Explanations + Quiz
12 IDIOMS and EXPRESSIONS about MISTAKES
- Put one’s foot in one’s mouth 👣
Situation: You accidentally insult someone.
Sentence: “I told Sarah she looked tired today… I really put my foot in my mouth!” - Caught with one’s pants down 👖
Situation: You get caught doing something wrong.
Sentence: “The boss walked in when I was on my phone—I was totally caught with my pants down.” - Jumped the gun 🔫
Situation: You do something too soon.
Sentence: “I jumped the gun and told everyone the project was done, but we still had a lot of work left.” - Let the cat out of the bag 👜
Situation: You accidentally tell a secret.
Sentence: “I let the cat out of the bag about your surprise party! I’m so sorry.” - Spill the beans ☕
Situation: You reveal something you weren’t supposed to.
Sentence: “Oops, I spilled the beans about your new job to everyone before you could announce it.” - Bite off more than one can chew 🍽️
Situation: You take on too much work.
Sentence: “I agreed to plan the party and finish my project this week… I definitely bit off more than I can chew.” - Let it slip between one’s fingers 👐
Situation: You lose an opportunity.
Sentence: “I didn’t follow up with that job interview, and now the opportunity slipped through my fingers.” - Miss the boat ⛵
Situation: You’re too late to do something.
Sentence: “I waited too long to apply for that grant, and now I missed the boat.” - Shoot oneself in the foot 🦶
Situation: You do something that hurts yourself.
Sentence: “I shot myself in the foot when I argued with the client. Now they don’t want to work with me.” - Mess up / Screw up / F*** up 🤯
Situation: You make a big mistake.
Sentence: “I really messed up—I forgot to send the email to the client on time.”
Practice
Quiz: What Would You Say?
Here’s a 20-question multiple-choice quiz. Each question gives a situation, and you have to choose the correct expression that someone would actually say in that situation.
Instructions: Read the situation and choose the correct sentence someone would say using the expressions.
1. Situation: You accidentally told your friend about a surprise party that was supposed to be a secret.
a) “I missed the boat and told them about the party.”
b) “I let the cat out of the bag and told them about the party.”
c) “I bit off more than I could chew and told them about the party.”
2. Situation: You tried to do too much at once, and now you’re overwhelmed.
a) “I really shot myself in the foot by agreeing to do so much.”
b) “I bit off more than I could chew by taking on all these tasks.”
c) “I jumped the gun and messed up everything.”
3. Situation: You did something embarrassing by accident.
a) “I really put my foot in my mouth when I said that to my boss.”
b) “I really missed the boat by saying that to my boss.”
c) “I let the cat out of the bag by saying that to my boss.”
4. Situation: You didn’t apply for a job, and now it’s too late.
a) “I let the opportunity slip between my fingers and didn’t apply.”
b) “I bit off more than I could chew and didn’t apply.”
c) “I spilled the beans and didn’t apply.”
5. Situation: You told everyone the secret about your friend’s new job.
a) “I spilled the beans about her new job.”
b) “I jumped the gun and told them about her job.”
c) “I missed the boat and told them about her job.”
6. Situation: You started working on a project before your team was ready, and now things are messy.
a) “I shot myself in the foot by starting early.”
b) “I jumped the gun by starting the project too soon.”
c) “I put my foot in my mouth by starting too soon.”
7. Situation: You didn’t finish a task, and your boss caught you unprepared.
a) “I was caught with my pants down when the boss asked me about the task.”
b) “I jumped the gun when the boss asked me about the task.”
c) “I let the cat out of the bag when the boss asked me about the task.”
8. Situation: You volunteered to organize two big events at once, and now it’s too much.
a) “I shot myself in the foot by volunteering.”
b) “I let the opportunity slip through my fingers by volunteering.”
c) “I bit off more than I could chew by volunteering.”
9. Situation: You missed an important deadline because you didn’t pay attention.
a) “I missed the boat and didn’t meet the deadline.”
b) “I put my foot in my mouth and didn’t meet the deadline.”
c) “I spilled the beans and didn’t meet the deadline.”
10. Situation: You accidentally said something rude to a friend, and now you feel bad.
a) “I jumped the gun and said something rude.”
b) “I put my foot in my mouth when I said something rude.”
c) “I missed the boat when I said something rude.”
11. Situation: You lost an opportunity because you didn’t act quickly enough.
a) “I shot myself in the foot and lost the opportunity.”
b) “I let it slip between my fingers and lost the opportunity.”
c) “I put my foot in my mouth and lost the opportunity.”
12. Situation: You revealed your friend’s secret without meaning to.
a) “I let it slip between my fingers and told everyone.”
b) “I bit off more than I could chew and told everyone.”
c) “I spilled the beans and told everyone.”
13. Situation: You messed up at work by not following instructions.
a) “I really messed up by not following the instructions.”
b) “I jumped the gun by not following the instructions.”
c) “I missed the boat by not following the instructions.”
14. Situation: You acted too quickly and now have to fix the situation.
a) “I put my foot in my mouth by acting too quickly.”
b) “I jumped the gun and acted too soon.”
c) “I bit off more than I could chew by acting too soon.”
15. Situation: You started talking before thinking and said something offensive.
a) “I missed the boat and said something offensive.”
b) “I jumped the gun and said something offensive.”
c) “I put my foot in my mouth and said something offensive.”
16. Situation: You agreed to help too many people, and now you’re stressed.
a) “I let the opportunity slip between my fingers by helping too many people.”
b) “I bit off more than I could chew by agreeing to help everyone.”
c) “I spilled the beans by helping too many people.”
17. Situation: You didn’t respond quickly enough and lost a chance to join a fun event.
a) “I let the cat out of the bag and missed the event.”
b) “I missed the boat and didn’t join the event.”
c) “I put my foot in my mouth and didn’t join the event.”
18. Situation: You made a bad decision that caused trouble for yourself.
a) “I shot myself in the foot with that decision.”
b) “I jumped the gun with that decision.”
c) “I let it slip between my fingers with that decision.”
19. Situation: You told the secret too early by mistake.
a) “I let the cat out of the bag too early.”
b) “I missed the boat by telling it too early.”
c) “I shot myself in the foot by telling it too early.”
20. Situation: You forgot to send an important email, and now things are bad at work.
a) “I missed the boat and didn’t send the email.”
b) “I messed up by forgetting to send the email.”
c) “I jumped the gun by forgetting to send the email.”
Answer Key:
1. b) “I let the cat out of the bag and told them about the party.”
2. b) “I bit off more than I could chew by taking on all these tasks.”
3. a) “I really put my foot in my mouth when I said that to my boss.”
4. a) “I let the opportunity slip between my fingers and didn’t apply.”
5. a) “I spilled the beans about her new job.”
6. b) “I jumped the gun by starting the project too soon.”
7. a) “I was caught with my pants down when the boss asked me about the task.”
8. c) “I bit off more than I could chew by volunteering.”
9. a) “I missed the boat and didn’t meet the deadline.”
10. b) “I put my foot in my mouth when I said something rude.”
11. b) “I let it slip between my fingers and lost the opportunity.”
12. c) “I spilled the beans and told everyone.”
13. a) “I really messed up by not following the instructions.”
14. b) “I jumped the gun and acted too soon.”
15. c) “I put my foot in my mouth and said something offensive.”
16. b) “I bit off more than I could chew by agreeing to help everyone.”
17. b) “I missed the boat and didn’t join the event.”
18. a) “I shot myself in the foot with that decision.”
19. a) “I let the cat out of the bag too early.”
20. b) “I messed up by forgetting to send the email.”