Student A
Using the literal meaning and/ or the idiomatic meaning, choose an idiom below and mime it until your partner guesses what it is (they do not have them on their worksheet, so this could take some time!)
1. A shoulder to cry on (someone you can talk to your problems about)
2. Put my foot in it (say something insensitive or talk about a topic that I should have avoided)
3. Get it off my chest (feel relieved because I talked about something that was difficult)
4. Up to my eyes in… (so much work etc. that I almost can’t cope, like I am nearly drowning)
5. Have my finger in a lot of pies (be involved in many different things, e.g. projects)
6. Thick skinned (insensitive to criticism)
7. Like water off a duck’s back (criticism etc having no effect on me)
8. I can’t (quite) put my finger on it (I can’t define exactly what is wrong)
9. Have time on my hands (I have plenty of or too much free time)
10. Play it by ear (decide what to do when I see what the situation is, like playing a piano without sheet music)
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Body idioms mimes pairwork
Student B
Using the literal meaning and/ or the idiomatic meaning, choose an idiom below and mime it until your partner guesses what it is (they do not have them on their worksheet, so this could take some time!)
11. Look down your nose at someone/ something (feel superior to someone or something/ feel snobbish about something)
12. Give someone a big hand (applaud someone = clap)
13. Keep an eye on (watch carefully to make sure that nothing goes wrong)
14. See eye to eye (have the same opinion or understand each other well)
15. Pulling your leg (telling you something untrue as a joke)
16. Stretch your legs (go for a walk)
17. Hold your tongue (not say something, even though you want to)
18. Put your foot down (insist or use your authority to decide something)
19. Keep you on your toes (make sure you are alert and can’t get too relaxed)
20. A gut feeling (an instinctive feeling, not based on logic)
21. Caught red handed (found in the act of doing something wrong or illegal, with very clear evidence)
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PDF for easy saving or printing: Body idioms mimes pairwork
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