Available Answers

1. 1.

   Complete these idiomatic expressions with suitable words. Take words from the box below. Then match the expressions with their meanings.

   swim

   off

   out

   ends

   ready

   choose

   bounds

   foremost

   1. down and        ___________  (a) small important things

   2. first and       ___________  (b) occasionally

   3. rough and       ___________  (c) taking big jumps

   4. sink or         ___________  (d) to have a wide choice

   5. odds and        ___________  (e) without home or money

   6. by leaps and    ___________  (f) of poor quality

   7. on and          ___________  (g) most importantly

   8. pick and        ___________  (h) to succeed or fail

2. 2.

   Now fill in the blanks with suitable expressions.

   1. My house is a bit ____________ but you are welcome to stay here as long as you please.
   2. ____________ we have to work within our budget.
   3. Mr. Mehra is quite ____________ after suffering heavy losses in business.
   4. Let us pledge that, from now onwards, we shall _____________ together.
   5. The IT industry of India has progressed by _____________ during the last ten years.
   6. We have been holding meetings ______________, so we are quite aware of the changed situation.
   7. Let us make the main purchases first. We will take care of the ______________ later.
   8. This shop has a wide variety of children's literature. We can ______________ what we like.
3. 3.

   Match the idiomatic expressions with their meanings.

   A	B
   1. An old hand	(a) to pay an excessive price
   2. To have a finger in every pie	(b) to create a bad impression
   3. An old head on young shoulders	(c) methods used
   4. To cut a sorry figure	(d) wisdom in a very young person
   5. To pay through the nose	(e) an experienced person
   6. Ways and means	(f) to interfere with or be concerned with many things

4. 4.

   Circle the correct meaning of the ldiom in italics, out of the options given below.

   1. To bury the hatchet
      1. to make up a quarrel
      2. to destroy
      3. to dispute over small things
      4. to repair a costly furniture
   2. At sea
      1. to confuse others
      2. to invite others
      3. to travel
      4. to be perplexed
   3. Lion's share
      1. no share at all
      2. very small portion
      3. greater share of a thing
      4. miserly
   4. My car broke down on the way to college yesterday.
      1. met with an accident
      2. broke into pieces
      3. stopped due to mechanical failure
      4. dashed against another vehicle
   5. For the first week, the apprentice felt like a fish out of water.
      1. frustrated
      2. uncomfortable
      3. harness
      4. disappointed
5. 5.

   Match the following proverbs in column A with their meanings given in column B.

   Column A	Column B
   1. Out of sight, out of mind	1. Pride always brings trouble.
   2. Pour oil on troubled waters	2. Don't despair
   3. Nothing ventured, nothing gained	3. What is true is effective in itself.
   4. A stumble may prevent a fall	4. The first thing necessary in civilized life is order and discipline.
   5. One today is worth two tomorrow	5. What happens to one depends on one's character.
   6. Truth needs no colour	6. A small mishap may prevent a great disaster.
   7. Never say die	7. Persons or things not seen are soon forgotten.
   8. No cross, no crown	8. One cannot expect to achieve anything, if one risks nothing.
   9. Character is destiny	9. Try to calm a disturbance or quarrel with soothing words.
   10. Order is heaven's first law	10. It is by constant practice that one becomes perfect.
   11. Practice makes a man perfect	11. What we have today is more valuable than what we are promised tomorrow.
   12. Pride goeth before a fall	12. Without trouble or suffering no success or glory is possible.

6. 6.

   Complete each proverb:

   1. United we stand ___________ fall.
   2. Rome ___________ in a day.
   3. ___________ to forgive is divine.
   4. A stitch ___________ nine.
   5. A bird in the hand ___________ bush.
   6. Honesty ___________ policy.