Idioms Exercises for Class 6 With Answers CBSE

Idioms Meaning: An idiom is a word or phrase which means something different from its literal meaning. Some common idioms and their meanings are given below.

What are idioms?
An Idiom (also called idiomatic expression) is an expression, word, or phrase that don’t mean exactly what the words say. They have, however, hidden meanings.

Examples

• “Kick the bucket”
• “Spill the beans”

The meaning of these expressions is different from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which they are made. Their meanings are however used figuratively. They mean respectively:

• “to die”
• “to tell people secret information”

Idioms Exercises Sample Example With Answers for Class 6 CBSE

1.	An apple of discord : (a cause of quarrel) Kashmir has been an apple of discord between India and Pakistan.
2.	Apple-pie order : (completely arranged) To his surprise, the father found the house on her return in apple-pie order.
3.	Apple of ones eye: (very beloved) My son is the apple of my eye.
4.	Argus-eyed: (jealous) Be aware of argus-eyed people.
5.	Have an axe to grind : (to have own interest to serve) Today politicians axe to grind to have political power.
6.	Bad blood : (enmity) The two brothers are having bad blood over ancestral property.
7.	A hear garden : (a place of noise and disturbance) Our street has become a bear garden these days.
8.	A bird’s eye view: (a general view) The speaker gave a bird’s eye view of the school conditions in the country.
9.	Blue blood : (a person belonging to a high family) It is sad to know that even the children of blue blood are robbing the bank.
10.	To bark up the wrong tree : (to criticise a wrong person or thing) Don’t bark up the wrong tree; everything is clear now.
11.	To bask in the sunshine: (to enjoy a period of fame or fortune) The young cricketer is basking in the sunshine of newly found glory.
12.	To bear the brunt: (to suffer the bad consequence) If you do something wrong, you will have to bear the brunt today or tomorrow.
13.	To bear the palm : (to win) The Indian cricket team bore the palm easily.
14.	A bolt from the blue : (an unexpected shock) The news of his father’s death was a bolt from the blue.
15.	To beat about the bush : (to talk irrelevantly i.e., not to the point) Don’t beat about the bush, come to the matter now.
16.	A beggar description : (to be beyond description) The India Gate at night is a beggar description.
17.	To blow one’s own trumpet: (to boast about oneself) It is not good to blow one’s own trumpet.
18.	To break the ice : (to start a conversation where everybody is silent) Now it’s my turn and I am going to break the ice.
19.	To bring down the house: (to get a loud applause) The batting performance of Sachin Tendulkar brought down the house.
20.	To bring to book : (to punish) He was brought to book for stealing the money.
21.	To burn the candle at both ends: (to work very hard) Mr. Gavaskar is burning the candle at both ends to run his family.
22.	A close shave : (narrow escape) A man had a close shave when the speeding truck brush-passed him.
23.	Closed fisted : (miser) A closed fisted person always tries to compromise with even necessary spending.
24.	A cock and bull story: (an unbelievable and stupid gossip) A thief tried to cheat people with a cock and bull story.
25.	A cry in the wilderness : (a useless effort) Hitting a wall to break down with stick is a cry in the wilderness.
26.	To call a spade a spade: (to speak the truth straightforward) A person who calls a spade a spade is respected everywhere.
27.	To call it a day: (to stop the proceeding for the day) The match has been called it a day due to heavy rain.
28.	To carry the day: (to win) The team carried the day against Pakistan in the final match.
29.	To cast one’s net wide : (to try in various field) One who casts his net wide ends doing nothing.
30.	To cast pearls before swine : (to do something which people cannot understand) The magicians act before the people were like to cast pearls before swine.
31.	To catch a tartar: (to get an opponent who is fearsome) Initially he felt that he would win easily but shortly he realised that he had caught a tartar.
32.	To chew the cud : (to think deeply) Mohan, you must chew the cud before starting any business.
33.	To come a crapper: (to fail miserably) The new plan of building a mall actually has come a crapper.
34.	To come off age : (to mature) When you come off age, you will understand the truth of life.
35.	To come out in flying colours : (to become very successful) Amitabh Bachhan has come out in flying colours in film industry.
36.	To come to a head : (to turn into crisis) He never feels sorry until a problem comes to a head.
37.	To cross swords: (to pick up a dispute) India and Pakistan have crossed swords on Kashmir.
38.	To cry over spilt milk: (to repent over something that has been done and now cannot be corrected) To think of one’s mistakes done earlier and feel sorry about them is like crying over spilt milk.
49.	To cut a sorry figure: (to perform very poorly) Indian Hockey Team cut a sorry figure in the last match.
40.	To cut the Gordian Knot: (to solve a difficult problem) Taking out snake from the kitchen was like cutting the Gordian Knot.
41.	Dutch courage: (the courage felt under intoxication) Dutch courage is needed for criminals to commit violence; they are coward otherwise.
42.	To die in harness : (to die while still in job) Soldiers always wish to die in harness.
43.	Easy virtue: (immoral) Western culture has equated easy virtue with morality.
44.	To eat humble pie: (to suffer defeat or humiliation) Losing a declamation contest for him was just like eating humble pie.
45.	Fair-weather friend : (a friend in happy days) During poor days your fair weather friend will leave you.
46.	A feather in one’s cap : (another remarkable achievement) Scoring century against Pakistan was a feather in Rahul Dravid’s cap.
47.	Flesh and blood : (human nature with its natural feelings) Harry is not the son of this family but still he is for this family from his flesh and blood.
48.	A fly in the ointment: (someone who spoils enjoyment) The elders of the house usually prove for their youngsters a fly in the ointment.
49.	French leave : (leave without permission) The government is planning strict action against French leave.
50.	Few and far between : (rare) In every age real genius has been few and far between.
51.	By fits and starts : (irregularly) Success never comes if you work by fits and starts.
52.	To fight with one’s back to the wall: (to make a desperate attempt in a no-way-out situation) In the closing few minutes, our team had its back to the wall but continued to fight gallantly.
53.	Gift of the gab : (Art of speech) A bad person always uses gift of the gab to deceive innocent people.
54.	To get into hot water: (to be caught into trouble) I”ll get into hot water if I touch these open wires.
55.	To get on one’s nerves : (to irritate) The media got on actor’s nerves with his personal questions.
56.	To give someone a piece of one’s mind (to scold) The teacher gave student a piece of his mind for being absent for ten days.
57.	Hush money: (bribe) To hush money is a crime.
58.	Left-handed compliment: (criticism in the form of praise) Indian Cricket team is a bunch of individually talented players is a left-handed compliment.
59.	Lion’s share : (unfairly the biggest part of something) Lion’s share in India’s income goes to debt-servicing.
60.	Long and short: (summary) The long and short of every holy book is that man should speak the truth.
61.	By leaps and bounds : (very rapidly) India is progressing by leaps and bounds.
62.	Man of parts : (having great qualities) A man of parts always inspires others.
63.	Man of straw : (man of no quality) A man of straw is not liked by anyone.
64.	A moot point: (a matter that is undecided and open to discussion) Whether India should play against Pakistan or not is a moot point.
65.	To make a clean breast of: (to tell the whole thing without concealing anything) The best way to relieve yourself of mental tension is to make a clean breast of yourself.
66.	To make a mess of something : (to spoil) If you try to do many things soon, you will make a mess of everything.
67.	To make a mountain of a molehill/To make much ado about nothing : (to exaggerate something trivial) Political business works upon the principal of making a mountain of a molehill.
68.	To make both ends meet: (to sustain one’s life) It is very difficult for poor to make both ends meet.

Idioms Exercises Practice Example for Class 6 CBSE

Choose the correct meaning of the given idioms.
1. To make a clean breast of
a. to tell the whole thing without concealing anything
b. to spoil
c. to sustain one’s life

2. A moot point
a. very rapidly
b. a matter that is undecided and open to discussion
c. criticism in the form of praise

3. To bear the palm
a. to punish
b. to suffer the bad consequences
c. to have own interest to serve

4. To break the ice
a. to start conversation where everybody is silent
b. to talk irrelevantly
c. to become very successful

5. To chew the cud
a. to fail miserably
b. to run speedily
c. to think deeply

6. To die in harness
a. to die unexpectedly
b. to die in a war
c. to die while still in job

7. To get into hot water
a. to do in vain
b. to be caught into trouble
c. to try in bad condition

8. To make a mess of something
a. to spoil
b. to build
c. to destroy

9. By leaps and bounds
a. very rapidly
b. very slowly
c. very intelligently

10. Man of straw
a. man with many qualities
b. man of no quality
c. man with no character

11. To carry the day
a. to win
b. to loose
c. to fight

12. To bite the dust
a. to suffer disease
b. to suffer defeat
c. to suffer fever

13. A feather in one’s cap
a. another defeat
b. another remarkable achievement
c. another victory

14. Man of parts
a. no quality at all
b. having bad qualities
c. having great qualities

15. To call it a day
a. to stop the proceeding of the day
b. to start again
c. to start and suddenly stop

16. Fair-weather friend
a. a friend in happy days
b. a friend in bad days
c. forever friend

17. French leave
a. leave with reason
b. leave with permission
c. leave without permission

18. To get on one’s nerves
a. to irritate
b. to dance
c. to kill

19. To cut the Gordian Knot
a. to solve the easy task
b. to solve the difficult problem
c. to solve the question

20. To make both ends meet
a. to sustain one’s life
b. to support one’s life
c. to spoil one’s life

21. To bask in the sun shine
a. to enjoy a period of success
b. To enjoy a period of failure
c. to enjoy a period of fame and fortune

22. An apple of discord
a. a cause of death
b. a cause of quarrel
c. a cause of accident

23. Bad blood
a. enmity
b. friendship
c. togetherness

24. To bring to book
a. to put behind the bar
b. to reward
c. to punish

25. Close fisted
a. miser
b. coward
c. brave

26. To come out in flying colours
a. to become very unsuccessful
b. to become very successful
c. to become very annoying

27. Lion’s share
a. the bright part of something
b. unfairly the biggest part of something
c. unfairly the smallest part of something

28. Long and short
a. summary
b. moral
c. conclusion

29. A fly in the ointment
a. someone who creates enjoyment
b. someone who spoils enjoyment
c. someone’s life without enjoyment

30. To give someone a piece of one’s mind
a. to praise
b. to scold
c. to admit