Caribbean Students' Companion Website

Activity 1

Section 2

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What do the following familiar expressions mean?

1. An Achilles heel

a. A faithful friend
b. A very handsome man
c. A weak spot
d. A man with a perfect physique

2. To have an axe to grind

a. To rouse one's anger
b. To have some selfish objective in view
c. To slate a fact so that there are no doubt or objections
d. To make a full confession

3. To be on the horns of a dilemma

a. To be in such a position that it is difficult to decide what to do
b. To avoid starvation
c. To show signs of cowardice
d. To act treacherously; to play both sides

4. To take silk

a. To be brutally frank or honest
b. To learn the ropes
c. To mislead or deceive
d. To be appointed as a Queen's Counsel

5. A month of Sundays

a. An indefinitely long period
b. The departure of a large body of people
c. A blissfully happy, rural and simple life
d. A very rare occurrence

6. Let me see it in black and white

a. To state a fact so that there are no doubts or objections
b. To write something down
c. To avoid talking instead of saying something inappropriate
d. To learn something by heart

7. To be ‘between Scylla and Charybdis'

a. To be in a state of suspense or anxiety
b. To be faced with two equally dangerous alternatives
c. To be overwhelmed by praise and attention
d. To lose a valuable source of income through greed

8. Taking a rain check

a. Attaching special significance to something
b. Arguing about unimportant issues
c. Declining an offer at the moment, but will consider it later
d. Resuming work after a holiday

9. To burn the candle at both ends

a. To expend energy in two directions at the same time
b. To go insane
c. To attempt to do something without proper materials or due preparation
d. To set to work energetically

10. A wet blanket

a. A source of comfort or assistance
b. A foolishly incredible story
c. A person who discourages others
d. A very strict disciplinarian

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