ESL High Intermediate/Advanced English Quiz

Questions:

What does the idiom “burn the midnight oil” mean?

  1. a) Go to bed early
  2. b) Work late into the night
  3. c) Enjoy a midnight snack
  4. d) Watch a movie at midnight

If someone says, “Let the cat out of the bag,” what are they doing?

  1. a) Releasing a cat
  2. b) Revealing a secret
  3. c) Going shopping
  4. d) Cooking a meal

What does the expression “under the weather” mean?

  1. a) Feeling happy
  2. b) Feeling sick or unwell
  3. c) Enjoying the weather
  4. d) Going for a walk

If someone is “caught red-handed,” what are they caught doing?

  1. a) Telling a lie
  2. b) Doing something wrong
  3. c) Cooking dinner
  4. d) Helping a friend

What does the idiom “hit the nail on the head” mean?

  1. a) Miss the target
  2. b) Do something exactly right
  3. c) Build something
  4. d) Avoid a problem

If something “costs an arm and a leg,” what does it mean?

  1. a) Very cheap
  2. b) Moderately priced
  3. c) Extremely expensive
  4. d) Affordable

What does the idiom “kick the bucket” mean?

  1. a) Kick a ball
  2. b) Go for a walk
  3. c) Die
  4. d) Exercise

If someone says, “Once in a blue moon,” what are they describing?

  1. a) Every day
  2. b) Very rarely
  3. c) Every month
  4. d) Every year

What does it mean to “bite the bullet“?

  1. a) Chew on a bullet
  2. b) Endure a difficult situation
  3. c) Avoid a challenge
  4. d) Ignore a problem

If something is “a piece of cake,” what does it mean?

  1. a) Difficult to do
  2. b) Unpleasant
  3. c) Very easy to do
  4. d) Impossible

What does the idiom “cut to the chase” mean?

  1. a) Avoid a topic
  2. b) Get to the main point without wasting time
  3. c) Go for a walk
  4. d) Dance around an issue

If someone “breaks the ice,” what are they doing?

  1. a) Breaking a real piece of ice
  2. b) Initiating a conversation in a social setting
  3. c) Going swimming
  4. d) Telling a joke

What does it mean to “burn bridges“?

  1. a) Light a fire on a bridge
  2. b) Strengthen relationships
  3. c) Damage relationships beyond repair
  4. d) Build bridges

If you “jump the gun,” what are you doing?

  1. a) Starting something too soon
  2. b) Jumping over an actual gun
  3. c) Ignoring a challenge
  4. d) Delaying a task

What does the expression “cry over spilled milk” mean?

  1. a) Be happy about a mistake
  2. b) Be sad about an accident that cannot be changed
  3. c) Ignore accidents
  4. d) Spill more milk

What does the idiom “break a sweat” mean?

  1. a) Relax
  2. b) Work hard or exert effort
  3. c) Take a break
  4. d) Exercise without sweating

What does it mean to “jump on the bandwagon“?

  1. a) Criticize others
  2. b) Join others in doing something popular
  3. c) Avoid trends
  4. d) Create a new trend

If something is “a blessing in disguise,” what is it?

  1. a) A visible blessing
  2. b) Something that looks bad but is good
  3. c) A hidden curse
  4. d) A surprise

What does the idiom “cutting corners” mean?

  1. a) Taking a shortcut
  2. b) Doing something inexpensively or quickly, sacrificing quality
  3. c) Avoiding a challenge
  4. d) Going the long way

If someone says, “It’s raining cats and dogs,” what are they describing?

  1. a) A sunny day
  2. b) Light rain
  3. c) Heavy rain
  4. d) No rain

Answers:

  1. b) Work late into the night
  2. b) Revealing a secret
  3. b) Feeling sick or unwell
  4. b) Doing something wrong
  5. b) Do something exactly right
  6. c) Extremely expensive
  7. c) Die
  8. b) Very rarely
  9. b) Endure a difficult situation
  10. c) Very easy to do
  11. b) Get to the main point without wasting time
  12. b) Initiating a conversation in a social setting
  13. c) Damage relationships beyond repair
  14. a) Starting something too soon
  15. b) Be sad about an accident that cannot be changed
  16. b) Work hard or exert effort
  17. b) Join others in doing something popular
  18. b) Something that looks bad but is good
  19. b) Doing something inexpensively or quickly, sacrificing quality
  20. c) Heavy rain