Idioms and Phrases

'To live in clover' is an idiom meaning to live in luxury, comfort, and prosperity. Clover represents lush, abundant pasture where animals (and by extension people) can live easily without want. The phrase suggests a life of ease and abundance. Care-free life, being surrounded by worries, and living in difficulty are opposite meanings.

'Get down to brass tacks' means to address the essential, practical details of a matter directly and without evasion. It refers to cutting through preliminaries to get to the core issues. The brass tacks represent fundamental, undeniable realities. Starting mysteries, secret matters, and getting into thick problems are different idioms or misinterpretations.

'A sop to Cerberus' originates from Greek mythology where Cerberus was the three-headed guard dog of Hades. A 'sop' (piece of bread) was used to pacify him. The idiom means a small concession or payment given to appease someone difficult and prevent trouble, much like a ransom paid to an enemy to temporarily stop conflict. It's not general bribery, hush money, or compensation.

'To fly off the handle' means to suddenly lose one's temper and become uncontrollably angry. The imagery is of an axe head flying off its handle during use - a sudden, violent, and dangerous loss of control. Taking off, dislocation, and indifference are unrelated to anger or emotional outbursts.

'The lowdown' means the complete, truthful information about something - especially the hidden or confidential details. In this context, the speaker wants full disclosure without any nonsense or evasion. 'Main points' and 'important details' are too general, while 'some clues' suggests incomplete information. 'Full disclosure' best captures the idiom's meaning of complete truth.

The idiom 'down in the mouth' literally refers to the downturned corners of the mouth when someone appears sad or discouraged. It means looking unhappy, dejected, or depressed. The correct answer is 'depressed' as it captures this meaning accurately.

'Flog a dead horse' means to waste effort on something that's already finished, hopeless, or that no one cares about anymore. The correct option B, despite awkward grammar, correctly captures this meaning - talking about something no one is interested in.

The idiom 'kill an elephant' means using excessive effort or overdoing something for a task that doesn't require such force. In context, it means there's no need to do too much for this particular situation.

The original idiom is 'queer as a three dollar bill' meaning very strange, odd, or counterfeit (since three dollar bills don't exist). The question incorrectly writes 'queen' but option A correctly identifies the meaning as 'very strange'.

'Take a gander' is informal slang meaning to take a look or glance at something. It originates from how geese (ganders) stretch their necks to look around. The correct answer is option A.

'Let grass grow under your feet' means to delay, be idle, or waste time when you should be taking action. Success comes from staying active and productive, not from being idle. Option B correctly identifies this meaning.

'Paddle your own canoe' means to act independently and handle your own affairs without relying on others' help. When everyone refused to help, the speaker had to be self-reliant. Option D is correct.

'You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear' means you cannot create something excellent from poor quality materials. Whitewashing an old house won't transform its fundamental condition. Option C is the correct version of this idiom.

In British slang, calling someone 'a brick' means they are reliable, solid, and dependable - someone you can count on in difficult situations. Option A is correct as it describes someone you can rely on during bad times.

'Dead set against' means being firmly or strongly opposed to something. Albert is completely and stubbornly opposed to the late night parties. Option D correctly completes the sentence with this idiom.