Idiom Investigators Reference
Idiom Investigators
Top Secret Reference Guide for 4th Grade Detectives
Name:
Date:
Mission: Choose one idiom to illustrate on your mini-poster. Draw the literal meaning vs. the figurative (real) meaning!
Animal Antics
Hold your horses
Literal: Gripping onto a horse's reins.
Meaning: Wait a minute or slow down.
Cat's out of the bag
Literal: A cat escaping from a sack.
Meaning: A secret has been revealed.
Wild goose chase
Literal: Running after a fast bird.
Meaning: A pointless search.
Body Talk
Pulling someone's leg
Literal: Tugging on a person's foot.
Meaning: Joking or teasing someone.
All ears
Literal: Being made entirely of ears.
Meaning: Listening very carefully.
Cold shoulder
Literal: An icy, freezing shoulder.
Meaning: Ignoring someone on purpose.
Food for Thought
In a pickle
Literal: Standing inside a giant pickle.
Meaning: In a messy situation.
Piece of cake
Literal: Eating a single slice of cake.
Meaning: Something very easy to do.
Spill the beans
Literal: Knocking over a bowl of beans.
Meaning: Telling a secret too early.
Weather & Nature
Under the weather
Literal: Standing beneath a storm cloud.
Meaning: Feeling sick or unwell.
Barking up the wrong tree
Literal: A dog yelling at an empty tree.
Meaning: Following the wrong idea.
Steal someone's thunder
Literal: Taking a person's loud storm noise.
Meaning: Taking credit for another's work.
Poster Investigation Tips
- 1 Draw the Literal meaning (words only) on the left side.
- 2 Draw the Figurative meaning (real meaning) on the right.
- 3 Write the idiom in large, creative letters at the top of your poster!