Idioms & Idiomatic Expressions

I. Complete the idioms with prepositions. Give their meanings. Use them in sentences of your own.

1. His Internet company has gone ….. strength ….. strength in the last six months. He's making a lot of money now.

2. The flood ruined our old kitchen, but it was a blessing ….. disguise, because the insurance company paid for a completely new one.

3. This new model is not the be-all-and-end-all ….. digital cameras, but it certainly has many technical features that others do not have.

4. Your offer to drive us to the airport makes all the difference ….. our travel plans.

5. Your plan to persuade Lela to join the committee worked ….. magic.

6. It's time I laid ….. the law and made them do their duty.

7. I would not want to be ….. the receiving end of his bad temper. (Give two answers.)

8. Old Bob seems to have become a law ….. himself at work. He does just what he likes.

9. Nobody tells you what to do. You're just left ….. your own devices.

10. I've had my fill ….. meetings. I hope we never have another. They're so boring.

11. She jumped ….. joy when they told her she had won a trip to Paris.

12. Jane has been ….. ….. the dumps since her boyfriend went away.

13. He was thrilled ….. bits when I told him Sara was coming to stay.

14. I couldn't face all the problems any more. I was ….. the end of my tether.

15. I've been ….. edge lately, but I don't really know why. Sorry if I sound impatient.

16. We are ….. the same wavelength. That’s why we are close friends.

17. I don’t like the idea of joining the rest in the camp. I’d prefer to go ….. my own steam.

18. Everyone needs to let ….. steam occasionally.

19. His comments really put a spanner ….. the works.

20. Things are ticking ….. nicely these days, aren’t they? Everything’s working quietly and smoothly.

II. Complete the idioms in this paragraph with prepositions.

The students in my class have to hand in an assignment on Friday. Masako is going all ….. (1) to get a good mark. Marc usually just goes ….. (2) the motions of writing an essay, but this time he's really pulled his finger ….. (3) and is going ….. (4) ….. (5) his way to write something good. He says that he wants to get an A ….. (6) hook or ….. (7) crook. Paul says he found. the assignment as easy as taking candy ….. (8) a baby, but Sandra says that, although she had a good go ….. (9) it, she found it quite heavy-going.

III. Match each idiom on the left with its definition on the right.