Idiomatic Expressions and Phrasal Verbs Flashcards

Which sentence correctly uses the phrasal verb 'bring about' to mean 'to cause something to happen'?

Answer: The new policy brought about significant changes in the workplace.

'Bring about' means to cause something to happen, and only option B uses it in a context of causing a result.

What does the idiom 'to bite the bullet' mean?

Answer: To endure a painful or difficult situation with courage

'Bite the bullet' means to stoically endure a painful or difficult situation rather than avoid it.

In which sentence is 'come across' used correctly to mean 'to find or encounter unexpectedly'?

Answer: He came across an old letter while cleaning the attic.

'Come across' meaning to encounter unexpectedly is correctly used in B, where an old letter is discovered by chance.

What does the idiom 'let the cat out of the bag' mean?

Answer: To accidentally reveal a secret

'Let the cat out of the bag' means to accidentally disclose information that was meant to be kept secret.

Which sentence correctly uses 'put off' to mean 'to postpone or delay'?

Answer: They put off the meeting until next week.

'Put off' meaning to postpone is correctly used in C, where a meeting is delayed to a later date.

What is the meaning of the idiom 'to cost an arm and a leg'?

Answer: To be extremely expensive

'To cost an arm and a leg' is an idiom meaning that something is very expensive or costs a great deal of money.

In the sentence 'The new manager really rubbed her colleagues up the wrong way,' what does the underlined phrase mean?

Answer: She irritated or annoyed her colleagues.

'Rub someone up the wrong way' means to annoy or irritate them, often without intending to.