English for AP Exams · Chapter 6

Idioms, Phrases and Phrasal Verbs

What to remember

An idiom has a meaning that is different from its words. "Break the ice" does not mean to break real ice. Learn the meaning as a whole.
A phrasal verb is a verb plus a small word (up, off, out, in). The small word changes the meaning: "give up" is not the same as "give".
Never change the words of an idiom. Exam questions test the exact fixed form.

1. How questions are asked

Meaning of idiom: "Choose the correct meaning of the idiom."
Fill in the blank: "Choose the correct phrasal verb to complete the sentence."
Error spotting: the wrong small word (preposition) is used with the verb.

Method:

1. Read the whole sentence and find the mood: good, bad or neutral.
2. Do not pick the word-by-word meaning. Idioms are not literal.
3. Eliminate options with the wrong mood.
4. For phrasal verbs, try each small word in the blank and see which one gives a clear meaning.

2. High-frequency idioms (by theme)

Theme: starting, effort and success

Idiom	Meaning	Example
Break the ice	start a talk in a friendly way	He told a joke to break the ice.
Burn the midnight oil	work late at night	She burnt the midnight oil before the exam.
Hit the nail on the head	say exactly the right thing	You hit the nail on the head about the problem.
A piece of cake	very easy task	The paper was a piece of cake.
Beat about the bush	avoid the main point	Do not beat about the bush; say it clearly.
Leave no stone unturned	try every possible way	The police left no stone unturned.
Turn over a new leaf	start a better way of life	After the fine, he turned over a new leaf.
Take the bull by the horns	face a problem bravely	She took the bull by the horns and spoke to the manager.

Theme: trouble, anger and danger

Idiom	Meaning	Example
In hot water	in trouble	He is in hot water for being late.
Bite the dust	fail or fall	The plan bit the dust.
Cry over spilt milk	feel sorry about what cannot be changed	It is no use crying over spilt milk.
Out of the blue	suddenly, without warning	The news came out of the blue.
Under the weather	slightly ill	I am under the weather today.
At sixes and sevens	in confusion	The office was at sixes and sevens.
Add fuel to the fire	make a bad situation worse	His harsh words added fuel to the fire.
Cut a sorry figure	make a poor impression	He cut a sorry figure on stage.

Theme: money, honesty and character

Idiom	Meaning	Example
A blessing in disguise	a good thing that looks bad at first	Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.
Spill the beans	tell a secret	Someone spilt the beans about the party.
Cost an arm and a leg	be very expensive	That phone costs an arm and a leg.
To make both ends meet	to manage on small income	He works two jobs to make both ends meet.
Hand in glove	very close partners (often in wrong acts)	The two were hand in glove.
Black sheep	a bad member of a good group	He is the black sheep of the family.
White elephant	a costly thing of little use	The huge building became a white elephant.
A red-letter day	a very special, happy day	Her wedding was a red-letter day.

Theme: talk, mind and common sense

Idiom	Meaning	Example
Once in a blue moon	very rarely	He visits us once in a blue moon.
By and large	in general	By and large, the class did well.
Call it a day	stop work for now	We are tired, so let us call it a day.
Let the cat out of the bag	reveal a secret by mistake	She let the cat out of the bag.
Pull someone's leg	joke with someone	Stop pulling my leg.
The lion's share	the largest part	He took the lion's share of the profit.
Apple of one's eye	a much-loved person	The child is the apple of her eye.
Rain cats and dogs	rain very heavily	It was raining cats and dogs.

3. Phrasal verbs by verb

The same verb can change meaning with each small word.

Phrasal verb	Meaning
Give up	stop trying; quit
Give in	surrender
Give away	give free; reveal
Give out	distribute; end
Take after	look or behave like an elder relative
Take off	leave the ground (plane); remove
Take over	take control
Take up	begin a hobby or job
Look after	take care of
Look into	investigate
Look up to	respect
Look down on	think less of
Look forward to	wait happily for
Put off	delay
Put up with	tolerate
Put out	extinguish
Turn down	refuse
Turn up	arrive
Call off	cancel
Call on	visit
Bring up	raise a child
Break down	stop working; lose control of feelings
Break out	start suddenly (war, fire)
Carry on	continue
Carry out	perform
Run out of	have no more of
Get over	recover from
Come across	find by chance

4. Common verb + preposition pairs

Some verbs always take a fixed preposition.

Word	Correct preposition
Interested	in
Good / bad	at
Afraid / fond	of
Depend / rely	on
Blame (a person)	for
Congratulate (someone)	on
Prefer (one)	to (another)
Different	from
Angry	with (a person), at (a thing)
Capable	of
Responsible	for
Suffer	from

5. Using them well in writing

Use an idiom only if you are sure of the meaning.
Keep idioms for informal writing. In formal letters, use plain words.
Do not mix two idioms in one sentence.
Learn five idioms each day, with an example, and revise each week.

6. Memory aids

Picture the words. For "spill the beans", picture a bag of beans falling and everyone seeing what was inside. This fixes "reveal a secret".
Group by mood. Keep one list of idioms for trouble (in hot water, bite the dust) and one for success (a piece of cake, hit the nail on the head).
Pair opposites. "Give up" (stop) and "carry on" (continue) are opposite phrasal verbs. "Turn down" (refuse) is the opposite of "accept". "Put off" (delay) and "carry out" (perform) work in the same way.
Test with a blank. Cover the small word in a phrasal verb and guess it from the meaning. If the blank means "cancel", the answer is "call off".
Write two lines. For each new idiom, write one line using it and one line explaining it in simple words.

Exam traps

Cry over spilt milk is about regret for past, not about spilling a drink.
Take after means "to resemble"; take off means "to remove" or "to rise from the ground".
Put off (delay) and put up with (tolerate) are different.
Call off means cancel; call on means visit.
Black sheep is a bad member; white elephant is a costly useless thing.
Once in a blue moon means rarely, not "every month".
Look into means investigate; look up to means respect.
Different from is the standard form; prefer to (not "prefer than").

One-liners

1. Break the ice means to start a friendly talk.
2. Burn the midnight oil means to work late.
3. A piece of cake is a very easy task.
4. Spill the beans means to tell a secret.
5. Under the weather means slightly ill.
6. A blessing in disguise is a hidden good.
7. The lion's share is the biggest part.
8. Give up means to stop trying.
9. Look after means to take care of.
10. Call off means to cancel.
11. Put up with means to tolerate.
12. Out of the blue means suddenly.

Practice questions

The idiom 'break the ice' means to
1. stop a quarrel
2. start a friendly talk
3. break frozen water
4. end a friendship
Answer
B. start a friendly talk
Break the ice means to ease the first awkward moment.
'Burn the midnight oil' means to
1. sleep early
2. cook at night
3. waste fuel
4. work late at night
Answer
D. work late at night
It means to study or work far into the night.
'A piece of cake' means
1. a hard job
2. a sweet gift
3. a very easy task
4. a small share
Answer
C. a very easy task
It is used for something very easy.
'Spill the beans' means to
1. tell a secret
2. waste food
3. make a mess
4. cook well
Answer
A. tell a secret
To reveal secret information.
'Under the weather' means
1. in a storm
2. slightly ill
3. very rich
4. very happy
Answer
B. slightly ill
It means not feeling well.
'A blessing in disguise' means
1. a bad omen
2. a costly gift
3. a hidden good thing
4. a religious act
Answer
C. a hidden good thing
Something that seems bad but turns out good.
'The lion's share' means
1. a fair share
2. a fearful part
3. a very small part
4. the largest part
Answer
D. the largest part
The biggest portion.
'Once in a blue moon' means
1. at night
2. very rarely
3. very often
4. every month
Answer
B. very rarely
It describes something that happens very seldom.
'Out of the blue' means
1. suddenly and unexpectedly
2. very sadly
3. slowly
4. with sorrow
Answer
A. suddenly and unexpectedly
Without any warning.
'Cry over spilt milk' means to
1. waste money
2. feel hungry
3. clean a mess
4. regret what cannot be undone
Answer
D. regret what cannot be undone
It is useless to feel sorry about past events.
'To beat about the bush' means to
1. hunt animals
2. speak loudly
3. avoid the main point
4. hit a plant
Answer
C. avoid the main point
To talk without coming to the point.
'Leave no stone unturned' means to
1. clear the field
2. damage property
3. try every possible means
4. give up quickly
Answer
C. try every possible means
To make every effort.
'Turn over a new leaf' means to
1. turn a page quickly
2. stop studying
3. read a book
4. begin a better way of life
Answer
D. begin a better way of life
To change one's behaviour for the better.
'Hit the nail on the head' means to
1. use a hammer
2. say exactly the right thing
3. make an error
4. hurt someone
Answer
B. say exactly the right thing
To be exactly right.
'A white elephant' is
1. a costly thing of little use
2. a sacred object
3. a rare animal
4. a gift of value
Answer
A. a costly thing of little use
An expensive possession that is a burden.
'Black sheep' means
1. a dark colour
2. a bad member of a group
3. a helpful friend
4. a farm animal
Answer
B. a bad member of a group
The disgrace of a good family or group.
'To pull someone's leg' means to
1. joke with someone
2. help someone
3. hurt someone
4. walk with someone
Answer
A. joke with someone
To tease in a playful way.
'Cost an arm and a leg' means to be
1. very cheap
2. fairly priced
3. dangerous
4. very expensive
Answer
D. very expensive
Extremely costly.
'Call it a day' means to
1. fix a holiday
2. begin work
3. stop work for the day
4. name a date
Answer
C. stop work for the day
To end the work for now.
'Apple of one's eye' refers to
1. a sick person
2. a much-loved person
3. a stranger
4. a hated person
Answer
B. a much-loved person
Someone dearly loved.
'To make both ends meet' means to
1. earn a great deal
2. finish a task
3. manage with a small income
4. join two ropes
Answer
C. manage with a small income
To live within a limited income.
'At sixes and sevens' means
1. in confusion
2. in a hurry
3. in agreement
4. in a good mood
Answer
A. in confusion
In a state of disorder.
'To let the cat out of the bag' means to
1. hide a fact
2. start a fight
3. free an animal
4. reveal a secret by mistake
Answer
D. reveal a secret by mistake
To disclose a secret carelessly.
'Add fuel to the fire' means to
1. make a bad situation worse
2. calm a fight
3. cook food
4. start a business
Answer
A. make a bad situation worse
To increase anger or trouble.
The phrasal verb 'give up' means
1. give a gift
2. stop trying
3. give advice
4. give away
Answer
B. stop trying
Give up means to quit.
The phrasal verb 'look after' means
1. search for
2. wait for
3. take care of
4. look at
Answer
C. take care of
Look after means to care for.
The phrasal verb 'call off' means
1. phone
2. shout
3. visit
4. cancel
Answer
D. cancel
Call off means to cancel.
The phrasal verb 'put up with' means
1. tolerate
2. arrive
3. build
4. delay
Answer
A. tolerate
Put up with means to bear something unpleasant.
The phrasal verb 'take after' means
1. follow rules
2. resemble an elder
3. remove clothes
4. stop work
Answer
B. resemble an elder
It means to look or act like a parent or elder.
Fill in the blank: The match was ____ because of rain.
1. called on
2. called up
3. called in
4. called off
Answer
D. called off
Called off means cancelled.
Fill in the blank: She was ____ by her grandparents after her parents moved abroad.
1. brought on
2. brought out
3. brought up
4. brought in
Answer
C. brought up
Brought up means raised.
Fill in the blank: The fire ____ in the market late at night.
1. broke in
2. broke off
3. broke up
4. broke out
Answer
D. broke out
Break out means to start suddenly.
Fill in the blank: We have ____ of sugar; please buy some.
1. run in
2. run up
3. run out
4. run over
Answer
C. run out
Run out of means to have none left.
Fill in the blank: He is good ____ mathematics.
1. at
2. in
3. with
4. on
Answer
A. at
The standard pair is good at.
Fill in the blank: I prefer tea ____ coffee.
1. from
2. to
3. over
4. than
Answer
B. to
Prefer is followed by to.
Fill in the blank: He has been suffering ____ fever for a week.
1. with
2. of
3. by
4. from
Answer
D. from
Suffer takes from.
Choose the correct sentence.
1. This book is different with that one.
2. This book is different than that one.
3. This book is different from that one.
4. This book is different to that one.
Answer
C. This book is different from that one.
Different from is the standard form.
Consider the statements about idioms. 1. 'Out of the blue' means suddenly. 2. 'Once in a blue moon' means very often.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
Once in a blue moon means very rarely.
Consider the statements about phrasal verbs. 1. 'Look down on' means to respect. 2. 'Look up to' means to respect.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
B. 2 only
Look down on means to think less of someone.
Consider the statements about phrasal verbs. 1. 'Put off' means to delay. 2. 'Turn down' means to accept.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
Turn down means to refuse.
Consider the statements. 1. The words of an idiom can be changed freely in exams. 2. An idiom must be understood by its whole meaning.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
B. 2 only
Idioms are fixed expressions; their words should not be changed.
Consider the statements. 1. 'Bite the dust' means to fail or fall. 2. 'In hot water' means in comfort.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
In hot water means in trouble.
Consider the statements. 1. 'Take off' always means to remove a thing. 2. 'Take over' means to take control.
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
B. 2 only
Take off can also mean a plane rising into the air.
Match the phrasal verb with its meaning: 'come across'.
1. visit often
2. go across a road
3. find by chance
4. argue with
Answer
C. find by chance
Come across means to meet or find unexpectedly.
Which idiom means 'to face a problem bravely'?
1. Cry over spilt milk
2. Beat about the bush
3. Spill the beans
4. Take the bull by the horns
Answer
D. Take the bull by the horns
Taking the bull by the horns means meeting danger directly.

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1.Choose the idiom/phrase that means: "it is raining very heavily"
2.What is the meaning of the idiom/phrase: "Spill the beans"?
3.What is the meaning of the idiom/phrase: "Piece of cake"?
4.What is the meaning of the idiom/phrase: "Piece of cake"?
5.Choose the idiom/phrase that means: "it is raining very heavily"
6.What is the meaning of the idiom/phrase: "Under the weather"?
7.Choose the idiom/phrase that means: "it is raining very heavily"
8.What is the meaning of the idiom/phrase: "Spill the beans"?
9.What is the meaning of the idiom/phrase: "Under the weather"?
10.What is the meaning of the idiom/phrase: "Under the weather"?

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