Idioms

A. Find the meanings of these idioms

No Idiom
Meaning
.
1. play with fire
to be involved in an activity that could be
dangerous (usually in continuous tenses)
2. make a clean breast to tell the truth about something,
of it
especially something bad or illegal that you
have done, so that you do not have to feel
guilty any more
3. turn a blind eye
to choose to ignore behaviour that you
know is wrong
4. think the world of
to be very fond of someone or something
5. make light work of
to do something quickly and easily
6. beat about the bush to avoid talking about a difficult or
embarrassing subject because you are
worried about upsetting the person you are
talking to (usually negative)
7. race against time
a rush; a rush to beat a deadline.
8. on tenterhooks
nervously waiting to find out what is going
to happen;
anxiously waiting for news about someone
or something
9. see eye to eye
to agree about someone or something with
someone else,
B. Complete the following sentences using the idioms in C. You may
have to change the forms of the verbs in the idioms.
a) Scientist have been. to find a cure for AIDS since doctors first
noticed it in 1981.
b) Julia finally and confessed that she had caused the accident.
c) I am sure we can cleaning up the neighbourhood if we each do
our part.
d) Although the two men do not on many issues, they are still
good friends.
e) My parents Dr Kugah because he successfully treated me for
dengue fever last year.
f) Do not and waste our time; tell us what you really want.
g) Some people to the pain and suffering of others because they
do not think they can do anything about it.
h) Hamid was the whole day, wondering when his mother would
call.
i) Many teenagers engage in risky behavior because they are bored
or curious; unfortunately, they do not realize that they are
C. Identify the idioms in the following sentences.
1. The title of that book rings a bell, but I cannot recall who wrote it.
2. CJs mother went to pieces as soon as she found out that her son
was HIV positive.
3. Everyone waited with bated breath for the master of ceremonies to
announce the winner.
4. There were so many kinds of cakes at the new bakery that we were
spoilt for choice.

5. We should thank our lucky stars that we live in a peaceful country

like Malaysia; many others are not as fortunate.
6. After weeks of discussion, the committee finally started the ball
rolling on the AIDS awareness campaign and designed a poster for it.