Americans have a solid set of popular phrases that are uttered every day - but do you know their true meanings? Take our quiz to find out!
Question 1/12
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What does "burn the midnight oil" mean?
to stay up drinking
to work late
to get to bed early
Question 2/12
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What does "let sleeping dogs lie" mean?
try to relax
leave a situation as is
believe someone's statement
Question 3/12
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What does "not playing with a full deck" refer to?
a person lacking intelligence
a misunderstood situation
an easy or simple task
Question 4/12
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What does "wouldn't be caught dead" mean?
unable to make an important decision
would never like to do something
to take an unnecessary risk
Question 5/12
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What does "sitting on the fence" mean?
when someone needs a person to talk to
when someone is making a rash decision
when someone doesn't want to make a decision
Question 6/12
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What does "once in a blue moon" mean?
happens very rarely
a common occurrence
on the off-chance
Question 7/12
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What does "take it with a grain of salt" mean?
this comes from a reputable source
don't take offense to a statement
don't take it too seriously
Question 8/12
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What does "on the ball" mean?
two people are in agreement
someone understands a situation well
when a person you are talking about arrives
Question 9/12
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What does "let the cat out of the bag" mean?
get naked
reveal something
leave out a detail
Question 10/12
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What does the phrase "crying over spilled milk" mean?
pretending to cry for attention
mentioning something irrelevant
complaining about an old loss
Question 11/12
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What does "don't put all your eggs in one basket" mean?
do not put all your resources in one possibility
do not rely on other people or things
always make sure you have enough food
Question 12/12
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What does "hit the nail on the head" mean?
punch someone over something dumb
fail to understand a situation
do or say something exactly right
You're clearly off your rocker when it comes to knowing the most popular phrases in the country! You must be pretty lost when people use these in everyday conversation - you might want to study up a bit!
C+, Off Your Rocker
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Right!
You're on the ball with your knowledge of popular phrases in this country! While you could have scored a little higher, you definitely shouldn't beat yourself up over this score - it's pretty impressive!
B+, On The Ball
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Right!
No doubt about it - you're the best thing since sliced bread! Well, at least as far as knowing the most popular phrases in this country goes. Few people would know more than you about this topic, and we imagine you talk exclusively in idioms. Great work!
A+, Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
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Right!
1
What does "burn the midnight oil" mean?
to stay up drinking
to work late
to get to bed early
2
What does "let sleeping dogs lie" mean?
try to relax
leave a situation as is
believe someone's statement
3
What does "not playing with a full deck" refer to?
a person lacking intelligence
a misunderstood situation
an easy or simple task
4
What does "wouldn't be caught dead" mean?
unable to make an important decision
would never like to do something
to take an unnecessary risk
5
What does "sitting on the fence" mean?
when someone needs a person to talk to
when someone is making a rash decision
when someone doesn't want to make a decision
6
What does "once in a blue moon" mean?
happens very rarely
a common occurrence
on the off-chance
7
What does "take it with a grain of salt" mean?
this comes from a reputable source
don't take offense to a statement
don't take it too seriously
8
What does "on the ball" mean?
two people are in agreement
someone understands a situation well
when a person you are talking about arrives
9
What does "let the cat out of the bag" mean?
get naked
reveal something
leave out a detail
10
What does the phrase "crying over spilled milk" mean?
pretending to cry for attention
mentioning something irrelevant
complaining about an old loss
11
What does "don't put all your eggs in one basket" mean?
do not put all your resources in one possibility
do not rely on other people or things
always make sure you have enough food
12
What does "hit the nail on the head" mean?
punch someone over something dumb
fail to understand a situation
do or say something exactly right
