Idioms starting with like pairwork matching

Idioms starting with like pairwork matching

Optional: With someone with the same worksheet, try to think of how the halves of idioms that you have might start or end (with “like” always the first word).

Work with someone with the other worksheet. Without showing your worksheets to each other, try to match your endings with the beginnings on your partner’s worksheet and vice versa, and write in the missing halves of the idioms starting with “like”. You don’t need to write the definitions down, but knowing them might help you match the two halves up.

Useful phrases for doing the activity I think it matches with… because… I think that’s right. I’ll write it in/ You should write it in. (That could be right but) I think… is a better match.

 

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Suggested answers

• Like bringing coal to Newcastle – offering something that is already in great supply, e.g. giving young people advice on using social media
• Like falling off a log – incredibly easy
• Like flogging a dead horse – trying to sell an idea or product which is unlikely to gain or regain popularity
• Like getting blood from a stone – very difficult, e.g. to get someone to talk
• Like herding cats – trying to control people with very different ideas about what to do
• Like looking for a needle in a haystack – difficult to find, e.g. a clue to solve a crime
• Like rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic – busy doing something that won’t stop the disaster from happening
• Like riding a bike – a skill that you will never forget/ a skill you will quickly remember when you try to do it again, even after a long time
• Like talking to a brick wall – trying to persuade a stubborn person to change their mind
• Like watching paint dry – very boring

 

• Like a bear with a sore head – very grumpy/ bad-tempered
• Like a bird in a gilded cage – with luxury but no freedom, e.g. someone with a rich but jealous husband or the royal family
• Like a breath of fresh air – someone with a new approach, e.g. someone much more cheerful and optimistic than a previous manager
• Like a kid in a candy store – with unbelievable freedom to do what you enjoy, e.g. an inventor with many new tools
• Like a red flag to a bull – something that is very likely to make someone angry
• Like chalk and cheese – totally different
• Like death warmed up – really unhealthy, e.g. with a really bad hangover
• Like putty in someone's hands – easy for someone to control
• Like rats from a sinking ship – running away from a difficult situation such as a failing company, maybe though you could have helped
• Like two peas in a pod – very similar, and maybe therefore likely to get on well

 

 

Student A

Like bringing

 

Like falling off

 

Like flogging

 

Like getting

 

Like herding

 

Like looking for

 

Like rearranging

 

Like riding

 

Like talking to

 

Like watching

and cheese – totally different, and maybe unlikely to get on well

 

from a sinking ship – running away from a difficult situation such as a failing company, maybe though you could have helped

 

in a candy store – with unbelievable freedom to do what you enjoy, e.g. an inventor with many new tools

 

in a gilded cage – with luxury but no freedom, e.g. someone with a rich but jealous husband or the royal family

 

in a pod – very similar, and maybe therefore likely to get on well

 

in someone's hands – easy for someone to control

 

of fresh air – someone with a new approach, e.g. someone much more cheerful and optimistic than a previous manager

 

to a bull – something that is very likely to make someone angry

 

warmed up – really unhealthy, e.g. with a really bad hangover

 

with a sore head – very grumpy/ bad-tempered

 

 

Student B

a bike – a skill that you will never forget/ a skill you will quickly remember when you try to do it again, even after a long time

 

a brick wall – trying to persuade a stubborn person to change their mind

 

a dead horse – trying to sell an idea or product which is unlikely to gain or regain popularity

 

a log – incredibly easy

 

a needle in a haystack – difficult to find, e.g. a clue to solve a crime

 

blood from a stone – very difficult, e.g. to get someone to talk

 

cats – trying to control people with very different ideas about what to do

 

coals to Newcastle – offering something that is already in great supply, e.g. giving young people advice on using social media

 

deckchairs on the Titanic – busy doing something that won’t stop the disaster from happening

 

paint dry – very boring

Like a bear

 

Like a bird

 

Like a breath

 

Like a kid

 

Like a red flag

 

Like chalk

 

Like death

 

Like putty

 

Like rats

 

Like two peas

 

Idioms starting with like gapfill

Without looking above, put one word into each gap below.

• Like bringing ______________________________ to Newcastle – offering something that is already in great supply, e.g. giving young people advice on social media
• Like falling ______________________________________ a log – incredibly easy
• Like flogging a dead __________________________________________________ – trying to sell an idea or product which is unlikely to gain or regain popularity
• Like getting _______________ from a stone – very difficult, e.g. to get someone to talk
• Like herding _______________________________________________________ – trying to control people with very different ideas about what to do
• Like looking for a ________ in a haystack – difficult to find, e.g. a clue to solve a crime
• Like rearranging deckchairs on the ______________________________________ – busy doing something that won’t stop the disaster from happening
• Like riding a ______________________________ – a skill that you will never forget/ a skill you will quickly remember when you try to do it again, even after a long time
• Like _______________________________________________________________ to a brick wall – trying to persuade a stubborn person to change their mind
• Like watching __________________________________________ dry – very boring

 

• Like a _________________________ with a sore head – very grumpy/ bad-tempered
• Like a ____________________________________________ in a gilded cage – with luxury but no freedom, e.g. someone with a rich but jealous husband or the royal family
• Like a breath of __________________________________ air – someone with a new approach, e.g. someone much more cheerful and optimistic than a previous manager
• Like a kid in a __________________________________________________ store – with unbelievable freedom to do what you enjoy, e.g. an inventor with many new tools
• Like a _________ flag to a bull – something that is very likely to make someone angry
• Like ______________________________________ and cheese – totally different
• Like ______________ warmed up – really unhealthy, e.g. with a really bad hangover
• Like putty in someone's ________________________ – easy for someone to control
• Like rats from a _______________________________________ ship – running away from a difficult situation such as a failing company, maybe though you could have helped
• Like two _______________________________________ in a pod – very similar, and maybe therefore likely to get on well

 

Check above, then test each other on the same idioms:

• Say the idioms with a different word missing (with the definitions if that helps)
• Say the definition and help your partner make the idiom (by giving key words etc)