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Idioms & Phrases

Idiom Meaning
Above board - Honest and open
At arms length - To keep at a distance
At the eleventh hour - At the last moment
At sixes and sevens - In a disordered manner
An apple of discord - A cause of quarrel
At home - Comfortable
Alpha and omega - The beginning and the end

n
At sea - Confused and lost

.i
At ones beck and call - At ones service

ot
An acid test - A critical test
Add fuel to the fire - To aggra va te the situation

sp
At a snails pace - Very slowly
To beat about the bush - Talk irrelevantly

og
A bone of contention - A source of quarrel
To burn ones boats - Go back on a decision

bl
To burn candle at both ends - To waste lavishly

s.
To build castles in the air - Make imaginary schemes
A bolt from the blue - Something unexpected
By leaps and bounds - Rapidly m
xa
A burning question - An important topic
To bell the cat - To face the risk
kE

A big gun - An important person

To blow ones own - To praise ones own
an

trumpet achievement
A bosom friend - A very close friend
A brown study - Dreaming
4B

A close shave - Narrow escape

To cut a sorry figure - To make a poor show
de

Take one to task - Rebuke

Turn a deaf ear - Disregard / ignore what one says
ui

By hook or by crook - By fair or foul means

.G

Gain ground - Become popular

Pay off old scores - Take revenge
w

Put a spoke in ones wheel - To upset ones plans

Turn over a new leaf - Change for the better
w

Make up ones mind - Decide

w

In the long run - Eventually; ultimately

In the nick of time - Just at the last moment
Through thick and thin - Under all conditions
With a high hand - Oppressively
Sitting on the fence - Hesitate between two decisions
Bring to light - Disclose
Burn ones fingers - Get into trouble by interfering in others affairs
Laugh ones head off - Laugh heartily
Chew the cud - Ponder over something
Hard and fast rules - Strict rules
Play second fiddle - Take an unimportant part
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Rank and file
By fits and starts
A wee bit
Out of the wood
Under his thumb
At ones wits end
Between the devil and the
deep sea
Burn the midnight oil
Call a spade a spade
Come off with flying colours
Hoping against hope
Hit the nail on the head
An axe to grind
Spread like wild fire
The gift of the gab
Throw out of gear
Tooth and nail
Take to ones heels
Die in harness
Out of the way
Read between the lines
In cold blood
Show a clean pair of heals
A thorn in the flesh
Smell a rat
Nip in the bud
Out of the question
Stick to ones guns
A man of straw
Leave no stone unturned
Harp on the same string
Take a leaf out of ones book
Like a fish out of water
ui
At ones beck and call
.G
Bury the hatchet
Feather ones own nest
w
Leave one in the lurch
To eat humble pie
w
To eat your words
w
To make both ends meet
In high spirits
Kill two birds with one stone
Let the cat out of the bag
Put the cart before the horse
A hard nut to crack
In hot water
Wash ones dirty linen
in public
On tenterhooks
To all names
- Ordinary persons
- In short periods, not regularly
- A little
- Free from difficulties and dangers
- Under his control
- In a state where one does not know what to do
- Between two dangers
- Work or study hard
- Spea k fr a n kl y a n d directly
- Be highly successful
- Without hope
n
- Do or say the exact thing
.i
- A personal interest in the matter
ot
- Spread quickly
sp
- Talent for speaking
og
- Disturb the work
- With all ones power
- Run away
bl
- Die while in service
s.
- Strange
- Understand the hidden meaning
- Deliberately; without emotion
m
xa
- Run away
- A constant source of annoyance
kE
- Suspect something foul
- Destroy in the early stage
an
- Impossible
- Remain faithful to the cause
4B
- A man of no substance
- Use all available means
- Dwell on the same subject
de
- Imitate one
- In a strange situation
- Under his control
- End the quarrel and make peace
- Make money unfairly
- Desert one in difficulties; leave one in a helpless condition
- To apologize humbly; to yield under humiliating circumstances
- To take back what you have said
- To live within ones income
- Very happy
- To achieve two results with one effort
- Reveal a secret
- Put or do things in the wrong order
- A difficult problem
- In trouble
- Discuss unpleasant
private matters before strangers
- In a state of suspense and anxiety
- To abuse
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To get rid of
At daggers drawn
To play ducks and drakes
To take the bull by the horns
Rain cats and dogs
To move heaven and earth
No avail
Bark up the wrong tree
Keep one at bay
Make a clean breast of it
Have a card up ones sleeve
Like a cat on hot bricks
Cat and dog life
Cock and bull story
Cry for the moon
The pros and cons
Be in a tight corner
Cross ones ts and dot
ones is
Keep ones fingers crossed
de
ui
.G
w
w
w
- Dispose of
- Bitterly hostile
- To act foolishl y or inconsistently
- To tackle a problem in a bold and direct fashion
- Rain heavily
- To make a supreme effort
- Without any result
- Accuse or denounce the wrong person
- Keep one at a distance
- Confess especially when a person has done a wrong thing
- Have a secret plan in reserve
- Very nervous
n
- Life full of quarrels
.i
- Made up story that one should not believe
ot
- Ask for the impossible
- The various aspects of a matter in detail
sp
- In a very diffi cul t situation
og
- Be precise, careful and
exact
- The anxiety in which you hope that nothing will upset your plans
bl
s.
m
xa
kE
an
4B