning: If you say something escapes you, it means you can't
remember it.
For example:
I'm really sorry, but your name escapes me at the moment. Could
you tell me again please?


Kim said he knew the song really well, but the name of the band that
had recorded it escaped him.


Quick Quiz:
Her name escaped me just as I was introducing her to other guests.
I felt
A) really embarrassed
B) very proud
C) quite angry

14. a bag of tricks

Meaning: Someone's bag of tricks is their collection of techniques
or methods for getting a job done or for achieving a goal.
For example:
I wonder what the Republicans will pull out of their bag of tricks to
win the election this time.


Most English teachers are always looking for new games and
activities to add to their bag of tricks.


Quick Quiz:
Which of the following might a politician pull out of his bag of tricks
during an election campaign?
A) a pack of cards
B) a white rabbit
C) a promise to cut taxes

15. a wake-up call

Meaning: An event acts as a wake-up call if it makes people more
aware of a danger.
For example:
I slipped over on the wet floor in my bathroom. I didn't hurt myself
badly, but it was a wake-up call and I went out and bought some
non-slip mats to stick on the floor.


Robert had a pain in the chest, and it was a wake-up call for him.
Now he's eating much healthier food and he's exercising more.


Quick Quiz:
The bombing of their embassy should have been a wake-up call that
told them many people
A) liked what their country was doing
B) didn't like what their country was doing
C) didn't care what their country was doing

16. agree to differ | agree to disagree

Meaning: If two people agree to differ, or agree to disagree, they
accept that they have different opinions about something and stop
trying to change each other's opinion.
For example:
We're never going to think the same way about politics, so let's just
agree to differ and leave it at that.


Why don't they just agree to disagree instead of arguing about it all
the time?


Quick Quiz:
After arguing about politics for months, Julie and her husband
agreed to disagree, and they
A) got divorced
B) found a new topic to disagree on
C) stopped arguing about politics

17. get a look in

Meaning: If you get a look in, you get a fair chance to do something.
For example:
When Roger was playing at his best, no-one else taking part in a
tournament would get a look in. He'd win every time.


With so many graduates from top universities trying to get the job,
someone like me wouldn't get a look in.


Note: Usually used in the negative, as in "I didn't get a look in..."

Quick Quiz:
The university was supposed to be open to everyone, but you
wouldn't get a look in unless you
A) went to a famous high school
B) went to a normal high school
C) hadn't been to high school

18. I owe you one! Informal
Meaning: You can say "I owe you one!" when someone
has done something for you and you'd be happy to
return the favour one day.
For example:
Thanks for helping me out, Bob. I owe you one!


"I owe you one!" said Malik after I'd told him to sell his
shares just before the market collapsed.


Quick Quiz:
Johnny was very grateful and said "Man, I really owe you
one!" after I'd
A) saved his drowning son
B) passed him the salt
C) opened the door for him

19. keep a low profile

Meaning: If you keep a low profile, you try not to do anything that
will draw attention to you or create interest in you.
For example:
After all the bad publicity over the problems in his private life, the
team's captain kept a low profile for a few months.


Sometimes it's a good idea to keep a low profile because too much
interest or attention can lead to problems.


Quick Quiz:
Marco tried to keep a low profile because he didn't want to be
A) ignored by the public
B) bothered by the media
C) paid by his employer

20. the x-factor
Meaning: If someone has the x-factor, they have a
certain charismatic appeal and magnetic quality.
For example:
He's not a great singer but people can't take their eyes
off him, so he must have the x-factor.


You can't teach anyone the x-factor; they've either got it
or they haven't.


Quick Quiz:
Jim's definitely got the x-factor. He's
A) just had an x-ray
B) putting on weight
C) an amazing performer