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Work Idioms

Average: 3.8 (15 votes)
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 06:27 — Chris McCarthy

After the success of last week's love idioms exercise, I decided to write another idioms lesson for you based on expressions that contain the verb 'to work'.

I have written the meanings of the expressions at the top and then created some sentences that include the idioms. Can you work out which idiom belongs to each sentence?

Work like a charm - if something works like a charm, then it has exactly the effect that you wanted it to.
Work your fingers to the bone - if you work your fingers to the bone, you do an extremely difficult job
Work yourself up - if you work yourself up, you become very upset about something.
Work up a sweat - if you work up a sweat, you put a lot of effort into something.
A nasty piece of work - if someone is a nasty piece of work, they are not very nice.
Things will work out - if things work out, a problem becomes resolved.
Put a spanner in the works - if you put a spanner in the works, you do something that stops another thing from succeeding.

By Caroline

  • 1. Dont worry about the argument. I'm sure ___




  • 2. I don't like that girl that my daughter has become friends with. I think she's ___




  • 3. When I'm sick, I make a drink with honey, lemon and chilli powder. It ___




  • 4. It was all fine until Chris ___ by telling us that he had forgotten to book the coaches.




  • 5. I ___ at my last job so I can't believe that they made me redundant and not my lazy colleague.




  • 6. I really ___ at the gym. I haven't been for ages, but I felt so much better afterwards.




  • 7. I know you are very upset but you mustn't ___ about it. Everything will be fine.








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Comments

Wed, 08/04/2010 - 07:07 — Yura

It wasn't a piece of cake!:(

It wasn't a piece of cake!:( I didn't know these idioms!

But I didn't work myself up!

If I  work my fingers to the bone at these idioms,  it'll work like a charm. Things wiil work out!!!

Thank you for the Lesson!!!:)

Wed, 08/04/2010 - 17:53 — PMallon

Re: It wasn't a piece of cake!:(

Make sure you have a towel, if you work up a sweat!!!

Thu, 08/05/2010 - 09:14 — mona77

I like idioms thank's alot

I like idioms

thank's alot

Thu, 08/05/2010 - 11:35 — Fotedy

I like English! I really

I like English!

I really appreciate this cours. I find it wonderfull. It's usefull. these idioms work are not a nasty piece of work, in the real life they are working like a charm in my English learning specially in the friend's conversation. These great idioms push me to work up a sweat. No! Even I have to work my fingers to the bone they can't work myself up. That my engagement!

Sun, 08/08/2010 - 18:42 — rajlekkala

worked like a charm

Worked my fingers to the bone. It worked like a charm.

--Raj

Mon, 08/16/2010 - 05:50 — Pegah

examles

I always thought that everything work out but onley in dream everything work like a charm.It seems everybody put spanner in the work some of them are nasty piece of the work, it works myself up but I will work up a sweat.

Sun, 01/16/2011 - 16:59 — Manish2811

work idioms

 * To become a professional in something you need to work up a sweat

 * Sometimes we spoil our career with some nasty piece of work and later we  work ourself up  about that

 * Shayne ward worked his fingers to the bone at initial stage of his career and now he is a star

 * I was about to won the quiz and suddenly he had put a spanner in the works

 Thanx a lot  Chris and caroline