Idioms Practice

Example: I was already angry with you, and when you forgot to pick me up, that really added fuel to the fire.

What does added fuel to the fire mean?

• they poured out the fuel when they were mad

• to make a bad situation worse

• to burn your friend's things

• to sit around a fire

Example: Our design for the solar powered robot did not work, so it's back to square one.

What does back to square one mean?

• you should stand on the first square you see

• they should turn the robot into a square

• they should start over because the design did not work

• they should draw a 1 on the back of the robot

Example: I thought getting my mom to let me stay up late would be easy as pie, but I was wrong!

What does easy as pie mean?

• not difficult

• to cook a pie for your mom

• cooking a pie is very easy

• you can trick someone with a pie

Example: My mom forgot my dad's birthday, so now she's in the doghouse.

What does in the doghouse mean?

• to sleep outside with the dog

• to be extra nice to someone

• to build a doghouse for your room

• to be in trouble

Example: The teacher told the students no more monkey business! Please start on your assignment.

What does monkey business mean?

• reading

• playing around

• looking at pictures of monkeys

• swinging from the ceiling

Example: Looking for your earring on the beach is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

What does needle in a haystack mean?

• you can find anything with hay

• you have to watch for needles when you look for things

• something that is difficult to find

• haystacks are dangerous

Example: Ben has been on cloud nine since he was chosen as the class president.

What does on cloud nine mean?

• mad

• able to float

• happy and excited

• staring at the clouds

Example: This class is tough, but once in a blue moon we have a night without homework!

What does once in a blue moon mean?

• almost never

• all the time

• only when the moon is blue

• when they have homework, the moon turns blue

Example: Don't worry! Riding your bike down the hill is a piece of cake.

What does a piece of cake mean?

• there is cake at the bottom of the hill

• the bike tastes like cake

• the ride will be really difficult

• the ride will be easy

Example: It's raining cats and dogs, and our picnic is ruined

What does raining cats and dogs mean?

• there are cats and dogs everywhere

• the rain sounds like animals

• it is raining heavily

• it is barely raining