Contents

Keep it under your hat! 2

I'm sitting pretty now! 3

He's the big cheese around here! .4

Let him off the hook! s

You'll bring down the house! 6

He's sure hot under the collar! 7

You're pulling my leg! 8

She1s a bookworm! 9

Don't throw in the towel! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

She blew her top! 11

She~s on cloud nine! 12

Are you down in the dumps? 13

You hit the nail on the head! 14

Get your head out of the clouds! 15

That's a pretty kettle of fish! 16

She~s got cold feet! 17

It's ral ning cats a nd dogs! 18

We~re all in the same boat! 19

Answer keys 20

Name _

Date _

DOlnl't throw in the towell,

IJi.ndsey was m.aidng cookies when the phone rang. It was ber best friend. Lindsey walked around the .kJOOhen wilth tbe phone tuCked under' her ('bwn. measuring and mixing as she dtatted; She didn't noti«~ that she use-d saitinstead of sugar;

Am hour later. Lindsey was taking the cookies out of the oven just as ber brother Robcame ]n. "Have a cootie!" she offered.

"lhan'i(s!," agreed Rob, s~llIffing me whole cookie hno hts mouth, Suddf'n~y his, eyes widened .. "Ugh! lt's awful!:" He rushed to, me sink fo-r a. gjias8 of W3iter.

lJndsey looked as if she were gowng to cry. "I'm never going to make cookies again!" she declared.

"Don't librow ~m the towel"'" Rob retorted. "'Just U'y foUow]ng the recipe nex.t time!"

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~'" Rob really meant that __ ~~ __ ~~_~_~ ~ __

Name _

Date _

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"HaJll:;, Wolf, what am you dotng?"" {,allen Dr. Wolf, as Han:k ran past her up the stairs without a word" Hant. slammed his betlooom door. "I'd, bette.r go meek this out," dOOded Jlank.' s motliler.

"Hank!;o shouted Dr. Wolt~ as shekneesed OM the door.

"Come in," mumbled Hame

Hank's mother went 1M). and saw Hank sillti[Jg on the side ot his be4 staring aE the ft.oo.r. ~W]mr s wrong. son?" asked Dr. Wo~f.

"You'll pI'ObaJb~y be .getting a phone call from Mrs .. Anson next door," Hank began. ".1 was practicing, bUting my new bas:ebaU jiD the lot out bu. I hit a long one. and Lt broke

.Mrs .. Aflison's palt.]o door. She blew her wp!~

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.~ Hank. reaJJy meant that __ ~.......,._~ ~~=~-- __ ~

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Name _

Date _

AJ~ Eiaton~a ever' talked aaeut was horses, She read horse books, watffi~ horse movies, coll.(lctedvoy horses, drew horses, and even dmam.ed about horses ..

Orne day; Li'ltonJa got a le[lRlr from her grandmottler:"Wben I was your age." Latonia read, ~ I wanted a hoese more thaR 8JMJythlng. But I Uved lome dty just as you de, and I nevereven got to pet one .. I mcen~ readaibol!.l!t a summeF camp fbr fOlJJ!nies. There am tf'aH rid.es everyaftermoou. Would you llke t.n .go wlth me? We oolLdd learn to ride OOgtltlher. Ask your parents to g~ve me a .can:! Love.. Grandma."

Lalwnla's faitber called her .grH[JllJlllQ:tJl~~ that eveHlmg.~Sl,l!re. Lamnta can go to camp wlth YO[l," he repUed .. "Sbe's on deud nmel"

~ Latonia's '":" meantthat

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Name _

D.a:te _

Are you down iin the dUlmps?

"Hey. E]~. do you want 100 shoot s:QOfl]e hoops?" ·Josjahasked ..

"Nah."reprn~ed Eli.

"Wen. do you w.anUu!F.Ie]p meworl. on my bme? YOIJjj.fjxed yours, so maybe yOU! oonld glve me someldeas," Joslall said.

"Not t.oday," sald BU ~~mly.

"I need to drop some books byUle Jibrary. Do yO!] want to go ailOD,g,? We oouJd stop for 100 €ream on the way homet" Josiah sugge-sted.

~No.th3!nks." E~rn sighed..

~\V:_tU3it's tile matter, are you down in Il.e dumps.?" asted Josiah ..

r.JQSi~.reaIlY meant. that ...

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Name , Da~e _

You hit the naiill on the head!:

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Brittany hatl just moved to a new seaool, and sne was neevous about ,ber classes. S~lIDce soc~al studles was her' hardest sUlbiect. she dedded to take her book home every Itgbt Ito sltkldyallead.

One day her 'teacher. Mr. Sancib.,ez. fUllouiOed, "We're stal'lting, a new unit on iwenWts. Does anyone know who inventied do.:tens of uses fur peanuts? ~ BriRai!lY lotked around. Everyone In the class seemed PtlZZ~ed. so she slowly Faisoo her b,and.,

~yes.B.rUtany?'" ME': Sanchez catled. "It' So GooFg,e Wasbllingtt.m Carver," she answered.

"You hilt, tb,e na;l~ on the headl" Mr.

Sanchez exdatmed,

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~ Mr. Sandiez reaUy meant that ~ ~ __ ~ __

Name _

Da~e

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"Coach Cooper finaJ~~ ~et me p~ay gOOJUe1~' exc1aimoo Pete as he run to h~8 posJtlon. "'Come on, bring the ball to me," he y.el!led. '" See whaJt I do wit!h it!"

Pete warehed U1e 3ctionat the other end ofthe field. "~wonder what ~t would be ~ike playhllg poofesslonaJ soccee" thougtIDt Pete, "No one wcnmtde¥er score 01 me! '~"d be tbe m.ost famous goaUe evert I'd 00 riJOhl E,very\Vhere I went kids wOil!l~d wClntllY aU00gr3pb! Teams would ftgbit OVffr w~o got me!~very{l!ne wOliltd say .. , ..

MIIZ! Suddenly tile bl~l]~ t1Jew over Pete's shouildJer. Everyone on ijThe ream ,groaned loudly. "Pete. get your head (U,llt of me clouds!" y,enoo Ooacb Cooper.

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~. Coach Coope-r rea:I[y meant that .-----------~-~

Name _

Da~e _

T'hat's a prettykettlle o,r fish!:

The selence .fair was ·only a day awa,y!

Vane;ssaraide(l her mother's rag bag for scraps of br~ghUy-()ob)red fabrIc. Using a needle and thread, shecareful~ybJand· stitmoo a mjn~ par-aCbuW.,

FlnaUy Vanessats parachute was ready, and she decided 00 wst It ln the bad<y aoo. Then It happened, The nelghbor's oat grabbed tt1e parachute in m~d·i1i§bt. shredd~Rg it with its sharp c]aws. Vanessa tmett to get wt baOk" but, that only made tb:ings worse. Now aJl Vanessa bad le:ft was a tangled ball of torn rabrlc and. tbread, I'What wm I ten my teacher?" Vanessa crlert.

The I])extmor~ffillg, Vanessa exp]awnedl to her teacher, Mrs. Phan, what bad happened to her 1ast-m~[))utepmjent. "That'sa pretty kettle of flshl" Mrs. Phan exclaimed.

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Date

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"Me?' Gft,to the principars office?" sputtered sameena. "Wby me?"

~ Because you're ourstud.ent eounell repre8enta:U~e. snd It.'s your lob to ask the prinoJp,aJ if we can have a class oamlvalto ra~se money for oUF'llcldJ tnp," Ms .. Redding, expolalned.

EVeF}'UnB stared at sameena. "Okay." she sighed. '"j'U go, But I've never been to the prinoipal's office before·.,,;';

Saleena wasbaok in three mInutes.

"What dtdJ the pdncipal say?" the students asked. Saleena just, IOQiked at the HOOF;

":~.'n bee sne got ,cold feeM" muttered Vance.

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. Vanooreally meant m,at ~ ~~

Name _

Date _

FWeld Day was oomhtg U~), and all the students were pracMdng. ,Jake was 'tnmwrng a footbaU,. and Greta was running the tOO-yaffiJ dask. Scott, Matthew. and Riehle were in the thre-e-,~egged race. and Nina was wn the :l're&ttJrow contest, AU:ngetbermere were tw,eiwe events,

Th,e bicg day finality ar-rlved. Dark. clouds covered the sky as the students met in the sooool:yard.. Tbe principal, M.r. Chow, blew his whistle. "It's time forl!Jhe races. Line up by class!" he calilled ..

Justtnen, large l'aiudrops began to fa.1~. slow~y at f'irsrt, then faswF' and hard.en'. Mr, Ch.o,j blew his wllistJe ,aga[n. "'Everyone- back lnslde!" he announced.

"It's rattlIng cats and dogs! No Fle:.d. Day today,," N~H9 shouted as she ran ~Idoors.

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Nina rerdly meant that ~ ~~_~_~ __

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Date

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"I can barely ~fftWY badpaok." complained Quin.cy; "I have to study for a math test, My report about tbe,COflsltUuUon needs to be typed tonight. We have a concert HOming up. so I have to drag my trumpet home. [ have to answer 311 the unit questions tor science,aIlld] J have nine more chapters to read for my book repoIi. ,And. Itbe WOF,st part is W:lat DlY favorl!W TV show is on tl{)(l!ight and I won't even have time to' walt.oh it!"'

Aaron and Sherry frowned. "Look at our baCkJ_paCks. Quincy," ,dema.nded Aaron, !lWe go to this sdl'ool, too, and nave the seme teachers you do, We're aU]1 me same, boatl"

~~ Aaron reaUym,eant that ,_~~ -

Name _

Da~e

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Keep iit under yOlur hat!:

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"Hl, AlUsnn!" MoJny said 8!sstlle walked i~to hier Mernd's roOD!. "WOW! ~eoo did you get aI. tihat ffiOfiJey?"

Anison oou[!Ilted. "1'weuty-mle. twellty~ two, twenty-time .... I have tweOJty~ree doUam, and nineteen cents. ]'ve been saving myaIlowa~oo. and Morn gave me money rQr pr],aywQ!;with the, booy whUe she stmUed, 311]d Gramlma sernt me ten dollars for my biItJlday/, Amson repHed.

"Whot are you going to do wEUI it?·~ Molly asikoo ..

"I dOF.l'tknow yet," AHisonoonfessed.

"But] do mow that If my big brother finds out that .I have mol1.ley, li1Ie'U want 00 borrow 81JEW1e. So keep tt under YOWl hat! ~

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i .. AlUson really meant, that ~~_~ ~_

A,nswer Key

"Kee-p It UlJdBl' YOUI' h'a.'W' Amson really meant that she didn't want Molly to ten anyone about the money A1Hson had saved,

"fm sitting pretty now!" JUl really meant that having her own room was 3. Luxury that made tler bappy.

'-'He's the' big uoo-esfJ around herer C aleb ~1ta[Jy meant that Todd was a leader and was consldered the mast imp(H'1l\aIlt p~ayer tn the group-

"Let n'Hn off the hook"" ·Ms,. Mendos,a~!y meant that Mrs •. RJcb sDouild returnU:lings to the~r' origluaW state and give Jeff bad<. f1]S privileges.

"You'll bring down the housel~' Ms. -Bernini really meant that t~e crowd would coeer loudly at Ellen"s peJformance; evetvcne \ll0uld be rnrnpressed wi'~} her acting. abilities.

"He '8 sure hot under tI1eooHsl'!" .LevlreaUy me~t that Matt's behavior find wooos ~ndjcatOO: that he was very angry about something,

"You're pulJingmy leg!" l'b€: boys' father lIeaUy meant that the boys were trying tofoo~ him, and that the~l couldn't have finished cleaniThg their room so quidld.y,

"She's ,a oookworm!" Maya really meant lJlst her sister ]ovedre~t1~ng more t~lal]j anyUdilg.-

Answer Key

"D(}n~t throw-in th~ to~eirR(ilb really meaetthat Linidsey shollldn't giv,e up just because of one failure.

"Sbe bJe.w,her top!~' Hank really meant that Mrs". Ans()n had reacted verY' angrUy toward him.

"ShB'SOll claud nine!"Latonja's father'really meant tJJa~ Latonia was v,ery bappy; her dream hadccme U'Ue!

'Jim you down in the dump:s?'" Jos~ah really meant- that E~i seemed to be fooling bad or sad. abOlllt sotnethmg ..

"yo.u .hit We .nail Ofl the head!" Mr. Sanch.ez reaiU~1 meant that Brittany had gi veri! (lJU;I;{ltly the rrfugllt answer.

"Get Jr:our head ,out a/the doudsl" Coacb CooperreaUy meant tha.t Pete shoullID stop, da.ydreamjDg and pay 8 ttentlon,

~rhat's aprottyketlle offishr iMrs. Phan reaUym'Mnt tnat unusual events had cauBedqu~te aproblem

"She got cold feet!·· Vance really meant tnat Saleena had been too afl'aidto talk to the prwncjpat

''It''srainingmts Bnd dog-sl" Nina reaUy meant that it was raining \lery hard [lUrside.

," We.'re' all in th'e same' boat.''' /'1aron reaUyOleant that Qui.nc)" sbou[dqult, comp,Jaiinllrng oocaiuse he and Sherry bad a lot of wm't to .d!!),. too.

Name _

Date _

Jmltad been anxiously aw mUng the day when her big sister Lucy would leave for oou,ege so she (}o~ilWdhav6 the bedrooR1l they shared aill to herselt, ,Just ttJi[)k!~ She could, ~msteH to the music she liked, decorate the room. any way she wanted, and have her own dresser andcleset,

The day arrived for Lucy to ,go. Aflt.er waving to her sister ooEin ~e dE'iveway. Jill dashed upstaim and beganre-awanging the furniture and hanging some new posters on the waUs .. Flually, she was done,

Just then. J.iU's faW.~r' looked in .. "How do you Uke having your own room?" he asked.

"l'm sitting pretty now!" Jm replied h.appj~y.

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~., Jill reaDy meant tbat .......... _~ ~~_~ ~_

Name _

Date _

Hels the b1iig cheese around here!:

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Cal~b nked t.o ,go to the part after sdlJoo~ 8Il'ld on weekends to play basketball w,iW otileF' kids inttJ.e neighborhood. ~it was

esp€c~8iI1y.fun when l'odd was ~ere. T'odd i

was the smallest boy (IF!l the court, but be cOI!l!~d. Oln..dribb~e and >out-shoot anyone.

One Saruruay.a new bu,y named WesJey came, just as the boys were p~oking reams .

. ~ We want Todd!" sbou~ed. one group.

"You had ''foddl mll. your team. last time!

Weg,et "['odd,'" tnslsted the oUiler group ..

"'Wby does everyone want the· short guy?-~ Wesley asked <crueb.

"He may be little,. but }le'sme big Cheese a['(l~lld heret" Ca~eb rep]~ed.

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~~ Caleb reaUymeant tba't ~~~~_~

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Name Dat'e _

Jeff's mother answered the phone, "Heno, Mrs. RiclI? This ls Ms.. Mendosa.

Jeff 8 .math teadler; I wanted to discuss Jeff 8 grades with you."

"Ms. Mend.osa;" said Jeff's mother. "after Ulat last reportcard We"Y6 been making Jeff do extra math homework every n1ght.., We don't allow him to use the phone or watch TV; and he bas to roclJte his mUln~pUcatio:n tables bef.,re he goes to bed .. ~ just don't mow what more we can do!"

Ms. Mendosa laughed .. "That's not why [' fI ea1~~ng: she replied ." I wOUlted you to know that he got the top score on tbe last test ami be mow has. an A I thin_k you can let him off tbe hook!"

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. Ms .. Mendosa reaJIly meant that ~_~ ~

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Name _

Da:~e _

".HJav,e yO!!l seen El1el\l?" Ms. Bernini asked franti,caIDIy. "Th,ep~a;y starts in ten mjmJiOOS''''

"Sbe has on herOOS~lIme and. makeup," -n

replied Asa .. ~BI!lI1I don't mow where she Is. "

Ms. Bernlnt looted fOF EUel oaokswge. '~.em;}. trlBd theprop Mom .. 1'here she found

ElmeR sltUrng. on tbe floor with her head down.

"Wlh.at are you dojng?" Ms. BeFiIlIiFl~ .~

began. ~Why, EHefi.l. you've been cry~[iJ@!~

"l'm scaredt" EHe~ ,confessed .. .:IJ'm

afi'ald I'Uforget my lines .. I don't want to: disappohlt. the Drama Club."

"¥OIJ'w~; wnrked. hard,~ Ms. Bemlnl eneeuraged BUen. "And. you're a natural. emne on Ollrt and. give lit YOU!F best try. ·¥ou'U bring down the house!"

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. Ms. Bernini reaJJly meant that ~~~~~~~~------

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Name _

Date _

Hels sure .holt under the co,llar!

Ross. Levi. and Matt were studying ~mer .for a llIlatn test. Ross was exp,]wning h'l)!w to dO' a probrnem.

"Oh, I getIU" Levl ~~wrrn!pred, He punched 801m.€: numbers· inlwUJe ca!iculamr. ~'See? R(!!ss.that·s~be same answer you ,,··wneup wHlh. 'fba:t"'s the fillb tlme you andl gQtUle same answer!"

"'This Is stupid," Matt shouted" throwing down his math oo(ilk.~You two~~nk you're so smart, rm not wasti~g my time here," Matt stamped Oll]t of the room". slamming the door benind bim!..

"I wonderwhat'8 bo~er~llJg him," said Roo!ih SltakIDHg bis heart

"'Yeat'Ji,t1e's:sure hot und,er~e OO~~B!r!'" ,exclaimed Levi,

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, Levi really meant that ~_~~_~~ __ ~ _

Name _

Date

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yourre pulilliing ,my Ileg!

Heetor and AHdy looked at the Hoor. of tt1.e~r bedroom. It was ~~ttered. wi1l!JJ elothes, shoes, bo()ks, papers. sHaCk wrappers, and sports, equiprnellt. "I w ant t~~s all picked, up before yougP to the, sultbaU game," declared their rattIDer.

Hootorgroaned but Andy wa~ted ulWlJl tmeir raUlJer. was Qu!t .of siW1:t, then whispered, "He sa~d, to pid( rut up. He d.i,d~·~ say to put lt away! JLet·sUJrow ~t an ~rnthedoset!" The boys got busy" andfi.ve minutes ~ater the~y shouted, "Pap'a,. we're fintsiThed!"

OjYou're pl!lm~ my ~eg!" tJ']eir father caUedback,

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• ..' ••• ~ .._~.:- 'r.! -, •• --;. -;-- _,.,~ ~ •• • •• ..: .~ ~ • ~ •

1 The boys' falber reaHy meant 1lbat

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Date _

0<1 got a new board game, WmJ~ tocome (wer and try. it out? ~ June aSked her fi'.~endJ Maya. oa tile phone;

"Sure!" said Maya. "How many people eanp:lay?"

"It takes four,'" :repJied JU;Ue .. "My brotbe:r l

'.

:said he'd play with us .. "

"I'd bring my sister •. but I don't think) ca~ get bel' to stop .readtng. even f:or' a. new game .. Sbe'sa bookworm"" explained Maya .

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~~.,._". iiJP.o"'~~ I~~'-'-'" 1!I.!Ir~'i'!'!M;.

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~ Maya really meant that ~~~_.~_~~ __ ~_~ __ ~_