IndiaIndia UKUKUSUS

Every Question Helps You Learn

Parents Students Tutors Teachers
Join Us
IndiaIndia UKUKUSUS
Join Us
Primary (Age 5 to 9)Primary (Age 10 to 13)High School (Age 14 to 16)ESL (All ages)SpecialistGames
  1. Home
  2. Primary
  3. Primary School English
  4. Idioms - Identify the Idioms
Streak
Leading Streak Today 0
Your Streak Today 0
Streak
Leading Streak Today
0
Your Streak Today
0
Idioms - Identify the Idioms
"I've washed my hands of it." This phrase is an idiom.

Idioms - Identify the Idioms

IN SAFE HANDS.

TO BE ON HAND.

TO GET ONE’S FINGERS BURNED.

What do you make of these phrases? By themselves they may not mean much but when used in a context they carry a lot of meaning. Let's take a closer look:

‘Your child is in safe hands with the baby sitter,’ means that the child will be well looked after by the baby sitter.

‘My friend was on hand in my hour of grief,' tells us that the friend was helping me when I was in grief. They were in attendance or available in case of need.

‘I got my fingers burned last time I associated with him,’ means that my experience with him was unpleasant and I learnt a painful lesson, especially in regard to trust in interpersonal relationships.

The phrases in these three examples are known as idioms. Idioms are often used to communicate things more forcefully and memorably. Idioms are very much entrenched in the culture of a country and each country has its own set of idioms derived from its culture and its language. English has hundreds of idioms and they can be categorised based on themes.

The human body is phenomenal in the sense that it is such a well oiled machine with each part doing a specific function. The human body is made use of in large measure in idiomatic expressions as all of us are conversant with its functions and can relate to expressions concerning it. Plenty of idioms are available on all parts of the human body. In the quiz that follows we learn some idioms based on the theme of 'hands' - and remember that idioms are used more often in informal conversations rather than in formal ones.

1.
Choose the option with the same meaning as the idiom - LIKE THE BACK OF ONE'S HAND.
To place the hands one behind the other.
To like somebody's hands.
To know something very well.
To tie the hands behind the back.
'Like the back of one's hand' means to know something very well. "I won't get lost in Bangalore as I know the city like the back of my hand."
2.
Choose the option with the same meaning as the idiom - BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU.
To chew one's hands.
To feed someone with your hands.
To cut off a hand.
To do harm to someone who is kind to you.
'Bite the hand that feeds you' means to do harm to someone who is kind to you. "If you steal from the company that pays you a salary, you bite the hand that feeds you."
3.
Choose the option with the same meaning as the idiom - TO HAVE YOUR HANDS FULL.
To have a lot of work.
To be able to sweat.
To fill up your pockets.
To clean your hands.
'To have your hands full' means to have a lot of work on your hands. "He had his hands full so he could not take on any more work."
4.
Choose the option with the same meaning as the idiom - TO THROW UP ONE'S HANDS.
To dirty your hands.
To put your hands together.
To give up.
To use the hands to throw something.
'To throw up one's hands' means to give up. "The teacher threw up his hands as he could not control the class."
5.
Choose the option with the same meaning as the idiom - TO HAVE A FREE HAND.
To untie the hands.
To keep one hand free.
To have both hands free.
To be able to do things your way.
'To have a free hand' means to be given the authority to do things your way. "The coach was given a free hand to train the cricket team."
6.
Choose the option with the same meaning as the idiom - WASH YOUR HANDS OF.
To rub your hands.
To abandon something you were doing midway.
To clean your hands.
To rinse your hands.
'Wash your hands of' means to abandon something you were doing without completing. "He couldn't just wash his hands of the boy's behaviour as the boy was his student."
7.
Choose the option with the same meaning as the idiom - HAND IN GLOVE.
To work in close association for a bad cause.
To remove the glove from the hand.
To stuff the hand in the glove.
To hand over the glove.
'Hand in glove' means to work in close association for a bad cause. "After the exam, it was discovered that the student was hand in glove with the invigilator."
8.
Choose the option with the same meaning as the idiom - TO GET OUT OF HAND.
To get the hands out.
To separate the hands.
To get out of control.
To release the hands.
'To get out of hand' means for something to get out of control. "The class got out of hand as the teacher was unable to control the children."
9.
Choose the option with the same meaning as the idiom - TO HAVE THE UPPER HAND.
To lift your hand.
To have an advantage.
To shake someone's hand.
To clasp hands.
'To have the upper hand' means to have an advantage. "At the end of the fourteenth round the boxer has the upper hand and he is bound to win."
10.
Choose the option with the same meaning as the idiom - HAND ON A PLATTER.
The hand held the plate.
The hand is like a plate.
To obtain something easily without having to make too much effort.
Hand and plate go together.
'To hand on a platter' means to obtain something easily without having to make too much effort. "The young man became a minister in his father's cabinet. The job was handed to him on a platter."
Author:  V T Narendra
Primary School English Play this quiz again

Contact Details

Education Quizzes

Heron's Way, Wragg Marsh
Spalding
Lincolnshire
PE12 6HH
England

Email

admin@educationquizzes.com

Customer Service

Home Page Students Free Teacher Resources in India - 4,000 Teacher-Written Quizzes Tutors

Here To Help

Contact Us Quiz List and Sitemap FAQs

About Us

Our Team Testimonials Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy

© Copyright 2016-2024 - Education Quizzes
Work Innovate Ltd - Design | Development | Marketing

We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website.

To comply with the e-Privacy directive, we need your consent - I agree - No thanks - Learn more