Q14
EnglishIdioms, Phrasal Verbs & Proverbs
Select the correct meaning of the idiom below: He stood in hot water.
- a.in trouble or disgrace
- b.met with an accident
- c.stepped into boiling water
- d.was angry
Answer: (A) in trouble or disgrace
'In hot water' means in trouble or in disgrace, usually because of something one has done. It does not mean being angry (that would be 'to see red' or 'hot under the collar') and it has no literal meaning of boiling water or an accident. Similar idioms for trouble: 'in a soup', 'in a tight corner', 'in a pickle', 'in deep water' (in serious difficulty).