EXERCISE-21
Choose the exact meaning of the idioms/phrases.
1.Turn over a new leaf
(a) hopeful situation
(b) change for the better
 (c) promising start followed by failure
 (d) expression of anger
 (e) explosion
2.Rainy days
 (a) small hours of the morning
 (b) critical time in any situation
 (c) late hours of the night
 (d) unlucky times
 (e) peaceful hours in a noisy city
3. To bell the cat
 (a) to take lead in danger
 (b) to tie bell to cat’s neck
 (c) to be alert of the enemy
 (d) to make noise
4. An axe to grind
 (a) to indulge in evil conspiracies
 (b) to catch a fish in disturbed water
 (c) to make a personal profit out of a situation
 (d) to aggravate the situation
5. To be in a fix
 (a) to be perplexed
(b) making rounds of something
 (c) to attain permanence
 (d) to feel happy
6. To get in hot waters
 (a) to get into trouble
 (b) to enter waters heated by the sun
 (c) to be so impatient as to take bath with hot water before it gets cool
 (d) to be in a confused state of mind
7. To throw dust into one’s eyes
 (a) to put sand into one’s eyes
(b) to make blind
(c) to deceive
(d) to point out false things
8. To fly off the handle
(a) to break something
(b) to be indifferent
 (c) to act foolishly
 (d) to get into a rage and lose self-control
9. The alpha and the omega
(a) very costly items
(b) assorted items
(c) the beginning and the end
(d) a nice act
10. To flag a dead horse
 (a) to do a thing in rain
 (b) to act in a foolish way
 (c) to criticise strongly
(d) try to revive interest in a subject that is out of date
11. To smell a rat
(a) bad smell
(b) to misunderstand
(c) to suspect treachery
(d) to see a hidden meaning
12. Hobson’s choice
(a) first choice
(b) beautiful choice
(c) no choice at all as there is only one thing to choose from
(d) to choose something carefully
13. A good samaritan
(a) a genuinely helpful person
(b) an honest politician
(c) a clever person
(d) a priest
14. Gift of the gab
(a) lucky
(b) a big surprise
(c) to have a talent for speaking
(d) an honest person
15. In deep water
(a) in real trouble
(b) to feel lonely
(c) to act like a coward
(d) to swim in a river
Answers:-
1.b                  2.d
3.a                  4.c
5.a                  6.a
7.c                  8.d
9.c                  10.a
11.c                12.c
13.a         14.c
15.a
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