Idiom List 3

Activity 1

Listening:

Directions: Click on the link below to here the passage. As you listen, fill in the idioms that you here. Check your answers when you are finished.

PART ONE:

When it comes to skiing, I am , but, never-the-less, I paid an for a set of skis and some poles. I bought them from my neighbor, who can’t ski anymore because she has bad knees. I decided to take them and in the sport of skiing. I was ready to and have a good time. However, when I got to the slopes, I have to admit that I had , but then I saw this woman ski down the hill so effortlessly. She had to be the best skier there . I was so impressed. She absolutely . She motivated me to get going, so I pushed myself down the hill.

PART TWO:

And I fell flat on my face! I definitely . But I had to get to the bottom of the hill, so I tried again. And again I fell, and then I rolled and rolled until I hit the bottom of the slope. Looking like I was , I decided to forget about skiing. But then, the great skier who I had seen before told me to try again. “Keep practicing and you’ll eventually ,” she told me. I went back to the top of the hill and at skiing again. Somehow I made it to the bottom without falling! Perhaps one day I will actually be a good skier.

Now, check your answers.

1. all thumbs

2. arm and a leg

3. off her hands

4. get my feet wet

5. kick up my heels

6. cold feet

7. hands down

8. knocked me off my feet

9. got off on the wrong foot

10. on my last legs

11. land on your feet

12. dragging my heels

13. tried my hand

Meaning from Context:

Read each sentence and guess the idiom’s meaning based on the context. Check your answers by clicking on the arrows in the drop boxes after each guess.

1. When it comes to dancing, I am all thumbs! I always step on my partner’s toes!

Click to view definition clumsy, having difficulty fixing or working with one's hands

2. The couch cost an arm and a leg, but we really needed some furniture, so we bought it anyway. Click here to view definition pay a very high price for something that isn't worth it

3. I asked my mother to take my son off my hands for an afternoon so I could go shopping.

Click to view definition no longer in one's care or possession

4. If you really want to try ice skating, you should get your feet wet by going with a partner. It is easier when you first start if you have someone to hold on to.

Click to view definition begin, do something for the first time

5. I want to have a great time tonight. Let’s go kick up our heels at the night club. Click to view definition have a good time, celebrate

6. It is understandable that, before a speech, you are going to have cold feet. Everyone does. Click to view definition a loss of courage or nerve

7. Hands down, he is the strongest player on the team. He always gets the awards at the end of the season.

Click to view definition easy, unopposed

8. When the groom saw his bride in her wedding dress, he was knocked off his feet. Top of Form

Click to view definition surprise or shock someone so much that they don't know what to do

9. Listen, I know we argued a lot on our first date. We really got off on the wrong foot. Let’s try again.

Click to view definition make a bad start, begin with a mistake

10. The car that she bought is on its last legs. I don’t expect it to last her more than a month before it breaks down.

Click to view definition failing, near the end

11. We thought he might fail his classes and get kicked out of school, but he worked hard and landed on his feet by the end of the semester.

Click here to view definition come out of bad situation successfully

12. I hate going to the dentist. Every time I have to do it, I really drag my heels until the very last minute and then I’m usually late for my appointment.

Click here to view answer act slowly or reluctantly

13. You are really good at ice skating! You should try your hand at ice skating if you’ve never done it before. You’d probably be just as good at that.

Click here to view definition make an inexperienced attempt at something

Matching:

Tried one’s hand

Dragging one’s feet

Land on one’s feet

On one’s last legs

Got off on the wrong foot

Knocked off one’s feet

Hands down

Cold feet

Kick up one’s heels

Get one’s feet wet

Off one’s hands

Arm and a leg

All thumbs

Now that you have guessed the meanings to the words, match the idioms from the list above with the pictures and the situations below.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7. I wanted to see if I could dive from the high diving board since I had never done it before. So I tried it.

8. She is the best soccer player in the school. She has no competition when it comes to her soccer abilities.

9. Her speech started out slowly and she made some mistakes, but in the end, she had the audience clapping and on its feet. She was a huge success.

10. She didn’t want to go to school because of the big test. She stayed in bed for an extra long time and then she almost missed the bus because she wasn’t moving fast enough.

11. When I first met my boss, I accidentally poured coffee all over his new suit. I wouldn’t say that first meeting went very well.

12. Listen. If you want me to buy your old car, I’d be happy to take it from you. My daughter needs one to drive to school.

13. It was her first day on the job and she was very nervous. Her boss decided the best way to make her learn was to throw her right into the action. That was certainly one way to expose her to the business quickly.

Now view your answers:

1. All thumbs

2. costing an arm and a leg

3. kick up their heels

4. on its last leg

5. knocked him off his feet

6. this groom has cold feet

7. try my hand at it

8. she’s the best, hands down

9. she landed on her feet

10. she was dragging her feet

11. We got off on the wrong foot

12. take it off your hands

13. get her feet wet

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Please e-mail me with questions or concerns: mailto:hsmeloch@oaklandcc.edu