Question

which sentence from the phantom tollbooth is the best example of using an idiom for humorous effect?

\everything was quiet, and even the air hung heavily.\
\the birds sang only gray songs.\
\its bad enough wasting time without killing it.\
\and, as he thought, the wheels began to turn.\

Explanation:

Identify the idiom and humorous wordplay

The phrase "killing time" is a common English idiom meaning to pass time while waiting. In The Phantom Tollbooth, characters and concepts are often literalized. The sentence "It's bad enough wasting time without killing it" plays on both the idiom "killing time" and the literal concept of time as a living entity (represented by the character Tock, the watchdog), creating a humorous, literalized pun.

Evaluate the other options

• "Everything was quiet, and even the air hung heavily." (Descriptive imagery, not an idiom used for humor)
• "The birds sang only gray songs." (Metaphorical/sensory description, not an idiom used for humor)
• "And, as he thought, the wheels began to turn." (A literal description of the car moving, though it plays on the idiom "wheels turning" in the mind, it is not the primary example of a humorous idiom pun compared to "killing time")

Answer:

• "Everything was quiet, and even the air hung heavily."
• "The birds sang only gray songs."
• "It's bad enough wasting time without killing it." (Correct answer)
• "And, as he thought, the wheels began to turn."