In this idiom and phrase question, you are given the expression to get up on the wrong side of the bed. Choose the option that best explains the meaning of this idiom in everyday English.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: to start the day in a bad mood and remain irritable throughout the day

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question tests understanding of the idiom to get up on the wrong side of the bed. Such idioms are common in conversational English and indicate emotional states rather than literal actions. The examiner wants to know whether the learner recognises that this phrase refers to starting the day in a bad mood and staying irritable, not to physically getting out of bed from a particular side.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The idiom is to get up on the wrong side of the bed.
  • It appears without extra sentence context, so the general meaning is tested.
  • The options describe different morning related situations.
  • The correct option must refer to mood and behaviour during the day.


Concept / Approach:
The idiom does not refer to an actual side of a bed or to physical movement. Instead, it is a figurative way to say that a person begins the day in a bad or irritable mood, often without a clear reason, and this mood influences their interactions for the rest of the day. When choosing the correct option, we look for the one that focuses on negative mood and its continuation rather than on drinking, arguing, or physical movements in bed.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that when someone says He must have got up on the wrong side of the bed, they usually mean that he is unusually grumpy or irritable. Step 2: Read option b, which describes starting the day in a bad mood and continuing in that mood all day. Step 3: Notice that this aligns exactly with the typical usage of the idiom. Step 4: Check option a, which mentions waking up in a strange place after heavy drinking, which is not part of the idiomatic meaning. Step 5: Check options c, d, and e, which introduce arguments with a spouse, rolling in bed, or extra energy, none of which match the figurative sense of the expression.


Verification / Alternative check:
We can test the options in a sample dialogue. Suppose a colleague is snapping at everyone, and another colleague says, He has really got up on the wrong side of the bed today. If we insert option b, it matches the situation of a person in a persistent bad mood. None of the other interpretations fit this office scenario. Therefore option b is the only one that agrees with real life usage of the idiom.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a wrongly connects the idiom to being drunk and waking up in an unfamiliar place, which is a completely different idea. Option c focuses on an argument with a spouse, which may cause a bad mood but is not included in the idiom itself. Option d describes physical restlessness while sleeping, but the idiom refers to emotional state after waking. Option e suggests early rising and high energy, which is almost the opposite of the typical grumpy mood implied by the phrase.


Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes interpret idioms literally and imagine a person physically climbing out from the wrong side of a bed. This leads them to choose an option linked to position or movement instead of emotional state. Another pitfall is to connect the phrase with a specific cause like alcohol or an argument, while the idiom actually focuses on the unexplained bad mood itself, regardless of the cause.


Final Answer:
The idiom to get up on the wrong side of the bed means to start the day in a bad mood and remain irritable throughout the day, so option b is correct.

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