Do you know the English phrase “no room to swing a cat“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Libby: How is your new apartment?
Nathan: It’s nice, but there’s no room to swing a cat.
Libby: I guess a bigger place would have been more expensive though, huh?
Does it mean:
a) you want to swing a cat
b) there is no room for the cat
c) a space is small or cramped
d) a space is just the right size
The answer is below! ↓
Answer: c) a space is small or cramped
Do you know the English phrase “can’t think straight“? Look at the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Bill: How is work?
Kevin: So busy. I have so much to do I can’t think straight.
Does it mean
a) be busy
b) be unable to think clearly
c) be unable to think in a straight line
d) be tired
The answer is below! ↓
Answer: b) be unable to think clearly
Do you know the English phrase “grab a bite to eat“? Look at the conversation. Can you guess the meaning?
Andrew: What time will the meeting finish?
Gill: 5pm. We have to leave as soon as it has finished, so we should grab a bite to eat now. We won’t have time later.
Does it mean
a) have a small meal or snack quickly
b) bite something
c) eat a large meal quickly
d) find something which is easy to eat
The answer is below ↓
Answer: a) have a small meal or snack quickly
Do you know the English phrase “all ears“? Read the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Ruby: Jane, I need to talk to you about what happened last night with David.
Jane: Tell me all about it. I’m all ears.
Does it mean:
a) listen intently (with focus)
b) be interested in other people’s business
c) to have many ears
d) listen without speaking at all
The answer is below! ↓
Answer: a) listen intently (with focus)
Do you know the English expression “Don’t give up your day job“? Read the situation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Lucy and her sister, Jackie, are at a karaoke night. Lucy has just finished singing a song. She asks Jackie, “What did you think? Did I sing well?” Jackie answers, “Don’t give up your day job.”
Does it mean:
a) you are not good at something
b) you should be working, not having fun
c) you are good at something
d) your day job is more important than singing
The answer is below! ↓
a) you are not good at something
Do you know the English expression “to hear (something) on the grapevine“? Can you guess the meaning?
William: I heard it on the grapevine that Joe is planning to quit the company.
Claire: Really? When did you hear that?
William: The other day.
Does it mean
a) hear something at a farm which grows grapes
b) hear something while eating grapes
c) hear a lie
d) hear a rumor
The answer is below! ↓
Answer: d) hear a rumor
Do you know the English expression “A penny for your thoughts”?
Can you guess the meaning?
Sally sees her friend Nicola sitting at her desk at work. Nicola is not working. She looks serious and is thinking. Sally walks over to her and says “A penny for your thoughts“.
Does it mean:
a) tell me what you are thinking and I’ll give you a penny
b) what are you thinking?
c) here is a penny for you
d) if you don’t start working, you won’t make any money
The answer is below! ↓
Answer: b) what are you thinking?
Do you know the English idiom “to have a lot on (one’s) plate? Look at the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Rebecca: Emily, I was wondering if you could help me move house at the weekend.
Emily: I wish I could, but I have a lot on my plate at the moment. My grandmother is in hospital and my son has a soccer tournament soon. I also have to give a presentation at work in two weeks, and I haven’t started preparing for it yet!
Rebecca: No problem. You really do have a lot on your plate!
Does it mean:
a) you have too much food
b) you have many things to do
c) you have an important event to attend
The answer is below! ↓
Answer: b) you have many things to do
This is our fourth idiom containing a “winter” word. Do you know “when hell freezes over”? Look at the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Oliver: When do you think you’ll get a promotion at work?
Alice: When hell freezes over! The boss hates me, and is always telling me that I can’t do my job properly.
Does it mean:
a) never
b) in a few years
c) when it gets colder
The answer is below! ↓
Answer: a) never
This is our third idiom containing a “winter” word. Do you know “the tip of the iceberg”?
Look at the conversation below. Can you guess the meaning?
Robert: It seems like your company has some problems. I heard a lot of people are quitting your company.
Sean: That’s just the tip of the iceberg. We have lost all of our main customers over the past year, and have a lot of debt!
Does it mean:
a) the biggest problem
b) a small part of the problem
c) the most urgent problem
The answer is below! ↓
Answer: b) a small part of the problem
I Talk You Talk Press EXTRA 
You must be logged in to post a comment.