1. Do not prophesize so much. You may be forced to eat your words.

( take back what

you have said)

2. She was the only one who stood by him through thick and thin.( under all conditions,
good and bad).

3. Steve turned a deaf ear to his father’ advice. ( disregarded)

4. We reached the airport in the nick of time. ( just at the right moment)

5. The teacher took him to task for the cheekiness with which he answered. (rebuked
him)

6. Though he was generally very liberal, he had to put his foot down when his daughter
asked him for permission to get a body tattoo. ( take a stand)

7. She found it very difficult to make both ends meet with the meagrely widow’s pension
which she got. ( live within the income)

8. The whole idea of setting up a new committee to deal with disciplinary violations has
fallen flat. ( failed)

9. The interaction with the villagers brought to light a number of issues which hadn’t
been thought of before. ( brought to the forefront, disclosed)

10. The job which she got in the factory made her live from hand to mouth. ( without
having any scope for saving for the future)

11. Though he spoke very forcefully yet his arguments did not hold water. ( were
unsound)

12. After they separated, there is no love lost between them. ( they dislike each other)

13. He visits me off and on. ( occasionally)

14. Despite being opposed by everyone else in the room, he stood to his guns.
( maintained his opinion)

15. There are innumerable people in our country who cannot even afford a square meal a
day.( a full meal)

16. She is in hot water for insulting the teacher publicly. ( in trouble)

17. Unlike his siblings, he didn’t join the family profession and went on to gamble away a
substantial amount of the family heirlooms. He is the black sheep of the family. ( bad
character)
18. Being under the thumb of her mother-in-law, she had no other option than to give up
her job. ( completely under the influence of )

19. He sent us on a wild-goose chase. There was no shop called ‘Smith and Sons’. ( a
futile search)

20. The sons are at daggers drawn over the whole inheritance issue. ( their relations are
strained, they are fighting)

21. Though she is on the wrong side of forty yet she loves to dress up and go to eating
joints frequented by youngsters. ( more than forty years of age)

22. After she was orphaned the nuns of the missionary took her under their wing. ( under
their care)

23. The victim was found to be in a state of nature. ( naked)

24. He did yeoman service for all the indigo sharecroppers. ( excellent work)

25. The territory still remains a bone of contention between the two countries. ( subject of
dispute)

26. The whole lecture was Greek to me. ( beyond my understanding)

27. Afraid of his advances, she keeps him at arm’s length. ( at a distance)

28. He did not mince his words and this offended some of the people in the audience.
(spoke unreservedly)

29. Though he comes across as a grumpy old fellow, his heart is in the right place. ( good
natured)

30. My hands are full as of now but I will contact you once I am over with a few projects.
(very busy)

31. He had no other option left but to put the house on market. (for sale)

32. Her blood ran cold on seeing the snake slithering towards her. (horrified)

33. The news of the murder spread like wild fire. ( spread very fast)

34. You have hit the nail on the head. ( said or done the correct thing)

35. On the day of the fete, there was a spirit of excitement in the air. (prevalent
everywhere)

36. He is in the running for the post of the President. ( has good chances)

37. He has the gift of the gab and this helps him in his job as an interviewer. (talent for
speaking)
38. After the cheating incident, Alex has been in the bad books of his teacher. ( his
teacher does not have a good opinion of him)

39. Before making further strategies, we need to take stock of the whole situation.
(survey)

40. As a token of gratitude, he footed the bill at the farewell dinner. ( paid the bill)

41. Since her dog has died she seems to be out of spirits all the time. ( gloomy and sad)

42. Once I promise you something, I will not go back on my word. ( fail to keep the
promise)

43. Everything was at sixes and sevens in the club once the brawl started. ( there was
disorder and confusion)

44. She knows the names of all chemical compounds at her finger’s ends. ( knows them
very well)

45. He is in hand and glove with his master. ( on very intimate terms, sometimes it could
mean in partnership for something wrong)

46. This plan will be very useful in the long run. ( eventually)

47. He made his mark in the field of physics at a very early age. ( distinguished himself)

48. His ego is too much for him to eat humble pie. ( to apologize humbly)

49. Bad habits should be nipped in the bud. ( dealt with before they mature)

50. The financial aspect is where the shoe pinches. ( where the trouble lies)

51. Though he was caught for over speeding yet the policeman let him off with a warning.
( let him go without punishment)

52. She kept her husband in the dark for almost two years and it came as a great shock
when the doctor told him about her terminal illness. (did not tell him on purpose)

53. Some action needs to be taken or the situation will get out of hand. ( will become
uncontrollable)

54. He followed in his father’s footsteps and went on to become a famous blacksmith.
(followed his profession, it could also mean following someone’s ideals or principles
or taking the same course of action )

55. Arthritic pain usually flares up in the winters. ( increases manifold)

56. It took her a little while to get the hang of all the controls in the car. ( understand)
57. The case may take a turn because of the new facts which have come to light. (been
revealed)

58. He was always bent on troubling the teacher and came up with a new prank every
day. (determined)

59. The match was called off because of the volatile situation in the city. (cancelled)

60. While deciding her guilt we cannot brush aside the fact that she suffers from a mental
disorder. (disregard)

61. It is imperative for her to live upto the expectations of her parents. (attain a standard)

62. He found it difficult to keep pace with the seasoned climbers. (progress at the same
rate)

63. Due to shortage of funds, the factory laid off fifty employees. (temporarily dismissed
from service)

64. The shower of bullets mowed down seven soldiers in a matter of seconds. (cut down
like grass, killed)

65. Due to the excessively low profits shown by them in the last quarter, most analysts
believe that it is time for Laywon Private Limited to pack up. (shut down, give up)

66. It would not be advisable to rake up old disputes at the conference. (dig up something
which has been forgotten)

67. You must read between the lines to understand the actual message of the author.
(gather implied meanings)

68. The chances of his winning the election are slim since he is pitted against one of the
most respected and loved citizens of the town. (in competition against)

69. The sudden sound of birds flapping their wings pierced the eerie silence. Jack was
scared out of his wits.(frightened very badly)

70. He always tries to play down the work done by his partner. ( show as less important)

71. He wants to get the deal by hook or by crook. ( by any means)

72. The donation given to the orphanage is just a drop in the bucket for the millionaire. ( a
very small part of something)

73. We managed to finish the assignment though we worked against the clock. (there was
shortage of time)
74. Though he doesn’t work as much as he ought to, he is a backseat driver and keeps
criticizing all his colleagues for their work. ( unwanted criticism, like a person sitting
on the backseat keeps criticizing the driver)

75. I am afraid that by accepting this assignment I may be biting off more than I can
chew. ( accepting more work than I can handle)

76. The thieves had managed to escape with everything except the kitchen sink. ( almost
everything had been included)

77. They had a field day interviewing restaurant owners and tasting the most sumptuous
dishes. ( had an amazing time)

78. You can’t always keep blaming him for the fights, it takes two to tango. ( two people
are involved in a fight, you can’t hold only one responsible)

79. The teacher gave the invigilator specific instructions to keep an eye on Aynes. ( watch
over)

80. Though we got off on the wrong foot yet we went on to become great friends. (had a
bad start )

81. He keeps giving the media people some interesting scoops but they are always off the
record. (unofficially)

82. She prizes her daughter above everything else. (considers her to be the most valuable
and the most important)

83. He is still on the fence and has been unable to choose between the two companies.
(undecided)

84. Pedalling to the metal gives him an adrenaline rush. (driving at full speed)

85. Mark threatened to pull the plug and go to the police if his conditions were not met.
(put an end to something)

86. She has not been coming to work for a few days because she’s a bit under the
weather. (feeling ill)

87. It is a common thing for the high-ups to keep passing the buck. (avoid responsibility
by blaming someone else)

88. They fought over the way they should invest but it’s all under the bridge now. (a
thing of the past)

89. After the accident, the weight lifter was just a shadow of his former self. (not as strong
or healthy as before)
 90. After he got to know about her job of a waitress, he gives her the cold shoulder
whenever they meet. (ignores, is hostile towards)

91. The banana fritters sell like hot cakes. (sell very fast)

92. The enterprise has become dead in the water since Jack left. (making no progress)

93. We are sure that the new software will blow the software of all other companies out of
water. (to defeat someone you are competing with)

94. The student from the foreign-exchange programme felt like a fish out of water in all
traditional events. (felt awkward)

95. I hope they give me a joining date soon, sitting around at home the whole day is
making me antsy. ( restless)

96. We hardly get an opportunity to shoot the breeze. (talk idly)

97. The boss feels that one of the junior partners has sold out. ( given away secrets for
money, betrayed)

98. She could not sell her mother on her idea of going for a trekking expedition to the
Amazon. (convince her to accept the idea)

99. I think he is selling himself short when he says he will not qualify for the football
team. (underestimating himself)

100. They had no other option but to sell all the furniture for a song before moving abroad.
(sell for a very low price)

101. He sent the little children off their business. ( dismissed them in an unfriendly
manner)
102. He served time in his earlier days but he is a completely honest citizen now. (went to
jail)
103. The small pair of scissors will serve my purpose until I get a proper pair from the
market. (will be useful for a certain need)
104. The stories of the two accused did not dovetail with each other. ( fit in)
105. The new idea is as useful as a chocolate teapot. ( is of no use)
106. After hearing about the callous way in which they treat the children working there, I
have never set foot in that restaurant. ( entered, stepped into)
107. I have to settle a score with her. (to retaliate against someone for a past wrong)
108. All the deals of the company are above board. (have been carried out in a legal
manner)
109. There are a number of dealings which happen under the table in some companies.
(hidden and illegal)
110. The rules related to leave and absence apply across the board. (to everyone
uniformly)
 111. He was shaken up after reading about the bomb blasts in the city the previous day.
(agitated, scared, disturbed)
112. The training helped the small town girl to shape up. (to better one’s behaviour,
performance)
113. He keeps shooting his mouth off about his various abilities. (keeps boasting)
114. Earlier women always used to get the short end of the stick at work but things have
begun to change now. (unfair treatment)
115. They were forced into a short gun wedding by their parents. (a forced wedding)
116. He is not willing to show us his cards. (tell us about his plans)
117. The restaurant employees were quick in showing the tramp the door. (asking someone
to leave)
118. Their grandfather is always a sight for sore eyes. ( a welcome sight)
119. The audience sat on its hands after the horrible performance by the singers. ( refused
to clap)
120. They put two and two together and figured out the next move of the criminal. (draw
conclusions about something)
121. The idea of making Saturday a holiday did not sit well with the boss.(did not please
him)
122. He will not part with his house until he is six feet under. ( dead)
123. A huge system of smoke and mirrors were used to hide the misappropriation of funds.
(deception, confusion)
124. He gave his boss a song and a dance for being late. ( an excuse)
125. He is famous among his acquaintances for speaking with a forked tongue. ( speaking
lies)
126. She had to cough up a hefty fine for wrong parking. (forced to pay)
127. They had to shell out a substantial amount for their son’s bike. (pay)
128. The organization has decided to ante up a huge sum for the victims of the flood. (pay
up)1
129. He often wishes that he could blow the whistle on the company’s malpractices without
being in danger of losing his job. (report an illegal activity)
130. She has an innate ability of talking nineteen to the dozen. (talk very fast)
131. She is very particular about keeping her room spick and span. (absolutely clean)
132. He disguised himself as a sage to escape the arm of law. (the power or authority of
law)
133. The university is said to have the cream of the crop as its faculty. (the best)
134. He lost out to another candidate who was proficient in SQL and Java. It’s such a dog-
eat- dog world. (there is a lot of competition, only the best survive)
135. The salary issue is a hot potato for the management these days. (a difficult problem)
136. All the guests were dressed up to the nines for the ball. (were wearing fancy clothes)
137. She was at sixes and sevens on the first day of her internship. (completely lost,
confused)
1
‘Shell out’, ‘cough up’ and ‘ante out’ all imply the same but ‘ante out’ is used formally whereas the other two
are used informally.
138. The company’s profits are soaring right now but the economic recession is a real
cloud on the horizon. ( a threat which is not immediate)
139. He was over the moon on being promoted to a managerial post. (was extremely
happy)
140. The police have decided to crack down on all traffickers at the interstate border. (take
measures to restrict criminal activities)
141. You have to toe the line to be in the Principal’s good books. (follow all rules and
regulations)
142. I got the information straight from the horse’s mouth. (from the person who is in the
best position to know it)
143. Mr Wilson keeps saying that Dennis gets up his nose. (annoys him)
144. He takes his dreams too strongly and has his head in the clouds.( is out of touch with
reality)
145. The company is going to the dogs after a change in the leadership. (is deteriorating)
146. All the hopes of having free medical treatment for all are just pie in the sky.
( something which is promised but is unlikely to happen)
147. She let the cat out of the bag and spoilt all the fun. (let out a secret)
148. They rolled out the red carpet for James at the seminar. ( gave a very special
treatment)
149. The teacher told all the students to pull up their socks if they wanted to fare better in
the final examinations.
150. He is all black and blue after the fight. ( bruised all over)
151. The whole family was glad to see the back of their self- invited guest. ( glad to see
him gone)
152. The students couldn’t keep a straight face when the teacher started talking in her
native accent. (could not stop laughing)
153. She cried her eyes out after going back home. ( cried a lot)
154. The teacher didn’t know the answer off hand but she looked it up and told the students
the next day. ( immediately, without checking)
155. To cap it all they had coffee with ice cream. ( to finish up)
156. The car is on its last legs but it serves my purpose. (in a bad condition and will not
last for very long)
157. He had a brush with the law at a very young age. ( dealing with the police for a minor
crime)
158. No one in their right would ever consider driving at a speed of more than fifty
kilometres per hour in a hill station. ( only a crazy person would do such a thing)
159. The eerie noises at midnight are just a figment of the old lady’s imagination. ( are not
true)
160. Talking to you is like talking to a brick wall. ( not getting a reply, not serving any
purpose)
161. The hikers wolfed down their grub in a few minutes. ( devoured)
162. Mrs Woolworth told the children to go for a walk and work up an appetite. ( increase
their hunger by indulging in some physical exercise)
163. We had a whale of a time in our holidays. ( an excellent time )
164. The new television will cost an arm and a leg. ( it is very expensive)
165. He rabbits on about the accomplishments of his children whenever he finds a listening
ear. ( talks endlessly)
166. She did not bat an eyelid when they told her about their dismal result. ( did not show
any surprise)
167. It is very rare for her to do so but when she hits the roof no one can save you. ( gets
very angry)
168. There has been a lot of wear and tear of the car over the years. ( damage because of
continuous use)
169. Less sleep is a part and parcel of an actor’s job. ( an integral part)
170. The whole tale about his royal lineage is an out-an-out lie. ( a complete lie)
171. She is a prim and proper old lady. ( conservative)
172. He won the arm wrestling match fair and square. ( won it fairly)
173. He hit the roof when he got to know about his son being involved in a binging spree. (
got extremely angry)
174. They get along very well with each other because they are always on the same
wavelength. (have similar opinions and understand each other)
175. He tried his best to worm his way out of the boring night duty. ( get out of)
176. He made money hand over fist from his enterprise. ( make money very fast)
177. The accident has left him in dire straits. (a difficult situation)
178. He is on the wagon now though he used to drink a lot earlier. (does not drink)
179. The patient had no chance of survival but the doctor decided to wave a dead chicken
to satisfy the family and prescribed a course of chemotherapy. (take an action which
you know in advance will be futile)
180. There are rumours of the minister being in cahoots with some of the spy agents from
the enemy country. (in partnership with someone, usually for a dishonest reason)
181. He has decided to take a back seat and let his son run the club. (choose to decrease his
involvement)
182. He won’t mind us talking. He is dead to the world. ( fast asleep, won’t be disturbed)
183. Her grades took a nosedive after she got selected for the lacrosse team. (decreased
suddenly and to a great extent)
184. She is leading a dog’s life in her son’s home. (a bad and unpleasant state of existence)
185. The economy of the country is still in the doldrums. ( gloomy situation)
186. The bus driver suddenly decided to follow a different route and as a result many
passengers had to disembark in the middle of nowhere. They could not find any other
means of transport and were left in the lurch. (left in a difficult situation)
187. The government is dragging its feet on the issue of banning illegitimate felling of
trees. (delaying a decision, not showing enthusiasm)
188. They were not very keen on taking him for the rafting trip because he comes across as
a wet blanket. ( someone who spoils all the fun or doesn’t let others have fun)
189. He managed to win the election by a nose. ( by a small margin)
190. She is not the kind of person to take such accusations lying down. ( suffer without
protesting)
191. He made himself scarce when the fight between the couple got ugly. (left a place in
order to avoid an embarrassing situation)
192. They decided to go Dutch to foot the bill. ( contribute )
193. The project work is done and dusted. ( finished completely)
194. He has a number of ventures. He’s got more than one iron in the fire. ( involved in a
number of things at the same time)
195. The electoral candidate did not want the press to get wind of the fact that he had been
in two unsuccessful marriages earlier. ( hear about a private matter)
196. He is expected to take the floor after the welcome speech. ( make a speech or a
presentation)
197. The actress is always asking for the moon and this often irks the director. ( making
unreasonable demands)
198. He used to be an excellent drummer in his salad days. ( during his youth)
199. They are barely managing to survive with the meagre income they get from being on
the dole. ( being given financial assistance from the government)
200. Though he looks as if he is just off the boat, he is experienced and diligent.
( inexperienced, naive)
201. The eye operation gave him a new lease of life. ( a fresh start, a chance to live a better
life)
202. He was lucky enough to return alive from the concentration camp but he had become
a bag of bones. ( extremely thin)
203. He couldn’t bear to take it by himself any longer and bared his soul to his brother.
( revealed his innermost thoughts, feelings)
204. The unrest has reached a fever pitch in some districts. ( become very intensive)
205. They had plans of going to Nepal but on seeing the political situation there they
thought the better of it. (decide to not do something earlier planned)
206. The whole concept of metaphysics is beyond her. ( beyond the understanding of)
207. He finally decided to come clean and told his parents about how he broke the window
while playing cricket. (admit the truth)
208. You begin to see the seamy side of life when you travel to the interior parts which are
absolutely cut off from the rest of humanity. ( the unpleasant side, like the side of
clothes on which the stitches are visible)
209. This report involves a lot of blood, sweat and tears. ( a lot of hard work)
210. The brain-drain is affecting developing countries adversely. (departure of highly
qualified professionals to other countries where they have better opportunities)
211. She is almost living out of a suitcase because of her job’s requirements. (is travelling
a lot)
212. Her parents will go bananas if she tells them about her engagement to a musician.
( go crazy)
213. Our university is at the cutting edge of legal research. ( at the most advanced stage of
something, especially development in some field)
214. A slightly lighter shade should do the trick. ( achieve the desired effect)
215. He looks like death warmed up after the long sessions of radiotherapy. ( very ill or
tired)
216. He groaned inwardly when the boss gave him work for the weekend. (felt very bad
but remained silent)
217. He plans to hang up his boots in around three years time and make his son incharge
of the orchard. (retire)
218. He was always against women who worked but had a change of heart when he met
Jane. (sudden change in feelings)
219. She is considered eccentric but she couldn’t give a hoot about what other people
think. (is not bothered)
220. He has a bee in his bonnet about setting up his own furniture shop. (an idea which
continuously occupies his mind)
221. He goes into overdrive whenever an issue related to the environment comes up.
( works very hard)
222. She has never been under the knife before. (been operated)
223. He was hoping against hope that the fire had not harmed his home. ( hoping even the
situation is bleak)
224. She kept a stiff upper lip even after hearing about the accident. ( controlled her
emotions)
225. He is the number cruncher of the firm and is well aware of the financial threat that is
looming. ( good with accounts and numbers)
226. He is always willing to go the extra mile to help us. ( do more than what is expected
227. We are thinking of new ideas to stay ahead of the pack. ( to be better than the rivals)
228. I got a lump in my throat when Wayne gave the farewell speech. ( felt strong
emotions)
229. Don’t speak to her about minority discrimination. You will be striking a raw nerve.
(touching upon an issue which the person is very sensitive about)
230. The police have not been able to make much headway in the investigation. (progress )
231. He decided to paddle his canoe at a very young age and started working towards
setting up his own business. ( work without interference from anyone else)
232. He has been in the business for six decades now and knows all the tricks of the trade.
(the clever way of doing things)
233. Even at this old age she is right as rain. (healthy)
234. It took him a little while to learn the ropes when he initially joined the firm. (learn
how to do a particular job)
235. There a number of employees waiting in the wings with the hope of becoming the
manager. (waiting to replace someone)
236. Though the text was written in great detail yet I couldn’t see the woods for the trees.
( so engrossed in the details that you can’t make out the whole situation in general)
237. I could not follow every word of the lecture but I got the drift. (get the general
essence)
238. There is no silver bullet for the problem of poverty. (magical solution)
239. She was up and about a week after the operation. (moving about)
240. With the fete just around the corner, we need to start thinking of publicity ideas.
(about to happen soon)
241. She was on tenterhooks as they announced the result. (was very nervous)
242. She is an amazing teacher and all the children think the world of her. (admire her very
much)
243. He dug in his heels and refused to be taken to the hospital. (refuse to do something)
244. The internship will be the acid test for Barne. (the actual test)
245. He is living the life of Riley after he won the lottery. (a comfortable and luxurious life)
246. You can’t ask him for solutions to such problems. He lives in an ivory tower. (is
oblivious to the problems faced by others)
247. We don’t want the secret recipes to wind up in the wrong hands. (come into the
possession of a rival or someone whom it is not desirable should have it)
248. Psychologists condemn the carrot and stick approach some parents use with their
children. ( a method of offering rewards or beating up the children so that they
perform in a desirable manner)
249. The husband and wife are like chalk and cheese. ( completely different from each
other)
250. She is absolutely cheesed off with her boss. (annoyed with)