Idioms are expressions or turns of expressions whose meanings cannot be immediately derived except when considered critically beyond

the literal level. The meanings of idiomatic expressions are always hidden thus giving them deeper meaning different from the surface. The meanings of idioms cannot be derived if we consider the individual words that make them up. Rather, we should consider all the words in association or connection.

The following are some universally accepted idioms and their meanings: 1. to be at the loose end to be desperate in doing something. 2. the apple of ones eye somebody or someone dear or precious. 3. all ears to pay more attention. 4. to have a lions heart to have great courage. 5. in an apple pie order in a well arrange order. 6. to have a dutch courage to acquire courage only when drunk.

7. no through fare no entry. 8. to be light fingered to be a thief. 9. to hold ones tongue to keep quite or silence. 10. to face the music to meet worse situation. 11. to raise the wind to obtain money. 12. bag and luggage everything. 13. to split hairs to argue. 14. all my eyes nonsense.

15. to spin a yam to tell a story. 16. an iron hand in a velvet one who acts differently from his/her looks. 17. to go through fire and water to endure/withstand difficulty. 18. to take faulty wind to have a short sleep or nap. 19. to look blue to be sad. 20. To bite the dust to die. 21. A high brow an intellectual or scholar. 22. To hit below the belt to be unfair.

23. at the eleven hours at the last moment. 24. to pick to pieces to analyse critically. 25. to be in six and seven to be in a state of confusion. 26. to be in a balance to be undecided. 27. to keep at arms length to avoid coming in contact with person. 28. to save ones face to avoid disgrace. 29. to burn the midnight oil to work till late in the night. 30. to throw dust in ones eye to deceive someone.

Exercise: Write the correct interpretation of the following idiomatic expressions: 1. to let a sleeping dog lie 2. to rain dog and cat 3. a white elephant 4. a black sheep 5. to turn the tables on somebody 6. to play second fiddle to somebody else

7. to give somebody a blank check 8. to take the bull by he horns 9. a red herring 10. A white lie