Idioms about problems and difficulties

Katherine, Dorothy and Mary work at NASA solving the math problems that will send the rockets into space. Rocket science must be a real difficult job. However, when you say that something is not rocket science you mean it’s not complicated, the opposite thing,. That is called an idiom, an expression that has a different meaning from the literal words. Read the idioms in the list and the examples and try to choose the correct idiom to complete the explanations.

Idioms about problems and difficulties

A piece of cake- Jane is really clever. For her, taking exams is a piece of cake.

Saved by the bell – Saved by the bell! A friend arrived just when I realized I had no money for the parking meter.

The tip of the iceberg- Journalists say that the report on corruption only examines the tip of the iceberg.

Take the bull by the horns- When the argument turned into a fight, the bar owner took the bull by the horns and called the police.

Ttake the easy way out- The weather conditions were so bad that Mary took the easy way out and cancelled her appointment.

See light at end of tunnel- Sales dropped heavily last year but we're beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.

An elephant in the room- Let's face it, his work is unsatisfactory. It's an elephant in the room that we need to discuss.

1-The .............. is the part that is known of a problem or situation which is thought to be much more serious.
1. tip of the iceberg
2. light at the end of the tunnel
3. elephant in the room
2-To .............................................. means that a person decides to act decisively in order to deal with a difficult situation or problem.
1. see the light at the end of the tunnel
2. take the bull by the horns
3. take the easy way out
3-If you ................................................, you choose the easiest way to deal with a difficult situation, even if it is not the best solution.
1. take the bull by the horns
2. are saved by the bell
3. take the easy way out
4-A problem that no one wants to discuss, but is so obvious that it cannot be ignored, is called ......................................
1. a piece of cake
2. the light at the end of the tunnel
3. the elephant in the room
5-If you ........................................................., you see signs of hope for the future after a long period of difficulty.
1. see the light at the end of the tunnel
2. take the easy way out
3. see the elephant in the room
6-If you are ............................., something happens at the last minute to rescue you from a difficult situation.
1. a piece of cake
2. saved by the bell
3. the tip of the iceberg
7-If you think that something ...................................... you do not think that it is very difficult to do or to understand.
1. is the tip of the iceberg
2. is a piece of cake
3. is the light at the end of the tunnel