Idioms: Dolley Madison

IDIOM QUIZ: DOLLEY MADISON

The following dialogue is a spin-off from Stories from American History by Myrtis Mixon.

As the story goes...In 1812, President Madison, the fourth president of the United States, declared war on Great Britain because the British were hurting American shipping and commerce. In the third year of the war, Dolley Madison was planning a dinner party for the evening of August 24, 1814. As she waited for her husband to return, she got word that the British were marching toward the capital city. Hurriedly, Dolley packed up important papers and other valuable things and left the White House.

This is a conversation between Dolley and her parrot, Uncle Willy.

CHOOSE THE BEST IDIOM TO PUT IN EACH BLANK:

DOLLEY:	Uncle Willy, my friend, you need to stop talking because you're really beginning ________ .
	to go to pieces to rake me over the coals to get on my nerves

UNCLE WILLY:	The British are coming! The British are coming! The British are coming! Hurrah! I'm going to get ________ with the British!
	to save face to rub elbows to beat around the bush

DOLLEY:	________, Uncle Willy! In the first place, you don't have elbows, and in the second place, the British would rather have you for dinner than rub elbows with you.
	Get cracking Knock it off Come out of your shell

UNCLE WILLY:	While you were upstairs, a messenger came and told me that we need to ________ because the British are on their way to the White House!
	beat it rip someone off come clean

DOLLEY:	Oh dear! I guess my plans for a dinner party are going to ________.
	draw a blank fall through be broke

UNCLE WILLY:	You'd better ________ and tell someone to bring some wagons and carriages.
	upset the apple cart give them a taste of their own medicine get cracking

DOLLEY:	Are you ________? Why do we need wagons and carriages?
	out of your mind chicken out of sorts

UNCLE WILLY:	You need to get the valuable things out of here because when the British come, they're going to ________ .
	jump to conclusions get cold feet rip everything off

DOLLEY:	You're right. ________ !
	I'm on cloud nine The ball is in my court I've got a bone to pick with you

UNCLE WILLY:	________! Pack up the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the treaties and my bird seed!
	Get cracking Fill me in Take it easy

DOLLEY:	I'll just ________ if something happens to the portrait of George Washington!
	go to pieces chew the fat have itchy feet

UNCLE WILLY:	That portrait is ________. Leave it here. Take the bird seed! Take the bird seed!
	hanging out for the birds a cash cow

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