Question

Choose the option which best expresses the meaning of the given phrase.
Buckle down.
A. Work seriously
B. Take it easy
C. Drop a subject
D. Go for a vacation

Answer 1

Hint: An idiom is an expression, the meaning of which is different from the meaning of the individual words present in it. For e.g. The phrase ‘It’s raining cats and dog’ is used commonly. Here the words ‘cats’ and ‘dogs’ do not refer to the animals literally. In fact, the phrase means that ‘it is raining very hard’.

Complete answer:
Option A) Work seriously – is the correct answer. It means putting a lot of effort in doing something. For example, ‘You’ll have to buckle down if you expect to score good marks in your next exam.’

Option B) Take it easy – is an incorrect answer. It means to relax and not work so hard on something. For example, ‘Take it easy and don’t hurt yourself while rehearsing for the performance’.

Option C) Drop a subject – is an incorrect answer. It means to stop discussing or talking about a certain topic. For example, ‘Oh, please drop the subject, I don’t want to recall how bad my presentation was.’

Option D) Go for a vacation – is an incorrect answer. It means to stop working for some time and use that time for leisure and relaxation. For example, ‘Since you have worked really hard on this project, I would suggest you go on a vacation for some time.’

Hence, the correct answer is Option ‘A’.

Note:Some other phrases which have a similar meaning and usage as ‘buckle down’ are; Plunge into, knuckle down, get cracking etc. Some antonyms for the phrase ‘buckle down’, are be lazy, ignore, relax, etc.