Expression: as quick as a flash

[Oana]

Test No. incompl/advan-48 "Speed", question 1

There was absolutely no hesitation on her part and quick as a ......... she paid the bill.

(a) spark
(b) light
(c) flash
(d) switch

Test No. incompl/advan-48 "Speed", answer 1

There was absolutely no hesitation on her part and quick as a flash she paid the bill.

Correct answer: (c) flash
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what does hesitation mean

[Alan]

Hi,

Hesitation comes from the verb hesitate meaning delay. If you hesitate when you are answering a question for example, you stop/pause for a second before you say something as in: Well, er -um - yes ...'

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Passive Voice

[lost_soul]

BTW, I've asked a native english speaker about this sentence and he has told me that "switch" fits here as well, though he hasn't heard this expression before...

My question is whether there are any ambiquous tasks where you can choose 2 or more alternatives or not??
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Alex

A native speaker of Russian

[Alan]

Hi,

We try as much as possible to construct both the sentence and the choice in such a way that there is only one really acceptable word with which to fill the gap. I must admit I have never heard of an expression: as quick as a switch

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Cool Expressions

[Torsten]

[Yankee]

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I can imagine that someone might say "quick as a switch" to descibe a certain kind of movement (for example, the quick, twitching movement of a squirrel's tail). That may well be what lost soul's native speaker meant.

"Quick as a switch" certainly is not a standard, well-known collocation whereas "quick as a flash" is very common and well-known.
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English