A chip on your shoulder. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Spill the beans. There are so many common phrases used in our day-to-day life. Not every one of them makes sense when you look at them. Why do we talk about “killing two birds” when we are getting two things done at once? Or we say we are “under the weather” when we are not feeling well.
This set of phrases trivia questions and answers will have you just passing by the skin of your teeth. Make sure not to play the blame game when someone comes out on top of the trivia leaderboard.
Are you not quite done with the trivia? Check out our spelling, grammar, and even our English trivia quizzes to further test your knowledge of the English language.
In Cockney rhyming slang, what is meant by ‘plates of meat’?
Beat
Sheet
Feet
Heat
Which of these phrases implies anger?
Clench your fists
Drag your feet
Break a leg
Turn up your nose
Complete the advertising slogan: ‘This is not just food, this is … food’?
McDonalds
M & S
Lidl
Asda
A pint of beer is 2 units of alcohol and costs £3.20. Men should drink no more than 14 units a week. How much would this cost in beer?
24.2
22.4
21.7
28
Which N means ‘it does not follow’?
Nouveau riche
Non sequitur
Noblesse oblige
Nada
Which M means ‘through my own fault’?
Mot juste
Modus operandi
Mea culpa
Merci bien
If a man is described as being ‘a bit of a Don Juan’, what sort of person are they?
Weakling
Womaniser
Ruthless businessman
Bodybuilder
At which sporting occasion was the phrase ‘They think it’s all over, it is now’ first uttered?
2005 Ashes Lords Test
1966 World Cup Final
2009 Wimbledon Final
1997 Grand National
From which ancient language do we get the phrases ‘status quo’ and ‘quid pro quo’?
Hebrew
Persian
Latin
Greek
Can I have a P please Bob’ could be heard on which popular TV game show?
Krypton Factor
Blockbusters
Blankety Blank
Celebrity Squares
A farmer has 50 sheep. 20 sheep have one lamb, 15 sheep have twins, 8 have triplets and the rest have none. How many lambs does he have?
54
50
64
74
From which literary work does the phrase ‘One foot in the grave’ come?
A Christmas Carol
Gulliver’s Travels
The Duchess of Malfi
Macbeth
If someone describes you as a ‘salad dodger’, what should you do?
Lose weight
Find work
Get your hair cut
Use less make up
Which G means ‘free of charge’?
Grand mal
Gracias
Gravitas
Gratis
If a man is ‘pointing Percy at the porcelain’, what is he doing?
Having a wee
Shaving
Playing golf
Chatting up a woman
If someone is described as a ‘real Pollyanna’, what do they have?
Very high intelligence
A dark secret
Red hair
An optimistic outlook
In slang, what sort of people are ‘in the Andrew’?
Pensioners
Greengrocers
Sailors
Pregnant women
What does the abbreviation OTT stand for?
Open Talk Trading
One Two Three
Over The Top
Omelettes Take Time
If your French companion says ‘Bon appetit’, what are you about to do?
Have sex
Leave
Eat
Drink a martini
Complete the advertising slogan: ‘… gives a meal man-appeal’?
Lurpak
M & S
Birds Eye
Oxo
Which C means ‘that’s life’?
Costa brava
C’est la vie
Caveat emptor
Carpe diem
A frisbee traveled 28m when it was first thrown and 41m the second time it was thrown. What was the total distance travelled?
99
69
89
79
Which M means ‘the exact word’?
Momento
Modus vivendi
Mea culpe
Mot juste
From which ancient language do we get the phrases ‘inter alia’ and ‘nota bene’?
Latin
Hebrew
Greek
Aramaic
If you have a ‘skin like a rhinoceros’, which of these best describes you?
Happy-go-lucky
Quick to anger
Insensitive to insults
Ready for a challenge
If you are ‘taking the mickey’ out of somebody, what are you doing?
Removing their appendix
Asking for money
Teasing them
Picking their pocket
Complete the phrase: Look before you …
Jump
Step
Leap
Spring
According to the 1984 film ‘Who ya gonna call?’?
Aliens
Ghostbusters
Patrick Swayze
Indiana Jones
If you are ‘au fait’ about something, how are you?
Knowledgeable
Clueless
Scared
Uncertain
Following what sort of action might you use the phrase ‘et tu, Brute’ to a friend?
Invitation
Indifference
Betrayal
Mistake
Compete the well-known phrase: How long is a piece of …?
Twine
Rope
String
Cotton
What does the phrase ‘raison d’etre’ mean?
Reason for existing
At liberty
To infinity
In the fresh air
According to the proverb, what is ‘as good as a feast’?
A KitKat
Lard
Breakfast
Enough
In Australian slang, what is a ‘dickless Tracey’?
Policewoman
Sportswoman
Homosexual
Hairdresser
In Swedish, what is the meaning of the expression ‘God eftermiddag’?
No thank you
Get well soon
Good afternoon
Happy birthday
In the well known saying ‘He who can, does, he who cannot…’ does what?
Works
Eats
Runs
Teaches
A ferry travelled 44km from the shore before the captain turned left and 35km to its final destination. What was the total distance travelled?
89
109
99
79
In modern slang, if someone says ‘I haven’t got a Scooby’, what are they?
Broke
Single
Clueless
Homeless
From where does the phrase ‘Often a bridesmaid, but never a bride’ come?
Book of Common Prayer
Liz Taylor’s mum
Mouthwash slogan
Much Ado About Nothing
If you are ‘compos mentis’, which of these are you definitely NOT?
Mad
Deaf
Old
Blind
Which of these phrases implies discretion?
Click your fingers
Hold your tongue
Lick your lips
Shrug your shoulders
Claire leaves home at 8am, travels 40 minutes to the airport, waits half a hour and takes a 3 hour flight. When does she arrive?
12.15pm
11.50am
noon
12.10pm
Complete the well-known phrase: As keen as …
Pepper
Vinegar
Pickle
Mustard
A haircut costs £20 with the stylist and £12 with the junior. How much would I save on my monthly haircut each year by using the junior?
84
96
90
92
A frisbee traveled 40m when it was first thrown and 8m the second time it was thrown. What was the total distance travelled?
68
48
78
58
According to the proverb, what do too many cooks do?
Make a meal
Argue
Spoil the broth
Eat a lot
Complete the advertising slogan: ‘Drinka … milka day’?
Glassa
Bottla
Lotta
Pinta
A ferry travelled 25km from the shore before the captain turned left and 49km to its final destination. What was the total distance travelled?
104
84
74
94
In Swedish, what is the meaning of the expression ‘God kvall’?
Happy birthday
I love you
Get well soon
Good evening
From which religion does the saying ‘Even the wishes of an ant reach to heaven’ come?
Islam
Hinduism
Sikhism
Shinto
The number of hours that were left in the day was one-third of the number of hours already passed. How many hours were left in the day?
8 hours
0.08333333333
5 hours
6 hours
According to the proverb, what is the ‘mother of invention’?
Mrs Edison
Boredom
Necessity
Experience
In Cockney rhyming slang, what is a ‘whistle and flute’?
Suit
Boot
Root
Coot
According to the proverb, what can’t you make out of a sow’s ear?
Anything at all
An old dog
A silk purse
A bacon sandwich
Which of these phrases implies rejection?
Turn up your nose
Prick up your ears
Raise your eyebrows
Lick your lips
Complete the phrase: As cool as a …
Lettuce
Cucumber
Radish
Tomato
A frisbee traveled 10m when it was first thrown and 44m the second time it was thrown. What was the total distance travelled?
74
84
54
64
Mark works from 9am to 4pm for £9 an hour and is paid in cash. He spends £5 on a pizza on the way home. How much has he got left?
53
63
58
68
In the phrase ‘beyond the Pale’, meaning unacceptable, what is the ‘Pale’?
Boundary in Ireland
White flag of surrender
Community water source
Latin word for a grave
Which A means ‘in the open air’?
Antipasti
Al fresco
Al dente
A la mode
A frisbee traveled 11m when it was first thrown and 11m the second time it was thrown. What was the total distance travelled?
42
52
32
22
Finish the proverb: ‘Manners maketh the…’
Dinner
Bed
Difference
Man
Complete the Persian proverb: If fortune turns against you, even … breaks your tooth
Jelly
Angel delight
Custard
Blancmange
According to the proverb, how do ‘Still waters run’?
Slowly
Dark
Silent
Deep
Complete the simile: as blind as a …?
Post
Mole
Bat
Snake
If the ‘Third World’ denotes the world’s developing countries, which area was denoted by the phrase ‘Second World’?
The Americas
Australasia
Scandinavia
Communist bloc
Which of these means ‘in the open air’?
A la mode
Al dente
Al fresco
A capella
According to the nursery rhyme, which bells ask ‘When will you pay me?’?
Shoreditch
St.Martin’s
Old Bailey
St.Clement’s
If someone tells you to ‘take a pew’, what should you do?
Swallow your medicine
Sit down
Make an exit
Do a dance
Which C means ‘seize the day’?
Carpe diem
Carte blanche
Cannelloni
Caveat emptor
In its original form, which of these expressions meant to ‘rub down the chestnut horse’?
Curry favour
Drink the stirrup cup
Have a nightmare
Ride roughshod
If you ‘dig in your heels’, what are you being?
Stubborn
Concerned
Miserable
Angry
Complete the well-known phrase: As sober as a …
Linesman
Magistrate
Judge
Referee
A ferry travelled 12km from the shore before the captain turned left and 23km to its final destination. What was the total distance travelled?
55
45
65
35
A ferry travelled 49km from the shore before the captain turned left and 39km to its final destination. What was the total distance travelled?
98
88
118
108
Au fait – is a foreign phrase in common use in the English language – what does it mean?
Not there
Familiar with
To do
To have
Which of these phrases implies surprise?
Blow your nose
Turn up your nose
Drag your feet
Raise your eyebrows
According to the nursery rhyme, on what day of the week was the child reputed to have ‘far to go’ born?
Monday
Wednesday
Tuesday
Thursday
According to the proverb, ‘the early bed gets …’ what?
Tired by noon
The worm
A mate
All the grubs
According to the proverb, with what is ‘the road to hell paved’?
Good intentions
Laziness and deceit
Bad thoughts
Cracked paving slabs
Complete the well-known proverb: ‘Many hands make …’?
An audience
Light work
A lot of clocks
A mess
If people are said to be ‘as thick as thieves’, what are they?
Very stupid
About to rob a bank
Ugly as sin
Very friendly
Which P means ‘one who is not welcome’?
Persona non grata
Per capita
Parmesan
Pret-a-porter
In Australia, who are referred to as ‘ducks and geese’?
Lesbians
Homosexuals
Americans
The police
If you’re ‘up a gum-tree’, what’s your situation?
At school
About to get married
On holiday
In difficulty
Complete the saying: As fresh as a …
Tulip
Daisy
Buttercup
Rose
In Cockney rhyming slang, if you fancied a ‘Ruby Murray’, what sort of restaurant should you be heading for?
Indian
Mexican
French
Italian
If you’re ‘three sheets to the wind’, what have you done?
Fallen overboard
Sold your car
Overslept
Drunk too much
A frisbee traveled 16m when it was first thrown and 9m the second time it was thrown. What was the total distance travelled?
35
55
45
25
According to the nursery rhyme, what do you mix with half a pound of tuppenny rice?
Half a pound of treacle
A handful of beansprouts
Chopped coriander
Milk and jam
If you ‘drop the pilot’, what are you getting rid of?
Trustworthy advisor
Long-term lover
Valuable item
Unwanted pet
A ferry travelled 48km from the shore before the captain turned left and 34km to its final destination. What was the total distance travelled?
102
82
112
92
From which source does the phrase ‘separate the sheep from the goats’ come?
Aesop
Bible
Shakespeare
Dickens
A frisbee traveled 26m when it was first thrown and 1m the second time it was thrown. What was the total distance travelled?
57
37
27
47
If something is to ‘come under the hammer’, it will be what…?
Repaired
Eaten
Auctioned
Flattened
Complete the saying: The early bird catches …
The worm
Cold
Flies
Fish
A ferry travelled 48km from the shore before the captain turned left and 26km to its final destination. What was the total distance travelled?
84
94
74
104
MPs are allowed to claim £5000 a year towards rent. Maria claims £600 a month. How much does she have to pay back at the end of the year?
5000
7700
720
2200
According to the proverb ‘Go to bed with the lamb, and rise with the…’ what?
Owl
Milkman
Candle
Lark
Which C means approximately?
Coupe
Circa
Cliche
Coupon
For how long did the Financial Times use the slogan ‘No FT; No comment’?
25 years
27 years
21 years
23 years
You can do better
Not bad
Great!
