CDS English · Idioms and Phrases
Idioms for time, company and comparison
Idioms for when something happens and how suddenly, and for how people stand with each other: together, apart, alike or different.
Why this matters
Time idioms often test two features at once: when (soon, later) and how (suddenly, as planned). Company idioms test whether people are united, quarrelling or simply close by, and comparison idioms test same against different.
Concept 1 of 2: Time and timing
Ask two things: when does it happen, and how? 'Down the road' is later; 'around the corner' is soon. 'Out of the blue' and 'a bolt from the blue' are sudden and unexpected; 'at the drop of a hat' is at once, without a second thought.
Definition
The groups:
- Unexpected: out of the blue, a bolt from the blue (a sudden shock).
- Future: down the road (some time later), around the corner (very soon).
- At once: at the drop of a hat (without hesitation).
- A season: the dog days (the hottest days of summer).
| Idiom | Meaning | Wrong option to avoid | Asked in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out of the blue | Unexpectedly | Unbelievably | 2018 (I)Q |
| A bolt from the blue | A sudden, unexpected event or piece of news | News long expected that arrives late | 2021 (I)Q |
| Down the road | In the future | In the past | 2018 (I)Q |
| Around the corner | About to happen soon | A thing at the end of a corner | 2020 (II)Q |
| At the drop of a hat | At once, without hesitation | Doing something without much pressure | 2018 (I), 2021 (II)Q Asked twice. |
| The dog days | The hottest days of summer | The bitter days | 2020 (I)Q Named after the Dog Star, Sirius, which rises with the sun in the hottest weeks. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2021 · CDS (I) 2021 — English · Q15Easy
Example 1 · Idioms and Phrases · Idioms: Time and Company
Directions: choose the correct meaning of the idiom/phrase
Bolt from the blue
Unexpected, not unbelievable
Out of the blue means unexpectedly. 'Unbelievably' and 'undoubtedly' sound similar but describe belief, not surprise.
Hot, not bitter
The dog days are the hottest days of the year. 'The bitter days' and 'the coldest days' miss the season; 'days celebrating dogs' takes the picture literally.
Without thought, not without pressure
At the drop of a hat means at once, with no hesitation. 'Without much pressure' and 'a happy and easygoing man' describe mood, not speed.
Concept 2 of 2: Together, apart and compared
Ask how the people stand. Working closely (hand in glove), too close (living in each other's pockets), united against others (closing ranks), at peace (making one's peace), fighting (the feathers fly), or close by to help (at someone's elbow). Comparison idioms add one more question: the same, or completely different?
Definition
The groups:
- Together: hand in glove (working very closely), a match made in heaven, live in each other's pockets (spend too much time together), close ranks (unite to defend a shared interest), at somebody's elbow (close by to help).
- Quarrel and peace: the feathers fly (a noisy quarrel), make one's peace (end a quarrel).
- Different: another kettle of fish, apples and oranges.
- How many: everyone and his brother (a very large number of people).
| Idiom | Meaning | Wrong option to avoid | Asked in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand in glove | Working very closely together (often in something wrong) | Working separately | 2019 (II)Q |
| A match made in heaven | A marriage or partnership likely to be very happy | A marriage of convenience | 2019 (I)Q |
| Live in each other's pockets | Spend too much time together | To live by borrowing from each other | 2026 (I)Q |
| Close ranks | Unite to defend a shared interest | To stop communicating with one's colleagues | 2026 (I)Q |
| Make one's peace | End a quarrel | To experience serenity | 2026 (II)Q |
| The feathers fly | People quarrel or fight noisily | To lead a carefree life | 2022 (I)Q |
| At somebody's elbow | Close by, ready to help | To be dominated by someone | 2022 (I)Q |
| Another kettle of fish | A completely different matter | Slightly different matter | 2023 (II)Q |
| Apples and oranges | People or things too different to compare | People who argue a lot | 2023 (I)Q |
| Everyone and his brother | A very large number of people | An individual and all his relatives | 2022 (I)Q |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2019 · CDS (II) 2019 — English · Q14Easy
Example 2 · Idioms and Phrases · Idioms: Time and Company
Directions: most appropriate meaning of the idiom
Hand in glove
Completely, not slightly
Another kettle of fish is a completely different matter. 'Slightly different matter' changes only one word, and that word is the question.
Peace with someone, not peace of mind
To make one's peace is to end a quarrel with someone. 'To experience serenity' is inner calm, which needs no other person.
Pockets are about time, not money
People who live in each other's pockets are together too much. Options about sharing, exchanging or borrowing money read the pocket literally.
Different, not quarrelling
Apples and oranges are too unlike to compare. 'People who argue a lot' and 'people who fight over minor issues' turn a comparison into a quarrel.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (2)
Time and timing6 rows
| Idiom | Meaning | Wrong option to avoid | Asked in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out of the blue | Unexpectedly | Unbelievably | 2018 (I)Q |
| A bolt from the blue | A sudden, unexpected event or piece of news | News long expected that arrives late | 2021 (I)Q |
| Down the road | In the future | In the past | 2018 (I)Q |
| Around the corner | About to happen soon | A thing at the end of a corner | 2020 (II)Q |
| At the drop of a hat | At once, without hesitation | Doing something without much pressure | 2018 (I), 2021 (II)Q Asked twice. |
| The dog days | The hottest days of summer | The bitter days | 2020 (I)Q Named after the Dog Star, Sirius, which rises with the sun in the hottest weeks. |
Together, apart and compared10 rows
| Idiom | Meaning | Wrong option to avoid | Asked in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand in glove | Working very closely together (often in something wrong) | Working separately | 2019 (II)Q |
| A match made in heaven | A marriage or partnership likely to be very happy | A marriage of convenience | 2019 (I)Q |
| Live in each other's pockets | Spend too much time together | To live by borrowing from each other | 2026 (I)Q |
| Close ranks | Unite to defend a shared interest | To stop communicating with one's colleagues | 2026 (I)Q |
| Make one's peace | End a quarrel | To experience serenity | 2026 (II)Q |
| The feathers fly | People quarrel or fight noisily | To lead a carefree life | 2022 (I)Q |
| At somebody's elbow | Close by, ready to help | To be dominated by someone | 2022 (I)Q |
| Another kettle of fish | A completely different matter | Slightly different matter | 2023 (II)Q |
| Apples and oranges | People or things too different to compare | People who argue a lot | 2023 (I)Q |
| Everyone and his brother | A very large number of people | An individual and all his relatives | 2022 (I)Q |
Watch out for (7)
- Unexpected, not unbelievable→ Time and timing
- Hot, not bitter→ Time and timing
- Without thought, not without pressure→ Time and timing
- Completely, not slightly→ Together, apart and compared
- Peace with someone, not peace of mind→ Together, apart and compared
- Pockets are about time, not money→ Together, apart and compared
- Different, not quarrelling→ Together, apart and compared
Test yourself on Idioms and Phrases
20 past CDS questions from this chapter, timed at 20 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.