Please do not actually spill the beans.
Common expressions that make less sense literally.
Ten questions, with the answers explained. Try them in your head, then open each answer when you're ready.
Play this quiz →QUESTION 1 / 10
In everyday English, what does "spill the beans" mean?
- Waste money
- Reveal a secret
- Cook dinner
- Miss a bus
Show answer & explanation+
Reveal a secret
If you spill the beans, information that was meant to stay private gets out.
QUESTION 2 / 10
In everyday English, what does "break the ice" mean?
- Win an argument
- Make people feel more comfortable
- End a friendship
- Cancel a trip
Show answer & explanation+
Make people feel more comfortable
An opening joke or easy question can break the ice when people first meet.
QUESTION 3 / 10
In everyday English, what does "under the weather" mean?
- Standing outdoors
- Feeling unwell
- Feeling wealthy
- Checking a forecast
Show answer & explanation+
Feeling unwell
Someone under the weather feels ill or a little run-down.
QUESTION 4 / 10
In everyday English, what does "once in a blue moon" mean?
- Very rarely
- At sunset
- Twice a day
- Every Monday
Show answer & explanation+
Very rarely
A blue-moon occasion is one that hardly ever comes around.
QUESTION 5 / 10
In everyday English, what does "hit the hay" mean?
- Buy a farm
- Start cooking
- Go to bed
- Lose a game
Show answer & explanation+
Go to bed
After a long day, hitting the hay simply means heading to bed.
QUESTION 6 / 10
In everyday English, what does "cost an arm and a leg" mean?
- Take a short walk
- Be free
- Need medical treatment
- Be very expensive
Show answer & explanation+
Be very expensive
The phrase describes a painful price, without any literal body parts involved.
QUESTION 7 / 10
In everyday English, what does "on the same page" mean?
- In agreement or sharing an understanding
- Standing in a queue
- Traveling separately
- Reading identical books only
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In agreement or sharing an understanding
Being on the same page means you understand the situation in a similar way.
QUESTION 8 / 10
In everyday English, what does "cut corners" mean?
- Make a square round
- Redecorate a room
- Take extra care
- Do something cheaply or carelessly by skipping steps
Show answer & explanation+
Do something cheaply or carelessly by skipping steps
Cutting corners saves effort or money at the expense of proper work.
QUESTION 9 / 10
In everyday English, what does "piece of cake" mean?
- Something very easy
- A difficult choice
- An expensive mistake
- A long wait
Show answer & explanation+
Something very easy
Calling a task a piece of cake means you expect it to be easy.
QUESTION 10 / 10
In everyday English, what does "call it a day" mean?
- Make a phone call
- Change the date
- Wake up early
- Stop working for now
Show answer & explanation+
Stop working for now
When you call it a day, you decide you have done enough for this session.