How many of these idioms can you complete? Only one word is missing in each case.

1. Mr Baker should stop playing jokes on Mrs King. She hates having her leg ................................

2. They tried to sue us for breach of contract but they lost because they didn't have a leg to ................................ on.

3. I think I'll take the dog for a walk to ................................ my legs.

4. The car has broken down yet again. It's on its ................................ legs.

5. This year, Mr King has put his foot ................................ and refused to have his mother-in-law to stay during the summer holidays.

6. She's getting on in years. It's as if she had one foot in the ................................

7. So if he takes both his wife and his mother-in-law on holiday, he doesn't have much chance to put his feet ................................

8. As a sales manager, Mr Wright is rather untactful and inclined to ................................ on the customers' toes.

9. Once the company policy has been decided, there will be no further discussion. Everyone will have to toe the ................................

10. He hit the wall at 80mph but the airbag ................................ his skin.

11. Mrs King has a very ................................ skin so criticism rolls off her like water off a duck's back.

12. I'm certainly not contributing to buying a birthday present for Mrs King, not because I'm a skin................................ but because I just can't stand the woman.

©English Teaching Systems February 2000

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