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English Quiz - Idioms 01 (Questions)

Idioms are phrases with hidden meanings. In KS3 English, you’ll spot them in stories and speech. Learn to read beyond the literal words.

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Fascinating Fact:

Hit the books means study, not punch a book, you might hit the books for 30 minutes before football.

In KS3 English, idioms are common in fiction, speeches, and everyday chat. They don’t mean exactly what the words say. Understanding the context helps you choose the correct meaning.

Key Terms

Idiom: A fixed expression whose overall meaning is different from the literal words, e.g., “spill the beans.”
Literal meaning: The exact, word-for-word meaning of a phrase.
Figurative meaning: The non-literal meaning the writer or speaker intends.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is an idiom in English for KS3?

An idiom is a set phrase whose meaning is not literal. For example, “break the ice” means start a friendly conversation, not smash frozen water.

How do I work out the meaning of an idiom?

Read the surrounding sentences, think about the situation, and ask what makes sense. If needed, check a dictionary entry that explains figurative meanings.

What are common idioms students should know?

Useful examples include “hit the books,” “on the same page,” “piece of cake,” “under the weather,” and “once in a blue moon.”

Try These Related Quizzes

1.

Which idiom means "an unsuccessful search"?

[ ]	A wild bird chase
[ ]	A wild duck chase
[ ]	A wild goose chase
[ ]	A wild swan chase

2.

Which expression means "you need to do better"?

[ ]	Pull your sock up
[ ]	Pull your socks up
[ ]	Put a sock in it
[ ]	Sock it to them

3.

Which idiom means "to be the best"?

[ ]	A hornet's nest
[ ]	The bee's knees
[ ]	The bee's sting
[ ]	The wasp's nest

4.

Which one means "to cause disagreement"?

[ ]	Bone of content
[ ]	Bone of contentedness
[ ]	Bone of contention
[ ]	Bone of contentment

5.

Which one means "unlikely to happen"?

[ ]	A pig in a poke
[ ]	Pig-headed
[ ]	Pig-iron
[ ]	Pigs might fly

6.

Which one means "very bored"?

[ ]	Bored to cry
[ ]	Bored to laugh
[ ]	Bored to smile
[ ]	Bored to tears

7.

Which expression means "doesn't fit in"?

[ ]	A kettle of fish
[ ]	Fish out of water
[ ]	Other fish to fry
[ ]	Swim like a fish

8.

Which one means "to become angry"?

[ ]	To see blue
[ ]	To see green
[ ]	To see red
[ ]	To see white

9.

Which one exaggerates a problem?

[ ]	Making a molehill out of a mountain
[ ]	Making a mountain out of a molehill
[ ]	Making a pebble out of a rock
[ ]	Making an acorn out of an oak

10.

Which phrase means "just"?

[ ]	A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
[ ]	A stitch in time saves nine
[ ]	By the chattering of your teeth
[ ]	By the skin of your teeth

English Quiz - Idioms 01 (Answers)

1.

Which idiom means "an unsuccessful search"?

[ ]	A wild bird chase
[ ]	A wild duck chase
[x]	A wild goose chase
[ ]	A wild swan chase

Literally you would run after a goose!

2.

Which expression means "you need to do better"?

[ ]	Pull your sock up
[x]	Pull your socks up
[ ]	Put a sock in it
[ ]	Sock it to them

Idioms can be tricky to understand when learning another language because their meanings are not literal, but metaphoric

3.

Which idiom means "to be the best"?

[ ]	A hornet's nest
[x]	The bee's knees
[ ]	The bee's sting
[ ]	The wasp's nest

An idiom creates a picture with no clue to its meaning. What is so special about a bee's knees? Do bees even have knees?

4.

Which one means "to cause disagreement"?

[ ]	Bone of content
[ ]	Bone of contentedness
[x]	Bone of contention
[ ]	Bone of contentment

You can imagine two dogs fighting over a bone

5.

Which one means "unlikely to happen"?

[ ]	A pig in a poke
[ ]	Pig-headed
[ ]	Pig-iron
[x]	Pigs might fly

The image created by the idiom is impossible. Have you ever seen a pig with wings?

6.

Which one means "very bored"?

[ ]	Bored to cry
[ ]	Bored to laugh
[ ]	Bored to smile
[x]	Bored to tears

Have you ever been so bored that it has made you cry? Seems unlikely!

7.

Which expression means "doesn't fit in"?

[ ]	A kettle of fish
[x]	Fish out of water
[ ]	Other fish to fry
[ ]	Swim like a fish

A fish is elegantly suited to its own context, water, but most cannot survive long out of that context

8.

Which one means "to become angry"?

[ ]	To see blue
[ ]	To see green
[x]	To see red
[ ]	To see white

Like a bull charging at a red cloth perhaps

9.

Which one exaggerates a problem?

[ ]	Making a molehill out of a mountain
[x]	Making a mountain out of a molehill
[ ]	Making a pebble out of a rock
[ ]	Making an acorn out of an oak

A molehill is much smaller than a mountain!

10.

Which phrase means "just"?

[ ]	A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
[ ]	A stitch in time saves nine
[ ]	By the chattering of your teeth
[x]	By the skin of your teeth

Idioms often work by making you imagine the impossible. Teeth, of course, do not have any skin!