AIM: To match idioms to their meaning.
INTRODUCTION: An idiom is an expression, word, or phrase whose sense means something different from what the words literally say. This can make them tricky to understand unless you are familiar with the expression, as you often can’t guess the meaning from the words. There are many idioms in Australian English that people use to describe health and illness. Similarly, there are idioms that use words related to health and illness, but carry a different meaning. This exercise will introduce you to some of them.
INSTRUCTIONS: Choose the idiom that best replaces the italicised words.
1. It took a while to sort out his back pain but he’s finally better again.
2. After she fell off her horse she was bruised all over.
3. I thought the pain was almost gone but then it suddenly got worse again.
4. He’s nearly 80 but he’s healthy and in good physical shape.
5. My back is really hurting.
6. A cup of tea is exactly what I need right now.
7. If the exercises don’t work I may have to have surgery.
8. Without my glasses I’m unable to see very well.
9. It’s an unpleasant fact but I think I’ll have to wear a brace from now on.
All of the options above are idioms used in English. To find out what they all mean, download the
health idioms list from the resources page.
