Vocabulary: Idiomatic Expressions Flashcards

A colleague says you are barking up the wrong tree. This means you are:

Answer: Pursuing a mistaken course of action

"Barking up the wrong tree" means to be looking in the wrong place or blaming the wrong cause.

If your manager says the decision is up in the air, it is:

Answer: Not yet decided

"Up in the air" means something is uncertain or undecided.

When someone says let's call it a day, they want to:

Answer: Stop working for now

"Call it a day" means to decide that enough work has been done and stop.

If a friend tells you to cut to the chase, you should:

Answer: Get to the main point quickly

"Cut to the chase" means to skip unnecessary details and address what matters.

Your coworker says the two reports are like apples and oranges. This means they are:

Answer: Too different to compare fairly

"Apples and oranges" describes two things that cannot be meaningfully compared.

If you say a project costs an arm and a leg, you mean it is:

Answer: Very expensive

"An arm and a leg" means something costs a great deal of money.

When a teacher says you should learn the ropes, they want you to:

Answer: Understand how things are done

"Learn the ropes" means to become familiar with how a task or job works.