Competitive Exams: Idioms And Phrases

Competitive Exams: Idioms And Phrases
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·         Above all (chiefly, mainly)

·         On Account of (due to, for the reason)

·         On no account (not for any reason)

·         Above board (honest, beyond reproach)

·         To give a good account of oneself (to act with credit to oneself)

·         A fidus Achates (a faithful friend)

·         The heel of Achilles (a week point)

·         An Adonis (a very handsome man)

·         To build castles in the air (To day dream)

·         To assume airs (to affect superiority)

·         To air one's opinions (to give vent to one's feeling in public)

·         To stand aloof (To keep to oneself and not mix with others)

·         To lead to the altar (to marry)

·         An Amazon (a warlike masculine woman)

·         An Ananias (a liar)

·         An Apollo (a man with perfect physique)

·         The apple of discord (cause of quarrel)

·         To upset the apple cart (to disturb the peace)

·         Apple pie order (in perfect order)

·         Arcadian life (a blissful, happy, rural and simple life)

·         To keep a person at an arm's length (to avoid and keep distance from a person)

·         To take up arms (to fight, to go to war)

·         To have an axe to grind (to have some selfish objective in view)

·         Not to know a B from a bull's foot (to be ignorant of even the simplest things)

·         A Babel (a confused noise)

·         To break the back of any thing (to perform the most difficult part of it)

·         To get one's back up (to rouse one's anger)

·         To backbite a person (to slander or speak ill of someone)

·         He has no backbone (he has no will of his own)

·         To cause bad blood (to cause enmity)

·         Bag and baggage (with all one's belongings)

·         To keep the ball rolling (to keep things going)

·         Baptism of fire (a soldier's first experience of actual war)

·         To call to the bar (to admit as a barrister)

·         Barmecide's feast (imaginary benefits)

·         To beat about the bush (to approach a matter in an indirect and round about manner)

·         To be dead beat (worn out by fatigue)

·         Bed and board (lodging and food)

·         As you make your bed, so must lie on it (you will have to bear the consequences of your crimes or your own mistakes or misdeeds)

·         To take to one's bed (to have to be confined to bed as a result of sickness)

·         Bee-line (the shortest distance between two places)

·         To go a begging (to be sold very cheaply because no one cares to buy)

·         Behind one's back (without one's Knowledge)

·         Behind the scenes (in private, out of sight)

·         To bell the cat (to undertake a dangerous task and the enemy is common)

·         To hit below the belt (to act unfairly in a contest)

·         His better half (a man's wife)

·         A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush (certainty is better then possibility)

·         An old bird is not to be caught with chaff (experienced people are not easily fooled or deceived)

·         To take the bit between one's teeth (to get out of control)

·         To bite the dust (to be defeated in battle)

·         The biter bit (to cheat the cheater)

·         His bark was worse than his bite (he usually makes a lot of vain verbal threats)

·         A wet Blanket (a person who is a discourage)

·         In cold Blood (deliberately)

·         Blood is thicker than water (One usually takes the side of ones relation against another who is not one's own blood)

·         To blow hot and cold (to do one think at one time and the opposite soon after)

·         A blue stocking (a learned woman)

·         Once in a blue moon (a very rare occurrence)

·         Blue ribbon (the highest prize in any sport competition)

·         At first Blush (at first sight)

·         In the same boat (in the same misfortune or circumstances)

·         A bolt from the blue (a sudden)

·         A bone of contention (a cause of dispute)

·         A Book-worm (a person always poring over books)

·         By leaps and bounds (with remarkable speed)

·         Breach of promise (failure to keep a promise to marry one of whom you are betrothed)

·         One's bread and butter (one's means of livelihood)

·         His bread is well butter (he is in fortunate circumstance)

·         The bread winner (one who provides the means of livelihood for himself and his family)

·         To Break in (to tame, to control in a gentle manner)

·         To break the news (to reveal something pleasant in a gentle manner)

·         To break the ice (to be the first to begin)

·         To breadth one's last (to die)

·         To breadth freely again (to be no longer in a fear or anxiety)

·         To make bricks without straw (to attempt to do something without proper materials or due preparations)

·         Never cross the Bridge until you come to it (don't anticipate difficulties)

·         It is an broad as it is long (it is the same whichever way you view it)

·         To brow beat (to bully)

·         To kick the bucket (to die)

·         John bull (an Englishman)

·         To burry the hatchet (to forget past quarrels and be friends again)

·         Good wine needs no bush (there is no need to advertise something good)

·         To raise cain (to rebuke severely)

·         To take the cake (to take the first prize)

·         To burn the candle at both ends (to expend energy in two directions at the same time)

·         If the cap fits, wear it (if you think the remarks refer to you)

·         Capitan punishment (the death sentence or penalty)

·         To put the cart before the horse (to do first what ought to be done afterwards)

·         To let the cat out of the bag (to expose the trick)

·         To fight like cats and dog (to be always quarrelling and fighting)

·         Care killed the cat (don't fret and worry yourself to death)

·         See which way the cat jumps (sit on fence)

·         To rain cats and dogs (to rain incessantly)

·         He is a cat's paw (one used as a to something dangerous)

·         To Catch one's eye (to attract attention)

·         To take the chair (to preside a meeting)

·         She is no chicken (she is older than she says)

·         Chicken hearted (weak, timid)

·         Don't count your chickens before they are hatched (don't calculate your gains before they are realized)

·         A chip of the old block (a son resembling his father in face disposition, habits etc.)

·         Hobson's choice (no alterative)

·         To pick and choose (to make a careful selection)

·         Every cloud has a silver lining (adverse conditions do not last for ever)

·         To square the circle (to attempt something impossible)

·         Close fisted (mean)

·         To have one's head in the cloud (to live in dreamland)

·         To carry coals to New castle (to do any thing superfluous)

·         Cut your cloth according to your cloth (live within your income)

·         A cock and bull story (a foolishly incredible story)

·         To be cock sure (to be absolutely certain)

·         To throw cold water upon anything (to discourage effort)

·         Off color (not in the usual form)

·         To came off with flying color (to succeed brilliantly)

·         To commit to memory (to learn by heart)

·         Too many cooks spoil the broth (when there are more worpkers than necessary)

·         To send to Coventry (to boycott)

·         An admirable Crichton (a very talented person)

·         Crocodile tears (hypocritical tears)

·         By hook or by crook (by fair or foul means)

·         As the crow flies (in a direct line)

·         To take up the cudgels (to champion or flight for someone)

·         To curry favour (to seek favour by flattery)

·         Cut and dried (ready made)

·         To cut a dash (to make an impression)

·         To be at daggers drawn (to be deadly enemies)

·         A dare-devil (a fearless, reckless man)

·         Up to date (recent, modern)

·         Out of date (obsolete)

·         Evil days (a period of misfortune)

·         Halcyon days (A time when there is peace and happiness in the land)

·         To step into dead man's shoes (to come into an inheritance)

·         To give the devil his due (give a person credit for his good qualities however worthless he may be)

·         Go to the devil (be off)

·         Devil's playthings (playing cards)

·         Devil's bones (dice)

·         To be between the devil and the deep sea (to be faced with two dangerous situations, each of which is to be dreaded as much as the other)

·         To be on the horns of dilemma (to in such a position that it is difficult to decide what to do)

·         Give a dog a bad name and hang him (once a person loses his reputation)

·         To be a dog in the manger (to prevent others from using what one can't use oneself)

·         Every dog has his day (sooner or later, every one has his share of good fortune)

·         To be in the doldrums (to be in low spirits, to be out of spirits)

·         Ups and downs (varying fortunes; changes and chances of life)

·         To throw dust in one's eyes (to try to deceive some one)

·         Dutch courage (bravery induced by alcoholic liquors)

·         Eagle eye (quick to discover; very discerning)

·         A bad egg (a worthless person)

·         Don't put your eggs in one basket (Don't stake all your money on a single industry)

·         A white elephant (a useless possession which is extremely expensive to keep)

·         At the eleventh hour (at the last moment)

·         To make both ends meet (to keep expenses within one's income)

·         An eye for an eye (tit for tat to return evil for evil; retaliate)

·         Bad faith (dishonest intentions)

·         A breach of faith (to act contrary to what one had professed)

·         To fall out (to quarrel)

·         To fall through (fail)

·         Birds of a feather flock together (people of similar tastes and dis-positions crave each other's company)

·         To set the Thames on fire (to do something sensational or remarkable)

·         A burnt child dreads the fire (one who has had a previous unpleasant experience is always scared of situations where such experience are likely to be repeated)

·         A fish out of water (anyone in an awkward)

·         Other fish to fry (more important business to attend to)

·         By fits and starts (spasmodically)

·         Foul play (cheating)

·         To jump from a frying pan into fire (to come out of one trouble and get into a worse)

·         To gain ground (to make progress in any undertaking)

·         To play to the gallery (to endeavour to gain cheap popularity)

·         To give up the ghost (to die)

·         Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones (people who do not live blameless lives should not find fault with others)

·         All that glitters is not gold (things are not always as attractive as they appears)

·         A good for nothing (a worth less person)

·         A good Samaritan (a friend in need)

·         A wild goose chase (a vain attempt)

·         To kill the goose that laid the golden egg (to lose a valuable source of income though greed)

·         To cut a Gordian knot (to solve a difficult problem by adopting bold and drastic measures)

·         From hand to hand (from one person to another)

·         Hard and fast rules (strict rules)

·         Hard to hearing (almost deaf)

·         Back in harness (to resume work after a holiday)

·         To die in harness (to continue at one's occupation until death)

·         More haste less speed (work done hurriedly is apt to be badly done)

·         Make hay while the sun shines (take advantage of all opportunities)

·         To be in hot water (to be in trouble or difficulty)

·         To eat an humble pie (to submit oneself to humiliation and insult)

·         To kiss the book (to take an oath in a produce or commodities)

·         To kiss the dust (to be defeated in battle)

·         A laconic speech (a concise)

·         To look to one's laurels (to take care not to lose one's place)

·         To win laurels (to gain distinction or glory in s contest)

·         To smell of the lamp (to show signs of strenuous preparation for an examination or a speech etc)

·         Look before you leap (think before action)

·         To stand on one's own legs (to depend entirely on one's own resources)

·         To give the lie to (to prove to be false)

·         To bring to light (to reveal)

·         A Lilliputian (a pygmy)

·         The lion's share (the largest part)

·         Lock, stock and barrel (the whole of everything)

·         A Martinet (a very strict disciplinarian)

·         A miss is as good as a mile (comes nowhere near it)

·         To move heaven and earth (to exert all efforts)

·         To hit the nail on the head (to mention the true facts of a case)

·         A stitch in time saves nine (If we give our attention to the little details of life)

·         In a nutshell (Summed up in a few words)

·         Out of temper (angry)

·         To pick to pieces (to analyses critically)

·         The proof of the pudding is in eating (people are judged by their actions)

·         To put down a person (to degrade or humiliate a person)

·         To make a silk purse out of a sow's ear (to attempt to accomplish great things with inferior materials)

·         Pyrrhic victory (a victory that is as costly as defeat)

·         To be like a drowned rat (to be soaking wet)

·         Red flag (the symbol of revolution)

·         To be caught red-handed (to be caught in the very act of committing a crime)

·         Red letter-day (a memorable day)

·         Red tape (a team used to describe the delay in attending to matters in government department because the official routine and formality)

·         Rome was not built in a day (it takes time to accomplish anything really worthwhile)

·         To be between Scylla and Charybdis (to be faced with two dangerous alternatives)

·         To see daylight (to begin to understand)

·         A close shave (a narrow escape)

·         A skeleton in the cupboard/the family skeleton (a dreadful domestic secret)

·         By the skin of the teeth (very narrowly)

·         A snake in the grass (an enemy who strikes under cover)

·         A Spartan life (a life of extreme self discipline)

·         To call a spade a spade (to be brutally frank)

·         A rolling stone gathers no moss (unstable people never achieve anything worthwhile)

·         One swallow does not make a summer (it is unreliable to base one's conclusions on only a single test or incident)

·         Empty vessels make the most noise (those who know or have little knowledge often shout the loudest)

·         If wishes were horses, beggars might ride (if all people's wishes came true every body would be rich)

·         A nine days'wonder (an event which relates a sensation for a time but is soon forgotten)

·         Yellow press (newspapers which publish sensational and unscrupulous stories about crime, sex etc.)

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