After an exhausting day, Nikhil said he was going to 'hit the sack' as soon as he got home. What does this idiom mean?

• A. To eat a heavy meal
• B. To go to sleep (Answer)
• C. To end a difficult day
• D. To exercise vigorously

'Hit the sack' (or 'hit the hay') means to go to bed. It originates from a time when mattresses were literally sacks stuffed with hay or straw. Options A, C, and D are unrelated to the act of sleeping.

The manager advised the team to 'let sleeping dogs lie' rather than reopen the old argument. What does this idiom mean?

• A. To treat everyone equally without favouritism
• B. To avoid disturbing a situation that is currently settled (Answer)
• C. To forgive past mistakes and move forward
• D. To allow weaker team members more time to improve

'Let sleeping dogs lie' means to avoid interfering with a situation that is currently calm, lest stirring it up causes more trouble. Option C (forgiveness) is related but the idiom is about caution, not absolution. Options A and D introduce fairness/patience meanings not in the phrase.

His financial advisor warned him against 'putting all his eggs in one basket'. What risk does this idiom warn against?

• A. Investing money in perishable assets
• B. Concentrating all resources or hopes in a single option (Answer)
• C. Spending money on unnecessary luxuries
• D. Trusting a single person with all your money

The idiom warns against concentrating all resources, efforts, or hopes in one place — if it fails, everything is lost. Option D is close but the idiom is about diversification of risk, not trust in a person.

The referee was accused of 'turning a blind eye' to the repeated fouls committed by the home team. What does this mean?

• A. To be unable to see clearly due to poor eyesight
• B. To deliberately ignore something wrong or illegal (Answer)
• C. To make an honest mistake due to limited vision
• D. To look away to avoid a dangerous situation

'Turn a blind eye' is attributed to Admiral Horatio Nelson, who reportedly used his blind eye to a telescope to claim he didn't see a signal to retreat. It means to deliberately ignore wrongdoing. Option C (honest mistake) lacks the deliberateness the idiom implies.

The new restaurant offered good food but nothing unusual — just a 'run-of-the-mill' dining experience. What does this phrase mean?

• A. Extremely affordable and budget-friendly
• B. Ordinary and lacking special qualities (Answer)
• C. Rushed and unprofessionally prepared
• D. Efficient and well-organised

'Run-of-the-mill' originally referred to fabric that came directly off the mill without any special finishing — ordinary standard output. It now means something average and unremarkable. Options A, C, and D introduce meanings not contained in the phrase.

Having been cheated by an untrustworthy partner once before, Smitha was now 'once bitten, twice shy' about new business ventures. What does this mean?

• A. A person who has suffered once will be extra cautious in future (Answer)
• B. A person who fails once will never try again
• C. A person who is naturally timid avoids all risks
• D. A person learns the most from repeated mistakes

'Once bitten, twice shy' means that a bad experience makes a person more cautious in similar future situations. Option B (never try again) is too absolute. Option C (naturally timid) misattributes the caution to personality rather than experience.

The politician seemed to 'blow hot and cold' about the infrastructure bill — supporting it one day and opposing it the next. What does this idiom mean?

• A. To speak loudly and then quietly in alternation
• B. To be inconsistent and keep changing one's opinion (Answer)
• C. To react emotionally to political news
• D. To support a cause publicly while opposing it privately

'Blow hot and cold' refers to being inconsistent — alternating between enthusiasm and opposition without clear reason. Option D (public vs. private stance) implies hypocrisy, which is different from the mere inconsistency the idiom describes.

Sending IT experts to teach basic computing to the software engineers at the tech giant was described as 'carrying coal to Newcastle'. What does this mean?

• A. To transport essential goods to a place that needs them
• B. To do something pointlessly because it is already in abundance (Answer)
• C. To import cheap goods to undercut local producers
• D. To teach skills that are no longer relevant

Newcastle-upon-Tyne was the coal-mining capital of England — taking coal there would be absurd as it was already abundant. The idiom means to supply something to a place that already has it in excess. Option D (irrelevant skills) is unrelated to the core meaning of redundancy.

Losing her job turned out to be 'a blessing in disguise' — it led her to start a business that made her far more successful. What does this mean?

• A. Something that appears good but turns out to be harmful
• B. Something that seems unfortunate but turns out to have positive results (Answer)
• C. A secret kept by a trusted friend
• D. A lucky coincidence that changes the course of events

'A blessing in disguise' refers to something that initially appears to be a misfortune but later reveals itself to be beneficial. Option A is the opposite meaning. Option D (lucky coincidence) lacks the initial negative appearance the idiom requires.

The small protest, which began peacefully, quickly 'got out of hand' and turned violent. What does this idiom mean?

• A. To move beyond the control of those responsible for it (Answer)
• B. To end abruptly without a resolution
• C. To be dismissed or shut down by authorities
• D. To attract unexpected media attention

'Get out of hand' means to become uncontrollable — beyond the ability of someone to manage. Option B (abrupt end) suggests termination rather than escalation. Options C and D introduce specific scenarios not covered by the idiom.