Idioms/Adages/Proverbs

Stephen hit the nail on the head when he said that what the company was lacking in was clear vision and focus.

What does this mean?

• Stephen was nailing in nails with a hammer.

• What Stephen said was exactly right.

• Stephen offended the company.

• Stephen desired to be CEO.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5B

CCSS.L.4.5B

You cannot leave the kitten because it was rude to you. Two wrongs don’t make a right. What does this mean?

• Just because the kitten did something bad doesn't mean you should also.

• It's okay to do something bad if it's done to you first.

• If the kitten had been nicer then you could be nice to it.

• It's always good to take care of kittens.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5B

CCSS.L.4.5B

Joe was very curious about where Sarah was getting all her money from, but all she said was that curiosity killed the cat. What does this mean?

• Joe needs to be careful - being too inquisitive could get him into trouble

• Joe's cat could die.

• Sarah is going to tell Joe where she gets her money.

• Joe should ask more questions to get to the bottom of this.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5B

CCSS.L.4.5B

The lawyers who attended the seminar were like birds of a feather flocking together. They have not even spoken to anyone outside their group. What does this mean?

• These lawyers share similar beliefs and experiences from the seminar so they are sticking together.

• These lawyers enjoy bird watching; the birds' feathers are beautiful to them.

• These lawyers love meeting new people.

• These lawyers can't wait to go to another seminar.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5B

CCSS.L.4.5B

The admissions in this college get filled in very early. If you really want to enroll your son here then you should remember that the early bird gets the worm. What does this mean?

• If they enroll their son early, he has a better chance of getting in.

• Birds get all of their worms to eat early in the morning.

• There are a lot of worms out in the early hours because of the dew on the ground.

• Their son doesn't have a good chance of getting into that college.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5B

CCSS.L.4.5B

He gave his old car as a gift; I know its not a great one, but I wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. What does this mean?

• the person who received the car should be grateful for what they got - even if it wasn't the best car.

• It would have been better had the man given away his horse instead of his car.

• It's best to not stare.

• It makes sense that they're not happy with the car - it's an old one.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5B

CCSS.L.4.5B

The issue of gun control is a political hot potato in the United States. What does this mean?

• Hot potatoes can be just as harmful as guns.

• Gun control is an issue that a lot of people can't agree on.

• Once people start talking about gun control, they can't stop.

• People usually like talking about gun control whenever they're eating food.

Tags

CCSS.L.8.5A

I was already getting late for work stuck in the traffic, and to add insult to injury, I was stopped by the police for speeding. What does this mean?

• Your situation of being stuck in traffic was worsened when you got pulled over by the cops.

• When people insult us, it hurts.

• Because you were stuck in traffic, you got pulled over.

• When we get stuck in traffic, injuries occur.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5B

CCSS.L.4.5B

Dustin was always ready to go fishing at the drop of a hat.

What does this mean?

• Dustin is always ready to go fishing without hesitation.

• Dustin always drops his hat in the water when he fishes.

• Dustin is afraid of dropping his hat.

• Dustin always drops his hat when people mention fishing.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5B

CCSS.L.4.5B

I tried to apologize to my friend but have not heard back from them. The ball is in their court. What does this mean?

• You like to play sports with your friend.

• You got in an argument over sports.

• It is up to your friend to take the next step to fix your friendship.

• You need to do something to fix your friendship.

Tags

CCSS.L.5.5B

CCSS.L.4.5B