You Got Lucky Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fall into one's lap

"My son is not trying hard enough to find a job. He probably thinks it's going to fall into his lap one of these days."

Though everyone would love for good things to happen without any effort, this is generally not the case! This idiom is quite self-explanatory, as it evokes the image of someone receiving an unexpected gift while sitting on the couch doing nothing. The verb "fall" is sometimes replaced by "drop".

Answer: Luck of the draw

"Tests are often just a matter of luck of the draw. Sometimes you get easy questions, sometimes much harder ones."

Again, a self-explanatory idiom that refers to the random manner in which cards are distributed or drawn in many card games. Similar in meaning are "roll of the dice" (also related to gaming) and "toss of the coin".

Answer: Sitting pretty

"She sold her home when prices were at their highest, so now she's sitting pretty and enjoying life."

This idiom has nothing to do with attractiveness, bur rather with being comfortably placed ("sitting"), in a position of advantage and free from worry. The phrase may have originated in the US in the early 20th century,

Answer: Down on one's luck

"At that time he was down on his luck: just as he had lost his job, his wife got suddenly sick."

The presence of "down" should be a clue as to the negative connotation of this idiomatic expression, which dates back to the mid-19th century. "Hard luck", which is used either as a noun or an adjective, has a similar meaning.

Answer: Take pot luck

"When I travel, I like to take pot luck and try whatever hotels and restaurants I happen upon."

This expression is similar to "luck of the draw", as it also involves an uncertain outcome. The use of "potluck" to mean a shared meal to which each guest (or group of guests) contributes a dish originated during the Great Depression, replacing the similar-sounding Native American word "potlatch" (a gift-giving feast).

Answer: Make hay while the sun shines

"Let's make hay while the sun shines and try to finish this job."

This expression - first recorded in the mid-16th century, when England and other countries were mostly agricultural - is very similar in meaning to "strike the iron while it is hot" - i.e. seize an opportunity when it presents itself.

Answer: Fat chance

"You think the bank is going to give you a loan? Fat chance!"

In this sarcastic expression (whose use dates back to the early 20th century), "fat" is probably used in contrast to the more literal "slim" (as in "there is a slim chance of something happening"). A related expression is "a fat lot", meaning "very little or none at all".

Answer: Push one's luck

"You've already been promoted - now don't push your luck by asking for a raise."

This idiom, like others featured in this quiz, originated in the early 20th century. Sometimes "press" replaces "push"; both verbs convey the idea of jeopardizing whatever good fortune one has already had by acting in an overconfident or overly demanding manner - as if putting pressure on luck itself.

Answer: Strike gold

"When I got that job, I really struck gold. Now I don't have to worry about money any more."

Another self-explanatory idiom, whose literal meaning refers to discovering gold in the course of mining or drilling. It may also be used to mean "win a gold medal in a sports competition". "Hit the jackpot" is similar in meaning.

Answer: Jump on the bandwagon

"These days everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and selling gluten-free foods."

Originally, a band wagon was a conveyance that carried a circus band. The word first appeared in print in P.T. Barnum's autobiography, "The Life of P.T. Barnum: Written by Himself" (1855). Bandwagons tended to be large and showy, easily attracting people's attention. Towards the end of the 19th century, politicians started using bandwagons to parade through cities on their campaign trail, so the word soon lost its literal meaning and came to refer to jumping on anything that was popular.