Idiom/Phrase: Be as sharp as a tack
- (a)A talkative person
- (b)A shrewd person
- (c)A clumsy person
- (d)A clever person
Answer
B or D (both accepted by the official key)
Why
Correct — B and D, a shrewd person and a clever person. 'As sharp as a tack' describes someone very quick-witted and intelligent, so both 'shrewd' and 'clever' fit — the official key graced the item and credited either answer.
Why the others are wrong
- (a)A talkative person — Wrong quality — the simile praises sharpness of mind, not how much a person talks.
- (c)A clumsy person — The opposite sense — 'sharp as a tack' means mentally quick, not clumsy or slow.
Concept
An idiom-meaning item on 'as sharp as a tack' (very quick-witted); the official key accepted both the 'shrewd' and the 'clever' options.
Related PYQs
No directly related past PYQ was found.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
'As bright as a button' means:
- (a)very colourful
- (b)lively and intelligent
- (c)very loud
- (d)very small
Answer(b) lively and intelligent — quick, alert and clever.
- practice — not a real PYQ
'Quick on the uptake' means someone who is:
- (a)slow to understand
- (b)fast to understand
- (c)physically fast
- (d)very forgetful
Answer(b) fast to understand — grasps ideas quickly.