The English Expressions Quiz
Do you know the real origins of these strange expressions we use every day? Test your knowledge of idioms, their meanings, and surprising histories.
Try this quiz
Play through the questions and see your score instantly
Ready to test your knowledge?
8 questions · Quick play · Instant results
Make your own quiz videos
Turn any topic into a polished video quiz — with AI-powered questions, voiceover, and animations. No video editing skills needed.
Unlimited quizzes, free to start
Create as many quizzes as you want. Describe your topic and AI builds the questions, answers, and explanations for you.
Customise everything
Pick from stunning templates, tweak colours and fonts, add your branding, and choose between vertical or landscape formats.
Export-ready videos
Download HD videos optimised for TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, or full-length YouTube — one click, no editing.
No credit card required
Quiz Questions & Answers
Review every prompt, the correct responses, and helpful context to prep for your own run-through.
Question 1: What does the expression "bite the bullet" originally refer to?
Swallowing a secret to avoid gossip
Refusing to retaliate when provoked
Chewing metal to test quality in manufacturing
Enduring pain bravely, from soldiers biting bullets during surgery
Question 2: Which meaning best matches "let the cat out of the bag"?
Reveal a secret unexpectedly, possibly tied to market fraud with piglets and cats
Conceal information intentionally for negotiation leverage
Release an animal that's been kept hidden
Ignore a problem until it gets worse
Question 3: What is the origin idea behind "to turn a blind eye"?
Changing one's opinion after new evidence
Being unable to see due to lack of information
Using deception to avoid responsibility
Deliberately ignoring something, linked to an admiral covering his blind eye to signals
Question 4: How did "saving face" come to mean preserving reputation?
From dentistry when preserving a patient's face after injury
From money lenders keeping collateral on display
From East Asian social norms valuing honor and public dignity
From actors pausing onstage to hide mistakes
Question 5: Which scenario illustrates the phrase "spill the beans" correctly?
Dropping groceries while carrying them home
Cooking a recipe recipe incorrectly by adding beans too early
Quietly discussing a confidential matter in private
A friend accidentally reveals plans for a surprise party
Question 6: What does the expression "rule of thumb" originally imply?
A technique for sewing with the thumb crease
A practical approximate method based on experience, from using the thumb as a rough measure
An old legal ruling about property rights
A superstition about thumbs wards off bad luck
Question 7: Which explanation best debunks the myth that "cold feet" comes from frostbite?
It was coined by mountaineers experiencing cold toes
It more likely means sudden loss of nerve or confidence before an event
It originates from medical advice about warming extremities
It refers to a superstition about stepping backward to avoid marriage
Question 8: How would you apply "keep your powder dry" in modern workplace advice?
Avoid collaborating to maintain independent credit
Prepare and conserve resources so you're ready when opportunity arises
Spend resources quickly to capitalize on current trends
Share all plans openly to build immediate momentum