Finish the phrase with answers and not! (20 free PDFs)

Finish the phrase

Here is a wonderful language activity that tests people’s and players’ knowledge of common sayings, idioms, and expressions. The finish the phrase game can be played individually or in teams, and can be used to test the mind as well as teach English phrases to learners.

Be forewarned that some of these aren’t so easy, and some folks may find a few quite challenging. There may also be alternate answers for English speakers of different regions. There may be some that you may not have even ever heard of before. All in all, though, every attempt has been made to use the most frequently used phrases and expressions in the English language. There are also quite a lot of them to solve, some 220 to be exact!

The resources here have been broken up into several sections. There are free printable complete the phrase sheets at the top of the page that don’t have answers on them. Then there is the complete list if you want to easily scroll and finish the sayings online. At the bottom of the page, you will find the same free PDF pages as at here at the top, except they all have their answers provided.

How to play the finish the phrase game

There are several ways these pages can be used. The PDFs without answers can be used by people individually or in advanced English learning environments. Students can try to solve them in teams, or they can even be assigned as research projects. They can also be used as quizzes, for fun family game nights, at office parties, or even as a memory activity for the elderly.

The finish the phrase with answers pages can be read out orally to players or teams. The team that shouts out the correct answer first can receive a point, and the game can be scored. Another option is to give a player or team a set amount of time, say around five to ten seconds, to finish each line. If they cannot answer in time and move on to the next expression. See how many phrases they can complete over a period of a few minutes or more.

The complete finish the phrase list

Next, the entire list of complete the phrase sayings has been provided in case you want to quickly test yourself here without downloading all the free printable PDF pages. You can even use parts of the list and modify it to create your own games and activities. Remember that you will find all the solutions at the bottom of the page if you get stumped.

As American as apple….
Step up to the….
Barking up the wrong….
Take a deep….
To let the cat out of the….
Back to the drawing….
Run around like a headless….
Loose lips sink….
Pour oil on troubled….
Out of sight, out of….
To take someone under your….
Stark raving….
To make a name for….
Bring home the….
Like a bump on a…..
A snake in the….
Swing into high….
To wake up on the wrong side of….
Look a gift horse in….
Preach to the….
To make a mountain out of a….
Spread like….
The tip of the….
In for a penny, in for a….
A stroke of….
Head over heels in….
The apple of one’s….
Survival of the….
To have ants in your….
A wolf in sheep’s….
To work your fingers to the….
At the drop of a….
Like two peas in a….
To cut against the….
There are plenty more fish in the….
To hear a pin….
On the edge of your….
To tickle one’s….
Without a shadow of a….
Twist someone’s….
The proof is in the….
With no strings….
To look out for number….
All eyes and….
Like a fish out of….
A snake oil….
To go in one ear and out the….
Like a bull in a china….
To read between the….
On the tip of your….
To hear something through the….
Spill the….
To leave someone high and….
Spit the….
The icing on the….
Stick to your….
To play something by….
To get off on the wrong….
Your own flesh and….
To have an axe to….
Still waters run….
To put your foot in your….
To have butterflies in your….
Have a whale of a….
To cost an arm and a….
To be skating on thin….
At sixes and….
Easy come, easy….
A babe in the….
To call a spade a….
Stick out like a sore….
Throw caution to the…
To scrape the bottom of the….
A bee in one’s….
Fortune favors the….
By the skin of your….
To put all your eggs in one….
The coast is….
An albatross around your….
All skin and….
To be keen as….
To put someone’s nose out of….
Light at the end of the….
To rest on your….
Work your way up the….
To go down the rabbit….
In the blink of an….
Set the wheels in….
To have a mind like a steel….
There’s no such thing as a free….
To pull someone’s….
Oldest trick in the….
To take it with a grain of….
A chip off the old….
To step on someone’s….
Not my cup of….
The ball is in your….
Easy as a piece of….
Misery loves….
In the driver’s….
To have a lump in one’s….
Make your hair stand on….
Look before you….
Like taking candy from a….
Rome wasn’t built in a….
Not for all the tea in….
To leave no stone….
Keep your head above….
To fight like cats and….
It’s no use crying over spilt….
It takes two to….
Every cloud has a silver….
Dressed to the….
Think outside the….
In the cold light of….
The long arm of the….
Don’t upset the….
Out of the frying pan into the….
To bite off more than you can….
To see how the wind….
The calm before the….
In the lap of….
To jockey for….
To paint the town….
Beauty is only skin….
Too many cooks spoil the….
Cast the first….
Pull the wool over someone’s….
Break new….
Mind over….
An elephant in the….
Not a snowball’s chance in….
Don’t judge a book by its….
In the nick of….
To hit the nail on the….
All that glitters is not….
To be barking up the wrong….
To fall flat on your….
A leopard can’t change its….
To break new….
One sandwich short of a….
Easier said than….
To be born with a silver….
Not enough room to swing a….
A baker’s….
Bait and….
No pain, no….
To get a head….
In the heat of the….
Love at first….
To beat around the….
A millstone around one’s….
More fun than a barrel of….
To tighten one’s….
To burn the midnight….
From rags to….
To have the last….
To pull up your….
Curiosity killed the….
To put the cart before the….
To be bent out of….
Behind the eight….
To throw the baby out with the….
Give someone a piece of your….
An open-and-shut….
To get your foot in the….
The early bird catches the….
Beggars can’t be….
To be shaking like a….
A drop in the….
To have a chip on your….
Keep your eye on the….
To drive someone up the….
Can’t see the forest for the….
To be on a tight….
To sweep something under the….
Come rain or….
To change horses in….
To burn a hole in your….
Close but no….
Batten down the….
To lead someone up the garden….
To lie through your….
It’s nothing to write home….
Charity begins at….
A bad hair….
He lives in your neck of the….
Keep your cards close to your….
A level playing….
To add fuel to the….
It’s not rocket….
A happy hunting….
To go hammer and….
To get your feet….
To lay your cards on the….
No rest for the….
To have a trick up your….
Get the show on the….
Don’t count your chickens before they….
How long is a piece of….?
To be poor as a church….
To burn the candle at both….
To take the bull by the….
Once in a blue….
To bury your head in the….
Blood is thicker than….
Give someone the cold….
To kill two birds with one….
I’ve got a bone to pick with….
It’s not over until the fat lady….
Laughter is the best….
To turn over a new….
Nip something in the….
Pie in the….
Keep your ear to the….
To give someone the evil….
To hit the ground….
Keep your nose….
To open a can of….
The sky is the….

Finish the phrase with answers printables

Finally, we have all our phrases with answers. You can either view them online or download and print them out, depending on your needs. As mentioned above, they are great for testing other people’s knowledge and memory. Bear in mind, it will take quite a bit of time to get through all ten pages. You may just want to use a few of them the first time around and then use some more on another occasion.