a drop in the ocean
Familiarity:How familiar are you with the meaning of this expression?
(1.completely unfamiliar--7.completely familiar)
Transparency: How clear is the meaning of this expression based on the individual words in the expression?
(1. very unclear--7. very clear)
Imageability: How easily can you form an image of this expression?
(1. very hard--7. very easily)
Decomposability: How much do you think the individual words (constituents) of this expression contribute separately to its overall figurative meaning?
(1. very little--7. very much)
Idiom Plausibility: How much sense this expression makes if you interpret the words literally, rather than figuratively?
a needle in a haystack
a fish out of water
a storm in a teacup
a fly in the ointment
What does the idiom “have a finger in the pie” mean in the following sentence?
Tom has a finger in the pie when it comes to several major projects in the company, although he is not officially responsible for them.
What does the idiom “get a foot in the door” mean in the following sentence?
Taking an unpaid internship at the company helped Sarah get a foot in the door and eventually led to a full-time job.
What does the idiom “keep the wolf from the door” mean in the following sentence?
Despite earning a modest salary, she works two jobs to keep the wolf from the door and support her family.
What does the idiom “take the bull by the horns” mean in the following sentence?
Rather than waiting for someone else to solve the problem, Maria decided to take the bull by the horns and deal with it herself.
What does the idiom “put the cart before the horse” mean in the following sentence?
Planning the wedding before deciding whether to get married is putting the cart before the horse.