Tap an idiom, then tap its matching meaning. Round-based — new idioms appear as you clear each set.
Idioms rarely make literal sense — you either know them, or you don't. Matching them against their real meanings, repeatedly, is the fastest way to make them stick.
1. Tap an idiom on the left, then tap the meaning on the right you think matches it.
2. A correct match turns green and locks in place. An incorrect match briefly shakes red — try again.
3. Clear all 4 pairs in a round to move to the next one.
4. Finish all 3 rounds (12 idioms total), then try the quiz below.
An idiom is a fixed group of words whose meaning is different from the meaning of the separate words. "Hit the sack" has nothing to do with hitting anything. It simply means "go to bed". If you translate an idiom word by word, you usually get nonsense, so learn the whole phrase as one unit, like a single new word.
English speakers use idioms in conversation, films, news and stories. If you do not know them, you can understand every word and still miss the point. Most idioms in this game are informal. They suit friendly speech and casual writing better than a formal letter or a report, and too many in one piece of writing make it sound tired.
Nobody is sure how some idioms began, so do not worry about their history. Learn what they mean today.
| Idiom | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Spill the beans | To reveal a secret | Please don't spill the beans about the surprise party. |
| Hit the sack | To go to bed | I was so tired that I hit the sack at nine o'clock. |
| Let the cat out of the bag | To reveal a secret by accident | He let the cat out of the bag when he mentioned the gift. |
| Under the radar | Without attracting attention | The new student stayed under the radar in the first week. |
| Call it a day | To stop working for now | We have done enough, so let's call it a day. |
| On the fence | Undecided about something | I am on the fence about joining the debate club. |
| Get cold feet | To become nervous before doing something | She got cold feet just before her speech. |
| Pull someone's leg | To tease someone in a playful way | Are you serious, or are you pulling my leg? |
| The last straw | The final problem that makes you react | When he lost my pen as well, it was the last straw. |
| Keep an eye on | To watch something carefully | Please keep an eye on the soup while I answer the door. |
| Cut corners | To do something badly to save time or money | The builder cut corners, and the wall cracked. |
| Jump on the bandwagon | To join something that has become popular | Once the game became famous, everyone jumped on the bandwagon. |
Activity: ask each learner to choose three idioms, draw the literal picture, and write the real meaning beside it. Then ask them to write a two-line conversation that uses each idiom, and check that the verb tense is correct. The quiz below tests the first ten idioms only; "cut corners" and "jump on the bandwagon" appear only in the matching game.
10 questions. Select an answer for each, then submit to see your score instantly.