Idioms for Intermediate Level Students

English is a language that is full of many colourful idioms that describe people and situations in a more interesting way than the typical vocabulary.

For example instead of saying "he's been doing this for a long time" you can say "He's an old hat at this". This is an especially great way of improving your writing.

Here are some more idioms and their meanings:

He gave me a hand with my homework = He helped me with my homework
Batman is a loner = Batman likes to be alone
My sister is a pain in the neck = My sister is very irritating
Bill Gates is a high flyer = Bill Gates is very successful and important
You took the words out of my mouth = You said exactly what I wanted to say
My sister is a drama queen = My sister always overreacts
I know English inside out = I know English extremely well
I haven't got a clue about engineering = I don't know anything about engineering
Don't be a cry baby = Don't complain so much
My new boss is wet behind the ears = My new boss is very inexperienced

Lesson by Sebastian E’Silva, EC Cape Town English School

Now finish the sentences using the correct idiom:

• 1. I agree with what you said completely. You really ___.
  
  know it inside out
  gave me a hand
  took the words out of my mouth
  
  
• 2. Every time my boss has a problem, even when it's really small, she gets far too upset. She's such a ___.
  
  wet behind the ears
  drama queen
  loner
  
  
• 3. One day I hope to be a ___ and make tons of money.
  
  pain in the neck
  high flyer
  cry baby
  
  
• 4. I've been an accountant for 20 years now, so I ___.
  
  am wet behind the ears
  know my job inside out
  am a cry baby
  
  
• 5. Can you please ___, I really need some help.
  
  be a high flyer
  take the words out of my mouth
  give me a hand
  
  
• 6. My neighbour's dog is ___, it never stops barking.
  
  a pain in the neck
  wet behind the ears
  a drama queen
  
  
• 7. I’ve been an English student for many years, I ___.
  
  am a pain in the neck
  wet behind the ears
  am an old hat at it
  
  
• 8. All she ever does is sit alone at home, she's quite ___.
  
  a drama queen
  a loner
  a pain in the neck
  
  
• 9. In high school I knew a lot about maths, but I ___ about geography.
  
  was a cry baby
  knew it inside out
  didn't have a clue
  
  
• 10. I hate my cousin sometimes, all he ever does is complain and argue about everything. What ___!
  
  a pain in the neck
  a loner
  a cry baby