Idioms exercise

Each sentence given below contains an idiomatic expression. From the given options, you have to select the phrase or sentence that expresses the meaning of the idiom.

1. Thanks to his gift of the gab, James passed the interview without any difficulty.

a) James is gifted
b) James is a chatterbox
c) James has good communication skills

2. Their ancestral home is the bone of contention between the two brothers.

a) unifying factor
b) a firm view
c) something that causes a quarrel
d) none of these

3. He visits his parents once in a blue moon.

a) He visits them frequently.
b) He hardly ever visits them.
c) He visits them once in a while.
d) He visits them in the light of a blue moon.

4. Martin has been jobless for a while, and it is his wife who keeps the pot boiling.

a) His wife avoids starvation.
b) His wife keeps the fire burning.
c) His wife is angry.
d) His wife keeps firing.

5. In the end he had to eat humble pie.

a) He had to apologize humbly.
b) He had to adopt an aggressive attitude.
c) He had to defend himself vigorously.

6. I don’t believe in playing to the galleries.

a) offending audiences
b) appeasing select audience
c) appealing to the lower taste
d) doing one’s homework

7. The officer took him to task.

a) rebuked him
b) praised him
c) promoted him
d) dismissed him

Answers

1. c) James has good communication skills

2. c) something that causes a quarrel

3. c) He visits them once in a while.

4. a) His wife avoids starvation.

5. a) He had to apologize humbly.

6. c) appealing to the lower taste

7. a) rebuked him