IDIOMS – MCQ – 2

1. “Under the weather” means
   A. enjoying the rain
   B. feeling unwell
   C. feeling happy
   D. travelling
2. “Hit the sack” means
   A. hit someone
   B. pack bags
   C. go to sleep
   D. wake up
3. “A blessing in disguise” means
   A. a bad thing
   B. something harmful
   C. something good that seemed bad
   D. a hidden enemy
4. “Jump the gun” means
   A. start too early
   B. run fast
   C. stop suddenly
   D. wait patiently
5. “Once in a blue moon” means
   A. every day
   B. very rarely
   C. at night
   D. suddenly
6. “The tip of the iceberg” means
   A. the whole problem
   B. a small visible part of a bigger problem
   C. something frozen
   D. something dangerous
7. “Burn the midnight oil” means
   A. waste fuel
   B. sleep early
   C. study or work late at night
   D. cause fire
8. “Cry over spilled milk” means
   A. waste milk
   B. complain about the past
   C. cry loudly
   D. be careless
9. “Break the ice” means
   A. to shatter ice
   B. to start a conversation
   C. to stop talking
   D. to create trouble
10. “On cloud nine” means
    A. confused
    B. sad
    C. very happy
    D. tired
11. “Back to square one” means
    A. reach success
    B. return to the beginning
    C. win a game
    D. move ahead
12. “Face the music” means
    A. enjoy music
    B. attend a concert
    C. accept consequences
    D. avoid problems
13. “Bite off more than you can chew” means
    A. eat too much
    B. take too much responsibility
    C. speak too much
    D. waste food
14. “Go the extra mile” means
    A. travel far
    B. do more than required
    C. walk slowly
    D. waste time
15. “Add fuel to the fire” means
    A. put out fire
    B. make a situation worse
    C. calm things down
    D. help others
16. “Call it a day” means
    A. start work
    B. continue working
    C. stop working
    D. waste time
17. “At the drop of a hat” means
    A. slowly
    B. unwillingly
    C. immediately
    D. carefully
18. “Keep an eye on” means
    A. look angrily
    B. ignore
    C. watch carefully
    D. close eyes
19. “Once bitten, twice shy” means
    A. always afraid
    B. learn from past experience
    C. repeat mistakes
    D. feel confident
20. “Let the cat out of the bag” means
    A. release an animal
    B. keep a secret
    C. reveal a secret
    D. start a fight
21. “Cold feet” means
    A. feet are cold
    B. fear before doing something
    C. illness
    D. confidence
22. “A piece of cake” means
    A. very tasty
    B. very easy
    C. very small
    D. very sweet
23. “Through thick and thin” means
    A. in good times only
    B. in bad times only
    C. in all situations
    D. in confusion
24. “In hot water” means
    A. bathing
    B. relaxed
    C. in trouble
    D. excited
25. “Spill the beans” means
    A. waste food
    B. reveal a secret
    C. cook badly
    D. argue loudly
26. “Cut corners” means
    A. draw shapes
    B. do something quickly and carelessly
    C. save paper
    D. decorate
27. “Make ends meet” means
    A. save money
    B. live within one’s income
    C. become rich
    D. waste money
28. “On the same page” means
    A. reading together
    B. agreeing with each other
    C. writing notes
    D. arguing
29. “Burn bridges” means
    A. build connections
    B. destroy relationships
    C. travel far
    D. forgive others
30. “Cost an arm and a leg” means
    A. free of cost
    B. very cheap
    C. very expensive
    D. painful
31. “Out of the blue” means
    A. planned
    B. expected
    C. sudden and unexpected
    D. slow
32. “Hit the nail on the head” means
    A. miss the point
    B. make a mistake
    C. say something exactly right
    D. hit something hard
33. “A fish out of water” means
    A. feeling comfortable
    B. feeling out of place
    C. swimming
    D. being lazy
34. “Throw in the towel” means
    A. wash clothes
    B. give up
    C. fight harder
    D. clean the room
35. “Barking up the wrong tree” means
    A. looking in the wrong place
    B. shouting loudly
    C. being correct
    D. planting trees
36. “Keep your fingers crossed” means
    A. hide hands
    B. hope for good luck
    C. pray loudly
    D. feel scared
37. “Go cold turkey” means
    A. eat food
    B. stop a habit suddenly
    C. travel
    D. relax
38. “The ball is in your court” means
    A. playing a game
    B. you are responsible to act
    C. the game is over
    D. you have lost
39. “Turn a blind eye” means
    A. become blind
    B. ignore something wrong
    C. look carefully
    D. complain
40. “On thin ice” means
    A. skating
    B. in a risky situation
    C. feeling safe
    D. relaxed
41. “In the long run” means
    A. immediately
    B. in the future
    C. yesterday
    D. suddenly
42. “By hook or by crook” means
    A. honestly
    B. by any means
    C. carefully
    D. slowly
43. “Pull someone’s leg” means
    A. hurt someone
    B. tease or joke
    C. help someone
    D. punish someone
44. “Up in the air” means
    A. flying
    B. decided
    C. uncertain
    D. happy
45. “The last straw” means
    A. first problem
    B. final problem that causes anger
    C. happiness
    D. patience
46. “Take with a pinch of salt” means
    A. believe completely
    B. doubt slightly
    C. cook properly
    D. reject fully
47. “Once bitten, twice shy” suggests we
    A. repeat mistakes
    B. learn from experience
    C. forget the past
    D. take risks
48. “A leopard can’t change its spots” means
    A. animals change colour
    B. people can change easily
    C. people cannot change their nature
    D. habits are temporary
49. “Go the extra mile” shows
    A. laziness
    B. extra effort
    C. carelessness
    D. delay
50. “Put all your eggs in one basket” means
    A. save carefully
    B. take a big risk
    C. share resources
    D. be confident

Answer Key

1. B
2. C
3. C
4. A
5. B
6. B
7. C
8. B
9. B
10. C
11. B
12. C
13. B
14. B
15. B
16. C
17. C
18. C
19. B
20. C
21. B
22. B
23. C
24. C
25. B
26. B
27. B
28. B
29. B
30. C
31. C
32. C
33. B
34. B
35. A
36. B
37. B
38. B
39. B
40. B
41. B
42. B
43. B
44. C
45. B
46. B
47. B
48. C
49. B
50. B

Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan

Dr Aswathy Aravindakshan is a teacher, bilingual writer and artist with over two decades of experience in teaching English language and literature. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of English at NSS College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Her blog, ashlit.in brings together academic resources, creative writing in Malayalam and English, and visual art. The platform features lecture notes, study materials, poems, reflections, short prose, and a curated collection of her paintings. Through this space, she seeks to foster learning, creativity, and meaningful engagement with literature and the arts.