Joy English · Livello C2 · Modi di direjoy-english.com

Espressioni figurate e modi di dire fissi

Nome:Data:

Usa dodici espressioni figurate vivaci, da red herrings a the tip of the iceberg, nella forma giusta e nell'occasione giusta.

Quale modo di dire va bene?

Scegli il modo di dire che completa meglio ogni frase.

  1. The detective realised the muddy footprints were ___, laid to lead the search away from the real culprit.
    • a) a storm in a teacup
    • b) a red herring
    • c) the tip of the iceberg
    • d) a mixed blessing
  2. Everyone knew the company was losing money, but nobody dared mention it; it was ___ at every meeting.
    • a) the elephant in the room
    • b) a red herring
    • c) the tip of the iceberg
    • d) a mixed blessing
  3. Working from home has been ___: I save two hours a day, but I miss my colleagues.
    • a) a storm in a teacup
    • b) the tip of the iceberg
    • c) the elephant in the room
    • d) a mixed blessing
  4. The complaint about the late bus turned out to be ___; by lunchtime everyone had forgotten it.
    • a) a mixed blessing
    • b) the elephant in the room
    • c) a storm in a teacup
    • d) a red herring
  5. The three errors we found are only ___; the audit will probably reveal hundreds more.
    • a) the tip of the iceberg
    • b) a storm in a teacup
    • c) a red herring
    • d) a mixed blessing
  6. Do not ___ just because last year's sales were a record; the market is changing fast.
    • a) run out of steam
    • b) rest on your laurels
    • c) grasp the nettle
    • d) cut corners
  7. Halfway through the long essay, Aiko began to ___ and could barely finish the paragraph.
    • a) leave no stone unturned
    • b) grasp the nettle
    • c) read between the lines
    • d) run out of steam
  8. The contractor was accused of trying to ___ by using cheaper materials than those specified.
    • a) rest on his laurels
    • b) grasp the nettle
    • c) cut corners
    • d) leave no stone unturned

Completa il modo di dire

Completa ogni modo di dire con una parola di questo elenco: nettle, squib, stone, lines, steam, corners, laurels, teacup. Usa ogni parola una sola volta.

  1. After weeks of excited publicity, the grand reopening was a damp ___: hardly anyone came.
  2. The inspector promised to leave no ___ unturned in her search for the cause of the leak.
  3. The sender was clearly angry, though you had to read between the ___ to see it.
  4. Having put off the difficult conversation for months, she finally decided to grasp the ___.
  5. I would never cut ___ on safety checks, however tight the deadline.
  6. The campaign started brightly, but after six weeks it began to run out of ___.
  7. The row over who should wash up was a storm in a ___; they had forgotten it by morning.
  8. The former champion was warned not to rest on her ___.

Soluzioni

Quale modo di dire va bene?

  1. b) a red herringQualcosa che distrae l'attenzione dalla verità è a red herring.
  2. a) the elephant in the roomUn problema evidente di cui tutti evitano di parlare è the elephant in the room.
  3. d) a mixed blessingHa effetti sia buoni sia cattivi, quindi è a mixed blessing.
  4. c) a storm in a teacupUn'agitazione per qualcosa di banale che passa in fretta è a storm in a teacup.
  5. a) the tip of the icebergLa piccola parte visibile di un problema molto più grande è the tip of the iceberg.
  6. b) rest on your laurelsRilassarsi per i successi passati significa resting on your laurels.
  7. d) run out of steamPerdere energia prima di finire significa running out of steam.
  8. c) cut cornersScegliere un modo più economico e di qualità inferiore per risparmiare significa cutting corners.

Completa il modo di dire

  1. squibA damp squib è un evento molto meno impressionante di quanto la gente si aspettasse.
  2. stoneTo leave no stone unturned significa tentare assolutamente tutto.
  3. linesReading between the lines significa trovare il significato non dichiarato.
  4. nettleTo grasp the nettle significa affrontare con coraggio una difficoltà.
  5. cornersTo cut corners significa fare qualcosa in modo economico o trascurato per risparmiare fatica.
  6. steamRunning out of steam significa perdere energia ed entusiasmo.
  7. teacup / tea cupA storm in a teacup è una grande agitazione per qualcosa di piccolo.
  8. laurelsTo rest on your laurels significa rilassarsi per un successo precedente.