Proverbs & Idioms Flashcards Preview

Ω Street Smarts Ω > Proverbs & Idioms > Flashcards

Flashcards in Proverbs & Idioms Deck (92)
Loading flashcards...
1
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

An apple a day keeps the doctor away

A

Small steps, like good nutrition, can prevent poor health

2
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Beggars can’t be choosers

A

People lacking other options are not entitled to be choosy

3
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Better late than never

A

Better to do something after the deadline than to ignore it entirely

4
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Better safe than sorry

A

Better to take preventative measures than to deal with the potential consequences

5
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

A

The things we already have in possession are more valuable than things we are uncertain of getting in the future

6
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Carpe diem

A

Latin for “Seize the day” - Live life to the fullest extent

7
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Close, but no cigar

A

Even being almost correct is still incorrect

8
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Curiosity killed the cat

A

People should not be nosy

9
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you

A

Also known as The Golden Rule - Treat other people how you would like to be treated

10
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Don’t judge a book by its cover

A

Do not judge something based on how it looks

11
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth

A

Never be ungrateful for any gift

12
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

A

Never put all of your efforts into one thing, or you could lose it all

13
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

A

People always believe that someone else has a better life than their own

14
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Ignorance is bliss

A

Being unaware of something can keep you content

15
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Knowledge is power

A

The more you know, the more control you have

16
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Let bygones be bygones

A

Forget old problems and move forward

17
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it

A

Worry about potential problems when they actually arise

18
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Look before you leap

A

Know the task before agreeing to complete it

19
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Misery loves company

A

Unhappy people derive pleasure from the unhappiness of others

20
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

The more the merrier

A

The more people participating, the more fun something will be

21
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

No rest for the weary

A

No matter how tired you are, you must continue working

22
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

A picture is worth a thousand words

A

An image can conjure stronger emotions than words

23
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Out of sight, out of mind

A

People and things not physically present become forgettable

24
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Practice what you preach

A

Follow the same advice that you give to others

25
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Slow but steady wins the race

A

Consistent effort leads to success

26
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

There are plenty of fish in the sea

A

There are plenty of people in the world that you would be willing to be in a relationship with and that are willing to be in a relationship with you

27
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Time heals all wounds

A

With time, people will forget arguments and recover from injuries

28
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Time is money

A

Every moment spent has an opportunity cost. When you’re not working, you’re actually losing money (which you could have technically been earning if you were working).

29
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Two heads are better than one

A

Two people solving a problem together are more effective than just one person

30
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

When it rains, it pours

A

When bad or good things happen, it seems to happen all at once

31
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

When the going gets tough, the tough get going

A

Overcome obstacles by putting in even more effort

32
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar

A

You can win more allies with compliments rather than aggression

33
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink

A

You can give someone the necessary resources, but you can’t force them to act

34
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

You’ve made your bed, now lie in it

A

You must deal with the consequences of your actions

35
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

The devil is in the details

A

When small details in plans are overlooked, they can cause greater problems later on

36
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Don’t cry over spilt milk

A

There’s no use crying over something that has already happened and cannot be changed

37
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

The early bird catches the worm

A

If you act early and don’t procrastinate, you will be successful

38
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Like a fish out of water

A

If you are in a situation that is new and unfamiliar, you will act as if you were a fish out of water

39
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

A friend in need is a friend indeed

A

A friend who is there for you in a time of need is a true friend

40
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Strike while the iron is hot

A

Take advantage of opportunities while they last

41
Q

What is the meaning of the following proverb?

Birds of a feather flock together

A

People who are similar tend to be attracted to each other

42
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

ad nauseam

A

To continue to a sickening or excessive degree; from Latin “to [the point of] nausea”

43
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

all thumbs

A

Clumsy

44
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

alma mater

A

The school or university that one graduated from

45
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

beat around the bush

A

To avoid an issue or topic

46
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

bite the bullet

A

To endure an unpleasant situation or circumstance

47
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

break the ice

A

To remove tension when meeting people for the first time

48
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

bury the hatchet

A

To make peace; to agree to end a quarrel.

49
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

butter someone up

A

To excessively praise or flatter someone

50
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

chip off the old block

A

People who closely resemble their parents in some aspect

51
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

climb on the bandwagon

A

To join a particular cause or political party

52
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

cold shoulder

A

To ignore someone on purpose

53
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

crème de la crème

A

The best of the best

54
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

déjà vu

A

The sense that one’s present experience has already occurred in the past when it hasn’t

55
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

draw the line

A

To establish a limit

56
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

elbow grease

A

Intense physical effort

57
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

ergo

A

Word of Latin origin meaning “therefore”

58
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

face the music

A

To accept unpleasant consequences for wrongdoing

59
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

fly off the handle

A

To suddenly become enraged

60
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

get something off one’s chest

A

to confess something; to unburden oneself

61
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

get up on the wrong side of the bed

A

To be unpleasant because the day started badly

62
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

grain of salt

A

To treat a piece of information with skepticism

63
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

gung-ho

A

Extremely enthusiastic

64
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

in hot water

A

In deep trouble

65
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

John Hancock

A

A signature; refers to John Hancock’s signature on the Declaration of Independence

66
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

know the ropes

A

To understand the intricacies of an operation very well

67
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

make ends meet

A

To earn just enough income to provide for basic needs

68
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

no-brainer

A

An extremely easy task that requires little thought

69
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

p.c.

A

Abbreviation for “politically correct”. Refers to social, political, and educational changes made to correct historical injustices towards race, gender, ethnic background, and sexual orientation.

70
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

play it by ear

A

To improvise

71
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

pop the question

A

To propose marriage

72
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

pull somebody’s leg

A

To tease someone

73
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

quid pro quo

A

A fair exchange

74
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

raining cats and dogs

A

Raining very heavily

75
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

rule of thumb

A

A practical principle that comes from experience and not meant to be reliable for every situation

76
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

run of the mill

A

Common, ordinary

77
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

second wind

A

A second surge of energy after a period of exhaustion

78
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

see eye to eye

A

To be in agreement

79
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

shalom

A

A Hebrew word that means both “hello” and “goodbye”

80
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

sit on the fence

A

To remain neutral, to not take a side in an argument

81
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

sitting duck

A

An easy target

82
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

smell a rat

A

To sense something is suspicious

83
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

steal someone’s thunder

A

To undermine someone’s accomplishments

84
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

take the cake

A

To be extremely good or outstanding; sometimes used in a derogatory manner

85
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

throw in the towel

A

To quit or give up

86
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

thumbs up (down)

A

To approve or disapprove, respectively

87
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

time is of the essence

A

When something must be done immediately

88
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

touch and go

A

Precarious or uncertain

89
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

turn over a new leaf

A

To begin again; to have a fresh start

90
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

cold feet

A

To be too afraid to complete an action

91
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

kick the bucket

A

To die

92
Q

What is the meaning of the following idiom?

throw down the gauntlet

A

To issue a challenge