Directions:

  1. Look up the idiom you were assigned at and write the definition.
  2. Use your idiom in a sentence.
  3. Draw a picture to illustrate your idiom.
  4. For a 4, explain the origin of your idiom.
  • Between a rock and a hard place

It’s a tough choice between getting to the big game on time or waiting for Mr. Smith to call. I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.

  • Beating around the bush

Stop beating around the bush. Whom are you taking to the dance?

  • Birds of a feather flock together

Everyone at that table plays soccer. I guess that birds of a feather flock together.

  • Bite off more than you can chew

You can’t captain the team, edit the paper and star in the play. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

  • Bite the hand that feeds you

Eve just insulted the girl who is teaching her to ice-skate. That’s’ biting the hand that feeds you.

  • Can’t see the forest for the trees

My teacher catches all my grammar mistakes, but he misses my brilliant writing. He can’t see the forest for the trees.

  • Can’t hold a candle to

Aliyah can’t hold a candle to John when it comes to tap dancing.

  • Cast the first stone

Don’t’ criticize, you’ve done it yourself so you shouldn’t cast the first stone.

  • Cat got your tongue

Why don’t you answer me? Cat got your tongue?

  • Catch you later

I’ve got to get right home to babysit my little sister. I’ll catch you later.

  • Chew someone out

When Lori’s parents saw her report card, they really chewed her out.

  • Chip on your shoulder

Avoid Calvin today. He has a real chip on his shoulder.

  • Clam up
  • Chip off the old block
  • Clip your wings
  • Climb the walls
  • Come apart at the seams
  • Cool as a cucumber
  • Cost an arm and a leg
  • Crocodile tears
  • Cross that bridge when you come to it
  • Cry wolf
  • Cut off your nose to spite your face
  • Cry over spilled milk
  • Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
  • Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth
  • Dot your I’s and cross your T’s
  • Down the drain
  • Down to earth
  • Down to the wire
  • Draw the line at
  • Dressed to the nines
  • Drive a hard bargain
  • Early bird catches the worm
  • Easy as pie
  • Easy come easy go
  • Eat crow
  • Eat you out of house and home
  • Eat your heart out
  • Egg on your face
  • Every cloud has a silver lining
  • Everything but the kitchen sink
  • Face the music
  • Fair weather friend
  • Fat cat
  • Feather in your cap
  • Field day
  • Fish out of water
  • Flash in the pan
  • Fly by night
  • Fly by the seat of your pants
  • Fly off the handle
  • Fly the coop
  • Food for thought
  • Footloose and fancy free
  • Full of hot air
  • Get a kick out of something
  • Get into the swing of things
  • Get something off your chest
  • Get to the bottom of something
  • Get under your skin
  • Get up on the wrong side of the bed
  • Get your goat
  • Give someone the shirt off your back
  • Go bananas
  • Go for broke
  • Grasp at straws
  • Green thumb
  • Handle with kid gloves
  • Handwriting on the wall
  • Have a bone to pick with you
  • Have your cake and eat it too
  • Head in the clouds
  • High horse
  • Hit below the belt
  • Hit the nail on the head
  • Hitch your wagon to a star
  • If the shoe fits, wear it
  • In hot water
  • In the bag
  • In the doghouse
  • In the same boat
  • It takes two to tango
  • Jump off the deep end
  • Jump on the bandwagon
  • Jack of all trades
  • Keep a stiff upper lip
  • Kill two birds with one stone
  • Leave no stone unturned
  • Let sleeping dogs lie
  • Let the cat out of the bag
  • Let the chips fall where they may
  • Like a bump on a log
  • Long in the tooth
  • Look down your nose at someone
  • Make heads or tails out of something
  • Make no bones about something
  • Mince words
  • Mind over matter
  • More than meets the eye
  • Nothing to sneeze at
  • On cloud nine
  • On the fence
  • On the fritz
  • On the ropes
  • On top of the world
  • Once in a blue moon
  • One good turn deserves another
  • One track mind
  • Out in left field
  • Open a can of worms
  • Out of the woods
  • Out on a limb
  • Over the hill
  • Over your head
  • Pay through the nose
  • Pie in the sky
  • People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
  • Point of no return
  • Pot calling the kettle black
  • Pull out all the stops
  • Pull strings
  • Pull the wool over your eyes
  • Pull your leg
  • Put all your eggs in one basket
  • Let the cat out of the bag
  • Raining cats and dogs
  • Rat race
  • Read between the lines
  • Read the riot act
  • The real McCoy
  • Red herring
  • Red tape
  • Rome was not built in a day
  • Round peg in a square hole
  • Rub the wrong way
  • Salt of the earth
  • See eye to eye
  • Shake a leg
  • Shoe is on the other foot
  • Show your true colors
  • Smell a rat
  • Spill the beans
  • Stir up a hornet’s nest
  • Straight from the horse’s mouth
  • Swan song
  • Take with a grain of salt
  • Through the grapevine
  • Throw a monkey wrench into the works
  • Throw in the towel
  • Tickled pink
  • Top banana
  • Turn over a new leaf
  • Turn the other check
  • Two faced
  • Under the weather
  • Up against the wall
  • Walk on eggs
  • Walking on air
  • Wear your heart on your sleeves
  • Butter someone up