Birthday: age, balloon, candle, ribbon

Age

Idiom	Explanation	Example
ripe old age	very old, usually used to talk about a long healthy life	My grandfather lived to the ripe old age of 95.
act one’s age	behave in an suitable way for your age	Act your age Sally! That’s something my little brother would do.
come of age	become an adult	I feel so old now that my youngest daughter has come of age.

Candle Idioms

Idiom	Explanation	Example
burn the candle at both ends	be exhausted usualy because of working extremely hard from the early morning until late at night	Nadine looks terrible because she has been burning the candle at both ends. She needs a holiday.
can’t hold a candle to somebody	be almost as good as somebody else at something	No one can hold a candle to Mariah Carey. She is simply the best singer of all time.

Birthday Idioms

Idiom	Explanation	Example
in one’s birthday suit	humorous, not wear any clothes	When I’m home alone, I often walk around in my birthday suit.
go down like a lead balloon	humorous, something you say or show is not well received	The joke about steotypes went down like a lead balloon.
be my guest	giving permission/ of course	—Can I sit here? —Be my guest!
tear something to ribbons	damage or destroy something by cutting or tearing it	The naughty dog has torn my favourite dress to ribbons.

display incorrect answers

Exercise C1

Choose the correct word to complete the sentences.

age – birthday – candle

The others were good at drawing, but nobody could hold a to Leo. He was by far the best.
My mother says we have good genes and we’re all sure to live to a ripe old .
At the cricket match, a man ran onto the pitch in his suit.