About Idioms Quiz
English is full of phrases that mean something quite different from their words: nobody actually spills any beans, and a piece of cake can be an exam you passed with ease. The Idioms Quiz shows a common idiom, often in a short sentence, and asks what it really means, or which idiom fits a meaning. The first questions use everyday sayings you hear at work and at home, and the last ones reach phrases that trip up even fluent speakers. Each answer explains the meaning in plain words, with the story behind the phrase only when that story is well documented.
How to play Idioms Quiz
- Press Start for the first of ten questions. The clock starts with it and stops at your last answer.
- Each question shows a common English idiom, often in a short sentence, and asks what it means, or which idiom fits a meaning.
- Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4 (or A to D) on a keyboard. Answers are final: you see the right one and a one-line explanation, then press Next.
- Most correct answers ranks first, then the fastest time. Only a member’s first finished quiz of the day counts for the leaderboard.
Tips & strategy
- Read the idiom in its sentence: the situation usually rules out two of the four meanings.
- Picture the words literally, then ask what that picture would stand for: being under the weather is about feeling unwell, not the forecast.
- Don’t trust a good story about where a phrase came from: many popular origins are guesses, so learn the meaning first.
Idioms Quiz: questions and answers
Are these British or North American idioms?
Most are used wherever English is spoken. The quiz sticks to idioms that are common in Canada and leaves out slang that is very local or very new.
Does the quiz explain where idioms come from?
Only when the origin is well documented. Many famous stories about idioms are guesses, so the explanations focus on the meaning.
How many questions does the Idioms Quiz have?
170 checked questions: 50 easy, 70 medium and 50 hard. Each day takes ten, easiest first, and a question doesn’t come back until its level has been used up.