Question

Choose the correct meaning of the idiom/phrase.
To clear the air

a) to work hard
b) to wash properly
c) to remove tension
d) to create confusion

Answer 1

Hint: The idiom ‘to clear the air’ refers to ‘defuse an angry or tense situation by frank discussion’. The literal origin is in what the sun and the wind do to remove or dissipate clouds after a storm, i.e. to remove obstacles.

Complete answer:
In order to fully understand the meaning of the given idiom, let us use it in a sentence:
For example, in the sentence ‘I think it is time that we cleared the air’, the idiom ‘clear the air’ is used in the past tense. The sentence is clearly trying to say that it is high time that the subjects diffused the fights. It is used in the sense that, when people fight, there is an air of tension. When we clear that air, the tensions go away. That is what a frank discussion does.

Now, we know the meaning and context of the given idiom. Let’s look at the given options:

a) to work hard - The phrase ‘to work hard’ refers to ‘putting in effort to get the desired result’. This phrase does not have the same meaning as the given idiom. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) to wash properly - The phrase ‘to wash properly’ refers to ‘cleaning thoroughly’. This phrase also does not have the exact same meaning as the given idiom. It is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c) to remove tension - The phrase ‘to remove tension’ refers to ‘removing obstacles and fixing an angry or tense environment’. This phrase has the exact same meaning as the given idiom. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
d) to create confusion - The phrase ‘to create confusion’ refers to ‘creating misunderstandings’. This phrase has a completely unrelated meaning to the given idiom. It is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note:
Idioms are not to be literally translated, so do not make the mistake of using its literal meaning. Try to look for a metaphor within the idiom. Then, choose the appropriate answer.