(A) Bad mouth → To insult and criticize someone; speaking negatively about them → matches with (IV)
(B) In the soup → An idiom meaning to be in trouble or a difficult situation → matches with (III)
(C) Call a spade a spade → To speak frankly and directly without euphemisms; telling it like it is → matches with (II)
(D) Sugar coating → Making something unpleasant seem more acceptable by softening how it's presented → matches with (I)
Hence, Option 3: (A) - (IV), (B) - (III), (C) - (II), (D) - (I) → This correctly pairs all the idiomatic phrases with their appropriate meanings: bad mouthing is criticism, being in the soup means trouble, calling a spade a spade is straightforward talk, and sugar coating softens expressions → correct