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Difficulty: MediumIdioms and Idiomatic Expressions

During the executive committee meeting, the project manager and the lead engineer locked horns over the revised project budget. What does the idiomatic expression 'locked horns' mean in this context?

  1. A
    physically entangled their horns during a confrontation
  2. engaged in a sharp disagreement or conflictAnswer
  3. C
    reached an amicable and unanimous agreement
  4. D
    tendered their immediate resignations from the company

Answer

engaged in a sharp disagreement or conflict
The idiom 'locked horns' means to engage in a dispute, argument, or violent conflict. In the context of two committee members arguing over a budget, it describes their sharp disagreement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence context
The sentence presents two professionals having a intense debate during a budget discussion.
Understanding the situational context provides clues to the nature of the interaction.
2
Apply the figurative definition of the idiom
The expression 'locked horns' originates from animals clashing heads in combat, which figuratively denotes entering into a confrontation or severe argument.
Idioms must be interpreted by their established figurative sense rather than a word-for-word translation.

Key Concept

Interpretation of Idiomatic Expressions in Context
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Topics

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

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