31 Common Idioms And It’s Your Job To Uncover Their True Meanings

It’s easy to speak in simple words, but sometimes you want to spice up your everyday language with more interesting phrases. There are also situations when it is not always possible to express your thoughts fully in simple words. So, that’s when idioms come to the rescue! They not only allow you to express yourself more imaginatively but also to say something or describe complex situations in just a few words.

In this quiz, we’ll test your knowledge of commonly used idioms. It sounds like a really easy task, but here is the twist: the idioms start off simple but get harder as you go.

Let’s see how well you do! 🚀

Scrabble tiles spelling out the idiom "Mend the roof before it rains" on a white background.

Image credits: Brett Jordan

Text "That ship has sailed" on a gradient background, illustrating the idiom.

1. What does this idiom mean?

A new journey has begun

A missed opportunity

A difficult decision

A successful event

"Colorful background with 'Spill the beans' text illustrating the idiom meaning to reveal a secret."

2. What is the meaning of this idiom?

Make a mess

Reveal a secret

Tell a joke

Cook something

Green background with the idiom "Make a long story short" in black text.

3. Choose the right meaning of this idiom:

Leave out important details

Tell an exaggerated story

Change the ending of a story

Summarize something quickly

Text "Not my circus, not my monkeys" on a light purple background, a Polish idiom.

4. This idiom comes from Poland—what does it mean?

It’s not my problem

Someone is causing chaos

Things are getting out of control

A performance is going badly

Text "Better late than never" on a gradient red-orange background, illustrating the idiom's meaning.

5. What is the meaning of this idiom?

Being late is always rude

Only early arrivals are acceptable

Missing something is better than being late

Arriving late is still better than not showing up

"Text displaying the idiom: Bite off more than you can chew on a gradient background."

6. Identify the meaning of this idiom:

Eat too quickly

Take on too much work

Accept help from others

Learn from past mistakes

Text on a red background reads “To have a frog in one’s throat.”

7. What is the meaning of this idiom?

To struggle to speak due to hoarseness

To be afraid of speaking in public

To choke while eating

To feel nervous before an important event

Text on an orange background reads "No pain, no gain," illustrating the idiom about effort for success.

8. What does this idiom mean?

Avoid working too hard

Pain is a sign of failure

Hard work is necessary to succeed

Success comes easily

"Cold feet idiom on gradient background, part of 31 idioms challenge."

9. Guess the meaning of this idiom:

Feeling cold in winter

Avoiding responsibility

Running very fast

Feeling nervous before a big event

"Blue background with the idiom 'Cost an arm and a leg' in black text."

10. What is the meaning of this idiom?

Require a lot of effort

Be physically painful

Be very expensive

Take a long time

Pink background with the text "When chickens have teeth" centered in black font.

11. What does this French idiom mean?

Something rare and valuable

Something that will never happen

A situation that is extremely difficult

A moment of unexpected luck

"Bite the bullet" text on a gradient orange background.

12. Guess the meaning of this idiom:

Avoid a problem

Endure a painful experience

Stay calm in danger

Give up easily

Text "To give someone pumpkins" on a green background, illustrating a Spanish idiom.

13. Identify the meaning behind this Spanish idiom:

To be too shy to confess feelings

To make a relationship official

To spoil someone with gifts

To reject someone romantically

Text "Go the extra mile" on a blue gradient background, highlighting the idiom.

14. Which of these best defines this idiom?

Walk a long distance

Take the easy way out

Put in more effort

Drive very far

"Hit the nail on the head text on a purple to orange gradient background."

15. Select the correct meaning of this idiom:

Work really hard

Hurt yourself

Be exactly right

Fix something quickly

"Text 'See eye to eye' on a light green background, illustrating the idiom's meaning."

16. Decode the meaning of this idiom:

Agree on something

Avoid making eye contact

Look closely at a situation

Change your opinion

Text on a yellow background: "To have the midday demon," an Italian idiom.

17. Guess the meaning of this Italian idiom:

To get angry when things don’t go your way

To be in a hurry before lunchtime

To be restless during hot weather

To feel lazy or unmotivated in the afternoon

"Text 'Under the weather' on a turquoise background, illustrating the idiom meaning feeling unwell."

18. Can you figure out the meaning of this idiom?

Staying indoors

Having a bad day

Feeling sick

Getting sunburned

Text "Ignorance is bliss" on a pink background, showcasing an idiom.

19. Pick the correct option for this idiom:

Ignoring problems makes them disappear

You should always seek knowledge

Being unaware causes trouble

Sometimes not knowing something is better

Text saying "There are plenty of fish in the sea" on a gradient background, illustrating the idiom.

20. What is this idiom trying to say?

The ocean is full of life

There are many other options available

A situation is hard to predict

Good things are rare

"Text 'Back to the drawing board' on a purple background, representing starting over in a creative process."

21. What is the meaning of this idiom?

Continue despite mistakes

Copy someone else’s work

Give up on a project

Start over after a failure

"Hang in there" text on a gradient background from red to purple.

22. Which of these best defines this idiom?

Be patient with others

Avoid a difficult situation

Don’t give up

Take a break

Text "Beat around the bush" on a solid green background, highlighting the idiom.

23. Identify the meaning of this idiom:

Avoid saying something directly

Talk about gardening

Be completely honest

Rush through a conversation

"Break a leg idiom text on orange background, encouraging good luck."

24. What does this idiom mean?

Be careful

Good luck

Walk carefully

Take a break

Text "On cloud nine" on a light blue background, representing a state of great happiness.

25. Select the correct meaning of this idiom:

Feeling lost

Dreaming about something

Extremely happy

Distracted and confused

"Japanese idiom text 'To have an octopus on your face' on a blue-green gradient background."

26. Choose the correct meaning of this Japanese idiom:

To be extremely embarrassed

To feel trapped in a situation

To be confused about something

To lose your temper suddenly

Text “A piece of cake” on a pink background, highlighting the idiom.

27. Which of these best defines this idiom?

A long journey

A difficult challenge

A small portion

Something very easy

Text "Once in a blue moon" on a gradient background, representing a rare occurrence idiom.

28. What is the meaning of this idiom?

Every few days

When the moon is bright

Very rarely

Once a year

"Text 'Get out of hand' on a gradient background, conveying the idiom's meaning of losing control."

29. Guess the meaning of this idiom:

Be well-organized

Become uncontrollable

Leave a situation

Take responsibility

Text on a yellow background displaying the idiom "Throw caution to the wind".

30. Can you guess the meaning of this idiom?

Take a risk

Be extremely careful

Ignore someone’s advice

Act without thinking

Text "Catch-22" displayed on a gradient background transitioning from green to blue.

31. What is this idiom trying to say?

A lucky coincidence

A simple solution

An easy choice

A no-win situation

This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself.

Read less »

This lazy panda forgot to write something about itself.

Read less »

What do you think ?

POST

Tempest 1 month ago

30/31. Didn’t know the Spanish one about pumpkins. Happy to see idioms from other countries. They were a good learning opportunity!

17points

Robert T 1 month ago

Same score, but it was the Japanese one I didn't get. I thought having an octopus on one's face would be very confusing as you wouldn't know where it was going to put it tentacles next!

7points

Load More Replies...

WindySwede 1 month ago

27 points. Here in Sweden we say rooster, not frog 😸

6points

Annik Perrot 1 month ago

In France it's a cat!

3points

The Loneliest Monk 1 month ago

As a native English speaker I got every one except for the Japanese and Spanish ones.

4points

PunchinelloTX Premium 1 month ago

Ditto. Pumpkins and octopus stumped me.

3points

Load More Replies...

Load More Comments

POST

Tempest 1 month ago

30/31. Didn’t know the Spanish one about pumpkins. Happy to see idioms from other countries. They were a good learning opportunity!

17points

Robert T 1 month ago

Same score, but it was the Japanese one I didn't get. I thought having an octopus on one's face would be very confusing as you wouldn't know where it was going to put it tentacles next!

7points

Load More Replies...