PAGE 100 Vocabulary: IDIOMS AND PHRASAL VERBS

1. Match the idioms and phrasal verbs in A with their meanings in B.

A B
1. Get carried away
2. Jump down someone's throat
3. Throw something together
4. Not give an inch
5. Get up someone's nose
6. Make a meal of something
7. Too big for your boots
8. Wriggle out of something
9. Pull your socks up
10. Throw your weight around
2. Using Phrases in Context
a) To criticize or attack someone for
something they have said or done
b) To be overly self-confident or arrogant
c) To put something together quickly
without much effort or planning
d) To make an effort to improve your
performance or behavior
e) To refuse to compromise or yield in an
argument or dispute
f) To become overly excited or emotional
about something
g) To annoy or irritate someone
h) To avoid doing something difficult or
unpleasant
i) To make something more difficult than it
needs to be
j) To use your power or influence to control
others

Instructions: Choose the correct phrase to complete each sentence. Use the context clues
provided to help you understand the meaning of each phrase.

1. During the debate, he _______ and lost sight of his main argument.

a. got carried away b. jumped down someone's throat c. threw something together

2. Whenever they discuss politics, she _______ if he doesn't agree with her.

a. jumps down his throat b. throws something together c. doesn't give an inch

3. I had to _______ for the party since I didn't have much time to prepare.

a. get carried away b. throw something together c. not give an inch

4. Even in negotiations, he would _______ and stand firm on his position.

a. get up someone's nose b. not give an inch c. make a meal of something

5. Her constant nagging about the project really _______.

a. got up his nose b. threw something together c. was too big for his boots

6. The presentation was a disaster because she decided to _______ instead of being
concise.

a. make a meal of something b. wriggle out of something c. pull her socks up

7. He thinks he's better than everyone else and can _______ in any situation.

a. get carried away b. throw his weight around c. not give an inch

8. He always tries to _______ whenever he gets into trouble.

a. wriggle out of something b. jump down someone's throat c. throw something

together

3. Understanding and Using Colloquial Phrases

Directions: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate colloquial phrase from the phrases
provided. Choose the phrase that best fits the sentence. You may need to make some
changes so that the expressions grammatically fit the sentences.

pull your socks up get carried away get up someone's nose not give an inch

too big for your boots jump down someone's throat throw your weight around

wriggle out of the situation throw something together make a meal of something

1. I didn't mean to offend you, you don't have to ________, I was just asking a question.

2. I'm sorry, I didn't have much time to prepare, so I just decided to ________ a quick meal for
us.

3. Negotiating with them is tough, they won't ________ and it's hard to find a compromise.

4. His behavior at work is really starting to ________ - he's always criticizing other people and
bossing them around.

5. The chef was really ________ preparing the dish, adding all sorts of spices and garnishes.

6. She thinks she's so important, always acting like she's ________ and telling other people
what to do.

7. He's always trying to ________ when he's in trouble, never taking responsibility for his
mistakes.

8. You need to ________ if you want to do well on the exam - start studying and practicing
now.

9. He thinks he can ________ because he's in charge, but he's not making any friends that way.