Continue exploring eye idioms:

Question:
13. At first, I thought this book was dull, but I quickly saw there was ___ the eye. 
A. no sight to 
B. more to it than meets
C. bigger views for
D. a bigger view to open

Definition:
• more (to something) than meets the eye, phrase, not as simple as it appears. Compare more to:
→ There’s more to our business plan than meets the eye.
→ There’s more to life than just work.

Question:
14. After I hiked in the hot sun all afternoon, a tall glass of ice tea was a ___ eyes.
A. feast for my
B. sight for sore
C. treat for thirsty
D. taste of cool

Definition:
• sight for sore eyes, n. phr., a person or thing that is very welcome or much needed. 
→ Ted had been away for two months, so his children were a sight for sore eyes.

Word Play
• sight for sore eyes = a person or thing that is much needed.
• Site for Sore Eyes = the name of an eyeglass store.
• sight = something to look at → see the sights.
• site = place → construction site.

Question:
15. If you want to get hired by that company, you have to stay focused. You need to keep your eye ___.
A. open
B. out
C. on the ball
D. in the open

Definition:
• keep (one’s) eye on the ball, v. phr., to concentrate on. This idiom comes from sports like baseball, in which players must keep their eye on the ball.
→ Is she wants to win the election, she needs to keep her eye on the ball.
• focused, adj., if you are focused on something, you are paying attention to it.
→ Stay focused on your studies

Note: If you’re playing baseball or learning to play golf, you will probably hear these words: “keep you eye on the ball.” In golf, even though the ball is not moving, if you don’t keep your eye on it, you will miss.

Question:
16. Even when our manager is out of town, she always knows what’s going on in the company. It’s like she has __.
A. eyes at every sight
B. a private eye
C. sight for sore eyes
D. eyes in the back of her head

Definition:
• have eyes in the back of (one’s) head, v. phr., to know what is going on, to be able to see or know everything.
→ My students are always causing problems in class. I have to have eyes in the back of my head.

Question:
17. Not getting that company’s huge contract was a real ___ eye for our sales manager,
A. blue
B. black
C. red
D. golden

Definition:
• black eye, n., a cause of shame or dishonor. This idiom comes from having dark skin around an eye because of an injury.
→ The theft at the museum was a black eye for its security director.
→ We knew the boy had had a fight because of his black eye.

Question:
18. “Be sure to watch the door and make sure no one comes in.” “No problem. I’m ___.”
A. an eyesore
B. open-eyed
C. putting an eye out
D. all eyes

Definition:
• all eyes, adj. phr., to be watching, to be willing to watch. Similar: all ears
→ The child was all eyes as I opened the gift.

Question:
19. “Do I think Mike will be a good manager? In a pig’s eye!” This means I think Mike will ___.
A. be a great manager
B. be a bad manager
C. learn quickly
D. do only OK

Definition:
• in a pig’s eye, phrase, not at all, in no way. This informal and negative expression really pictures a pig’s ass. For learners, it best just to recognize phrases like this and not try to use them.
→ Will he repay me the money? In a pig’s eye he will!

Question:
20. Thinking about their coming marriage, they both had ___ in their eyes.
A. stars
B. feasts
C. hearts
D. sights

Definition:
• have stars in (one’s) eyes, v. phr., to be in love or to be very excited about something.
→ Thinking about how many books he would sell, the young author had stars in his eyes.

Continue:
Eye on Idioms Part 1          Eye on Idioms Part 2
Eye on Idioms Part 3         Eye on Idioms Crossword

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