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C2ProficiencyTopic: Idioms and expressions

Idioms in context: a Pyrrhic victory

Practise literary and historical idioms and Latin and French expressions in context: a poisoned chalice, a red herring, carte blanche, a fait accompli.

24 questionsby Grove EnglishAdded 11 Nov 2026

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Complete the expression

Choose the correct option for each gap.

  1. They won the court case, but the legal costs nearly bankrupted them: it was a victory.

  2. The promotion looked attractive, but it turned out to be a poisoned .

  3. The missing letter was a ; it had nothing to do with the crime.

  4. By rejecting the pay offer, the union has thrown down the to the government.

  5. After winning the award, the band were accused of resting on their .

  6. Whether the rule applies to part-time staff is a ; nobody has ever tested it.

  7. The minister was hoist with his own when the rules he had written were used against him.

  8. The report covers, , pay, pensions and holiday entitlement.

  9. He told the same story about his army days .

  10. A dinner jacket is at the club's annual ball.

Answer every question on this page to check it.

Pages of this quiz

  1. Page 1Complete the expression

    Choose the correct option for each gap.

  2. Page 2Idioms and their meanings

    Match each idiom with its meaning.

  3. Page 3What does the speaker mean?

    Choose the best explanation of each sentence.

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