Is It Literal or Non-Literal? (Identify whether a phrase is literal or non-literal)
"The baby was crying a river of tears."
Non-Literal (It means the baby was crying a lot.)
"Break a leg!"
It means good luck.
"Hit the ____."
Road (Hit the road = leave or start traveling.)
"She was so hungry, she could eat a desk!"
Correction: "She was so hungry, she could eat a horse!"
"She jumped for joy when she heard the good news."
Figurative (It means she was very happy.)
"She opened the door and walked outside."
Literal
"Spill the beans."
It means to reveal a secret.
"A penny for your ____."
Thoughts (It means asking someone what they’re thinking.)
"The test was a piece of toast!"
Correction: "The test was a piece of cake!"
"The water in the lake was very cold."
Not figurative (It’s a straightforward fact.)
"I have butterflies in my stomach before the test."
Non-Literal (It means feeling nervous.)
"Under the weather."
It means feeling sick.
"Out of the ____."
Blue (It means something happened unexpectedly.)
"Don’t count your eggs before they run."
"Don’t count your chickens before they hatch."
"The classroom was a zoo during free time!"
Figurative (It means the classroom was noisy and chaotic.)
"The dog ran across the yard to chase a squirrel."
Literal
"The early bird catches the worm."
It means people who start early have the best chances of success.
"Cry over ____ milk."
Spilled (It means to worry about something that can’t be changed.)
"It was raining like dogs and lizards."
"It was raining cats and dogs."
"He sharpened his pencil and started writing."
Not figurative (It’s a literal action.)
"That test was a piece of cake!"
Non-Literal (It means the test was easy.)
"Let the cat out of the bag."
It means to accidentally reveal a secret.
"Pull someone’s ____."
Leg (It means to joke or tease someone.)
"She let the monkey out of the bag."
"She let the cat out of the bag."
"She was drowning in homework."
Figurative (It means she had a lot of homework to do.)