If someone called you 'goody two shoes', would you take it as a compliment?
What do you think a gravy train is?
Take our English quiz on idioms and phrases and find out if you know it all...
The dog days of summer are here and I feel sick as a dog.
Do you know the meaning of the phrases 'dog days' and 'sick as a dog'?
In case you haven't figured it out yet, 'dog days' refers to the hottest days of the summer season and 'sick as a dog' implies extreme sickness.
Let's admit it. We all come across similar idioms like these in our daily communication.
More often than not, we don't know what they mean until we listen to or use them frequently in our conversations.
Take our quiz and find out whether you can guess the meanings of these old phrases and idioms…
1. If someone tells you that your last investment was a 'white elephant', what does that person mean? 1) You have a rare possession. 2) You have a burdensome possession. 3) You have made a priceless investment.
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is You have a burdensome possession. In Thailand and several Asian countries, a white elephant was considered sacred and at the same time, a burdensome luxury. If someone offered you a white elephant as a gift, it would be seen as a punishment because not only did it invite a lot of attention from visitors, it also demanded to be fed a lot of food further adding to your daily expenses.
Correct! In Thailand and several Asian countries, a white elephant was considered sacred and at the same time, a burdensome luxury. If someone offered you a white elephant as a gift, it would be seen as a punishment because not only did it invite a lot of attention from visitors, it also demanded to be fed a lot of food further adding to your daily expenses.
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Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases
May 07, 2014 10:51 IST
2. You will be joining a new organisation tomorrow. You better mind your Ps and Qs there. What is 'Ps and Qs'? 1) Mind your manners 2) Mind your schedule 3) Carry your own stuff
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Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is Mind your manners. To mind your Ps and Qs means to be extremely exact and to avoid saying or doing something inappropriate. The origin of this phrase dates back to the days of the typewriter when it was common to say: Mind your Ps and Qs referring users not to be confused with the two words that appeared on either side of the device. According to another folklore, Ps and Qs refer to the words 'please' and 'thank you/excuse me'.
Correct! To mind your Ps and Qs means to be extremely exact and to avoid saying or doing something inappropriate. The origin of this phrase dates back to the days of the typewriter when it was common to say: Mind your Ps and Qs referring users not to be confused with the two words that appeared on either side of the device. According to another folklore, Ps and Qs refer to the words 'please' and 'thank you/excuse me'.
Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases
May 07, 2014 10:51 IST
3. If you sign that clause, you’ll be over a barrel, the counsel warned. The phrase ‘over a barrel’ implies… 1) To face an obstacle 2) To stumble and fall 3) To be helpless or at someone else's mercy
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is To be helpless or at someone else's mercy.
Correct!
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Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases
May 07, 2014 10:51 IST
4. Don’t you think she’s too goody two shoes to join us for a sleepover? Here, 'goody two shoes' means… 1) Someone who doesn’t have a good pair of shoes 2) Someone who has two pairs of shoes 3) Someone with extremely good behaviour
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Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is Someone with extremely good behaviour. Goody two shoes, mostly used with a female, refers to someone who displays extremely good behaviour. It is also used to describe someone who is pretentious.
Correct! Goody two shoes, mostly used with a female, refers to someone who displays extremely good behaviour. It is also used to describe someone who is pretentious.
Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases
May 07, 2014 10:51 IST
5. Joel has a chip on his shoulder. It makes him a very difficult person to deal with. What does it mean? 1) Joel is a balancing artist and does a fine job balancing a chip on his shoulder. 2) Joel has a chip installed inside his shoulder. 3) Joel is angry all the time because he thinks he has been treated unfairly or feels he is not as good as other people.
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is Joel is angry all the time because he thinks he has been treated unfairly or feels he is not as good as other people.According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, to have a chip on one's shoulder means to seem angry all the time because you think you have been treated unfairly or feel you are not as good as other people.
Correct! According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, to have a chip on one's shoulder means to seem angry all the time because you think you have been treated unfairly or feel you are not as good as other people.
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Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases
May 07, 2014 10:51 IST
6. A lot of people think that getting a government job is like riding a gravy train. A 'gravy train' is… 1) A cumbersome job 2) A sought-after job 3) A cushy job
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Wrong! The correct answer is A cushy job. A gravy train refers to a lucrative situation -- like a job where you're paid well for little work.
Correct! A gravy train refers to a lucrative situation -- like a job where you're paid well for little work.
Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases
May 07, 2014 10:51 IST
7. Ever since their son moved to the US, they’ve been living high on the hog. What does 'high on the hog' mean? 1) To drink and get high 2) To live in luxury 3) To be unreachable
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Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is To live in luxury. It is believed that the best piece of meat on a pig comes from the back and upper leg. This piece of meat was priced high, making it accessible only to the rich and wealthy. Hence the term ‘high on the hog’ refers to a state of luxury.
Correct! It is believed that the best piece of meat on a pig comes from the back and upper leg. This piece of meat was priced high, making it accessible only to the rich and wealthy. Hence the term ‘high on the hog’ refers to a state of luxury.
Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases
May 07, 2014 10:51 IST
8. Don’t jump into that manhole, you’ll go out on a limb, Dad shouted. By 'going out on a limb', he implied… 1) To use a pole/stick 2) To put oneself in a risky situation 3) To jump with one leg
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Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is To put oneself in a risky situation. To go out on a limb means to put yourself in a risky or disadvantage situation. It is also used when someone agrees to do something out of the ordinary.
Correct! To go out on a limb means to put yourself in a risky or disadvantage situation. It is also used when someone agrees to do something out of the ordinary.
Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases
May 07, 2014 10:51 IST
9. If you hear someone say 'I’ll take a raincheck on that,' it means… 1) I disagree with what you say. 2) I don't believe you. 3) I'm willing to consider it later.
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Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is I'm willing to consider it later. A raincheck refers to an offer or deal that is currently declined but willing to be accepted later. For example, if you visit a store and find out that a book or product you intend to buy is unavailable, you may say: Can I get a raincheck for that?
Correct! A raincheck refers to an offer or deal that is currently declined but willing to be accepted later. For example, if you visit a store and find out that a book or product you intend to buy is unavailable, you may say: Can I get a raincheck for that?
Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases
May 07, 2014 10:51 IST
10. When you say 'My friend is a dead ringer for Shah Rukh Khan', you mean... 1) He used to be employed for the star and is now dead. 2) He has a striking resemblance with the star. 3) Neither of the above. There is no such phrase such as 'dead ringer'!
Wrong! Try again..
Wrong! The correct answer is He has a striking resemblance with the star. In the 19th century in the US, horses were substituted with ringers, that looked similar to trick the bookies who’d bet on them during horse races.
Correct! In the 19th century in the US, horses were substituted with ringers, that looked similar to trick the bookies who’d bet on them during horse races.
