CSS Solved Idioms (Past Papers from 2000 to Date)

‘A Gordian knot’ means: An exceedingly complicated problem or deadlock.

‘To hang fire’ means: Delay. Look at the sentence: Our plans have to hang fire until we get planning permission.

‘Go bananas’ means: To become extremely angry or excited. Look at the sentence: Whenever I see Sally, I just go bananas! She’s fantastic.

‘With one’s tongue in one’s cheek’ means: Speaking or writing in an ironic or insincere way.

‘To pay through the nose’ means: To pay too much money for something.

‘Take someone to the cleaners’ means: To defeat someone completely. Look at the sentence: There was a real rough guy there who threatened to take me to cleaners if I didn’t cooperate.

‘Wear the pants’ means: Be dominant partner in relationship.

‘To preen oneself’ (Idiom) means: To pride (oneself) on an achievement, personal quality. If someone preen themselves, it means they spend a lot of time making themselves look neat & clean and attractive.

‘To let the grass grow under one’s feet’ means: Waste time by delaying doing something.

‘Where the shoe pinches’ means: Source of trouble, grief, difficulty, etc.