Name idioms represented in the using the expressions from the box at the

bottom of the page and then place them into the appropriate sentences below
You will need to conjugate them appropriately.
A)______________ G)______________
1) I’m afraid I ______ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____
______when I accidently mentioned that were having a surprise party
for Tracy. (Reveal a secret unintentionally)

2) It really is a lovely house. It must have cost them an ______ and a

______. (A lot of money)

B)_______________ 3) Tanya was a smoker for 10 years but she finally managed to H)______________
________ _______ ________ last year. (Stopped smoking)

4) It seems that his family had a _______ _____ _____ ________.

None of them would speak about what it was. (A terrible secret)

5) I’d like an explanation as to why all those cakes have been eaten.
C)_______________ Come on! Speak up! Has a ______ _____ _____ ______ or I)______________
something? (Too embarrassed to talk)

6) The local mayor has been accused of accepting _____________ in

return for awarding lucrative contracts to large companies.
(Bribes)

7) Good luck with showing dad how to use that smart phone. As far as I
D)______________ J)_______________
am concerned, you can’t ________ ______ _____ _____ _____ _____
______. (It’s impossible for him to learn that)

8) Make sure you take an umbrella when you go outside. It’s _______
______ _____ ______ out there. (Terrible weather)

9) He wants to go on a lads’ weekend away with his friends but he is

E)______________ going to have to _________ his wife ________ first after what happened L)______________
last time. (Convince her with favours and flattery)

10) A lot of women have complained that there is a _________

_______ in the IT sector. (Prejudice against women in succeeding)

11) It is a nice job in many ways but it __________ _________.

(The wages are very bad)
F)______________ M)______________
12) The police are investigating the company after former employees
claimed it was being used to _________ _________.
(Making dirty money legal)

an arm and a leg backhanders butter (someone) up cat got your tongue glass ceiling
kick the habit launder money let the cat out of the bag pays peanuts
raining cats and dogs skeleton in the closet teach an old dog new tricks
 Answers

1) I’m afraid I let the cat out of the bag when I accidently
mentioned that were having a surprise party for Tracy.
(Reveal a secret unintentionally) C

2) It really is a lovely house. It must have cost them an arm and a

leg. (A lot of money) B

3) Tanya was a smoker for 10 years but she finally managed to kick
the habit last year. (Stopped smoking)

4) It seems that his family had skeleton in the closet. None of

them would speak about what it was. (A terrible secret)

5) I’d like an explanation as to why all those cakes have been

eaten. Come on! Speak up! Has a cat got your tongue or
something? (Too embarrassed to talk)

6) The local mayor has been accused of accepting backhanders in

return for awarding lucrative contracts to large companies.
(Bribes)

7) Good luck with showing dad how to use that smart phone. As
far as I am concerned, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
(It’s impossible for him to learn that)

8) Make sure you take an umbrella when you go outside. It’s

raining cats and dogs out there. (Terrible weather)

9) He wants to go on a lads’ weekend away with his friends but he

is going to have to butter his wife up first after what happened last
time. (Convince her with favours and flattery)

10) A lot of women have complained that there is a glass ceiling in

the IT sector. (Prejudice against women in succeeding)

11) It is a nice job in many ways but it pays peanuts.

(The wages are very bad)

12) The police are investigating the company after former

employees claimed it was being used to launder money.
(Making dirty money legal)