Halloween Idioms and Expressions Quiz! Learn Spooky English Phrases the Fun Way

Rose Sensei
Oct 10
4 min read

Halloween isn’t just about costumes and candy — it’s also a perfect time to learn some spook-tacular English idioms! 🧙‍♀️💀

In this post, you’ll discover 10 Halloween-themed idioms and expressions that English speakers use in everyday life — like “to have a skeleton in the closet” or “to give someone the creeps.”

You’ll first learn what each idiom means (with easy explanations and examples), and then test your knowledge with a fun Halloween Idioms Quiz at the end.

A girl in a blue dress approaches a Halloween-decorated house with pumpkins. Text reads "English Idioms for Everyday Use" and "Halloween – Themed Idioms & Phrases."

🎬 Watch the Halloween Idioms Quiz video on YouTube to test yourself in real time!

💡 Tip: These idioms aren’t only for Halloween — you’ll hear them in movies, TV shows, and conversations all year round!

10 Explanation & Example Sentences for Halloween Idioms

💀To have a skeleton in the closet
🟰To hide a secret from others
e.g. "She seems nice, but everyone has a skeleton in the closet. I wonder what she’s hiding."
👻To be as white as a ghost
🟰To look very pale, usually from fear or shock
e.g. "When he saw the spider on his pillow, he turned as white as a ghost!"
🧟To give someone the creeps
🟰To make someone uncomfortable or scared
e.g. "That old abandoned house gives me the creeps every time I walk by."
🏚️A ghost town
🟰A place with very few people, almost empty
e.g. "After the factory closed, the whole area became a ghost town. There was no one around anymore."
🪦To dig your own grave
🟰To do something that will cause your own failure or problems
e.g. "If you keep lying to your boss, you’re just digging your own grave. You’ll get caught eventually."
🌃To be a night owl🦉
🟰To be someone who stays up late or is active at night
e.g. "I’m definitely a night owl. I love staying up late and working when everything is quiet."
🧟‍♀️To make someone’s blood run cold
🟰 To shock or terrify someone
e.g. "The eerie sound of footsteps behind me made my blood run cold."
🧙🏻‍♀️ A witch hunt
🟰 To unfairly target or blame someone
e.g. "The media’s constant criticism of the politician feels like a witch hunt —they’re targeting her unfairly."
🌃To be in the dead of night
🟰To be active when no one else is awake, very late at night
e.g. "The noise woke me up in the dead of night. I was the only one awake in the whole house."
👯To be a dead ringer
🟰 To look exactly like someone else
e.g. "She’s a dead ringer for that famous actress. They look almost identical!"

Halloween Idioms and Expressions Quiz

Part 1: Multiple Choice Questions

Choose the correct meaning for each Halloween-related idiom or expression:

To have a skeleton in the closet
a) To keep something hidden in a closet
b) To hide a secret from others
c) To clean out old things you don’t need
To be as white as a ghost
a) To be really scared
b) To look very pale, usually from fear or shock
c) To see a ghost for the first time
To give someone the creeps
a) To make someone uncomfortable or scared
b) To play a joke on someone
c) To dress up in a scary costume
A ghost town
a) A place where ghosts live
b) A town where all the shops are haunted
c) A place with very few people, almost empty

To dig your own grave
a) To prepare for Halloween by making a fake grave
b) To do something that will cause your own failure or problems
c) To help someone else with a difficult task
To be a night owl
a) To dress up as an owl for Halloween
b) To be someone who stays up late or is active at night
c) To be scared of going outside at night
To make someone’s blood run cold
a) To shock or terrify someone
b) To give someone a cold drink
c) To make someone feel uncomfortable with a cold breeze
A witch hunt
a) To search for witches on Halloween night
b) To unfairly target or blame someone
c) To look for magical potions
the dead of night
a) To be out in a graveyard
b) To be active when no one else is awake, very late at night
c) To feel scared in the middle of the night
a dead ringer
a) To look exactly like someone else
b) To wear a skeleton costume for Halloween
c) To call someone from a haunted house

🔑Answer Key

b) To hide a secret from others
b) To look very pale, usually from fear or shock
a) To make someone uncomfortable or scared
c) A place with very few people, almost empty
b) To do something that will cause your own failure or problems
b) To be someone who stays up late or is active at night
a) To shock or terrify someone
b) To unfairly target or blame someone
b) To be active when no one else is awake, very late at night
a) To look exactly like someone else

Now that you’ve completed the Halloween Idioms and Expressions Quiz, you’ve got some frightfully good English phrases up your sleeve!

🕸️Idioms like “a skeleton in the closet” or “a ghost town” make your English sound more natural — and a lot more fun.

So whether you’re teaching, studying, or simply enjoying a spooky night in, try using one of these idioms in your next conversation. You might just give your friends the creeps — in a good way! 😄

👉 Which Halloween idiom did you find the most interesting (or spooky)?

Share your answer in the comments below — let’s see who’s the biggest Halloween idiom master! 🧛‍♀️

Or download the printable Halloween Idioms Worksheet for classroom or self-study fun!

📘 Want to keep learning idioms?