CBSE Class 9 English Idioms and Phrases Worksheet

Idioms Class 9 English Worksheets

Question. When you _____ it is best to be patient and have faith in your inner strength ?
a) remain on high alert
b) keep someone at an arm's length
c) call a spade a spade
d) find yourself in troubled waters

Answer : D

Question. As the floodwaters hit the coastal village, several families had a close shave. ?
a) Nothing to eat
b) A narrow escape
c) To have no livelihood
d) To lose all possessions

Answer : B

Question. Throughout his speech, the crowd was all ears ?
a) Very attentive
b) Talking loudly
c) Covering their ears
d) Making a lot of noise

Answer : A

Question. To give someone the cold shoulder ?
a) Bury someone in freezing cold
b) Deny someone comforting clothes
c) Serve cold meat to someone
d) Ignore or show indifference

Answer : D

Question. Pull yourself together ?
a) go to sleep
b) calm down
c) try to understand
d) do a good job

Answer : B

Question. Get your money’s worth ?
a) to be cheated in a purchase
b) to get something of poor quality for free
c) to pay and get something of good value
d) to buy something very expensive

Answer : C

Question. Back to square one ?
a) neglect something
b) Come to the original point
c) Draw a square
d) Move ahead

Answer : A

Question. To cost an arm and a leg ?
a) Not readily available
b) Easily affordable
c) Very expensive
d) To give away an arm and a leg

Answer : C

Question. Come to the point ?
a) To speak plainly about the real issue
b) To unravel a mystery
c) To get reconciled to something
d) To meet at a designated place

Answer : A

Question. Put your best foot forward ?
a) Take care to dress well
b) Walk very cautiously
c) Try as hard as one can
d) Check every step

Answer : C

Question. make short work of something ?
a) Reduce the size
b) Dispose of quickly
c) Edit carefully
d) Shorten some dress

Answer : B

Question. Let us have all the regulations in black and white ?
a) Painted in colour
b) Printed in coloured ink
c) Written on the black-board
d) In writing

Answer : D

Question. Cut the mustard ?
a) To be pessimistic
b) To succeed
c) To be angry
d) To take shortcuts

Answer : B

Question. A close-fisted person ?
a) A strong person
b) A cruel person
c) A kind person
d) A miserly person

Answer : D

Question. Up in arms ?
a) to be nervous
b) to be rude
c) to be angry
d) to be defensive

Answer : C

Question. On the spur of the moment ?
a) deciding after a lot of thinking
b) being extremely careful
c) waiting nervously for something
d) acting impulsively without thinking

Answer : D

Question. See eye to eye ?
a) See clearly
b) Stare at someone
c) Agree with someone
d) Be suspicious

Answer : C

Question. hand in glove ?
a) Working together in the same office
b) Wearing gloves while working
c) In partnership for something dishonest
d) Doing work in the garden

Answer : C

Question. Turn a deaf ear ?
a) To pay attention
b) To listen carefully
c) To make someone deaf
d) To pay no heed

Answer : D

Question. Pass the hat ?
a) To sell something
b) To collect money
c) To play a game
d) To avoid work

Answer : B

Question. Anil and Suresh are just finding their feet in the new venture. ?
a) Beginning to understand the work and feeling confident
b) Getting comfortable and getting a good salary
c) Buying and using comfortable footwear
d) Making people fall at their feet, accepting defeat

Answer : A

Question. I told you not to play the prank but you didn’t listen, now face the music. ?
a) accept the blame
b) sing popular songs
c) listen to the songs
d) put on earphones

Answer : A

Question. Make a beeline ?
a) Be crazy
b) Go straight to
c) Remain busy
d) Stand in a queue

Answer : B
 

Food Idioms Class 9 English Worksheets

Question. Don’t hang around with the bad ………………………. They will land you in trouble.
(a) eggs
(b) apples
(c) Either could be used here

Answer : A, B

Question. The kids are always full of …………………… just before an outing.
(a) nuts
(b) beans
(c) berries

Answer : B

Question. Ever since Paul lost his job, it is his wife who brings home the ……………………
(a) bread
(b) loaf
(c) bacon

Answer : C

Question. If something is not my cup of tea, I ……………………… it.
(a) dislike
(b) discourage
(c) don't enjoy

Answer : C

Question. If a woman has a ………………….. in the oven, she is pregnant.
(a) bun
(b) cake
(c) cookie

Answer : A

Question. Just when he said he wanted to quit, his mother …………………… him on to continue.
(a) greased
(b) egged
(c) buttered

Answer : B

Question. If you are one smart ……………………., you are a very intelligent person.
(a) candy
(b) cookie
(c) bun

Answer : B

Question. The billionaire’s daughter had all the luxuries of life handed to her on a ……………………….. platter.
(a) silver
(b) copper
(c) golden

Answer : A

Question. If you are the ……………………. of my eye, you are adored by me.
(a) pupil
(b) apple
(c) pear

Answer : B

Question. If a problem is a hard …………………… to crack, it is a difficult one.
(a) nut
(b) bone
(c) grain

Answer : A

Question. The company ………………… up the officials to get their license renewed.
(a) oiled
(b) greased
(c) buttered

Answer : C

Question. A ………………………. is a controversial topic that no one wants to talk about.
(a) hot potato
(b) sour mango
(c) rotten egg

Answer : A
 

Sports Idioms Class 9 English Worksheets

Question. It was a great opportunity. How could you drop .......................... like that?
(a) wicket
(b) game
(c) ball

Answer : C

Question. We have done what we were supposed to do. Now the ball is in your ...........................
(a) goal
(b) hand
(c) court

Answer : C

Question. We trusted him and yet he conspired against us. That was a real hit below the .............
(a) belt
(b) collar
(c) shoes

Answer : A

Question. Although I was hopeful of getting selected, I couldn't make the .............................
(a) cut
(b) shots
(c) hit

Answer : A

Question. Though he is old, he can still pack a ..............................
(a) shot
(b) punch
(c) smack

Answer : B

Question. If you want to hit the .........................., you have to work harder.
(a) ball
(b) goal
(c) target

Answer : C

Question. I never thought they would cheat on me. I was completely ...................................
(a) blind sided
(b) tackled
(c) fooled

Answer : A

Question. Whenever he and his wife quarreled, his mother always took .......................... with his wife.
(a) sides
(b) part
(c) share

Answer : A

Question. Now that his boss is on a business tour, he is the one calling ........................ at his company.
(a) the shots
(b) the dogs
(c) the staff

Answer : A

Question. Although they have lost a lot of market share, they are still .............................
(a) in the game
(b) in the ring
(c) in the court

Answer : A

Question. To get the ball .............................., each one of us should contribute a small amount.
(a) going
(b) dribbling
(c) rolling

Answer : C
 

War Idioms Class 9 English Worksheets

Question. When it is every man ..............................., people are in a difficult situation where each person has to fend for themselves.
(a) for others
(b) for himself
(c) for themselves

Answer : B

Question. When you are trapped by two contradictory conditions or requirements, you are in a .............................. situation.
(a) no man's land
(b) catch 22
(c) catch all

Answer : B

Question. To ...................................... is to act without deliberation.
(a) raise the gun
(b) fire the gun
(c) jump the gun

Answer : C

Question. A friendly fire is …………………………… that kills one's own troops.
(a) a deliberate military action
(b) an accidental military action
(c) a deadly military action

Answer : B

Question. A …………………………… is a thoughtless / unpredictable person who is likely to cause more harm than good.
(a) loose cannon
(b) war horse
(c) weekend warrior

Answer : A

Question. When you are ......................................, you are in harm's way.
(a) in the line of fire
(b) no man's land
(c) in the front line

Answer : C

Question. Which of the following expressions refers to the unintended damage that happen to people or things during a military operation?
(a) a can of worms
(b) collateral damage
(c) pandora's box

Answer : B

Question. Which of the following expressions refers to a sign of hope after a period of difficulty?
(a) light at the end of the tunnel
(b) bite the bullet
(c) a baptism of fire

Answer : A

Question. To draw a line in the sand is ..............................
(a) to set a limit
(b) to order retreat
(c) to attack

Answer : A

Question. A .............................. is a minor problem that is blown out of proportion.
(a) storm in a teacup
(b) shot across the bow
(c) cannon fodder

Answer : A

Question. To hunker down is to ..........................................
(a) prepare oneself for prolonged struggle
(b) set a limit
(c) devise a course of military action

Answer : A

Question. To cross the Rubicon is to take a/an ......................
(a) recourse
(b) irreversible step
(c) reversible course of action

Answer : B

Idioms and Phrases for Class 9 English

Some Commonly Used Idioms

• A Herculean task (a job requiring great efforts) : Eradication of poverty is a Herculean task requiring the collective efforts of the entire country.
• Lynch Law (the practice of punishing people where the punishment is inflicted by unauthorised persons and without judicial trial) : Mob law denotes the same thing when carried out by a mob. In African countries they often resort to lynch laws.
• A maiden speech (the first speech of a new member in a public body as in Town Hall or in Parliament) : Amitabh’s maiden speech was very impressive.
• A nine day’s wonder (a fascinating but temporary phenomenon) : Beauty is, proverbially, a nine day’s wonder.
• An open question (a matter for discussion and not yet decided) : As far as India is concerned, Kashmir is no longer an open question.
• A red-letter day (an auspicious, fortunate or important day) : The 26th January, 1950 is a red-letter day in India’s history.
• Scot-free (exempt from payment, unhurt, safe) : Because he had influential connections, the culprit went scot-free.
• A sheet anchor (the chief safety, the last refuge for safety) : One’s faith in God is one’s sheet anchor in times of stress and strain.
• Tall Talk (boastful language) : If we have no real accomplishments, we indulge in tall talk to delude ourselves and others too.
• A white elephant (an unprofitable possession) : The upper Houses are white elephants and should be abolished.
• A white lie (an evasion, a harmless and non-malicious untruth) : Professional members often indulge in white lies.
• A wild goose chase (a foolish, wild, unprofitable adventure) : Attempts towards stabilisation of prices in a developing economy, is a wild goose chase.
• An apple of discord (a subject of envy and strife) : Kashmir continues to be the apple of discord between India and Pakistan.
• Cock and bull story (a silly improbable story) : That India wanted to break up West Pakistan was a cock and bull story published by the U.S.A.
• A fish out of water (a person in uncomfortable surroundings) : An Indian may earn tons of money in the Western countries, but he will always feel like a fish out of water there.
• The gift of the gab (fluency of speech) : The gift of the gab combined with a slight cunning makes for a successful politician.
• Lion’s share (an unfairly large share) : The big nations continue to have the lion’s share of world trade.
• A mare’s nest (a discovery that turns out to be false or worthless) : There was much fanfare about the solar cooker. Later it turned out to be a mare’s nest.
• The milk of human kindness (kindly feelings a phrase used by Shakespeare) : With all their poverty, Indians do not lack the milk of human kindness.
• Penelope’s web (a work which seems to be going on and yet never comes to an end) : A housewife’s chores are a penelope’s web.
• The pros and cons of a question (arguments for and against a thing) : They discussed the pros and cons of the matter before taking a decision.
• The skin of one’s teeth (a phrase used when one escapes losing everything except life) : The storm broke up the ship but the sailors escaped by the skin of their teeth.
• A snake in the grass (a secret foe) : China has certainly been a snake in the grass for India. Even in the heyday of Hindi Chini bhai-bhai, she was quietly devouring bits of our territory.
• A stone’s throw (very near) : The Taj Hotel is at a stone’s throw from the Gateway of India.
• All moonshine (foolish, idle, untrue statement) : The talk about welfare of the poor is all moonshine.
• Behind the scenes (of a person having secret or private information and influence) : The dismissed Secretary, having been behind the scenes, has made some strange revelations as to the way in which the business is managed.
• Between two fires (assailed or shot at from two sides) : A man, arbitrating between the mother and wife, is to be between the two fires, for his decisions can rarely please both.
• In a body (together) : The striking workers went in a body to the Manager to present their demands.
• Wide off the mark or beside the mark (irrelevant) : ‘Beside the mark reasoning or argument’.
• Cheek by jowl (in the same position) : There was a lawyer who never had a client cheek by jowl with a doctor who never had a patient.
• Out at elbows (destitute) : The rising prices and the new taxes may soon see most of us out at elbows.
• Part and Parcel (integral part of a society, community etc.) Some customs and traditions are a part and parcel of Indian culture.
• A storm in a tea cup (a great fuss about a trifle) : The crackers fired by Diwali revellers caused a storm in the tea cup when minority communities thought it to be a bomb attack by the other community.
• A fly in the ointment (a trifling circumstance which mars enjoyment) : It was a wonderful picnic, the only fly in the ointment being the absence of shady trees at the picnic spot.
• Not worth his salt (good for nothing) : A soldier who shivers at the boom of guns is not worth his salt.
• With a pinch of salt (to take a statement with a grain of salt is to feel some doubt whether it is altogether true) : Shaw’s claim of having remained a celibate even after marriage has to be taken with a pinch of salt.
• Null and void (Invalid, valueless, no longer in force) : The court declared the appointment to be null and void.
• To be posted up (well acquainted with) : I want to be posted up in Indian History.
• To be worth its weight in gold (extremely valuable) : In the desert a bottle of water is often worth its weight in gold.
• To be Greek or double Dutch to one (unintelligible) : He spoke so fast that all he said was double Dutch to the audience.
• To be within an ace of (to be very nearly) : He was within an ace of being shot.
• To be at the back and call (to be always ready to serve) : You must not expect me to be at your back and call, I have my own business to attend to.
• To be at daggers drawn (in bitter enmity) : With every passing year the hostility between the Arabs and the Israelis has grown more bitter. They have always been at daggers drawn.
• To be at sea (confused, uncertain of mind) : I am quite at sea in Mathematics.
• To be at one’s wits end (perplexed) : With the master shouting from the bathroom and the mistress from the kitchen the servant was at his wits end as to whom to attend first.
• To be in one’s element (to be in agreeable company or work) : Shaw is in his element when he is writing about the social ills of his time.
• To be on wane (to be on the decline) : After the second World War, the British Empire was on the wane.
• To be on the carpet (to be summoned to one’s employer’s room for reprimand) : The unpunctual clerk was repeatedly on the carpet.
• To be on the last legs (about to collapse) : With science dominating life more and more, religion seems to be on its last legs.
• Chip of the old block (a son who is very like his father) : The younger Nawab of Pataudi has proved to be a chip of the old block. He is as good a batsman as his father.
• To bring under the hammer (to sell it by auction) : If a person goes insolvent, his creditors will bring everything that he owns under the hammer to recover their money.