Lesson 8: Idioms with Clothes

Introductory Quiz
Guess the correct meaning of each idiom from the context. It's OK if you get a lot
of answers wrong – what’s important to do your best in trying to figure it out!

1) I have a wife, two kids, and a job. I can't just take off for a month-long trip
at the drop of a hat.

"At the drop of a hat" means...

A going to a place that's far away from home

B suddenly and without warning or preparation
C when things in your life are too stressful

2) That pair of jeans was too loose, but this one fits me like a glove!

If a piece of clothing "fits like a glove," it...

A it is the perfect color

B it is the perfect size
C it is the perfect price

3) Criticizing his ideas is one thing… but calling him a fat, lazy pig is hitting
below the belt.

"Hitting below the belt" means...

A changing the topic completely

B making a comment that is especially cruel or unfair
C saying something that starts a physical fight

4) I had a hard time finding my first job because most companies prefer to
hire people with a couple years' experience already under their belt.

If you have something "under your belt," it means...

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 A you have already done it
B you know a lot about a specific area
C your skills are not useful in the real world

5) My manager started getting hot under the collar after I corrected his
mistakes several times in front of the directors.

If someone is "hot under the collar," they are...

A afraid
B angry
C jealous

6) I'm in charge of the publicity for the new product launch - I've never done
anything like this before, so I'm flying by the seat of my pants.

"Flying by the seat of your pants" means...

A asking for help from people in authority

B improvising rather than following a plan
C trying to get something done as quickly as possible

7) If it rains tomorrow and we can't take the kids to the zoo, I've got a few
more ideas up my sleeve.

If you "have (something) up your sleeve," it means you...

A have a secret or surprise plan

B will delay the activity
C enjoy wearing nice clothes

8) I wear jeans and t-shirts all the time, but my sister always leaves the house
dressed to kill.

If you're "dressed to kill," it means you are...

A looking great, wearing very nice clothes

B worried about what other people think of your style
C wearing all black

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9) During business trips, my company pays for the hotel, but lunch and dinner
are out of my own pocket.

If you pay for something "out of your own pocket," it means...

A you pay more than you expected

B you split the cost with someone
C you pay from your money

10) She's not a very talented actress, but she rose to fame on the coattails of
her father, who's an award-winning director.

If you do something "on someone's coat-tails," it means...

A accidentally, without wanting to do it

B you follow the same line of work as your family
C you only achieve it because of their help and influence

11) The other team beat the pants off us at the soccer championship - the
final score was 8-0.

To "beat the pants off of" someone means to beat them...

A completely
B in an important game
C surprisingly

12) I know you think she's making the wrong decision, but you might see
things differently if you were in her shoes.

"If you were in her shoes" means...

A if you had only two options

B if you were in her situation
C if you were looking beyond appearances

13) The English school offers tailor-made courses for professionals working
in the oil and gas industry.

"Tailor-made" means...

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 A at night
B customized
C intensive

14) I never have to wonder what my daughter is feeling because she wears
her heart on her sleeve.

If you "wear your heart on your sleeve," you...

A display your emotions openly

B like to talk about romance
C wear very feminine clothing

Explanation

#1 - at the drop of a hat = (B) – suddenly and without warning

or preparation

In the past, there was a tradition of dropping a hat to signal the start of a race,
game, or duel. The competition would start at the exact moment the hat hit the
ground.

#2 - fits like a glove = (B) – when clothing is the perfect size

You wear gloves on your hands. They shouldn't be too tight (too small) or too
loose (too big). This idiom can be used to talk about any piece of clothing
(shirt, pants, a dress, etc.)

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#3 - hitting below the belt = (B) – making a comment that is
especially cruel or unfair

This expression comes from the fact that if you hit a man below his belt (in his
genital area), it will really hurt – and this type of attack is considered unfair in
most martial arts and other fighting sports. So "hitting below the belt"
describes a verbal comment that is especially cruel.

#4 - have something under your belt = (A) – you have already

done it

Don’t get the previous idiom confused with “have something under your belt,”
which refers to things you've already experienced or achieved. For example, if
you're in the middle of a series of 10 yoga classes, you could say, "I have 5
classes under my belt so far."

#5 - hot under the collar = (B) – angry

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The part of the shirt around your neck is called a collar. When you get angry,
your face/neck get hot – so the collar would become uncomfortable.

#6 - flying by the seat of your pants = (B) – improvising, not

following a plan

In the early days of aviation, airplanes didn't have many instruments and the
pilot had to use his judgment to navigate. This "improvisation" of the flight
plans came to be called “flying by the seat of your pants.”

#7 - have something up your sleeve = (A) – have a secret or

surprise plan

The part of your shirt that covers your arm is a sleeve. Magicians often hide
cards or other objects inside ("up") their sleeve as part of the magic trick. So
to have something up your sleeve is to have a secret or surprise plan that you
will reveal or use later.

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#8 - dressed to kill = (A) – looking great, wearing very nice
clothes

Two more idioms with the same meaning are dressed to the nines and looks
like a million dollars. We also use the phrasal verb dressed up to mean
"wearing nicer clothes than normal."

#9 - out of your own pocket = (C) – you pay with your money

The compartment in your pants (or shirt) where you keep objects is called a
pocket. So if you pay out of your own pocket, you are using your own money,
nobody else is paying for you.

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#10 - on someone's coattails = (C) – because of someone else's
help and influence

The word “coattails” refers to the back of a man's suit jacket (in the past, this
part of the jacket was much longer). If you hold onto someone's coattails, you
can follow them without much effort.

This idiom is often used when a less talented person reaches success only
because of a connection with a more talented person.

#11 - beat the pants off = (A) – beat (win) completely

This expression is often used in sports games when one team won a victory by
a lot of points. You can also use it when comparing two things and one is
completely superior. For example: “Delta Airlines beats the pants off American
Airlines - their flights are more comfortable AND cheaper!”

“_______ the pants off” can be used after other verbs to emphasize them. We
also have the idiom “scare the pants off someone,” which means to scare the
person completely; for example, "That horror movie scared the pants off my
sister. She couldn’t sleep for a week after watching it."

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#12 - if you were in her shoes = (B) – if you were in her
situation

A similar idiom is “to fill someone’s shoes” (to replace someone and do equal
work). Here’s an example. Imagine a great teacher who was very popular has
just stopped working at a school. You can say: "It will be hard to fill his shoes."
This means it will be difficult to find someone to take his place and do such
good work.

#13 - tailor-made = (B) – customized

A tailor is a person who makes adjustments to your clothing, or who makes

clothing specifically for your body, in the perfect size for you. So something
that is tailor-made is customized. You can use this idiom with anything - not
just clothing.

#14 - wear your heart on your sleeve = (A) – display your

emotions openly

Remember that the sleeve is the part of your shirt that covers your arm. If
something is on your sleeve, everybody can see it. The heart is the center of
your emotions, so wearing your heart on your sleeve means to display your
emotions openly, so that they are obvious to everyone.

Now take the quiz and try the short-answer exercises!

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Practice Quiz
1) This chair is _____________ for people who have back problems and bad
posture.

A up your sleeve
B on the coattails
C tailor-made

2) I worked every summer while I was in college, so by the time I graduated, I

already had three internships _____________.

A at the drop of a hat

B under my collar
C under my belt

3) My health insurance doesn't cover acupuncture, so I had to pay for the

treatment _____________.

A by the seat of my pants

B out of my own pocket
C with my heart on my sleeve

4) My first attempt to fix your computer didn't work, but don't worry - I've got
a few more tricks ____________.

A up my sleeve
B tailor-made
C below the belt

5) My girlfriend is much too sensitive. She often cries ___________________.

A at the drop of a hat

B out of her own pocket
C in her shoes

6) I know that sweater's expensive, but you should definitely buy it -

_______________.

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 A it's dressed to kill
B it fits you like a glove
C it's on your coattails

7) My bank has terrible customer service. I hate calling them and getting stuck
in their stupid voicemail system - it always makes me ______________.

A hit below the belt

B hot under the collar
C dress to kill

8) I started my first business with some friends at university. We were just

__________________; we didn't know anything! Now that we have more
experience, we're a little more organized and deliberate.

A having something up our sleeves

B flying by the seat of our pants
C paying out of our own pocket

9) Sarah ___________ all the other gymnasts at the competition and won the gold
medal easily.

A beat the pants off

B rode on the coattails of
C got hot under the collar

10) If ___________, I would just tell him how I felt instead of hiding it.

A it fits me like a glove

B I were in your shoes
C I wore my heart on my sleeve

Answers are at the end of this lesson.

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Short-Answer Exercises
1. Describe a situation when you started to get hot under the collar.

2. Have you ever done something "flying by the seat of your pants"?

3. What do you wear when you want to be "dressed to kill"?

4. Have you ever been in a situation where you expected someone else to
pay for something, but in the end you had to pay out of your own
pocket?

5. Do you think it's better to "wear your heart on your sleeve" or to hide
your emotions - and why?

If you want correction / feedback, you can e-mail me your writing at

homework@espressoenglish.net

Practice Quiz Answers

1) C

2) C

3) B

4) A

5) A

6) B

7) B

8) B

9) A

10) B

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