Idioms in spades

Be a dime a dozen

Very common or easy to find + Examples of this kind of mistake are _.

In spades

In large amounts, abundantly + She has charm _.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

It’s better to have a sure thing than risk it for more + He kept the smaller job offer because _.

A cat in gloves catches no mice

Being too cautious can prevent success + He never asked for a raise because _.

A stitch in time saves nine

Fixing a problem early prevents it from getting worse + He repaired the leak immediately because _.

Better late than never

It’s better to do something late than not at all + He finally apologized _.

Better safe than sorry

It’s wiser to be cautious than risk a problem + She double-checked the locks because _.

Curiosity killed the cat (but knowledge brought it back)

Curiosity can lead to trouble, but learning is valuable + He peeked at the files, knowing that _.

No pain, no gain

You must work hard or take risks to succeed + She trained every day because _.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained

You can’t succeed without taking risks + He invested in the startup knowing _.

Once bitten, twice shy

After a bad experience, you are more cautious + She avoided online deals because _.

Put all your eggs in one basket

Risking everything on a single plan + He invested all his savings in one stock, realizing _.

Put it all on the line

Risk everything or give your best effort + She presented her idea, _.

Put yourself on the line

Take a personal risk + He spoke up at the meeting, _.

Smooth seas do not make skilful sailors

Challenges help develop skills + He embraced the difficult project because _.

Step outside your comfort zone

Try something new and challenging + She volunteered for the leadership role to _.

Stick to what you know

Limit yourself to familiar skills + He avoided trying new techniques and decided to _.

Strike while the iron is hot

Take advantage of an opportunity immediately + He accepted the offer quickly because _.

Take the bull by its horns

Face a problem directly + She confronted the issue head-on and _.

Take the plunge

Decide to do something risky + He finally started his own business, _.

You can't make an omelette without breaking eggs

You must endure some negative effects to achieve something + She made tough decisions knowing that _.

A quantum leap

A very large advancement + His discovery represented _.

Build a life for yourself

Become independent and establish your own way of living + She moved to a new city to _.

Let sleeping dogs lie

Leave things as they are to avoid trouble + He avoided bringing up the argument because _.

Set in stone

Impossible to change + The rules were _.

Tip the balance

Influence the outcome + His vote could _.

Be the talk of the town

Be the subject everyone is discussing + The new movie premiere made her _.

Beat around the bush

Avoid getting to the point + He kept _ during the meeting.

Break a (big) story

Reveal important news or a scoop + The journalist _ about the scandal.

Cut to the chase

Go directly to the important part + During the meeting, she _.

It's not my cup of tea

Not something you like or prefer + Horror movies are _.

It's all Greek to me

Completely incomprehensible + The legal document was _.

Let the cat out of the bag

Reveal a secret + He accidentally _ about the surprise party.

Spill the tea/beans

Reveal all the gossip + She _ about the office drama.

To make a long story short

Summarize quickly + He said _ about his vacation mishap.

Touch base

Briefly make contact or communicate + I’ll _ with you tomorrow.

Where there's smoke, there's fire

If there are rumors, there may be some truth + The manager suspected _.

It is raining cats and dogs

Raining very heavily + We stayed inside because _.

A word is enough to the wise

A hint is enough for a wise person to understand + He nodded because _.

Actions speak louder than words

What you do is more important than what you say + She helped without telling anyone because _.

Beggars can't be choosers

You can't be picky when you depend on others + He accepted the old car knowing _.

Brain is better than brawn

Intelligence is more valuable than physical strength + He solved the puzzle because _.

Don't look a gift-horse in the mouth

Don’t question the value of a gift + She thanked him because _.

The early bird catches the worm

Those who act early have an advantage + He arrived first knowing _.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease

Those who complain get attention or help + She asked for support because _.

There's no substitute for experience

Experience is invaluable + He trusted the veteran because _.

Be a hard/bitter pill to swallow

Something difficult to accept + The news _.

Be dead set on

Completely determined + She was _ finishing the project.

Change/Shift/Switch gears

Change your way of thinking or approach + He decided to _ after the feedback.

Don't have a clue

Have no idea + He _ about the solution.

In two minds

Indecisive or unsure + She was _ whether to move.

Make up your mind

Decide clearly + He finally _ about the offer.

Off the top of my head

Without thinking too much, immediately + _ I would say the answer is B.

Stomach the idea

Accept or tolerate something unpleasant + He could barely _ working overtime.

The penny has dropped

Finally understand something + When he got the instructions, _.

A penny saved is a penny earned

Money saved is equivalent to money earned + He avoided unnecessary expenses because _.

Be born with a silver spoon in your mouth

Born into a wealthy family + She never had to worry about money because _.

Break the bank

Spend all your savings + He bought the car and _.

Cheap and cheerful

Inexpensive but enjoyable + The meal was _.

Cost the Earth

Very expensive + That luxury watch _.

Cut corners

Take shortcuts, reduce quality or expenses + The builder _ and caused problems later.

Don't bite the hand that feeds you

Don’t harm someone who helps you + He refused to complain because _.

Feel the pinch

Experience financial difficulty + Many families _ after losing jobs.

Foot the bill

Pay for something + He had to _ for the whole team.

From rags to riches

Rise from poverty to wealth + The entrepreneur went _.

In the red

In debt + After the holidays, the company was _.

Keep your head above water

Manage to survive financially + She worked two jobs to _.

Live beyond your means

Spend more than you can afford + He kept buying gadgets and _.

Live hand to mouth

Only afford the basics + Many freelancers _.

Make ends meet

Manage finances to cover expenses + They struggled to _ each month.

Money is the root of all evil

Money causes many problems + He believed _ after seeing greed destroy friendships.

Money makes the world go round

Money is very important in life + In business, _.

Money runs through my fingers like water

Spend money quickly or easily + After his shopping spree, _.

On a shoestring

With a very small budget + They traveled _.

Penny wise, pound foolish

Being careful with small amounts but careless with large + He saved on cheap items but wasted on luxuries, _.

There's a hole in my pocket

Spend money very quickly + Ever since he got his bonus, _.

Tighten our belts

Spend less, economize + During the recession, families _.

To cost an arm and a leg

Very expensive + That vacation _.

To kill the goose that lays the golden eggs

Destroy a valuable resource through greed or impatience + By overfishing, they _.

To pay through your nose

Pay a huge amount + We had to _ for the repairs.

Be in someone's shoes

Imagine yourself in someone else’s situation + To understand her choice, try _.

Break down barriers

Remove obstacles, especially cultural + The program aimed to _ for women in tech.

Break the glass ceiling

Overcome limits for underrepresented groups + She worked hard to _.

Different strokes for different folks

People have different preferences + He accepted that _ when choosing hobbies.

Bridge the gaps

Reduce differences or inequalities + The new policy aimed to ____ in education.

It takes all sorts to make a world

All kinds of people are needed + Remember that _.

Strive to be different

Make an effort to stand out + She _ in her career.

There's more than one way to skin a cat

There are many ways to achieve something + He fixed the issue because _.

Variety is the spice of life

Diversity makes life enjoyable + Traveling to new countries proves _.

Be a pain in the neck

Very annoying + That neighbor is _.

Be on cloud nine

Extremely happy + She was _ when she got the job.

Be over the moon

Very happy + He was _ after winning the prize.

Be right on the edge of your seat

Extremely excited or anxious + We were _ during the final match.

Feel at home

Feel comfortable + She felt _ in the new office.

Feel blue

Feel sad + He _ after hearing the news.

Feel the burn

Experience intense effort or emotion + She _ during the workout.

Get carried away

Become overenthusiastic + He _ talking about his favorite movie.

Get my goat

Annoy someone + That comment really _.

Have a whale of time

Have an excellent time + We _ at the festival.

Hit the roof

Get extremely angry + She _ when she saw the mess.