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Idioms and phrases form an integral part of

the English language. As a result questions from


this area are always a hot favourite for any
competitive examination. The etymology of all idioms
is not known clearly but that of some are obvious.
At arms l ength (To keep at a distance)
He is a thorough crook, so keep him at arms
length.
At daggers drawn (To be sworn enemies)
Ram and Sham are at daggers drawn over a
small piece of land.
All and sundry (Everything without exception)
All and sundry were full of praise for him.
At ones wits end (Confused; not knowing what to
do)
He was at his wits end when he heard of the
income-tax raid on his firm.
(Have) an axe to grind (Have a selfish purpose)
I am helping her out of kindness and I have no
particular axe to grind.
At sixes and sevens (In a disordered manner)
In a writers room, the books always remain at
sixes and sevens.
At loggerheads (To be enemies; to be at war)
Three times India and Pakistan were at
loggerheads over the of Kashmir issue.
At a loss (To be puzzled)
At the time of accident, I was at a loss to
understand what to do.
Alpha and omega (The beginning and the end)
The alpha and omega of Gandhis life was
truth and non-violence.
At sea (Confused or lost)
Since the interview was in Hindi, the
candidates from Kerala were completely at sea.
In the nick of time (J ust at the last moment)
He thought he wouldnt be able to sit for the
exam, but his hall ticket arrived in the nick of
time.
At large (Free; not confined )
The escaped terrorist is still at large (used for
wrongdoers in this sense).
(An) Acid test (A decisive or critical test)
The acid test of a truly educated person is
whether he maintains his temper in his
predicament; Adversity is the acid test of a
mans courage.
Alive and kicking (Active and healthy)
Ramlal is alive and kicking even at the age of
eighty.
Out of the frying pan, into the fire (From a bad
situation to a worse one)
By selling his failed business and investing in
a collapsing bank, he was going out of the
frying pan into the fire.
Add fuel to the fire (To increase anger)
The two communities were already in the grip
of communal tension. The article in the
newspaper added fuel to the fire, resulting in
bloody clashes between the members of those
communities.
Too many irons in the fire (Engage in too many
enterprises at the same time)
My friend has too many irons in the fire; he is
always busy.
To beat a hasty retreat (To go away quickly)
As soon as the thief saw the police, he beat a
hasty retreat.
To miss the boat (To miss an opportunity)
He really missed the boat when he turned down
an offer of job in the Gulf.
To burn ones boats (To take a decision which
cannot be changed)
I must stick to my new appointment because I
have burnt my boats by resigning the previous
one.
To burn the candle at both ends (To work extremely
hard; to use up too much energy; work very
early and very late. )
You will ruin your health as you are burning the
candle at both ends.
To burn ones fingers (To lose on account of foolish
behaviour)
You will burn your fingers if you refuse to obey
the orders of your boss.
I DI OMS AND PHRASES
General English
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Hoping against hope (To continue hoping, especially
when all grounds for hope is lost)
Even though she did badly in the exam, she is
hoping against hope that she will pass.
Behind ones back (In the absence of)
Modern friends praise you to your face and
condemn you behind your back.
To hit below the belt. (Unfair act)
Spreading a false rumour about someone is
hitting below the belt.
To bui l d castl es in the ai r (To make imaginary
schemes)
Those who simply build castles in the air hardly
achieve anything worth-while in life.
A bolt from the blue (Something unexpected)
The news of his fathers death came to us like
a bolt from the blue.
To be in someones good books (To be favoured by
someone)
He is in the bosss good books ever since he
finalised an important deal.
To break the ice (To break the silence)
There was perfect silence in the hall; but when
the Chief Guest came, Mr Swamy broke the
ice by welcoming him.
By hook or by crook (By all means fair or foul)
The aim of the majority of the students is to
pass an examination by hook or by crook.
To blow ones own trumpet (To praise ones own
abilities and achievements)
People who blow their own trumpets are
disliked by others.
Blow hot and cold (Keep changing ones opinion)
Pakistan has been blowing hot and cold about
a peaceful solution of the Kashmir problem
since 1971.
A birds eye view (A general view or study)
This pamphlet gives a birds eye view of the
ethnic problem in Sri Lanka.
A bee i n one s bonnet (To be obsessed by
something)
He always has a bee in his bonnet and is
therefore regarded as a crank.
To take the bull by the horns (To tackle a problem
boldly)
When the firm was making a loss he decided
to take the bull by the horns and fired some
staff, hired others, computerised the accounts
and streamlined the whole business.
Red rag to a bull (Something which always makes
one angry)
To my uncle, income tax is a red rag to a bull.
A bull in a china shop (A misfit)
He was basically a teacher. When he was
asked to work as an administrator, he proved
to be a bull in a china shop.
To bring to book (To call to account)
The clerk was brought to book by the officer
for his neglect of duty.
To call a spade a spade (To be frank and truthful)
I believe in calling a spade a spade even if the
heavens fall.
To put the cat among the pi geons (Introduce
someone who is likely to cause trouble)
The new officer is an efficiency expert; that will
put the cat among the pigeons.
To let the cat out of the bag (To accidentally reveal
a secret)
She let the cat out of the bag when she revealed
that they were planning a surprise party for him.
To bell the cat (To face the risk)
Every teacher is against the principal but no
one is prepared to bell the cat and complain
about him to the Chairman.
To rain cats and dogs (To rain very heavily)
He couldnt go out, even though he had his
umbrella, because it was raining cats and
dogs.
A cat and dog life (To lead a life full of quarrels)
The old man and his young wife have been
leading a cat and dog life ever since their
marriage.
(Like) a cat on hot bricks (To be very nervous)
Many employees feel like a cat on hot bricks
before their boss.
To curry favour (To seek or to win favour)
Clever people know how to curry favour with
their officers.
To carry weight (To be significant/important)
He is only a clerk; his suggestion will not carry
any weight with the chairman.
A cold fish (A person devoid of emotions)
It is no use making a sentimental appeal to
that man. He is a cold fish.
To cut no ice (Have little or no effect)
His arguments cut no i ce before the
magistrate.
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To cross the Rubicon (To take a decisive step)
I have submitted my resignation. I have crossed
the Rubicon. There is no going back.
As cool as a cucumber (Very calm and controlled)
He kept as cool as a cucumber even when his
son was murdered.
To come off with flying colours (To succeed with
credit)
I honestly hope that my son will come off with
flying colours in the IAS examination.
To be led by the nose (to be easily influenced)
The new manager can be easily led by the
nose; you only have to flatter him.
A dark horse (A person of hidden qualities)
Our new Principal is a dark horse. No one
thought that he was so capable.
To flog a dead horse (To waste energy on some
already rejected activity)
He was flogging a dead horse when he tried to
revive the failed business deal.
A dogs life (A life of hard work)
An educated man who does menial work leads
a dogs life.
To be like a dog with two tails (To be very happy
and proud)
The father was like a dog with two tails when
his son won the first prize.
A dog in the manger attitude (A selfish attitude)
Mohan behaves with a dog in the manger
attitude. That is why he has not endeared
himself to his colleagues.
A dog in the manger (Person who does not allow
others to enjoy things which are not useful to
him)
He was like a dog in the manger at the party,
and spoiled it for us all.
Dog days (Hottest period of the year)
J une and J uly are dog days in India.
A deadlock (A position when no progress can be
made)
The manager agreed to grant some
concession to the striking staff because he
wanted to break the deadlock.
To draw a blank (Get no result)
He drew a blank when he tried to find the error
in the accounts.
Sword of Damocles (An impending danger)
The possibility of a third world war is hanging
over our heads like a sword of Damocles.
To dance attendance upon (To wait on somebody
always)
The poor boy dances attendance upon the
manager of the hotel in the vain hope of getting
a job.
Double-dealing (Deceiving)
Fraud and double-dealing have come to stay
as an essential feature of the modern man.
To dig ones own grave (To do something which
results in ones own downfall)
By developing enmity with the minister, he has
dug his own grave.
To die hard (Change with great difficulty)
Old habits die hard.
To be a diehard ( Stubborn)
Diehards in Bangladesh want Taslima to suffer
the death penalty.
To eat humbl e pi e (To apologise in a humble
manner)
If I place the facts before you, you shall have to
eat humble pie.
Easy money (Money earned through dishonest
means)
Easy money does not stay with a man for long.
Enough i s enough (A limit beyond which there
should be no saying or doing)
We will not tolerate Pakistans interference in
our affairs any more. After all, enough is
enough.
To fight a losing battle (Struggle without hope of
success) Punjab militants are fighting a losing
battle against India.
A feather in ones cap (A credit or achievement)
Winning the J nanpith Award was yet another
feather in his cap.
To feather ones nest (To make money unfairly)
When he was elected treasurer of the club, it
was an opportunity for him to feather his nest.
To fish in troubled waters (To take advantage of
others troubles)
Politicians are callous. They always fish in
troubled waters.
A f i sh out of water (Feeling uncomfortable in
unfamiliar surroundings)
A poor man if made to sit in the company of the
rich will feel like a fish out of water.
A daredevil (A person who does not care for any
consequences)
That daredevil is going to jump into the water
from a great height.
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A far cry (A long way)
Indias 120 for five wickets is a far cry from the
good score they wanted.
To go scot-free (To escape unharmed)
In our system, innocent people are punished
whereas the culprits often go scot-free even
after committing the most heinous crimes.
Gift of the gab (Fluency of speech)
A person without the gift of the gab cannot be a
successful teacher.
Greenhorn (A novice, an inexperienced person)
You cannot expect perfect work from a
greenhorn.
A hard nut to crack (A problem difficult to solve)
The Kashmir issue is really a hard nut to crack
for the U.N.O.
An iota of (Little of truth, doubt etc.)
Your statement does not have even an iota of
truth.
To iron out (To smooth out differences)
Let us iron out our differences and be friendly
again.
An iron will (Strong determination)
Trust in God and an iron will are essential for
success.
To keep the wolf from the door (To keep away
hunger and starvation)
The poor fellow has five children. He works
overtime to keep the wolf from the door.
To keep abreast of (To be in touch with)
Read the newspapers if you want to keep
abreast of the times.
Kith and kin (Friends and relations)
All my kith and kin left me in the lurch in my
predicament.
To leave no stone unturned (To do ones best, take
all possible effort)
I will leave no stone unturned to prove myself
worthy of your expectations.
Within a stones throw (Very close)
Arjun is very lucky; his school is within a stones
throw of his house.
Lock, stock and barrel (Completely)
The British left India lock, stock and barrel in
1947.
The long and the short (The main point)
The long and the short of the report is that the
clerk is at fault.
To die in harness (To work till the last day of ones
life)
Sardar Patel died in harness. He attended to
his work till the last moment grabbed him.
A laughing stock (An object of ridicule)
Ramesh makes foolish remarks and has
become the laughing stock of the office.
Once in a blue moon (Very rarely)
Anita comes to see us once in a blue moon.
On tenterhooks (In a state of anxious suspense or
uncertainty)
We did not want to be on tenterhooks on the
issue of the winner of the match. So, we
requested the judges to announce their
decision without any further loss of time.
To pocket an insult (To bear an insult quietly)
No self-respecting person can pocket an
insult. He must retaliate.
On the cards (Probable)
Mr Kittus promotion is on the cards. His boss
is very pleased with him.
In the pipeline (Certain to happen)
Mr Mohans promotion is in the pipeline. It only
has to be approved by the Chairman.
To plough a lonely furrow (To work without help or
support)
He has not made progress because he
ploughs a lonely furrow.
At a premium (Difficult to get or obtain)
Residential accommodation is at a premium
in Delhi.
From pillar to post (From one person to another)
He moved from pillar to post for his sons
admission to the public school but in vain.
To have a card up ones sleeve (To have a secret
plan in reserve)
When the taxi failed to arrive, he was not
worried, he had a card up his sleeve: he could
ask his brother to drive him.
To play the game (To act honestly)
I will support you only if you promise to play the
game.
Rank and file (Ordinary members of an organisation)
The rank and file of the BJ P expect a change in
favour of their party.
By the skin of ones teeth (A narrow margin)
He managed to slip through the exam by the
skin of his teeth.
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To rub sal t i n the wounds (To make a painful
situation more painful)
It is the way of the world that no one works for
healing your wounds they rather rub salt into
them.
Not worth ones salt (Quite worthless)
It was a mistake hiring Girish: as an employee,
he is not worth his salt.
Not letting the grass grow under ones feet (To act
swiftly and decisively)
He does not let the grass grow under his feet;
within two years of his appointment, the firms
profits have doubled.
A square meal (A full meal)
A square meal is a dream for millions of poor
Indians.
To stick to ones guns (To stand firm)
If a person has the spirit to stick to his guns, no
power on earth can make him yield.
To stand in good stead (To be useful)
My fathers advice stood me in good stead
when I started a business.
To steal a march (To gain advantage over)
I stole a march on him and frustrated his evil
designs against me.
A stumbling block (An obstacle)
If a person is determined to do something, he
can uproot any stumbling block on his way.
A square peg in a round hole (Misfit)
Roshan is only a matriculate. If you promote
him as an administrator, he will prove to be a
square peg in a round hole.
To make eyes at someone (To admire someone)
Even at a very early age, young Mohan spent
most of his schooldays making eyes at the
teachers.
To be up to the eyes (To be very busy)
Until the audit next month, I shall be up to the
eyes getting the accounts in order.
To throw dust in ones eyes (To deceive)
You cannot throw dust in my eyes. I know all
about the matter.
To take the wind out of ones sails (Deprive ones
argument of all force)
The Prime Minister took the wind out of the
oppositions sails when he exposed their
attempt to bring down the government.
Spread like wildfire (Spread quickly)
Rumours of Ashoks promotion spread like
wildfire through the office.
A big gun (An important person)
Arjun Singh is a big gun in politics. It will be
difficult for the Prime Minister to dethrone him.
Bring to light (Disclose)
Ashok was dismissed when his
misdemeanours were brought to light.
Bury the hatchet (Make peace after a quarrel)
After a compromise, they decided to bury the
hatchet and become friends again.
To get to the bottom of something (To understand
fully)
It was only when the culprit confessed that we
got to the bottom of the affair.
The bottom line (The final criteria)
The teacher was good enough; but the bottom
line was whether he could get the boy through
the exam.
All along the line (At all times, consistently)
While everybody opposed the new manager,
Arun supported him all along the line.
To read between the lines (To discover a hidden
meaning)
One cannot understand the themes in the
poetry of Keats unless one reads between the
lines.
A cock and bull story (An improbable excuse)
When asked why he was late, the boy made
up a cock and bull story which nobody believed.
To eat ones words (To apologise in a humiliating
manner)
He had to eat his words when he discovered
that his employee, whom he had accused of
theft, was quite innocent.
To call someone names (To abuse someone)
Ajith was dismissed after he cal led the
manager names.
To let loose (To set free)
The curses of heaven were let loose on him.
Well -heel ed (Smart, well dressed, prosperous)
You can tell Sunil will succeed in life: he is
always so well-heeled.
Down at heel (Out of luck, shabbily dressed)
Since Ashok lost his job, he is always down at
heel.
To kick ones heels (To wait with nothing to do)
Until the exam results are published, he can
do nothing but kick his heels.
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To turn the tables (To reverse the situation)
Mohan was beaten in the first two games, but
in the third one he turned the tables on his
opponent.
To sow ones wild oats (To indulge in youthful follies)
Those who sow their wild oats during their
college days usually make good husbands.
To pour oi l on troubled waters (Solve a dispute
with tact)
After the boy was rude to the teacher his father
poured oil on troubled waters by apologising.
Take a leaf out of ones book (To imitate someone)
When she left school, she took a leaf out of
her sisters book and joined a computer class.
Break down (fail to work (machine)
I would have arrived earlier, but my car broke
down miles from a garage.
To cut the cackle (To stop delaying and take action)
It was a difficult job, but once we had decided
to cut the cackle and get going, it was done.
A bone of contention (A source of quarrel)
Kashmir is a bone of contention between India
and Pakistan.
A curtain lecture (A rebuke by a wife to her husband in
private)
A henpecked husband has to listen to a curtain
lecture from his wife almost every night.
Duck in a thunderstorm (Distressed)
When Harish failed the interview he returned
home like a duck in a thunderstorm.
To fan the flames (To make more intense)
The abuse hurled by Ram fanned the flames
resulting in a fierce fight between the two
parties.
To play second fiddle (To be a yes-man/flatterer)
This clerk plays second fiddle to his officer.
Above board (Open and honest)
All his business deals are above board.
To t hr ow col d wat er over somet hi ng (To
discourage something)
He threw cold water over our suggestion for an
outing.
To make both ends meet (To live within ones
income, often used in the negative)
Even with a good wage, nowadays it is difficult
to make both ends meet.
To pull a long face (To look sad)
Ever since he failed the exam, he has been
pulling a long face.
To go off the rails (To become wild)
When his father died, the boy went off the rails
and dropped out of college.
To get t he sack (To be dismissed from a job,
usually for a fault)
He got the sack after he was absent for three
days running.
In cold blood (Deliberately, without feeling)
The robber shot the shopkeeper in cold blood
as though he were a dog.
Ones own flesh and blood (Ones relatives)
The new Chief Minister has given all the key
posts to his own flesh and blood.
To take to ones heels, to show a clean pair of
heels (To run away)
The thieves took to their heels (showed a clean
pair of heels) when the police arrived.
To turn a deaf ear (To ignore)
The boss turned a deaf ear to the secretarys
pleading and dismissed her.
To throw in the towel (To abandon a practice or
activity)
After being hit by a lawsuit, he threw in the towel
and sold his business.
To split hairs (To make useless or petty distinctions
in argument)
To say Hari was a youth and not a boy was
splitting hairs.
Tooth and nail (With all ones power)
When he was attacked he defended himself
tooth and nail.
To smell a rat (To be suspicious)
Though the business was sound, he smelt a
rat when he examined the figures.
To f al l shor t of one s expectat i ons (To be
disappointed)
The new film was not very good; it fell short of
my expectations.
To turn over a new leaf (To reform oneself)
After Rajesh was sacked for drinking, he turned
over a new leaf and became a teetotaller.
To give someone a piece of ones mind (To scold,
esp. frankly)
When he admitted that he had spent all the
housekeeping money, his wife gave him a
piece of her mind.
In the long run (Eventually)
Although the house is expensive, in the long
run it will be cheaper than renting.
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At ones beck and call (At ones service)
I will be at your beck and call through thick and
thin.
Through thick and thin (Through good times and
bad)
Good friends stick by you through thick and
thin.
Si tting on the fence (Being indecisive, hesitating
between two decisions)
He couldnt decide who was better so he sat
on the fence and promoted neither.
To hit the nail on the head (Say exactly the right
thing at exactly the right time)
He hit the nail on the head when he said that
the reason for the fall in sales was the new
salesman.
To be in the bad books of (In disfavour with)
After failing the exam, he was in his teachers
bad books.
To kill two birds with one stone (To achieve two
results with one effort)
He killed two birds with one stone when he
gave up smoking; he saved money and his
health improved.
Storm in a teacup (Something that seemed exciting
at the time but was in fact unimportant)
The new scam proved to be a storm in a teacup;
everyone forgot it soon.
An old head on young shoulders (To expect a young
person to be wiser than his years)
The trouble with my father is that he expects
me to have an old head on young shoulders.
Cock of the walk (Very proud)
On hearing the news of his selection, Arun was
cock of the walk for weeks.
Chew the cud (To discuss matters in a ponderous
manner, especially reminiscing)
He always chews the cud when he meets his
old school friends.
By fits and starts (Shorty, irregular bursts of activity)
The company is growing by fits and starts.
By leaps and bounds (Rapid growth)
The company is growing by leaps and bounds.
To be under someones thumb (To be dominated
by someone)
He is very much under his wifes thumb; she
makes all the decisions.
To move heaven and earth (To make a supreme
effort)
He moved heaven and earth to get a transfer
to his home town.
To bark up the wrong tree (To be mistaken in
argument)
When he accused his brother of taking his pen, he
was barking up the wrong tree; his sister had taken it.
At stake (In danger)
I resigned my post because my honour was at
stake.
Chip off the old block (As good as ones father)
The directors son is a chip off the old block
and runs the company just as well as his
father. (Note : This idiom can only be used in a
positive sense)
To make a clean breast of it (To confess a wrong
doing)
The boy made a clean breast of it and told his
father that he had smashed the window.
A close shave (A narrow escape)
My cousin had a close shave when the car
nearly crashed.
To cut a sorry figure (To make a poor show)
Abraham Lincoln cut a sorry figure when he
made his maiden speech.
To put the cart before the horse (To do something
in the wrong order)
Planning how to spend money before earning
it, is like putting the cart before the horse.
To cross the bridge when one gets to it (To plan
something too far in advance)
I will reinvest the profits of this project into the
next, but since this project is not certain, I will
cross that bridge when I get to it.
A wolf in sheeps clothing (A bad person appearing
to be a good person)
The kind professor is a wolf in sheeps clothing
as many young female students have
discovered to their cost.
To be in a tight corner (To be in a difficult situation)
He is in a tight corner now his rivals have started
operating.
To be on the wrong side of sixty (To be getting old)
Although he is very active, my father is on the
wrong side of sixty
To bury ones head in the sand (To refuse to face
facts)
J oseph buried his head in the sand when told
of his sons debts.
Not to bat an eyelid (To show no sign of concern)
When he lied about his score, George did not
bat an eyelid.
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To put all ones eggs in one basket (To rely entirely
on one plan or scheme)
By investing all his capital in the project, he
was putting all his eggs in one basket.
To play fast and loose (To behave in an immoral
manner)
My brother plays fast and loose with every girl
he meets.
At a snails pace (Very slowly)
The Indian economy is moving at a snails pace
towards self-dependence.
Between the devil and the deep blue sea (Between
two dangers)
Having to choose between climbing the tree
and risking his neck and allowing the mangoes to
go rotten, he was between the devil and the deep
blue sea.
To give someone apple pie (To make obsequious
flattery)
Dont give me apple pie. I may be as
handsome as a prince, but you are still late!
A blessing in disguise (Something which appears
unfortunate at the time but proves ultimately to
be fortunate)
The transfer to the city turned out to be a
blessing in disguise because at his new post
he met the girl who was to become his wife.
To car r y coal s t o Newcast l e (Do something
unnecessary)
By taking a bucket of water to the well, he was
carrying coals to Newcastle. (Note : Newcastle
is a town in northern England and its main
industry is coal mining.)
The pros and cons (The arguments for and against
a proposition)
They argued the pros and cons before
accepting the assignment.
To turn the corner (To pass the crisis)
The company was doing badly until they
obtained the government contract, but then they
turned the corner and prospered.
The law of the jungle (Exploiting others)
It is the law of the jungle that in business only
the ruthless survive.
The di e i s cast (A decision which cannot be
changed)
He has advertised to rent out his house. So
the die is cast; hell have to move.
Down-to-earth (Practical, sensible)
His down-to-earth approach to the issue helps us
a lot.
To give lip service (Make insincere compliments or
promises)
He gives lip service to the boss; he always
says what he thinks the boss expects to hear.
To be born with a silver spoon in the mouth (To be
born in a wealthy family)
He doesnt have to earn his living; he was born
with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Harp on the same string (Dwell on the same subject
repetitively)
He is a bore, he is always harping on the same
string.
A snake in the grass (A hidden enemy)
I had taken him for a trusted friend but he
turned out to be a snake in the grass.
To l eave one i n t he l ur ch (To desert one in
difficulties)
As soon as the income tax inspector called,
my partner left me in the lurch.
To rub shoulders (To come into close contact)
He being a journalist, he rubs shoulders with
VIPs on a daily basis.
To t ur n a col d shoul der (To ignore or snub
someone)
He turned a cold shoulder on me after I refused
his loan.
A wild goose chase (A useless and foolish search)
Your efforts to find a solution to your sons
problems are nothing short of a wild goose
chase.
To shoot off ones mouth (To speak thoughtlessly,
esp. aggressively)
When he talked about setting up a business,
he was only shooting off his mouth.
To get the better of someone (To take advantage of
someone)
He tried to cheat me, but I got the better of him
and he wont try to cheat me again.
To have a chip on ones shoulder (To have a
constant resentment)
He has had a chip on his shoulder ever since
he got the sack; he thinks he was dismissed
because he is dark-skinned
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To make a mountain out of a molehill (To make a
big issue out of a small matter)
He made a mountain out of a molehill when
he could not get a ticket for the new movie.
By word of mouth (By spoken message)
The news of the accident spread throughout
the locality by word of mouth.
Hard and fast rules (Rigid rules)
There are hard and fast rules about punctuality
in my firm; I dare not be late.
To be a wet blanket (To discourage or depress
others)
While everyone was celebrating at the party I
was a wet blanket because I had a toothache.
No love lost between them (They dislike each other)
There was no love lost between the brothers
since the one crashed the others motorbike.
To r i de t he hi gh horse (To assume an air of
superiority)
Although she is neither beautiful nor rich, she
always rides the high horse.
To keep ones fingers crossed (To hope fervently)
Although I was doubtful, I kept my fingers
crossed in the hope that I would pass the exam.
To burn the midnight oil (Work until late at night)
My son is burning the midnight oil because
his final examination is at hand.
To pull ones leg (to joke; tease someone)
He told me he had won the lottery, but he was
pulling my leg.
To bring matters to a head (To force a confrontation)
The managing director brought matters to a
head by firing the union activist.
Donkeys years (A very long time)
Nowadays one has to wait donkeys years to get
justice.
To make a pig of oneself (To over-eat)
He made a pig of himself at the office party and
was sick.
To go window shopping (To look at goods on sale
without a serious intention of buying)
My sister goes window shoppi ng every
Saturday; if she were to buy what she buys in
her imagination, we would all be bankrupt.
To make a go of something (To make something
succeed)
He bought a small shop and was determined
to make a go of it.
To sail under false colours (To pretend to be what
one is not)
Though he appears to be very tolerant, he is in
fact sailing under false colours. He is an
absolute bigot.
To make ones mouth water (To stimulate ones
appetite)
The smell from the kitchen makes my mouth
water.
To make up ones mind (To decide)
Offered a job in the Gulf, it didnt take him long
to make up his mind to leave home and go
abroad.
To talk through ones hat (To talk ignorantly)
He was talking through his hat when he said
all boys were bad.
To call in question (To disprove or doubt)
No one can call in question his integrity.
To put ones enemies to fli ght (To defeat ones
enemies)
With the proof of his innocence, he put his
enemies to flight.
To r ub someone t he wr ong way (To annoy
someone)
No matter how hard he tries, he always rubs
the manager the wrong way.
Let bygones be bygones (To forget the past,
especially after a quarrel)
The two enemies agreed to let bygones be
bygones and become friends.
To blow someone up (To scold someone severely)
When he crashed his motorbike, his father blew
him up for speeding.
Under the weather (Unwell)
My cold has passed but I still feel a bit under
the weather.
Under the counter (Secretly and illegally)
Certain magazines are banned by the censor,
but you can usually get them under the counter.
To cry for the moon (Ask for the impossible)
Calling for the eradication of poverty is crying
for the moon.
The order of the day (The prevailing state of things)
Inflation is the order of the day.
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A t hor n i n one s si de (A constant source of
annoyance)
His neighbours barking dog is a thorn in his
side.
A man of straw (A man of no substance; a symbolic
representative of power or office)
The new managing director is so much under
the chairmans thumb that he is a man of straw.
To play ducks and drakes (To behave inconsistently
especially when it is done intentionally to delay
something)
Dont play ducks and drakes with me. Tell me
what you intend to do.
Hide ones light under a bushel (To be genuinely
modest)
Hes very shy; he always hides his light under a
bushel.
To cross ones Ts and dot ones Is (To be very careful,
to be precise)
Mind you cross your Ts and dot your Is when you
write the exam. (Note: This idiom is usually
used when giving advice to others; Mind,
commonly used with this idiom, means
remember.)
Wearing ones heart on ones sleeve (Being openly
emotional)
It is easy to see when Anish is in love; he wears
his heart on his sleeve.
To rack ones brains (To think very hard)
No matter how hard I racked my brains, I could
not remember his name.
Make head or tail of something (To understand
something)
Sunils report was so complicated that I could
not make head or tail of it.
To paint the town red (indulge in noisy merrymaking)
The law students went out to paint the town red
when they had passed their exams.
Throw down the gauntlet (To issue a challenge)
By defying the manager, Satheesh effectively
threw down the gauntlet.
To end in smoke (To end in failure)
For all his expensive promotion, his business
venture ended in smoke.
To be in the blues (To be depressed)
Shushila was in the blues for a week after her
friend quarrelled with her.
To have ones hands full (To be very busy)
With a full-time job, and two small children, Anitha
had her hands full.
Out of hand (Out of control)
There is no discipline in this school; the boys
are quite out of hand.
To take in hand (To take charge of)
The unruly boys will have to be taken in hand by
a strict teacher.
An old hand (An experienced person)
Call Varma. He is an old hand at controlling naughty
boys.
To have in hand (To have in immediate possession)
I have in hand enough money to buy a motorcycle
without taking a loan.
To change hands (To become the property of
another)
I bought a used car. It has changed hands five
times.
To lend a hand (To help)
Lend me a hand to rearrange these books.
At hand (close by)
I have your letter at hand.
Hand in hand (Closely linked together)
Diligence and prosperity go hand in hand.
Off hand (Casually, without checking)
It is amazing that he gave the entire speech off
hand.
To wash ones hands of something (To give up
responsibility for something)
If you insist on agreeing to his terms now, I will
wash my hands of the whole affair.
Heavy handed (harsh, tactless)
The new manager ran the office in a heavy
handed manner, which left the staff resentful.
A handful (A troublesome person or job)
Manoj is a handful; he is really a mischievous
little boy.
With a high hand (Oppressively)
His father rules him with a high hand; he does
not even let him go out with his friends.
To catch red handed (To catch someone in the act
of committing a crime)
The thief was caught red handed when the
householder returned home unexpectedly.
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