Preview - Interactive Activities – Symphony in slang (idioms)

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Symphony in slang (idioms)
Video page	https://multimedia-english.com/videos/lesson/symphony-in-slang-idioms-3726
Focus	Expressions
Description	This activity will help you learn lots of colloquial idioms in English.
Instructions	1- Look at the words and think of its meaning (and maybe pronunciation) 2- Move your mouse over the black button to check your answer. 3- If you were right, click on the green button, if wrong, click on the red.

Item	Match	Comments
I tried to chisel in.	I tried to interrupt their good times, get in the way.
I made a lot of dough.	I made a lot of money.
Did you follow me?	Did you understand what I said?
He's all thumbs.	He's very clumsy.	As if all your fingers became thumbs, so you wouldn't be able to do things properly.
I was feeling mighty blue.	I was very sad.
He gave me the gate.	I was fired/dismissed from my job.
I felt a tug at my elbow.	Someone was pulling on my arm.
I gave him the slip.	I managed to escape from him.
He spent his money like water.	He was very generous with his money (or simply spent too much)
I got goose pimples.	I got nervous.	Goose pimples are those little lumps you get all over your skin when you feel cold, or nervous, or afraid, ...
I put on my white tie and tails.	I dressed in a formal tuxedo.
We were painting the town red.	We were enjoying parties all over the city.
The proprietor drew a gun on me.	The proprietor pulled out a pistol and pointed it at me.
I dropped in on Mary.	I made her a surprise visit.
The guy at the piano played by ear.	He played without the use of a sheet music.
I got up with the chickens.	I rose up very early in the morning.	Roosters/cocks are known to crow at the sunrise, so this expression is synonymous with rising up early
How’s tricks?	Hello	An informal greeting.
My breath came up short panted.	I was breathing harder than normal due to my excitement or tiredness.
I went to pieces.	I became very upset/sad.
I seemed to grow up overnight	My time as a child seemed to pass by quickly
He was connected with the railroad.	He worked for a railroad company.
Every time I opened my mouth, I put my foot into it.	I kept saying the wrong thing.
I heard it from the grapevine.	I heard a rumour.
The groom had his hands full too.	He was very busy.
Our eyes met.	We noticed each another.
The guy got in my hair.	He was a constant nuisance.
My money was running out on me.	I was spending all my money quickly.
I threw myself at her feet.	I implored her for mercy and grace.
I walked out on her.	I left her presence, especially in a rude manner.
She turned her back on me.	She ignored what I had to say.
They sprung me.	I was released from prison.
The boss was short-handed.	The boss didn't have enough employees to do the necessary work.	Being short-handed means not having enough employees to do the necessary work because you need more "hands" to help you, more people.
I couldn’t cut the mustard.	I was not adequately skilled to do the work that was required.
A beautiful girl stepped into the picture.	I met an attractive woman and she became significant to me.
It felt good to stretch my legs again.	It was nice to experience freedom again.
He sent me up the river to do a stretch in the jar.	He sent me to jail for a long period of time.
She had good looking pins too.	She had attractive legs.
I carried on.	I continued, I persevered
I was beside myself with anger.	I was very very upset/crossed/angry.
To be in a pickle.	To be in an uncomfortable situation.
A tear ran down my cheek.	I cried softly.
After going through a lot of red tape.	After many bureaucratic and confusing processes.
I got a job slinging hash.	I got a job serving food in a restaurant.	Especially a cheap establishment.
It was raining cats and dogs.	It was raining very hard.
The judge tried to pump me.	The judge tried to get information out of me.
What’s cookin’?	Hello	An informal greeting.
I died laughing.	I laughed a real lot, uncontrollably.
What’s new?	Hello	An informal greeting.
That burned me up.	I became very angry.
At the crack of dawn.	In the beginning of a new day.
I raised a big stink.	I protested vigorously.
I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth	I was born into a rich family
She put on the dog.	She wore a formal evening gown and looked very attractive in it.
I was up against it.	I was in a very unfortunate situation.
We chewed the rag awhile.	We had a little chat, a small talk.
The cat had her tongue.	She didn't say anything.
I wrote a check and it bounced.	There was not enough money in the bank to cover my expenses.
Her clothes fit her like a glove.	Her dress was clinging tight on her body, the perfect size for her.
We went around together for some time.	She was my girlfriend for a period of time.
My little hole in the wall.	A small dingy room.
She gave me a date.	She agreee to spend time with me, to go out together.
She let her hair down and ate like a horse.	She acted in a relaxed manner and she ate a real lot.
In no time the law was on my heels.	Soon the police were very close to catching me.

Item

Match

Comments

I tried to chisel in.

I tried to interrupt their good times, get in the way.

I made a lot of dough.

I made a lot of money.

Did you follow me?

Did you understand what I said?

He's all thumbs.

He's very clumsy.

As if all your fingers became thumbs, so you wouldn't be able to do things properly.

I was feeling mighty blue.

I was very sad.

He gave me the gate.

I was fired/dismissed from my job.

I felt a tug at my elbow.

Someone was pulling on my arm.

I gave him the slip.

I managed to escape from him.

He spent his money like water.

He was very generous with his money (or simply spent too much)

I got goose pimples.

I got nervous.

Goose pimples are those little lumps you get all over your skin when you feel cold, or nervous, or afraid, ...

I put on my white tie and tails.

I dressed in a formal tuxedo.

We were painting the town red.

We were enjoying parties all over the city.

The proprietor drew a gun on me.

The proprietor pulled out a pistol and pointed it at me.

I dropped in on Mary.

I made her a surprise visit.

The guy at the piano played by ear.

He played without the use of a sheet music.

I got up with the chickens.

I rose up very early in the morning.

Roosters/cocks are known to crow at the sunrise, so this expression is synonymous with rising up early

How’s tricks?

Hello

An informal greeting.

My breath came up short panted.

I was breathing harder than normal due to my excitement or tiredness.

I went to pieces.

I became very upset/sad.

I seemed to grow up overnight

My time as a child seemed to pass by quickly

He was connected with the railroad.

He worked for a railroad company.

Every time I opened my mouth, I put my foot into it.

I kept saying the wrong thing.

I heard it from the grapevine.

I heard a rumour.

The groom had his hands full too.

He was very busy.

Our eyes met.

We noticed each another.

The guy got in my hair.

He was a constant nuisance.

My money was running out on me.

I was spending all my money quickly.

I threw myself at her feet.

I implored her for mercy and grace.

I walked out on her.

I left her presence, especially in a rude manner.

She turned her back on me.

She ignored what I had to say.

They sprung me.

I was released from prison.

The boss was short-handed.

The boss didn't have enough employees to do the necessary work.

Being short-handed means not having enough employees to do the necessary work because you need more "hands" to help you, more people.

I couldn’t cut the mustard.

I was not adequately skilled to do the work that was required.

A beautiful girl stepped into the picture.

I met an attractive woman and she became significant to me.

It felt good to stretch my legs again.

It was nice to experience freedom again.

He sent me up the river to do a stretch in the jar.

He sent me to jail for a long period of time.

She had good looking pins too.

She had attractive legs.

I carried on.

I continued, I persevered

I was beside myself with anger.

I was very very upset/crossed/angry.

To be in a pickle.

To be in an uncomfortable situation.

A tear ran down my cheek.

I cried softly.

After going through a lot of red tape.

After many bureaucratic and confusing processes.

I got a job slinging hash.

I got a job serving food in a restaurant.

Especially a cheap establishment.

It was raining cats and dogs.

It was raining very hard.

The judge tried to pump me.

The judge tried to get information out of me.

What’s cookin’?

Hello

An informal greeting.

I died laughing.

I laughed a real lot, uncontrollably.

What’s new?

Hello

An informal greeting.

That burned me up.

I became very angry.

At the crack of dawn.

In the beginning of a new day.

I raised a big stink.

I protested vigorously.

I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth

I was born into a rich family

She put on the dog.

She wore a formal evening gown and looked very attractive in it.

I was up against it.

I was in a very unfortunate situation.

We chewed the rag awhile.

We had a little chat, a small talk.

The cat had her tongue.

She didn't say anything.

I wrote a check and it bounced.

There was not enough money in the bank to cover my expenses.

Her clothes fit her like a glove.

Her dress was clinging tight on her body, the perfect size for her.

We went around together for some time.

She was my girlfriend for a period of time.

My little hole in the wall.

A small dingy room.

She gave me a date.

She agreee to spend time with me, to go out together.

She let her hair down and ate like a horse.

She acted in a relaxed manner and she ate a real lot.

In no time the law was on my heels.

Soon the police were very close to catching me.