Idiomatic English

• I  What do the phrases refer to?  Match the numbers with the letters.

 1.The manager retired last year and was given a golden handshake.
2. He is a confirmed bachelor.
3. The book is out of stock.
4. Who is in favour of the program?
5. He is always blowing his own trumpet.
6. I don't know, it's just a shot in the dark,
7. Why did you give it a cold shoulder?
8. Mother hit the roof when she learnt the whole truth.
9. His father seems to live in an ivory tower of his own.
10. Why do you look so keyed up?

• II Choose the best word from the list in the box. Remember to use the correct case.

1. She was as cool as _____________.  2.  He has always ___________an active life. 3. Yesterday I__________ sight of Helen.  4. I can't stand him. He always eats like____________.  5. John is getting married tomorrow and will give ___________ party to all his male friends. 6. I am tired, I think I'm going to sleep like_____________. 7. Tell me what really happened. Don't __________about the bush.  8 Ialways have ___________ in my stomach before taking a flight.  9 Those cellular phones sell like hot _________.10. Sorry. All the money seems to have gone down the_____________.

• III More verbs. Choose the best verb from the list in the correct form.

1.  Do you ____________badminton or any other sport?  2. What do the letters EU____________?  3.  He seems to have ___________John _________a fool or something. 4. The young people of the village have always wanted to ____________this old tradition. 5. I know that John never ___________his friends. 6. That painting will __________well for my study. 7. ____________your time. The match won't start until 8.00. 8. I think we can________ you _________for the night. 9. I don't know what happened. The whole project seems to have ___________.  10. __________your horses! We’re in no hurry.

Key**************************************Taita piiloon

I  Ie, 2f, 3b, 4a, 5d, 6j, 7g, 8i, 9c, 10h.
II  a cucumber 2. led 3. caught 4. a pig 5. a stag 6. dead/ a log 7. beat 8. butterflies 9. cakes 10. drain
III 1. go in for 2. stand for 3. taken ... for 4. keep up 5. lets down 6. do 7. Take 8. put ... up 9. fallen through 10. Hold

I
a. supporting something
b. not available for sale
c.  isolation
d. boasting
e. a large paymen
f. marital status
g. not caring
h. being nervous
i. getting angry
j. guessing

II
beat
a butterfly 
to catch 
a pig
a stag
dead
a log 
a cake 
drain
a cucumber 
led 

III
put up
stand for
let down
take
fall through
hold
go in for
keep up
do
take for