English Slang Idioms (312)

"You can't search my business without a search warrant," Mr. Ellis said to the police. One policeman said, "We aren't after you. Why don't you just play ......... and let us search your place. We'll be gone before you know it and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you helped put a criminal behind bars. As we've told you before, we are investigating one of your employees for fraud."
soccer
ball
basketball
football

The policeman decided to play cat and ......... with the petty drug dealer. First, he shook him down and threatened to arrest him and then he let him go. He hoped that the drug dealer would go get more drugs. He would follow him to see where he went and hopefully seize more drugs or find more criminals to arrest.
dog
canary
mouse
shrew

"I was just watching the senator try to play ......... his role in the scandal. He is trying to make it sound like he had barely anything to do with it but that is not true. He is just making it worse on himself by doing this," Jesse said to Phil.
up
back
behind
down

"I saw you trip Tommy when he ran up to shoot a basket. That is not OK. You have to play ........., Bobby. You wouldn't like it Tommy cheated," Jay said to the boy at recess when he was playing basketball.
rules
fair
righted
balanced

The sudden heat wave in Arcata, California in May ......... havoc with our garden. Several of our plants, including our large fern, got sunburned.
preached
planned
parted
played

"Did you see that sign for that dry cleaning business? It was kind of funny. It was a ......... on words and the name of the company is Got Pressing Business," James said to his wife.
play
pry
ply
pitch

"The two guys in the cubicles next to mine are really funny. They spend a good portion of the day cracking jokes. They are both very good at playing ......... each other. One will crack a joke and the other will build on the joke further by telling a new joke that fits in perfectly with the old. It is great working next to those two," Gracie said to Alyssa.
by
on
off
across

"If you play your ......... right you can go to college for free. It just takes good grades and a willingness to apply for scholarships. I got $5,000 to go to school," Brian told his son.
cards
racket
game
mind

"Are you trying to play me for a .........? I thought we were friends. Did you think I wouldn't notice that the bike you are selling has a cracked frame?" Alice asked Dave.
jerk
dummy
hothead
fool

It is funny to watch a kid ......... possum. The kid always gives it away somehow that he or she isn't really asleep just faking. I have yet to see a kid convince someone that he or she is asleep.
play
pray
prime
pass