Exercise-9
Directions: In each of the following questions, choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the idiom printed in bold.
1.Hard-pressed (L.I.C.A.A.O. 1992)
(a) Bewildered
(b) Insulted
(c) Hard discipline
(d) In difficulties
2. To beat one’s finger’s end
(a) To be hopeless
(b) To be highly perplexed
 (c) To be completely conversant with
(d) To count things
3. To pull strings
(a) To exert hidden influence
 (b) To teases someone
(c) To speed up
(d) To start something
4. A greenhorn
(a) An envious lady
 (b) A trainee
(c) An inexperienced man
(d) A soft-hearted man
5. To be old as the hills
(a) To be very ancient
(b) To be wise and learned
(c) To be old but foolish
 (d) Not being worth the age
6. ‘To look sharp
(a) To concentrate
(b) To speak roughly
 (c) To be attentive and active
 (d) To be quick
7. To show one’s teeth
(a) To ridicule
 (b) To face difficulties
 (c) To adopt a threatening attitude
 (d) To be humble
8. To pour oil in troubled water (Railways. 1992)
(a) To foment trouble
(b) To add to the trouble
 (c) To instigate
 (d) To calm a quarrel with soothing words
9. To play on a fiddle
(a) To play upon a musical instrument
(b) To play an important role
 (c) To be busy over trifles
(d) To be busy over an important matter
10. To mind, one’s P’s and Q’s
(a) To be cautious
(b) To be accurate and precise
 (c) To be careful of one’s accounts
(d) To be careful of one’s personality
11. At one’s beck and call
(a) Enjoying oneself without caring for others
 (b) To be always at one’s service
(c) To be under one’s subjugation
(d) To be in an advantageous position
12. Swan-song
(a) Music as sweet as a song of birds
 (b) A melodious song in praise of someone
 (c) Praise of a woman by her lover
(d) Last work of a poet or musician before death
13. To play to the gallery
(a) To work hard to achieve the best
 (b) Trying to get appreciation from the least intelligent people
(c)Use the wrong means to achieve success
(d)To be able to do work easily breaks the ice
14. To start quarrelling
(a)To start a conversation
(b)To end up partnership oil the knocker
(c) To instigate a person to do a job
(d) To do work with increased pace
15. To tip the office-boy
(a)To revive old enmity cut the crackle
(b) To humiliate
(c)To annoy someone
(d)To act in a friendly way
Answers:-
1. (d)Â Â Â 2. (c)
3. (a)Â Â Â 4. (c)
5. (a)Â Â Â 6. (d)
7. (c)Â Â Â 8. (d)
9. (c)Â Â Â 10. (b)
11. (b)Â Â 12. (d)
13. (b)Â Â 14. (c)
15. (c)
Download the above Idiom Exercise in PDF (Printable)
