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Rediff.com  » Getahead » Quiz: What is a white elephant?
This article was first published 10 years ago

Quiz: What is a white elephant?

May 07, 2014 10:51 IST

Image: A man rides a white elephant at a camp near Uppatasanti Pagoda in Myanmar's new capital city Naypyitaw. What does the phrase 'white elephant' refer to?
Photographs: Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters

If someone called you 'goody two shoes', would you take it as a compliment?

What do you think a gravy train is?

Take our English quiz on idioms and phrases and find out if you know it all...

The dog days of summer are here and I feel sick as a dog.

Do you know the meaning of the phrases 'dog days' and 'sick as a dog'?

In case you haven't figured it out yet, 'dog days' refers to the hottest days of the summer season and 'sick as a dog' implies extreme sickness.

Let's admit it. We all come across similar idioms like these in our daily communication.

More often than not, we don't know what they mean until we listen to or use them frequently in our conversations.

Take our quiz and find out whether you can guess the meanings of these old phrases and idioms…

1. If someone tells you that your last investment was a 'white elephant', what does that person mean?
1) You have a rare possession.
2) You have a burdensome possession.
3) You have made a priceless investment.

Please click NEXT to continue...

Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases


2. You will be joining a new organisation tomorrow. You better mind your Ps and Qs there. What is 'Ps and Qs'?
1) Mind your manners
2) Mind your schedule
3) Carry your own stuff

Please click NEXT to continue...

Tags: Carry

Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases


3. If you sign that clause, you’ll be over a barrel, the counsel warned. The phrase ‘over a barrel’ implies…
1) To face an obstacle
2) To stumble and fall
3) To be helpless or at someone else's mercy

Please click NEXT to continue...

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Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases


4. Don’t you think she’s too goody two shoes to join us for a sleepover? Here, 'goody two shoes' means…
1) Someone who doesn’t have a good pair of shoes
2) Someone who has two pairs of shoes
3) Someone with extremely good behaviour

Please click NEXT to continue...

Tags: 1

Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases


5. Joel has a chip on his shoulder. It makes him a very difficult person to deal with. What does it mean?
1) Joel is a balancing artist and does a fine job balancing a chip on his shoulder.
2) Joel has a chip installed inside his shoulder.
3) Joel is angry all the time because he thinks he has been treated unfairly or feels he is not as good as other people.

Please click NEXT to continue...

Tags: Joel

Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases


6. A lot of people think that getting a government job is like riding a gravy train. A 'gravy train' is…
1) A cumbersome job
2) A sought-after job
3) A cushy job

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Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases


7. Ever since their son moved to the US, they’ve been living high on the hog. What does 'high on the hog' mean?
1) To drink and get high
2) To live in luxury
3) To be unreachable

Please click NEXT to continue...

Tags: US

Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases


8. Don’t jump into that manhole, you’ll go out on a limb, Dad shouted. By 'going out on a limb', he implied…
1) To use a pole/stick
2) To put oneself in a risky situation
3) To jump with one leg

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Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases


9. If you hear someone say 'I’ll take a raincheck on that,' it means…
1) I disagree with what you say.
2) I don't believe you.
3) I'm willing to consider it later.

Please click NEXT to continue...

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Quiz: Guess the meanings of these English phrases


10. When you say 'My friend is a dead ringer for Shah Rukh Khan', you mean...

Tags: US

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