In the following question, an idiomatic expression or a proverb is…
2025
In the following question, an idiomatic expression or a proverb is highlighted. Select the alternative which best describes its use in the sentence.
He sighed and said, "Well, cross that bridge when we come to it."
- A.
To plan something for the future
- B.
To worry continuously about something
- C.
To forgive someone for past mistakes
- D.
To delay worrying about a problem until it is urgent
Attempted by 4 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
An idiom or proverb carries a fixed, conventional figurative meaning that must be judged as a whole, not derived from the literal sense of its individual words. In a usage-identification question like this, each option offers a plausible everyday action, but only one accurately captures the idiom's standard interpretation.
The idiom 'to cross that bridge when we come to it' conventionally means postponing concern about a possible difficulty until it actually becomes urgent or unavoidable — much like not worrying about physically crossing a bridge until one is standing right in front of it. This matches the option describing delaying worry about a problem until it becomes urgent.
Contrasting this with the other choices:
Planning something for the future describes proactive preparation, the opposite of the idiom's reactive, wait-and-see stance.
Worrying continuously about something describes exactly the behaviour the idiom advises against.
Forgiving someone for past mistakes belongs to a different idiom family concerned with pardon (e.g. 'let bygones be bygones'), not with the timing of concern.
Therefore, the option describing delaying worry about a problem until it becomes urgent best captures the idiom's established meaning.