sbi clerk & rbi assistant 2020 exams · 2020. 8. 1. · - my uncle lives at stone's throw...

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English By Vishal Parihar

SBI Clerk & RBI Assistant 2020 Exams

Idioms & Phrases

ENGLISH BY VISHAL PARIHAR

A

1. Alpha and omega (the essence and

most. important feature) - Bargaining

federalism is seen as the alpha and

omega of the Indian political system

today.

2. A bed of roses (a situation or position

of comfort and contentment) - Life is

not a bed of roses.

3. A big cheese (an important or a

powerful person) - My father can let me

meet the Prime Minister. He is a big

cheese at the PMO

4. A bird's eye view (an overall

assessment) – The columnist presents a

bird’s eye view of the widespread

corruption in the country in the country

in this report.

5. A bold from the blue (unexpected

happening) – The sudden death of his

father came as a bold from the blue for

him.

6. Above all (chiefly or before anything

else) – Mahatma Gandhi, the architect

of India’s freedom, was committed

above all to speak the truth.

7. Above board (without any secret

scheming) – Whatever the government

is doing is open and above board.

8. Achilles’ heel (A weak point or fault

in someone or something otherwise

perfect or excellent): Lack of even

working knowledge in native languages

of India was the Achilles’ heel of the

mighty British during its colonial rule.

9. Acid test (real test to prove one’s

ability or talent) – He is doing well in

monthly test but the acid test will come

when he faces the final examination.

10. Add a new feather to one’s cap (to

acquire a new distinction) – The

national award added a new feather to

the sportsman’s cap.

11. Add fuel to the fire (aggravate a

situation or from the blue for him. The

sudden death of his father came as a

bolt widespread corruption in the

country in this report.

12. After all (conclusively) - He is a

dedicated social worker after all.

13. Again and again (repeatedly) - The

teacher has warned him against the

lapse again and again.

14. Against a rainy day (to meet

emergency) - We must save something

against a rainy day.

15. Apple of discord (cause of conflict) -

The plot in the town has become the

apple of discord between the two

brothers.

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Idioms & Phrases


16. Apple of one eye (very affectionate

or fondly) -Her only son is the apple of

her eye.

17. Apple pie order ( excellent or

perfect order) -The books in the library

are in apple pie order.

18. At a discount (not valuable or not in

.worth) -Freedom fighters are at a

discount in the present politics.

19. At a loss (to be confused or unable

to remember) -When he asked me

about the incidence, I was at a loss to

explain it.

20. At an arm's length (to keep

something unpleasant at a distance or

evil) - Anyone who aspires a virtuous

life must keep vices at an arm's length.

21. At daggers drawn (ready to fight) -

The two neighbouring countries have

several times been at daggers drawn

over extraction of the natural resources

from the ocean.

22. At hand (very near) - There are

many opportunities at hand for her

now.

23. At logger heads (terms of hostility) -

At one time the two friends were at

logger heads.

24. At one's beck and call (at one's

command) -The peon is always at the

beck and call of the headmaster.

25. At one's wit's end ( a state of

confusion) - The police was at their

wit's end to nab the culprit.

26. At random (haphazard, aimlessly) -

He spoke at random on the subject

leaving the audience bored.

27. At stone's throw (at a little distance)

- My uncle lives at stone's throw from

our house.

28. At the drop of a hat (immediately,

without delay) - Today, a popular

government is who that responds to

people's need at the tiny, of a hat

especially during a calamity.

29. At the eleventh hour (at the last

moment) - I was informed about the

newt at the eleventh hour.

B

1. Bag and baggage (with all

belongings) - The boarders left the

hostel bag and baggage.

2. Be in bad books (out of favour) -

Many non-democratic countries are

still in the bad books of the developed

countries where democracy

20. prevails. 3. Be in the good books of

(be favoured) - There




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Idioms & Phrases


21. are certain accepted principles to be

adhered to in order to be in the good

books of one's boss.

4. Be on cloud nine (be very happy) -

She was on cloud nine when she heard

the news of her success.

5. Bear the brunt of' (to endure some

unpleasant outcome) - The father bore

the brunt of his son's offence.

6. Beat/flog a dead horse (sheer wastage

of time/to revive interest at a hopeless

issue) - Manoj is beating a dead horse

trying to get his money reimbursed.

The company has gone bankrupt!

7. Bear in mind (to remember) - The

candidates must bear in mind that the

physical test is compulsory.

8. Beat about the bush (to stray from

the main point/to avoid getting to the

point of issue) - He beat about the bush

instead of coming to the topic.

9. Behind bars (in prison) - Many

innocent persons were put behind the

bars during the communal riot

10. Bell the cat (attempt something

formidable or dangerous) - Nobody is

sure who will bell the cat in this critical

situation.

11. Beside oneself (lose self-control for

being intensively emotional) - He was

beside himself with grief when he lost

his son.

12. Beside the mark (irrelevant) - His

views on empowerment of the weaker

section are beside the mark.

13. Best bet (safest or most reliable

course of action) - Your best bet would

be trying at local companies for a job.

14. Beyond redemption (without hope

of improvement or recovery) - With his

involvement in the crime, his

reputation is now beyond redemption.

15. Big cheese (a powerful and

influential person) – His father is a big

cheese in the steel industry in the

country.

16.Birds of the same feather (persons of

same nature and taste) – Birds of the

same feather flock together.

17. Bite the dust (to get defeated or

failed) – In spite of being a good singer,

he had to bite the dust at the national

level competition.

18. Bitter pill to swallow (something or

someone very unpleasant or difficult to

accept) – Not finding his name in the

successful list was a bitter pill to

swallow for him.




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Idioms & Phrases


19. Black and blue (full of bruises) –

The teacher beat the boy black and

blue.

20. Black and white (in writing) - The

officer asked him to submit his

grievance in black and white

21. Black sheep (an undesirable person)

- He is considered a black sheep within

his party.

22. Black cheque (complete freedom of

action) – Tanmaya was given a blank

cheque and told to negotiate the best

deal possible in the present situation.

23. Blessing in disguise (something good

that is not recognized at first) - His poor

performance in Pre-Board

Examination was a blessing in disguise.

He did very well in the Annual

examination.

24. Blink of an eye (happen something

instantaneously) - The storm wreaked

havoc in blink of an eye.

25. Blow away the cobwebs (to feel

lively and refreshed) - A stroll along the

riverside will blow away the cobwebs.

26. Blow hot and cold (to be changeable

and uncertain) - His enthusiasm for the

job blow hot and cold.

27. Blow off steam (to get rid of stress) -

He had a fight with his brother, so he

went for a run to blow off his steam.

28. Blow one’s mind (to overwhelm one

with wonder of bafflement) –

Continuous losses in business over the

past few months blew his mind.

29. Blow one’s own trumpet (to praise

oneself) – he who blows his own

trumpet need not be praised by others.

30. Blue blood (of noble and aristocratic

origin) – Many leaders in the pre-

independent India belonged blue

bloods.

31. Blue chip company (a company with

solid reputation ) – It is safe to invest in

a blue chip company.

32. Bolt from the sky (occur suddenly)

– The news of his death came as a bold

from the sky for his family members.

33. bone of contention ( the cause of

conflict) – The piece of land is the bone

of contention between the two brothers.

34. Born with a silver spoon in one’s

mouth (affluent, very rich) – He has

nothing to worry about money , he was

born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

35. Bread and butter ( livelihood) – he

is frantically searching for a work for

bread and butter.




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Idioms & Phrases


36. Break fresh ground (innovate or

develop new method or system) -

Scientists have broken fresh ground in

their exploration of outer space.

37. Break the ice (to be the first to do

Annealing) - Naresh broke the ice when

he raised his voice against the builder's

onslaught on the local environment.

38. Breathe one's last (to die) - The old

man breathed his last after a prolonged

suffering.

39. Bring home (to explain) - A teacher

brought borne the topic of ecology for

the student.

40. Bring the house down (give a

successful performance) - He brought

the house down at the concert last night.

41. Broad daylight (openly or in front of

others) -Crimes are now committed in

broad daylight and police are turning a

deaf ear to them.

42. Broken reed (a weak or unsuitable

support) - The boss is a broken reed, so

everyone in the organization depends

on the decision of the manager.

43. Brown study (a state of deep

thought) - She seldom talks to anyone as

she is always in brown study.

44. Build castles in the air

(daydreaming or make unsuccessful

plans) - Instead of building castles in

the air, you should start doing

something constructive.

45. Burn the candle at both ends

(Extreme effort without time to rest) -

After he losing the job, he is burning the

candle at both ends to earn his

livelihood.

46. Burn the midnight oil (to work very

late into NW) - Students usually stick to

burning the midnight oil during

examination.

47. Burn one's fingers (suffer loss often

due to foolishness) - People often bunt

their fingers by investing in chit funds.

48.Burning question (something

important that draws attention of one

and all) - Reservation for women in

Parliament and state legislatures is a

bunting question today.

49. Burry the hatchet ( to end old

enmity/to make peace) – The two

leaders buried the hatchet and became

friends.

50.Business as usual (restored to

normalcy) – There is business as usual

in the super market the day after the

clash.

51. By and by (at sometimes in future) -

Don't lose your heart, the loss will be

compensated by and by.




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Idioms & Phrases


52. By chance (accidentally) - I met an

old friend by than, in the market.

53. By far (to a great degree) - I-le is by

far the best debater in our school.

54.By hook or crook (by all means fair

or foul) - Vijay always tries to achieve

his goal by hook or crook.

55. By leaps and bounds (very. rapidly)

- Our country is progressing by (caps

and Wounds.

C

1. Calculated risk (planned with

forethought) - The mass evacuation of

the people from the earthquake-hit

area in few hours was a calculated risk.

2. Call a spade a spade (to talk bluntly)

- Swapna always calls a spade a spade.

3. Call names (to abuse) - We should not

call others names as it is disrespectful.

4. Call the shots/ the tune (to take

important decision and is in control of

situation) - Mr. Gupta is the managing

director of the company but in fact it is

his wife who calls the tune every time.

5. Can't see the wood for the trees

(ignore important thing while

concentrating on details) -The new

manager found the situation so

complicated that he couldn't see the

wood for the trees.

6. Capital punishment (death penalty) -

Capital punishment is no longer in

vogue in many countries.

7. Carrot and stick policy (reward and

punishment) - Some parents use a

carrot-and-stick approach to obtain

good results from their children.

8. Carry the day (to win the contest or

be triumphant) - The newly formed

political party carried the day in the

last general election.

9. Carve out a niche (to make one's

position durable or develop expertise) -

By dint of his courage and hard work

he was able to carve out a niche for

himself in the film industry.

10. Cat and dog life (miserable and

quarrelsome life) - The couple is leading

a rat and dog life. It is better for them

to stay separated.

11. Catch red-handed (to catch a person

in the act of doing something wrong) -

The burglar was about to leave the

house when the police caught him red-

handed.

12. Change the face of something

(complete alteration) - Internet has

changed the face of modern

communication.

13. Chase rainbows (try for something

hard to obtain) - She is trying to get into




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Idioms & Phrases


IIM, but considering her talent I think

she is chasing rainbows.

14. Chase one's tail (doing efforts and

achieving lane) - He is very unlucky. He

is chasing his tail every time.

15. Cheesed off (annoyed) – Sahil is

cheesed off with his present job.

16. Chequered career or history (full of

ups and downs, fluctuating) – British

rule finds a wide place in the chequered

history of India.

17. Child’s play (An easy task) – It is not

a child’s play to write a novel.

18. Chink in someone’s armour (weak

point / an area of vulnerability) – His

one’s involvement in the crime was

chink in the leader’s armour.

19. Chip off the old block (of same

origin and attributes) – He is very good

at painting like his father. He is the chip

off the old block.

20. Chop and change (changing and

confusing) – We should not chop and

change all the time. Instead we should

make up our mind in most cases.

21. Clinch a deal (reach and agreement)

– The company has recently clinched a

deal to sell computer hardware in

India.

22. Clip shave (a narrow escape) – I

almost hit the child who ran out in front

of my car. It was a close shave.

24. Cocksure (perfectly sure and

certain) – Rajendra was cocksure that

he was able to do the job better than

anyone else.

25. cog in the machine (something or

someone necessary or insignificant) –

The police quickly realized that the

suspect was just a cog in the machine.

26. Come in handy (to be useful and

convenient) – The money will come in

handy at bad times.

27. Come off with flying colours ( to be

victorious) – he came off with flying

colours at the last attempt.

28. come to grief ( suffer) – Swadhin is

sure to come to grief if he does not leave

his present friends.

29. Cook the books ( to falsify financial

accounts) – He was found cooking the

books of the company, therefore he was

removed.

30. Crux of the matter ( the vital point

of a discussion or matter) – The crux of

the matter in the Women’s Reservation

Bill is that some leaders want quota

within quota.




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Idioms & Phrases


31. Crocodile tea4rs (false show of

grief) – Don’t shed crocodile tears at

others misery.

32. Cry in wilderness (a fruitless cry) –

Government’s measures for the welfare

of the depressed class is a mere cry in

wilderness.

33. Crying need (urgent need) – There

is a crying need of skilled persons in our

country today.

34. Curry favour with (try to win favor

from someone ) - He always tries to

curry favour with the boss for his

personal gain.

35. Cut a sorry figure (to be ashamed) –

He cut a sorry figure in his maiden

speech.

36. Cut and dried (clear and

straightforward) - When the new

principal arrived, he didn’t find the

situation as cut and dried as he had

expected.

37. Cut and dried (decided and

unchangeable) – We need a cut-and

dried decision by the end of the week.

38. Cutting edge ( the newest and most

advanced areas of activity in an art,

science) – With the success in sending

the Mars mission, India is on the cutting

edge of space technology.

D

1. Damp squib (unexpectedly failure) –

After all that media attention, the whole

vent turned out to be a bit of a damp

squib, with very few people attending.

2. Daredevil (a recklessly daring

person) – Racing car drivers sometimes

do daredevil stunts.

3. Dark Horse ( One who was

previously unknown and is now

prominent) – Some political dark horse

were elected to the Parliament last

election.

4. Dead duck (abandoned or failed

project ) – The plan for massive

afforestation has been a dead duck

since beginning.

5. Dead end (ultimate point ) – In spite

of scientists ‘ effort the mission came to

a dead end.

6. Dead loss (a person or project likely

to produce no effect) – The investment

in the Chit Fund was a dead loss.

7. Devil’s advocate (Pretend to be

against an idea to discover truth) –

Karna Thaper is well knows as devil’s

advocate in media industry.

8. Die in harness (to die while in office

or an duty) – Dr. Zakir Hussain is only

President of India who died in harness.




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Idioms & Phrases


9. Die hard (take long time to be

disappeared / destroyed) – Old customs

died hard.

10. Dig in one’s heels (refuse to submit)

– My grandfather dug in his heels and

refused to moved to an apartment.

11. Drive home (to emphasize) – The

social activist drove home the need for

vocational education at school level.

12. Dead wood ( of person or things that

are useless or unnecessary) – The party

is knowingly overlooking the political

dead woods in all important matters.

13. Do the spadework (Preliminary or

preparatory work) – The engineers are

doing the spadework for the

construction of a bridge over the river.

14. Dog in the manager (someone who

stops others from enjoying something

he/she can not) – mr Sinha is dislike by

one and all in the company as he is

always dog in the manger.

15. Double whammy (double blow or

setback) – With the heat – wave and the

frequent electricity breakdown

problems, Indians were hit with a

double whammy this summer.

16. Down and out (unlucky and

penniless; incapacitated) – After losing

his job, he was completely down and

out.

17. Down to earth ( very realistic and

particular person ) – it’s time the

employees were brought down to earth

concerning the budget.

18. Drag one’s feet ( to participate

without enthusiasm ) – The government

is dragging its feet on measures to

reduce pollution.

19. Draw a line in the sand (impose a

limit) – The company has drawn a line

in the sand to control union activities of

the employees.

20. Dry run (an attempt; a practice or

rehearsal0 – We had better have a dry

run for the official ceremony tomorrow.

21. Dribs and drabs (in small quantity,

bit by bit) – He started earning money

in dribs and drabs but now he is a

successful businessman.

22. Drop of a hat ( to respond

immediately) – Some of my friends are

ready to help me out at the drop of a

hat.

23. Dumb as an oyster ( a talk about

something for a lot of time ) – We

should never dwell on the past.

24. Dwell on something ( to talk about

something for a lot of time) – We should

never dwell on the past.




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Idioms & Phrases


E

1. Eat humble pie (act submissively and

apologetically) – When the police

forced him, he had to eat humble pie

and confessed his guilt.

2. Eat anyone’s slat (to be one’s guest) –

She always likes to eat anyone’s slat.

3. Eat one’s word (to break one’s

promise) – WE should not eat our word

given toe others.

4. Eat one’s words (to react over what

one has said) – They predicted his

failure, but he made them eat their

words.

5. Eat / dip into one’s savings (t0 spend

part of the savings) – Mr Sharma had

to eat into his savings to have the hose

constructed.

6. Egg on (to encourage or urge ) – The

team leader egged all the volunteers to

reach out to all victims.

7. Eke out 9to make by laborious and

precarious means) – Some people eke

out their livelihoods by doing menial

work.

8. Elbow room (need space) – We

shared a small office where neither of

us had enough elbow rom.

9. Eleventh hour (last moment) – The

team won after the batsman hit two

sixes at the eleventh hour.

10. Even keel ( remain calm, stable and

untroubled in life on a even keel in spite

of the difficulties.

11. Every cloud has a silver lining

(every bad situation has some good

aspect to it ) – We must smile against

hazards in life. Every cloud has its

silver lining.

12. Every dog has its day (everyone is

likely to have better fortune) – Don’t

get frustrated. You will get a good job

because every dog has its day.

13. Explore all avenues (try every

possibility ) – World nations should

explore al avenues to check global

warming.

14. Eye wash ( ineffective remedy) – His

help for the old man was only an eye

wash.

15. Eyewash (nonsense, bunk) – All the

programmes for the elderly are mere

eyewash.

F

1. Face the music (accept the

unpleasant consequences of one’s

actions) _ He’s squandered his money

and now he’s got to face the music.




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Idioms & Phrases


2. Face value (apparent value) – Do not

accept promises at their face value.

3. Fair and square ( Honest and

straightforward) – he is always fair and

square in his dealing with other.

4. Fair – Weather friend (selfish

friends) – Fair weather friends desert

one in one’s hard times.

5. Fait accompli ( an accomplished fact

) – The opponent’s defeat was a fait

accompli long before the formal

surrender.

6. Fall flat (Become quite a failure) – All

his plans to become rich fell flat.

7. Fall from grace (lose status or

prestige) – After he was found guilty of

misappropriation of funds, he was

reduced to mere worker in the party. It

was fall from the grace.

8. Fall on deaf ears ( to go unheeded; be

ignored completely) – Their complaints

fell on deaf years as nothing has been

done to repair the roads.

9. Far and near ( from all directions) –

People far and near gathered the

ground to witness the funeral of the

great leader.

10. Feel on top of world ( be ecstatic or

successful) – He has been feeling on the

top of the world since he qualified the

public examination.

11. Feather in one’s cap ( symbol of

honour and achievement) – The award

added another feather in his cap.

12. Few and far between (very rare) –

Apartments that are both comfortable

and reasonably priced are few and far

between.

13. Fiddling while Rome burns (neglect

priorities during crisis) – The political

masters should not keep to fiddling

while Rome burns. Instead they should

be responsive to all kinds of situations.

14. Field day ( a time of great pleasure,

activity, or opportunity) The children

had a field day with their new rackets.

15. Fight shy (avoid a person or doing

something) – The old man had money

problems for years but he fought shy of

asking his children for help.

16. Fight tooth and nail ( fight with

energy and determination) – Soldiers

fought tooth and nail to get back the lost

territory.

17. Fine-tooth comb ( Examining

something carefully to not miss out any

details) – The boss examined my report

with a fine tooth comb before

submitting it to the senior management.




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Idioms & Phrases


18. Fine tuning ( small changes ) – The

government has made some fine tuning

in the existing law.

19. First and foremost (very important)

– First and foremost, you have to treat

every customer with respect.

20. Fish in troubled waters ( to take

undue advantages ) – He often buys up

stock in companies declaring

bankruptcy; fishing in troubled waters

generally pays off.

21. Fish out of water ( a person out of

his or her proper or accustomed

environment) – He felt like a fish out of

water in an academic atmosphere.

22. Fit as a fiddle (being in good health;

in a sound condition ) – Let every one of

us be as fit as a fiddle.

23. Fits and starts (at irregular

intervals) – Replies to the

advertisement are arriving in fits and

starts.

24. Fit the bill ( appropriate situation or

person) – They wanted a quiet place to

stay and the country inn fitted the bill.

25. Flogging a dead horse ( to make

fruitless efforts) – Their attempt to

revive the old shrine is like flogging a

dead horse.

26. Fly in the face of ( to be openly

variance with) – There is an urgent

need to fly in the face of some customs

present in our society.

27. Food for thought ( Stimulant for

thinking) – Recent findings about space

provide the scientists with food for

thought.

28. Fool’s errand ( a fruitless

undertaking) – Asking the bank for yet

another loan was clearly a fool’s

errand.

29. For good (permanently) – The

refugees were rehabilitated by the

Government for good.

30. Foregone conclusion ( a result that

is obvious) – The landslide victory of

the party in the last election was a

foregone conclusion.

31. Fourth Estate (the press) – The

newspapers are called the Fourth

Estate.

32. Foot the bill ( to pay all the costs for

something) – We ended up having to

foot the bill for a new roof because our

insurance didn’t cover storm damage.

33. French leave ( remain absent

without permission ) – He was sacked as

he was found guilty of taking French

leave very often.




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Idioms & Phrases


34. From pillar to post ( from extreme

to another ) –He ran from pillar to post

to get a job.

G

1. Gather dust (to lose strength or

stagnating) – The plan for providing

free laptops to meritorious students

announced by the previous government

is gathering dust for several years.

2. Gather pace ( move faster) – The

movement for conferring voting rights

to the third sex is gathering pace now a

days.

3. Gentleman’s agreement ( agreement

based on trust not on written

document) – It was gentleman’s

agreement between he and me. I cannot

change my mind now.

4. Get a raw deal (very had or unfair

treatment) – Many boarders in the

state- run hostels complain of getting a

raw deal in terms of food and amenities.

5. Get cold feet ( hesitating) – He was

one of the founding members of the

green movement; now he is getting cold

feet over all matters to run the

movement.

6. Get cold feet ( timid and frightened)-

He usually gets cold feet when has to

speak in pu8blic.

7. Get on someone’s nerves ( to annoy

someone) – I know that he’s harmless,

but he still gets on my nerves for some

reason.

8. Get rid of ( to be free from) – We

should get rid of the problems as soon

as possible.

9.Get the axe(lose job) - Senior staff are

more likely to get the axe because the

company can't afford their high

salaries.

10. Get the show on the road (putting

up a plan or Idea into action) - Now that

we have completed all the legal

formalities, let's get the show on the

road.

11. Gift of the gab (the skill of oratory)

- Akshya Mohanty was endowed with

gift of gab.

12. Gird up one's loins (to get prepared

flit hard work) - Students need to gird

up their loins to achieve success at this

juncture.

13. Give a wide berth (to keep a

reasonable distance) - Youngsters need

to give a wide berth to bad company

and concentrate on their goals.




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Idioms & Phrases


14. Give currency (to make publicly

known) - The scientist gave currency to.

his new discovery

15. Give the benefit of doubt (to believe

in someone's innocence, honesty as

there is no evidence to the contrary) -

He was given the benefit of doubt

although his explanation was not

proper to believe.

16. Give the devil his due (give credit to

an opponent's merits, grudgingly or

not) - I don't like what the new

management has done, but fife the

deVit his due, sales have unproved.

17. Go against the grain (unnatural or

abnormal) - Having to import rice in a

rice-growing country really goes

against the grain.

18. Go at something hammer and tongs

(to make forceful and argument) -

People went at the new programme

hammer and tongs as it was to take

away their livelihoods.

19. Go hand in hand (happen at the

same time) - In underdeveloped

countries poverty and violence go hand

in hand.

20. Go haywire ( to get disorganized or

uncontrolled )- the plan for building a

museum of artifacts has gone haywire.

21. go scot-free/get of scot-free ( to be

acquitted of) – Many criminals get off

scot-free by the support from political

leaders.

22. Got o rack and ruin ( to become

ruined due to lack of car) – After the

factory was closed down, the building

went to rack and ruin.

23. Golden handshake ( sum given at

the time of early retirement) – Many

employees were given golden

handshake fast year.

24. Good Samaritan ( a person who help

others compassionately) – In this

neighborhood you can’t count on a

good Samaritan if you get in trouble.

25. Grease somebody’s palm ( to bribe)

– In some countries, it has become a

practice of greasing the palms of the

government officials to get work done.

26. Green fingers ( good at gardening) –

We need to have green fingers as it will

add to number of trees.

27. Grit one’s teeth ( to be bold enough

) – To reach safety I had to grit my teeth

and wade through the mud.




FOLLOW US ON 15



Idioms & Phrases


H

1. Halcyon days (happy and successful

days) - Most of us feel ecstatic when we

recall the halcyon days of our

childhood.

2. Hale and hearty (in excellent health)

- Even at the age of eighty my

grandfather is found to be hale and

hearty.

3. Hand in glove (very intonate) - After

the match, it was discovered that he was

hand in glove with the referee.

4. Hang fire (to delay , or to be delayed)

- Interstate river disputes have been

hanging fire in our country.

5. Happy-go-lucky (very cheerful and

careless) - Naresh it happy-go-lucky

sort of guy - always in good humour.

6. Hard and fast (rigid) - There is no

hard and fast rule to get admission into

the Open University.

7. Harp on/upon one string (dwell

tediously and repeatedly upon a single

subject or topic) - The teacher advised

him not to harp upon one string while

making his composition.

8. Haste makes wastes (unplanned

work bearing no result) - Don't be in it

hurry to start up it business because

haste Makes wastes.

9. Have second thoughts (reconsider

decision) - Biranchi began to have

second though, about his decision to

study Economics when he realised that

he could not even pay attention during

the lectures.

10. Have something down pat

(know/understand something

completely and thoroughly) - I know I

did well on the test. I had all the

material down pat.

11. Head in the clouds (be unaware (be

unaware of what is going on) - Most of

the time she is having her heart in the

clouds. She must be in some deep

trouble.

12. Heart and soul (central part/wit(t

devotion) - Anima has put heart and

soul into her dancing.

13. Heart in one's mouth (to get

extremely anxious and anxious) - When

he saw a tiger in front of him he had his

heart in his mouth.

14. Heavy hand (act with discipline and

severity) - (hit police suppressed the riot

with a heavy land.

15. Hell-bent on something (to be

recklessly determined) - Although he is

sick, he is hell-bent on taking the

examination next week.




FOLLOW US ON 16



Idioms & Phrases


16. Helter-skelter (quickly and M all

directions) -People were screaming and

running helter-skelter down the steps to

escape the flames.

17. Herculean task (very difficult task)

-Eradicating poverty is a herculean

task for the plan makers in India.

18. High and dry (abandon) - Most of

the members pulled out of the deal at

the last minute leaving it high and dry.

19. High and mighty (behaving as if

more important than others) - He

always acts high and mighty much to

the displeasure of his friends.

20. High time (appropriate and urgent)

- It is high than that the government

brought forward an employment

policy.

21. Himalayan blunder (a great

mistake) - Partition of India was a

Himalayan blunder in the history of

India.

22. Flit below the belt (an unfair attack)

- Hitting below the enemy's belt is

uncalled for.

23. Hit somebody where it hurts (to

hurt someone intentionally) - He's

always worrying about his weight, so if

you want to hit him where it hurts, tell

hint he's looking a bit fat.

24. Hit the nail on the head (to describe

exactly what is causing a situation or

problem) - I think Gautam hit the nail

on the head when he said that what's

lacking in this company is a feeling of

confidence.

25. Hive of activity (a place where

many things are happening) - The

campus turned into a hive of activity on

the day of annual function.

26. Hobson's choice (lack of alternative)

- It's a case of Hobson's choice, because

if he does not agree to their terms, he

will lose his job.

27. Hold good (valid and applicable) -

Many old laws hold good even today.

28. Hold in abeyance (to delay or

suspend) - Many programmes have

been held in abeyance due to lack of

hind.

29. Hold out/offer an olive branch (offer

to have peace) - The neighbouring

country held out an olive branch to

India by releasing thirty prisoners.

30. Hold somebody to ransom (to force

somebody to do something) - The

government says it is being held to

ransom by the actions of terrorist

groups.

31. Hold the reins (to be in complete

control) -He's been holding the wins for




FOLLOW US ON 17



Idioms & Phrases


over 20 years and intends to continue

for as long as possible.

32. Hole and comer (clandestine,

underhand) The radicals often took up

hole and corner method to destabilize

the government.

33. Hope the against hope (to continue

to hope even the Hope result is very

unlikely) - The old man is hoping

against hope that his lost son will

return.

34.Hornet's nest (very difficult and

unpleasant situation) - The monk's

remark against the minorities stirred

up a hornet's nest.

35. Horns of a dilemma (to be unable to

deicide) Suresh is on the horns of a

dilemma as he has to choose between a

boring job with a good salary and a

more interesting job with a lower .

36. Household name (very popular) -

After the world cup victory in 1983,

Kapil Dev became, household name in

India. Hue and cry (loud opposition) -

There is a lot of hue and cry over the

new law pertaining to land acquisition

by the government.

37. Hustle and bustle .(busy activities)

- Many people dislike the hustle and

hustle of city life"

I

1. Icing on the cake (extra work to

better a work, -He got a job and like

icing on the cake he way also allotted an

office car.

2. Idiot box (often referred to television

set) -Some youngsters spend their time

in front of the idiot box.

3. Ill at ease (uneasy .d anxious) - The

stranger made the child feel ill at ease.

4. In a dither (nervous; bothered) -

Ayushman is in a dither about what to

wear for the interview.

5. In a nutshell (briefly or concisely

stated) - I have been asked to put the

whole matter in a nutshell.

6. In a quandary (faced with a dilemma)

- He is in a quandary to decide whether

he will start a business or join a job.

7. In a rut (set or established pattern) -

Pranab wants to change his present job

because he has been stuck in a rut for

several years.

8. In dire straits (in a very difficult

situation) - Many steel companies are in

dire strait due to stringent mining

policy.




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Idioms & Phrases


9. In force (in use or practice) - Man!,

laws are in force to protect women

against domestic violence.

10. In full swing (in full of glory) - In the

summer months, things really get into

full swing around here.

11. In raptures (ecstatic or delighted) -

He is in 'Pt"' about his new house in the

heart of the

12. In spades ( abundance) – Last year

we harvested almost no potatoes, but

this year we’re getting them in spades.

13. In tatters ( ruined ) – The minster’s

reputation is in tatters after he was

arrested for his involvement in the

scandal.

. 14. In the black (profitable; not

showing a financial joss) - The jute

industry has been in the black for

several months.

15. In the dark (uninformed, to state of

ignorance) - We’re Hill in the dark

about the company's layoff policy.

16. In the doldrums (gloomy and

unproductive situation) - Her career

was in the doldrums during the past

years.

17. In the long run (ultimately) -

Learning Japanese will be fruitful in

the long run because it will help him to

get a job.

18. In the lurch (in embarrassing

situation) - After losing the job, he was

left in the lurch for a long time.

19. In the teeth of (in defiance of) - She

stuck to her position in the teeth of

criticism by board members.

20. In the twinkling of an eye (very fast

or instantaneousy) - Microprocessors

do the calculations in the twinkling of

an eye.

21. In vain (without any result or effect)

- I tried in vain to pacify the crying

child.

22. Ins and outs (details) - The

committee visited the spot to know the

ins and outs of the liquor tragedy.

23. Iron fist/hand (rigorous control) -

The government is checking

antinational activities with an iron

hand.

24. Miry tower (live away from

ordinary or practical life) - Planners

sitting in the ivory tower seldom

understand the needs of the common

man.




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Idioms & Phrases


J

1. Jack of all trades (one who knows a

little of many things) - A jack of all

trades is master of none.

2. Jaundiced eye or view (biased

pessimistic view or opinion) - He looks

on all travel companies' claims with a

jaundiced eye, having been

disappointed by them to often in the

past.

3. Jet lag (extreme tiredness due to long

flights across various time zones) - Our

CEO suffered from jet kg after his

return from Europe.

4. Jump on the bandwagon (get

involved in something that has recently

become very popular) - When organic

food became popular, certain stores

were quick to jump on the bandwagon

and Promote it.

5. Jump to conclusion (from an opinion

or Judgement hastily) - Wait till the

reports regarding his health reach us.

Don't jump to ' conclusion now.

6. Just deserts (to get what one

deserves)- Everyone should get their

just deserts for their work.

K

1. Kangaroo court (a self-appointed or

mob-operated tribunal that disregards

laws and human rights)- The rebels set

up a kangaroo court an condemned the

prisoners to summary execution.

2. Keep an eye (watch) - The mother is

keeping an eye at the child in the

garden.

3. Keep at arm's length (to avoid/keep a

distance from) - She seldom befriends

others, rather she keeps everyone at

arm’s length.

4. Keep at bay (prevent from

happening) - He always tries to keep his

troubles at bay when he is on holiday.

5. Keep body and soul together (to

support/ maintain) - Few writers can

Make enough to keep body and soul

together without another occupation.

6. Keep chin up (to be courageous and

bold) - Don't let the difficulties

intimidate you; hey your chin up.

7. Keep fingers crossed (hope that

things will happen as desired) -The

farmers are keeping their fingers

crossed that the weather stays nice.

8. Keep the wolf from the door (ward

off starvation or financial ruin) - In




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Idioms & Phrases


many countries people are working

simply to keep the wolf from the door

and owning a car or washing machine

is just a dream.

9. Keep under wraps (to keep secret) -

The project was kept under wraps until

it was approved by the core committee.

10. Keeps the ball rolling (to continue

something that is in progress) - Their

father started the factory, now that he

is gone they need to keep the ball

rolling.

11. Kick the bucket (to die) - The young

player kicked the bucket after long

suffering from injury.

12. Kick one's heels (to be forced wait

fir a period of time) - After the injury

she had to kick her heels for several

months to make herself fit.

13. Kick up a row (to make a fuss) - The

officer kicked up a row over the issue.

14. Kith and kin (close relatives) - His

kith and kin are well settled.

L

1. Land on one’s feet / heel (make a

quick recovery) – He is very

courageous. He landed on his heel after

the mishap.

2. Landslide victory ( victory by

overwhelming majority) – The political

party made a landslide victory in the

last election by winning two third seats.

3. Last but not least (the last mentioned

is no less important than the previous

ones) - I would like to thank my

publisher, my editor, and, last but not

least, my wife.

4. Last nail in someone's coffin (to add

to ruin) -The minister's Involvement in

the mining scam was the last nail in his

coffin.

5. Last straw (the ultimate trial of

patience) - She's always been rude to

me, but it was the last straw when she

started insulting my mother.

6. Laugh up one's sleeve (to secretly

find something funny) - Baren felt that

his demonstration was confusing and

that his colleague was laughing up his

sleet.

7. Laughing stock (an object of

humiliating ridicule) - Continuous

sluggish performances have made the

team a laughing stock everywhere.




FOLLOW US ON 21



Idioms & Phrases


8. Law of the jungle (lawlessness) -

Nowadays the whole system looks run

by Inn of jungle.

9. Leave no stone unturned (to do one's

best for something).- Sangram left no

stone unturned to achieve his goal.

10. Leave no Stone unturned (to make

every possible effort) - We will leave no

stone unturned to make die a developed

country.

11.Lend someone a hand (to help) - He

lent me a hand during my difficult

times.

12. Let (someone) off the hook (to

excuse someone from a penalty or a

promise) - My boss let me off the hook

and"! did not have to they after work

and help clean the office.

13. Let sleeping dogs lie (not to instigate

trouble) - The minister let the sleeping

dogs lie by not disclosing the

controversial report on the scam.

14. Let the cat out of the bag (to reveal

a secret) –I was trying to keep the party

a secret, but Mihir went and let the cat

out of the bag.

15. Live beyond means (spend more

money than one exams) - In

cosmopolitan cities some people are 8.

bound to live beyond means for the cost

of living in them is very high.

16. Live from hand to mouth (live a

poor life) - Many people lived from

hand to mouth during the war.

17. Live in fool's paradise (unfounded

hope) - He is living in fool's paradise as

he thinks that he , can be a rich man

without doing any work.

18. Loaves and fishes (material gains) -

The bureaucrats are more concern for

their loaves , and fishes.

19. Lock horns (to argue or fight) - The

mayor and his deputies locked horn

over the plans for the , new roads.

20. Look down upon (to hate a person)

- We should look dint upon others.

21.Loose cannon (unpredictable and

uncontrollable, person or thing) - Some

loose cannon in the department has

been leaking stories to the press.

22. Loose ends (uncertain or unsettled

situation • position) - Ever since leaving

the company he?: been of loose ends.

23. Lose one's grip (to lose control of a

situation), think that our boss is losing

it grip in his ability to control the

workplace.

24. Lull before the storm (quietness

before some (unpleasant) happening) -

Things seem quiet in the office right




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Idioms & Phrases


now, but this is just the lull before the

storm.

M

1. Maiden speed' (first speech) - Her

maiden speech proved her to be a great

leader.

2. Make a beeline for (to hurry directly

toward someone or something) - We

were so hot and thirsty we made it

beeline for the cool drinks.

3. Make a break for (to move or run

quickly to something or somewhere) -

The audience made a break fine the

doors when the concert was over.

4. Make a clean breast of something (to

confess or tell the truth) - After long

hours of silence the woman made a

clean breast of it and admitted that she

had stolen the child.

5. Make a dent in (to make progress

doing something) - We worked hard all

day but we did not Make, a dent in the

amount of work that we had to do.

6. Make a face (to make it strange face

to ridicule someone) - The little girl

made a face at the boy in her class.

7. Make a mountain out of a molehill

(to make serious out of something

trivial) - He always makes a mountain

out of a molehill by exaggerating small

issues.

8. Make a quick or fast buck (hr earn

money., little effort) - Most of us want

to make quick buck without working

hard.

9. Make amends for (to do something to

compensate for an error or injury or

loss) - I had to do some extra work to

make amends for my mistake in last

week.

10. Make blood boil ( to make someone

angry) - It must makes my blood boil

to think of the amount of food that gets

wasted around here.

11. Make ends meet ( manage to live

with low income) – Menial labourers

find it difficult to make ends meet.

12. Make hay while the sun shines ( to

take advantage of good situation) – The

players were advised to make hay while

the sun shines in order to win the series.

13. Make head or tail of something (to

understand) - The message from the

Army's headquarters is confusing, few

could make head or tail of it.

14. Make headway (to make progress) –

Out country is making headways in

different sectors of economy.




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Idioms & Phrases


15. Make light of something (to make

less serious) -Don's make light of the

advice given by the elders.

16. Make the most of (to use something

to one's greatest advantage) - We must

make the most of our time to achieve

excellence in the short span of life.

17. Man in the street (ordinary or

average person) - Plan for nation's

growth must take into account the man

in the street.

18. Man of letters (a learned num) - Dr.

Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan was a man

of letters.

19. Man of straw (man of little

importance) - The boss was accused of

being a man of straw by his employees.

20. Matter of course (the usual way or

habit or rule) - Everything was done as

a matter of course and nobody thought

about the results.

21. Mend one's ways (to improve or

change one's habits) - The woman was

forced to mend her ways in order to do

better at work.

22. Mess up something (to cause

trouble, to spoil something) - The

employee messed up his chance to get it

promotion by not making any effort

during the year.

23. Miss by a mile (fail to do something

by great amount) - He wanted to do well

in the examination bit actually he

missed a mile.

24, Moot point (a debatable point or

question ) its - Whether reservation

system sit relevance in India is moot

point.

25. Move heaven and earth ( to make

every effort) – He moved heaven and

earth to help the poor man get justice.

N

1. Neck and neck ( to be equal or nearly

equal in a race or contest) – The two

teams were neck and neck in the race to

win the national championship.

2. Next to nothing (almost nothing) –

Many people were made paupers after

the earthquake and there was next to

nothing left for them.

3. Nine day/days wonder ( for a short

time) – His popularity as an actor was a

nine day’s wonder. He is long forgotten

by people.

4. Nip in the bud ( to destroy in the very

beginning) – All his dreams were

hipped in the bud after the death of his

father.




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Idioms & Phrases


5. No love lost between ( enmity and

animosity) – The is no love lost between

him and his neighbor.

6. Nook and corner (at every place ) –

Gandhiji is known to all in the nod and

corner of India.

7. Null and void ( invalid) – The court

declared the law null and void.

8. Nuts and bolts ( the basic facts about

something) – The nuts and bolts of the

housing loan were carefully discussed

by the bank and their client.

O

1. Odds and ends (trivial things) - My

grandfather usually keeps the odds and

ends in this drawer.

2. Of late (recently) - He has bought a

flat of late.

3. Of one's own accord (by one's own

choice) -The manager resigned from

the job of his own accord.

4. Off and on (occasionally) - He visits

sty office off and on.

5. Off the hook (out of difficult and

dangerous situation) - After all his loans

were written off by the government he

got himself off the hook.

6. On a fool's errand (useless journey

or task) - He went on a fool's errand to

try for it job as he returned empty-

handed.

7. On cloud nine (very liapp0 - When

he got through the final and got a job,

he was on cloud nine.

8. On one's guard (to be cautious or

watchful) - He was ort his guard when

he went inside the coal mines with the

engineer.

9. On the air (being broadcast on the

radio) - The television serial has been

on the air for three years.

10. On the carpet (to be under scrutiny)

- He was called on the carpet again for

his carelessness.

11.On the horns of it dilemma

(indecisive or confusing) - NGOs are

often caught on the horns of a dilemma

- they have to satisfy their donors, but

at the same time, they need to attract

new donors.

12. On the spur of the moment

(suddenly) - He decided on the spur of

the moment to help the needy person

with money.

13. On the verge of fat the last stage) -

Many animal species are on the verge of

being extinct due to lack of proper

habitats.




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Idioms & Phrases


14. Once and for all (permanently) -

The refugees left the settlement once

and for all.

15. Once in a blue moon (rarely) - His

only son lives abroad, so he sees hits

once in a blue

16. Open Pandora's box (to Invite or

uncover more problems) - When the

government ordered for the

implementation of the commission's

recommendations, it opened Pandora's

box.

17. Open secret (known to all) - His

involvement 11. in the crime is now an

open secret.

18. Open-and-shut case (something

(often a legal matter) that is simple and

clear) - It was an open- and-shut case

when the judge decided the case of the

stolen computer.

19. Order of the day (hallmark events

of the present time) - Going to bed early

was the order of the day when we were

young.

20. Out and out (completely) - Mr.

Vajpayee was out and out all orator.

21. Out of sync (unsynchronized or

uncoordinated) - His eyes and his brain

seem to be out of sync these days.

22. Out of the blue (happen suddenly or

unexpectedly) - The invasion came out

of a clear Niue sky and caught everyone

off guard.

23. Over and above (in addition to) -

They receive extra money over and

above the usual welfare payments.

P

1. Paint the town red (to go out and

celebrate) -After the team won the

match, the players went to paint the

town red.

2. Pale as a ghost (extremely pale) - My

grandfather was as pale as a ghost when

he entered the hospital.

3. Part and parcel (basic or essential) -

Respecting all religions is a part and

parcel of our cultural obligations.

4. Pass on the baton (to give

responsibility to someone) - The

chairman of the corporation is

resigning this month passing on the

button to the senior most member of the

governing body.

5. Pus the buck (to blame someone) -

Politicians have the habit of passing the

buck on someone to keep them

untarnished.

6. Pave the way for (to prepare

someone or something for something) -




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Idioms & Phrases


The new policy is designed to pave the

way for more effective communication

in the company.

7. Pay dividends (to produce good

result) - Plenty of practice daily will pay

dividends later on.

8. Pay lip service to something

(lackadaisical approach or support) -

The government is accused of paying lip

service to the claims of the victims.

9. Pay the piper (to face the

consequences) - The company had to

pay the piper for supply of inferior

products for many years.

10. Pick and choose (choose with much

care) - The commission will pick and

choose the best people for the strategic

posts.

11. Pick holes ( to find fault with) – We

should not pick holes in suggestions

tendered by the senior members of the

organization.

12. Pie in the sky ( an empty wish or a

plan not likely to be materialized) – The

party’s promise to provide jobs to all is

just pie in the sky.

13. Place in the sun ( a dominant or

favourable position or situation) – He

finally found a place in the sun after the

success of his latest book.

14. Play duck and drakes ( to use

carelessly or behave recklessly) – The

prime minister is said to have played

duck and drakes with the economy of

the country.

15. Play fast and loose ( to be unfaithful

) – The film is very entertaining even

though it plays fast and loose with the

historical facts.

16. Play havoc ( to make worse or

destroy something) – The storm played

havoc with life and property.

17. Play second fiddle ( have lower

position) – he resigned from the job

because he did not like to play second

fiddle.

18. Play to the gallery ( to win cheap

support or popularity) – Politicians

these days are more interested in

playing to the gallery than exercising

real influence on world events.

19. Poke fun at (to joke or to tease)n –

In the report the writer has poked fun

at the ways the government is handling

the Maoist issue.

20. Poles apart ( completely opposite )

– The two brothers are poles apart in

their personal attributes.

21. Pour oil on troubled waters ( to calm

down a quarrel) – The teachers tried to




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Idioms & Phrases


pour oil on troubled waters when they

saw the fight among the students.

22. Powers that be ( people in authority)

– The powers that be have decided to

put off the convocation ceremony in the

university.

23. Pros and cons ( merits and demerits

) – We’ve been discussing the pros and

cons of buying a house in New Delhi.

24. Pull strings (to secretly use influence

or power) – My father helped the needy

boy get admission into the college by

pulling strings.

25. Pull the rug out from under ( to spoil

plan or withdraw support from) – The

police pulled the rug out from under by

nabbing the suspects.

26. Put a spoke in one’s wheel ( to put

someone in difficulty or

embarrassment) – his withdrawal;

from the membership of the newly

formed club has put a spoke in our

wheel.

27. Put heads together ( consult

together) The team members put heads

together to chalk out a plan for winning

the trophy.

28. Put the cart before the horse ( to do

something in wrong order) – After the

death of the father his eleven years old

daughter is running the large grocery

shop. It is like putting the cart before

the horse.

29. Put the damper ( discourage or

dishearten something) – The recent

infiltration by Pakistani soldiers into

India has put a damper on the ongoing

peace talk between India and Pakistan.

Q

1. Queer fish (strange person) - It is

difficult to make out Prasant's

behaviour; he is a queer fish.

2. Queer for something (to desire for) -

They have queer for getting admission

into the royal club.

3, Quick as a wink (very quickly) - The

thief made away with all the belongings

as quick as a wink.

4. Quick on the uptake (quick to

understand) -The student is quick on

the uptake and understands most

scientific theories quickly.

5. Quick temper (to get angry easily) -

People with quick temper are not liked

by many.

6. Quiet as a mouse (silent) - The

burglar moved in the hose quiet as a

mouse.

R




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Idioms & Phrases


1. Rack and ruin (completely

destroyed) - The old house is going to go

to rack and ruin due to lack of proper

care.

2. Rain cats and dogs (rain heavily) - It

often rains cats and dogs in Mumbai.

3. Rank and file (common people) -

Nelson Mandela is very much popular

among the rank and file in the world.

4. Rant and rave (to demand or protest

noisily and forcefully) - Jay always

rants and raves about anything that

displeases him.

5. Read between lines (to understand

clearly) - The students need to read

between lines in order to grasp their

subjects of study.

‘6. Red herring (something that distract

attention from main issue) - All the dues

discovered by the police proved to be

red herrings.

7. Red letter day (an auspicious day) -

Independence Day is a red letter day in

the history of India. The

8. Red rag to a bull (provocation) -

government's refusal to summon a joint

sitting on the controversial reservation

issue w. like a red rag to a bull for the

opposition.

9. Red tapism ( official formalities) –

Many developmental projects are long

held up on account of red tapism.

10. Rest on one's laurels (to be

complacent with past achievements) -

Successful persons never rest on their

laurels because they have natural flair

for achieving success.

11. Ride roughshod over (to act

callously)- The opposition accused the

government of riding roughshod over

parliamentary procedure.

12. Rides the high horse (to feel proud

or superior) - She always rides the high

horse over her colleagues because of her

family background.

13. Ripple of protest (quiet protest) -

There was a ripple of protest when the

government raised the price of petrol

last month.

14. Rise to the occasion (to act as the

situation demands)- We must rise to the

occasion to make India a developed

country.

15. Rock the boat (upset people or

situation) - The party is in good stead to

win the election so it does not want

anyone to rock the boat.

16. Roll out the red carpet (to give

special treatment) - The organization is




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Idioms & Phrases


going to roll out the red carpet for the

visit of the Nobel laureate.

17. Rolling in money (very wealthy) -

All his relatives are rolling in money

but he never goes to them with a

begging bowl.

18. Rub elbows/shoulders with (to mix

with important people) - I had the rare

opportunity of rubbing shoulders with

many dignitaries in the conference.

19. Rule the roost (to be in overall

control) - Although he holds a junior

post in the company, he rules the roost

for his close link with the managing

director.

20. Run-of-the-mill (ordinary or

average)- The film did not make

expected business as the plot was based

on a run of no null love story.

S

1. Sail under false colors (to function

deceptively) - Some non-banking

financial companies are sailing under

false colours to persuade the people.

2. Salt of the earth (worthy and kind

person) - Try to be the salt of the earth;

you will make your life worth-living.

3. Scarlet woman (nu immoral lady) -

Everyone keeps a safe distance from the

scarlet woman who happens to be their

neighbour.

4. Scratch one's head (at a loss for a

solution) - Students may be sometimes

seen scratching their heads trying to

find the answer to an exam question.

5. Scratch the surface (examine

superficially) - Some countries are only

scratching the surface of their

environment problems.

6. Scrimp and save (to become

parsimonious) -The parents scrimped

and saved for years so that these

children could have a better education.

7. Seamy side of life (the most

unpleasant or roughest aspect of life) -

Mahesh saw the sea, side of life when he

worked as a volunteer in the homeless

shelter.

8. Send a shiver down one's spine (to

make anxious or frightened) - The

outcome of the climate change

conference has sent a shiver down the

people's spine.

9. Send someone packing (terminate

one's service) - The landlord sent his

servant pricking after he found hint

stealing.

10. Set a thief to catch a thief (to choose

or appoint right person)- The

government seta thief to catch a thief by




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Idioms & Phrases


hiring a stockbroker convicted of

fraudulent practices to entrap the

stockbroker they were investigating for

fraud.

11. Set an example (to break new

ground or avenues) - The Russians set

an example by sending up the first

manned-satellite into space

exploration.

12. Set the ball rolling (to start

something) - The hospital appeal

received a donation of rupees one lakh

to set the ball rolling.

13. Set the world on fire (to bring out a

big change) - Young people always have

the flair for setting the world on .fire.

14. Settle a score (to take revenge for a

past wrong) -He filed a case in the lower

court against him as he had to settle a

score with him.

15. Shed crocodile tears (to pretend to

be unhappy) - He is shedding crocodile

tears on his brother's plight.

16. Shoot the breeze (to chat casually

and without purpose) - We spent the

entire afternoon just shooting the

breeze.

17. Shot in the arm (a boost or

unexpected happening) - His success in

the examination was a shot in the arm

in his sluggish career.

18. Shotgun approach (haphazard

approach) -Identifying a specific

segment of the market as our target will

be more effective than a shotgun

approach.

19. Silver-tongued (smooth talker) -

Most of the successful salesmen are

silver-tongued personnel.

20. Simmer down (to decrease in

intensity) - The furor over the rape case

has simmered down when the suspects

were arrested.

21. Since the time immemorial (from

the hoary past) - The tall iron pillar has

been standing there untarnished since

time immemorial.

22. Sine die (for an indefinite time) -

The University was closed sine die due

to post election riot.

23. Sing a different tune ( to change

one’s manners) – When she learned

that I was a police inspector, she began

to sing a different tune.

24. Sit on the fence (delay in making a

decision) – Everybody put pressure on

him to decide his course of action, so he

cannot sit on the fence anymore.

25. Slice of the cake ( share in the profit)

– Since profits are higher this year, the

workers feel they deserve a bigger slice

of the cake.




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Idioms & Phrases


26. snake in the grass ( treacherous or

deceitful person) – Swadesh believed in

his friend very much but he turned out

to be snake in the grass.

27. Sound the death knell ( to cause an

organization, activity or a system top

fail or dead) – Recent changes of

software in cell phones sound the death

knell for several popular models.

28. Spill the beans ( to tell the secret) –

I told Ravi my biggest secret, he then

spilled the beans to the whole class.

29. Spread like wildfire (to become

widely known) – The imprisonment of

popular actor Salman Khan spread like

wildfire across the country.

30. Stand one’s ground (to prove

beneficial) – A working knowledge on

computer will stand you in good stead

when you look for a job.

31. Stand one’s ground ( unyielding or

not to give up) – The office stood his

ground despite repeated accusations.

32. State of the art ( latest technology) –

The company has applied the state of

the art in designing its corporate office

in the city.

33. Steal someone’s thunder ( to lessen

someone’s force/to do a job before

another person can do it and take the

credit) – He stole her thunder when he

wrote her essay and won the prize.

34. Steal the show (to become the centre

of attraction) – The five-year-old girl

stole the show in the concert last night.

35. Steer clear of ( to avoid) –

youngsters should steer clear of bad

companies.

36. Step into someone’s shoe ( to take

over one’s job or work) – Aman has

been trained to step into his father’s

shoe when he retires.

37. Storm in a tea-cup (much hue and

cry over a little matter) – My brother

and sister had a big argument about he

television yesterday, buy it was just a

storm in a teacup.

38. Strike the chord in those who are

the victims of dislocation due to

unplanned industrialization.

39.b Strike while the iron is hot ( to act

at the appropriate time) – He bought

the property when the price was

dropped. He stroke while the iron was

hot.

40. Sum and substance ( the gist) – The

sum and substance of the report is that

poverty is not declined from our state.




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Idioms & Phrases


41. Sweat of one’s brow (achieve

through hard work) – he has become

rich by the sweat of his brow.

42. Sweep under the rug ( to hide

something embarrassing) – Many of the

leaders tired unsuccessfully to sweep

the scandal under the rug.

43. Swim against the tide ( go against

the common trend) – It is because she

always swims against the tide that he

novels are successful.

1. Take a fancy to (like or favour

something or someone) = Young people

today are taking fancy to fast food

nowadays.

2. Take exception to (become offensive)

- The opposition took strong exception

to the minister's remark in the House.

3. Take heart (to be encouraged) - The

young boys took heart from the words

of the visiting faculty.

4. Take heed of (to be cautious) - The

residents took heed of the hole in the

dike and repaired it in time.

5. Take quite a toll (to bring severe

damage) - Drug abuse takes quit,. a toll

on the lives of people.

6. Take someone by storm (to be

suddenly extremely successful in a

place or popular with someone) - The

new technology has taken everyone be

storm.

7. Take stock of the situation (to assess

and form an opinion) - The district

collector went to the drought-hit area

and took stock of the situation.

8.Take the bull by the horns (to be in

complete control of a situation) - The

police took the bull by the short by

putting the known criminal behind the

bar two days before the election.

9. Take the edge off (reduce the effect

of) - Do some meditation and yoga this

will take the edge of the stress.

10. Take the floor (to give speech) -

When the chief guest took the floor the

audience clapped thunderously.

11. Take the plunge (venture into

something risky) - It was indeed he who

took the plunge and directly protested

against antisocial persons in his

locality.

12. Take to task ( reprimand or

criticize) The secretary was taken to

task for his providing , the department

with biased information.

13.Take up the cudgels (argue strongly

in support Or against somebody or

something) - Environmental activists

have taken up the cudgels against

multinational companies.




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Idioms & Phrases


14. Take wind out of sails ( to make

someone feel less confident and

determined ) – The manager’s rejection

of our marketing strategy really took

the wind out of our sails.

15. Tech savvy ( persons who keep pace

with the changing technological

developments) – Young professionals

are more tech savvy than their old

counterparts.

16. Teething problems ( problems

encountered in the beginning) – my

friend’s marriage went through some

teething problems in the first few

months.

17. The sword of Damocles (imminent

danger in the midst of prosperity) -

internal bickering leading to threat of

war hangs like the sword of Damocles

over the heads of the South-Asian

nations.

18. Think outside the box (be

innovative) - Young personnel always

think out of the box to bring changes in

the status quo.

19. Thorn in flesh (a constant

botheration) - Kashmir issue has been a

thorn in flesh for India for long years.

20. Through thick and thin (under all

circa instances) - We have been

together through thick and thin and we

won't stay apart now.

21. Throw dust in eyes (to deceive or

mislead) - The chit fund company fled

away by throwing dust in eyes of the

investors.

22. Throw a tantrum (to become angry

and unreasonable) - Young boys have

the habit of throwing tantrum if

something offends them.

23. Throw caution to the winds (behave

recklessly or dangerously) - Throwing

caution to the winds, she ran an the

highway road to board the truck.

24. Tighten one's belt (to become

thrifty) - The company needs to tighten

its belt to avoid over-drafting.

25. Till doomsday (forever) - They

promise to remain close friends till

doomsday.

26. To meet one's Waterloo (meet one's

final defeat) - The militants made

another attempt to attack the

parliament but they met their

Waterloo, as they all lost their lives

when they encountered the security

personnel.

27. Tip of the iceberg (a small,

noticeable part of a problem) - These

small protests are just hp of the iceberg




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Idioms & Phrases


as the government is going to face

serious consequences

28. To pocket an insult (to bear an

insult) - He pocketed the insult as it was

offered by a man in power.

29. To take heart (to have courage) -

The small boy took hard to trace the

culprit.

30. To take time by forelock (seize an

opportunity or act decisively) - He rose

to prominence in a very short time by

taking time by forelock.

31. To the core (completely) - The old

woman loves her only child to the core

of her heart.

32. To turn a deaf year (to be

indifferent to something) - The

superintendent fumed a deaf year to the

complaints of the boarders.

33. Tooth and nail (contending with all

force) -They fought tooth and nail

against the prevalent revenue system.

34. Treat like dirt (to treat badly

without respect) -The boss who treats

his employees like dirt is apt to fail the

organization.

35. Turn a blind eye (deliberately

overlook, ignore) - We should not nun a

blind eye to antisocial activities crop up

in and around our locality.

36. Turn over a new leaf (make a fresh

start) - He promised his parents that he

would turn over a new leaf and become

a good boy.

U

1. Under a cloud (render suspicion or in

trouble) -The luxury hotel is under a

cloud after the newspaper revealed that

it involved in illegal activities.

2. Up and doing (to act) -Ina

developing country like India, all the

men and women should be up and

doing in the lager interest of the

country.

3. Up for grabs (available for those who

can compete) - Many prizes are up for

grabs for the students.

4. Up in arms (rebellious) - The

employees were up in arms over the

management's plan to discontinue five-

day week policy.

5. Ups and downs (changeable) - Life is

full of ups and downs.

6. Up in the air (undecided or unsettled)

- Nothing can be said of the new project

because it is still up in the air.

7. Up to the mark (up to the required

standard) – Many experts have viewed

that recent economic forecasts are not

up to the mark.




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Idioms & Phrases


8. Uphill battle ( unfavourable

circumstances) – After the terrible

accident, his recovery was an uphill

battle all the way.

9. Upper hand ( be in control ) – The

company increased our market share

and gained the upper hand over our

competitors.

10. Utopian scheme (fanciful and

impracticable) – Uniform civil code for

all in India seems to be a utopian

scheme.

V

1. Vanish into thin air (disappear

without leaving trace) - When the police

chased the criminal he ran away as if

vanishing into thin air.

2. Vicious circle (be in recurring

problems) - ma, people get

caught/trapped in a vicious circle);

dieting and weight gain.

3. Voice in the wilderness la lone

opponent) – For many years she was a

voice in the wilderness protesting

against child labour.

4. Volts face (a turnabout) - Many loyal

par, members of the opposition party

made a voile face by joining the ruling

party.

5. Vouch for (attest to or confirm) - The

writer said that he could vouch for the

veracity of the story.

W

1. Walk a tightrope (to face difficult or

delicate situation) - The management is

walking a tightrope in their efforts both

to keep the cogs down and satisfy the

trade unions.

2. Walk into lion's den (to fall into a

very difficult situation) - Having

vituperated against the party

leadership, the young member walked

into the lion's den.

3. Walk of life (a profession or position

in society, -People from all walks of life

condemned the Delhi rape incidence.

4. Walk on eggshells (become very

cautious) -While dealing with her you

have to walk on eggshells as she is very

sensitive.

5. Wash dirty linen in public (to make

something public) - The victim's family

decided not to take the matter to court

as it would lead to a lot of washing dirty

linen in public.

6. Wax and wane (increase then

decrease) - Voter sentiment about the




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Idioms & Phrases


insurance scheme wares and wanes

with each passing day.

7. Weal and woe ( joys and sorrows) –

Everyone has to bear with weal and woe

of life.

8. Wear and tear (damage) – The

warranty covers accidental damage but

not the ordinary wear and tear.

9. Wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve ( to

express emotion freely) – Sumitra is a

kind of person who wears her heart on

her sleeve.

10. Weather the storm ( survive

difficult and grave situation) – He is

such an iron-hearted person that he

weathers the storm.

11. Wee hours ( at dawn) – The monk

set off his journey in the wee hours.

12. Wet behind the ears fresh

fmexperaenceii1 - Being a h pass-out,

Rajen found it difficult to a job as he

was wet behind the ears.

13. Wet blanket (one who discourages

others) - Whatever schemes we propose

are sure to be turned down by the

chairman; he is always a wet blanket.

14. White elephant. (expensive but

useless) - The planning commission was

often termed as a white elephant.

15. Wild goose chase (useless efforts) -

Arnab was angry because he was sent

out on a wild goose Masc.

16. Win the day (become victorious) -

The opposition won the day over the

content of the land acquisition bill.

17. Window shopping (to look at

displayed goods and not buying them) -

The woman in our neighbourhood

always goes for window shopping.

18. Wipe the slate clean (to make a

fresh start) - The two neighbours wiped

the slate clean and forgot the old

disputes.

19. Wishful thinking (erroneous or

baseless belief or dream) - He nurtures

a wishful thinking when he says that he

will be an astronaut.

20. With a bang (exciting and

noticeable) - The singer had been off for

two years, now he is back with a bang

for his new album.

21. Wolf in sheep's clothing (a deceitful

persons or plans that appear gentle and

kind) - During British rule in India, all

the acts and awards made by the

government were wolfs in the sheep's

clothing.

22. Work one's fingers to the bone (very

industrious) - He deserves success




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Idioms & Phrases


because he has worked his fingers to the

bone during his study.

23. Worth one's salt (deserves respect) -

Most of the leaders during India's

freedom struggle Worth their salt.

24. Wrap in cotton wool (to provide

undue protection) - One should not

wrap awls children in cotton wool

which will make them weak and

backward.

25. With a vengeance (with great force

or extreme energy) - He's been working

with a vengeance over the past few

weeks to make up for lost time.

26. Will-o'-the-wisp (a person or thing

that is difficult or impossible to reach or

catch) - Uprooting poverty is the will-o'-

the-wisp planner have chasing for

decades.

27. Writing on the wall (premonition

for failure and disaster) - The company

ignored the writing on the wall and fell

into bankruptcy.

X -Y- Z

1. Xerox subsidy (photocopiers at work

place used for personal use) - The new

manager is up in the arm against Xerox

subsidy.

2. Yeoman's Service (long and loyal

service) - During natural disasters

organizations like Red Cross Society

render yeoman service.

3. Yoke around neck (a trouble for

someone) - Try to stop the fighting of

two people was a yoke around his neck;

they both hurt him badly, for coming in

between.

4. Zero in on something (concentrate or

focus) - The whole regiment zeroed in

on the narrow pass to check infiltration.

5. Zero tolerance (strict and

uncompromising application of the

law) - The central bank is exercising a

new policy of zero tolerance, against

fake non-banking financial

organization.




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