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Work Idioms

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After the success of last week's love idioms exercise, I decided to write another idioms lesson for you based on expressions that contain the verb 'to work'.

I have written the meanings of the expressions at the top and then created some sentences that include the idioms. Can you work out which idiom belongs to each sentence?

Work like a charm - if something works like a charm, then it has exactly the effect that you wanted it to.
Work your fingers to the bone - if you work your fingers to the bone, you do an extremely difficult job
Work yourself up - if you work yourself up, you become very upset about something.
Work up a sweat - if you work up a sweat, you put a lot of effort into something.
A nasty piece of work - if someone is a nasty piece of work, they are not very nice.
Things will work out - if things work out, a problem becomes resolved.
Put a spanner in the works - if you put a spanner in the works, you do something that stops another thing from succeeding.

By Caroline

  • 1. Dont worry about the argument. I'm sure ___




  • 2. I don't like that girl that my daughter has become friends with. I think she's ___




  • 3. When I'm sick, I make a drink with honey, lemon and chilli powder. It ___




  • 4. It was all fine until Chris ___ by telling us that he had forgotten to book the coaches.