1. Barking up the wrong tree
a) guarding a tree
b) making a wrong assumption
c) speaking politely
d) planting trees
Answer: making a wrong assumption
2. Bite off more than you can chew
a) eat too much
b) share food
c) take on more than you can manage
d) talk too much
Answer: take on more than you can manage
3. By the skin of your teeth
a) eat quickly
b) narrowly succeed
c) bite something
d) fail completely
Answer: narrowly succeed
4. Chip on your shoulder
a) carry food
b) run fast
c) carry a grudge
d) feel happy
Answer: carry a grudge
5. Cross that bridge when you come to it
a) avoid problems
b) deal with a problem later
c) cross a river
d) panic early
Answer: deal with a problem later
6. Devil’s advocate
a) speak kindly
b) argue to test ideas
c) avoid conflict
d) deceive someone
Answer: argue to test ideas
7. Don’t beat a dead horse
a) hit animals
b) punish someone
c) repeat a pointless argument
d) start work
Answer: repeat a pointless argument
8. Every cloud has a silver lining
a) there is a positive in every bad situation
b) clouds are shiny
c) sky is bright
d) weather is always bad
Answer: there is a positive in every bad situation
9. Get your act together
a) act poorly
b) leave quickly
c) organize yourself
d) relax
Answer: organize yourself
10. Give someone the cold shoulder
a) ignore someone
b) talk loudly
c) serve food
d) welcome warmly
Answer: ignore someone
11. Go back to the drawing board
a) draw pictures
b) go to school
c) take a break
d) start over after failure
Answer: start over after failure
12. Hit the roof
a) climb the roof
b) repair roof
c) become very angry
d) feel happy
Answer: become very angry
13. In a pickle
a) eating
b) in trouble
c) cooking
d) relaxing
Answer: in trouble
14. In the doghouse
a) in trouble or out of favor
b) in a house
c) sleeping
d) angry at dogs
Answer: in trouble or out of favor
15. Keep your chin up
a) avoid work
b) stay positive
c) look down
d) sleep
Answer: stay positive
16. Know the ropes
a) understand the basics
b) tie knots
c) climb ropes
d) play games
Answer: understand the basics
17. Let sleeping dogs lie
a) fight with dogs
b) sleep peacefully
c) avoid restarting old conflicts
d) wake dogs
Answer: avoid restarting old conflicts
18. Make a mountain out of a molehill
a) climb mountains
b) build hills
c) ignore small problems
d) exaggerate a small problem
Answer: exaggerate a small problem
19. Not playing with a full deck
a) missing equipment
b) mentally unstable or foolish
c) playing cards
d) cheating
Answer: mentally unstable or foolish
20. Off the hook
a) fishing
b) punished
c) caught in trouble
d) free from responsibility
Answer: free from responsibility
21. On pins and needles
a) relaxed
b) anxious or nervous
c) sitting comfortably
d) sewing
Answer: anxious or nervous
22. Play it by ear
a) improvise
b) read music
c) sing loudly
d) plan carefully
Answer: improvise
23. Put all your eggs in one basket
a) waste food
b) cook eggs
c) rely on one plan or thing
d) share risks
Answer: rely on one plan or thing
24. Put your money where your mouth is
a) back up words with action
b) hide money
c) speak confidently
d) spend carelessly
Answer: back up words with action
25. Rome wasn’t built in a day
a) important things take time
b) do things quickly
c) ignore history
d) travel to Rome
Answer: important things take time
26. Steal someone’s thunder
a) take someone’s credit
b) steal items
c) shout
d) be loud
Answer: take someone’s credit
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27. Take the bull by the horns
a) tackle a problem directly
b) fight animals
c) avoid difficulty
d) relax
Answer: tackle a problem directly
28. The best of both worlds
a) compromise
b) enjoy two advantages at once
c) fail
d) enjoy only one
Answer: enjoy two advantages at once
29. The tip of the iceberg
a) small visible part of a big problem
b) icebergs
c) frozen tip
d) small success
Answer: small visible part of a big problem
30. Throw in the towel
a) clean
b) give up
c) catch a towel
d) start work
Answer: give up
31. Turn over a new leaf
a) start afresh
b) read a book
c) turn paper
d) ignore work
Answer: start afresh
32. Two heads are better than one
a) one person is enough
b) collaboration is better
c) fight
d) argue
Answer: collaboration is better
33. Watch your step
a) run
b) dance
c) be careful
d) ignore danger
Answer: be careful
34. Water under the bridge
a) past events that can’t be changed
b) clean water
c) fishing
d) flooding
Answer: past events that can’t be changed
35. When pigs fly
a) impossible
b) likely
c) everyday
d) usual
Answer: impossible
36. Wrap your head around something
a) understand something complicated
b) cover your head
c) ignore ideas
d) confuse yourself
Answer: understand something complicated
37. You can’t judge a book by its cover
a) don’t judge by appearances
b) write stories
c) read books
d) decorate books
Answer: don’t judge by appearances
38. Your guess is as good as mine
a) I don’t know either
b) guess carefully
c) I know best
d) be sure
Answer: I don’t know either
39. A leopard can’t change its spots
a) a person cannot change inherent nature
b) change habits easily
c) hide secrets
d) an animal changes color
Answer: a person cannot change inherent nature
40. Actions speak louder than words
a) what you do matters more than what you say
b) write notes
c) speak softly
d) shout
Answer: what you do matters more than what you say
41. Bite the hand that feeds you
a) work hard
b) harm someone who helps you
c) eat carefully
d) thank someone
Answer: harm someone who helps you
42. Keep your fingers crossed
a) pray silently
b) hide fingers
c) hope for good luck
d) show luck
Answer: hope for good luck
43. Let your hair down
a) relax
b) cut hair
c) comb hair
d) style hair
Answer: relax
44. Off the cuff
a) without preparation
b) carefully prepared
c) sewing
d) hat-making
Answer: without preparation
45. On the ball
a) careless
b) playing sports
c) alert and quick to react
d) confused
Answer: alert and quick to react
46. Put a sock in it
a) be quiet
b) clean socks
c) play music
d) shout loudly
Answer: be quiet
47. Take it easy
a) work hard
b) relax
c) run fast
d) hurry
Answer: relax
48. Take the cake
a) bake
b) eat food
c) be the most outstanding (often negative)
d) share
Answer: be the most outstanding (often negative)
49. Through the grapevine
a) heard through rumors
b) direct news
c) talking clearly
d) walking
Answer: heard through rumors
50. Wrap it up
a) finish or conclude
b) cover items
c) start work
d) continue endlessly
Answer: finish or conclude
