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8. Apple of someone's eyes
Meaning: someone loved very much.
Example: His youngest son was the apple of his eye.
9. Ask for the Moon
Meaning: to ask for too much.
Example: There's no point hoping for a permanent peace in the area. It's like asking
for the moon.
10. Asleep at the switch
Meaning: not to be alert on opportunity
Example: Health experts were asleep at the switch when the disease began to
spread rapidly again.
11. At sixes and sevens
Meaning: to be lost and bewildered
Example: Riya is at sixes and sevens since the death of her husband.
12. At someone's beck and call
Meaning: to be always ready to serve
Example: Imagine what it's like to have a cook and a maid at your beck and call.
13. At an arm's length
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20. Above board
Meaning: straight; without concealment, legitimate; open.
Example: No tricks, please. We want the deal to be above board completely.
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11.Bear the brunt of
Meaning: take the main force, often of a criticism or unpleasant event.
Example: When the teachers and other government employees went on a strike,
they did not realize they’d have to bear the brunt of public anger when they go
back to work.
12.Burn the candle at both the ends
Meaning: exhaust someone’s energies or resources by leading a hectic life.
Example: She has been burning the candle at both ends by doing a full-time job
and preparing for her International English Language Test exams.
13.Bury the hatchet
Meaning: make peace; end a quarrel, settle one’s differences to become friends
again.
Example 1: The two neighboring countries India and Pakistan have often been
advised by the world bodies to bury the hatchet for their own progress.
14.Bury head in the sand
Meaning: refuse to think about an unpleasant situation, hoping that it will improve
so that you will not have to deal with it.
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Example: Parents and Principal said ragging was being ignored and accused the
girls hostel’s warden of burying her head in the sand, in Perth city of Australia.
15.Blue blood
Meaning: descent from nobility, aristocrat.
Example: She often tell her friends that she has blue blood flowing through her
veins.
16.By dint of
Meaning: as result of something.
Example: Mark got what he wanted by dint of requesting and threatening
17.Break a leg
Meaning: good luck, best wishes
Example:
to wish someone luck especially before a performance
“Break a leg!” I shouted out to him before he rushed in for his auditions.
18.Born with a silver spoon in mouth
Meaning: To be born to parents who are rich and have a good social rank.
Example: He does not need this job as much as I do, he is born with a silver spoon
in his mouth.
19.Beyond the pale
Meaning
An unacceptable way to express something.
Something that is not considered decent.
Example:
They broke up because her behaviour was simply beyond the pale.
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1. Call a spade a spade
Meaning: Speak frankly and directly
Example: Well, I believe it's time to call a spade a spade.
2. Come through with flying colours
Meaning: Be highly successful
Example: The officer training was grueling, but he came through with flying
colours.
3. Cock and bull story
Meaning: Made up story that one should not believe
Example: Don't give me that cock-and-bull story
4. Cross one’s t’s and dot
Meaning: Be precise, careful and one’s i’s exact
Example: The negotiations are nearly finished, but we still have to dot the i's and
cross the t's.
5. Chew the cud
Meaning: Ponder over something
Example: He sat for a moment chewing the cud before he spoke.
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Meaning: to continue
Example: If you carry on working hard, your business will soon flourish.
14. Cast away
Meaning: to throw aside
Example:You must cast away all your apprehensions and accept the offer.
15. Catch up with
Meaning: to overtake
Example:Last week I had to stay late at the office to catch up with some pending
files.
1. Donkey’s year
Meaning: a very long year
Example: Nowadays one has to wait donkey’s years to get justice.
2. Dog days
Meaning: hottest days of summer
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Example: The dog days of summer are a difficult period for those who have to
work out in the open.
3. Dead ringer
Meaning: A duplicate of the exact things.
Example: The car that is parked in that garage is a dead ringer of the car that my
dad used to own a couple of years back.
4. Dark horse
Meaning: One who was previously unknown but is now prominent
Example: You never can tell, some dark horse many come along and win a House
of Lords seat.
5. Dog's life
Meaning: a miserable, unhappy existence.
Example: I have to work everyday from dawn to sunset and come back home to
take care of the children. It's really a dog's life.
6. Down to earth
Meaning: simple, decent, realistic; practical and straightforward.
Example: She is very down to earth person, not at all attracted by the glamour
world.
7. Down at heel
Meaning: Out of luck, shabbily dressed
Example: Since Ashok lost his job, he is always down at heel.
8. Doom and Gloom
Meaning: A feeling of pessimism and despondency, often with regard to business
or political prospects.
9. Drive up the wall
Meaning: to make someone angry or irritated
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Example: The loud music played by my neighbours is driving me up the wall.
10. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning: don’t put all your resources into one thing
Example: It would be better if you applied to several companies instead of just
one; don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
11. Dead and buried
If something is dead and buried, it has all long been settled and is not going to be
reconsidered.
12. Dead in the water
If something is dead in the water, it isn't going anywhere or making any progress
13. Dip your toe in the water
Meaning: (also dip a toe in the water) said when you start something carefully
because you are not sure whether it will work or not.
Example: I am doing some volunteer work at the new school to try and dip my toe
in the water of working in the education field
14. Devil of a time
Meaning: If you have a devil of a time, you have a very difficult time.
Example: Before she divorced, Ann had had a devil of a time with my her husband.
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Examples: She writes highly accurate reports – she always dots her i’s and crosses
her t’s.
22. Dig own grave
Meaning: do something stupid that will seriously harm oneself, cause one’s own
ruin or downfall.
Example: If she continues to behave like this to her senior officer, she’ll be digging
her own grave.
3. Egg on
Meaning: to urge or push someone to do something
Example: The boy is always egging his friend on to do stupid things.
4. Eye of the storm
Meaning: The center of a problem
Example: The politician was in the eye of the storm because of the accounting
scandal.
5. Excuse (someone)
Meaning: to forgive someone
Example: We excused the man for his rude comments because he did not know
any better.
6. Eagle eye
Meaning: Quick to discover ( Unusually keen sight)
Example: A good students has an eagle eyes for his errors.
7. Empty vessels make the most noise
Meaning: Those who know or have little knowledge often shout the loudest
Example: Ram tells as if he's an expert on everything, but empty vessels make
most noise.
8. Earn one's keep
Meaning: To perform satisfactory physical labor or to provide other worthy
services in return for remuneration, lodging, or other benefits; to support oneself
financially.
1.For Good
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Meaning: Forever or permanently
Example: I am leaving for good this time.
2. Few and Far between
Meaning: Not very many or not appearing very frequently
Example: He grew up at a time when jobs were few and far between.
3. Fancy Price
Meaning: Very high price
Example: I have paid a fancy price for this ordinary pen.
4. Flogging a dead horse
Meaning: to waste time trying to do something that will not succeed
5. Fish out of water
Meaning: In bad condition
Example: In the company old men I felt like a fish out of water.
6. Fool 's paradise
Meaning: in false wish
Example: If you hope to pass, you are in a fool's paradise
7. Forty winks
Meaning: little sleep in day
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Example: The team had partied late into the night, but on match day, each of them
was as fit as a fiddle.
15. Freudian Slip
Meaning: A speaker's unintentional mistake revealing his true thoughts
Example: The reporter made a Freudian Slip and said "condom" instead of
"condemn".
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13. head over heels
Meaning: fall deeply and completely in love, especially suddenly
Example: She and her husband make an amazing couple. They are head over heels
in love and are very supportive of each other.
14.Hit the sack or hit the hay
Meaning: to go to bed, to go to sleep
Example: After I hit the sack, I read for sometime before turning off the lights and
going to sleep.
15. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: be accurately right about something
Example: He is a smart debugger. Every time you take a broken code to him, he
will hit the nail on the head and tell you the exact problem.
16. High on the hog
Meaning: Living in luxury.
Example: He will not be able to live in these conditions because he has always had
it from high on the hog.
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1. In a trice
Meaning: Without causing any delays.
Example:I will be there in a trice, stop calling me so often.
2. In a tight corner
Meaning: to be in a difficult situation
Example: She had been in tight corners before and had always managed to get out
of them.
3. In deep water
Meaning: in difficulty, in problem.
Example: I’m going to bein deep waterif my boss refuses to approve the project
done by me after the hard work of a week.
4. In a nut shell
Meaning: to state something very concisely
Example: The explanation is long and involved, but let me put it in a nutshell for
you. To put it in a nutshell: you are fired!
5. In the dark
Meaning: uninformed, a state of ignorance.
Example: We’re still in the dark about the company’s layoff policy.
6. In cold blood
Meaning: in a planned way and without pity or other emotion.
Example: One young lady was shot dead in cold blood inside the premises of
shopping complex.
7. look on the bright side
Meaning: try to see something good in a bad situation.
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Example: Nothing is impossible for Junior John Sinha if he learn to look on the
bright side.
8. In the blink of an eye
Meaning: in an instant.
Example: In the blink of an eye the robber disappeared from the bank with the bag
of Gold jewelry.
9. In black and white
Meaning: formally, on paper and in writing.
Example: He asked his old mother not to worry as the terms of the hand agreement
were spelled out in black and white.
10.In the good books
Meaning: be in somebody’s favour or good opinion.
Example: The fact that he always managed to be in the good books of the bosses
surprised one and all.
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Meaning:This expression means that justice is impartial and objective.
Use:No matter who you are, you must respect the law. Justice is blind!
9.Jangle someone’s nerves
Meaning:Annoy someone or make them nervous.
Use:The noise of the dog jangled my nerves.
10.Jump for joy
Meaning:To be extremely happy:
Use:The blood tests so far show my mother doesn't have cancer, but it's still too
early to jump for joy because she has to have more tests.
11.Just deserts
Meaning::Get what one deserves.
Use:After a lot of hard work he got his just deserts.
Example: They were really very poor, but they had enough to keep the wolf from
the door.
2. Kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: accomplish two different things at the same time
Example: I have to go to the bank, and on the way back, I’ll pick up the groceries
also, killing two birds with one stone.
3. Keep your chin up
Meaning: be stalwart and courageous in a tough situation
Example: Don’t let the difficulties intimidate you; keep your chin up.
4. Keep fingers crossed
Meaning: hope that things will happen in the way you want them to.
Example: I’m keep my fingers crossed that my husband clears the written
interview this Monday to join British Intelligence Bureau.
5. Keep at arm’s length
Meaning: keep a distance, avoiding intimacy or familiarity.
Example: He always had the feeling that she was keeping him at arm’s length.
6. Keep an eyes on him
Meaning: You should carefully watch him.
Example: Carol asked me if I would mind keeping an eye on her houseplants while
she was in Cuba.
7. Keep body and soul together
Meaning: To earn a sufficient amount of money in order to keep yourself alive.
Example: He earns barely enough to keep body and soul together.
8. Knee Jerk reaction
Meaning: A quick reaction that doen’t allow you time to consider something
carefully (It is always disapproving)
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9. Knock on wood
Meaning: Knuckle tapping on wood in order to avoid some bad luck.
10. Kick the bucket
Meaning: to die.
Example: Sad news! He kicked the bucket.
11. Len me your ear
Meaning: To politely ask for some’s full attention
Example: Lend an ear to me and I will tell you a story. Lend your ear to what I am
saying.
12. Let bygones be bygones
Meaning: To forget about a disagreement or argument.
Example: There is a feeling here that we should let bygones be bygones and move
on to more important things.
13. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To share a secret that wasn’t suppose to be shared.
Example:Amazingly, not one of the people who knew about the surprise let the cat
out of the bag.
14. Level Playing field
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Meaning:Listen to me
Use:Mark my words; this boy is going to become a great ruler.
7.Marry money
Meaning:To marry a rich person
Use:She married to sandeep Ambani and got rich.
8.Meet one's death
Meaning:To die.
Use:A friend of mine met his death when he got hit by a train.
9.Minting it
Meaning:Earning a lot of money quickly.
Use:The company is minting it is only due to new manager.
10.Miss the boat
Meaning:To fail to take advantage of an opportunity.
Use:A good business opportunity comes in ram’s life but ram miss the boat.
11.Maiden voyage
Meaning:The first voyage of a ship or boat
Use:The maiden voyage of the Titanic ship was very popular.
12.Make a beeline for
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wickets.
2.Not hold water
Meaning: Not true of relevant
Use: Her reasons for her absent yesterday didn't hold water.
3.Nothing to sneeze at
Meaning: Not bad, Acceptable
Use: Their music may not be worthy of radio time, but it's nothing to sneeze at.
4.No love lost
Meaning: A feeling of hatred or dislike
Use: There is no love lost between two neighbours.
5.Night owl
Meaning: Someone who is vigilant late at night
Use: When exam started ram become a night owl.
6.Not give a damn
Meaning: Irresponsible
Use: Most industrial houses don’t give a damn about the environment.
7.Null and Void
Meaning: Not effective
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Use: The plan of opening a new branch of SBI in villages is on the table.
2.Once bitten, twice shy
Meaning: Afraid of doing a thing again
Use: After he left her she refused to go out with anyone else for a long time - once
bitten, twice shy, I suppose.
3.Out of the blue
Meaning: Something unexpected
Use: The result of my exam comes out of the blue, as it is expected after 6 months.
4.Over the hill
Meaning: Too old to perform as well as before
Use: Some judges who are 80 may be over the hill, but others still have energy
galore.
5.Off hand
Meaning: Without any preparation
Use: Arjun started the battle with off hand.
6.Off the mark
Meaning: Irrelevant, incorrect
Use: Your question in this debate is off the mark.
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7.Olive branches
Meaning: Offer of reconciliation.
Use: Pakistan walked out with my olive-branch after I realized that victory was not
possible anymore
8.Over and above
Meaning: In addition to something
Use: We spend 1000 rs on movie which is over and above of our budget.
9.On your toes
Meaning: Alert,
Use: You must be on your toes, if you want success in your exam.
10.Out of hand
Meaning: Uncontrolled
Use: The situation in flooded area is out of hand.
11.On the cuff
Meaning: On credit
Use: He enjoyed his tour more as it was on the cuff.
12.Once in blue moon
Meaning: Very rarely
Use: He visits his home once in blue moon.
13.On the cards
Meaning: Possible or likely
Use: Our visits to London is on the on the cards.
14.Off colour
Meaning: Sick
Use: Sandeep is feeling off colour as he was suffering from viral fever.
15.Out and Out
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Meaning: Completely
Use: He is lying out and out about his police case.
16.Out of woods
Meaning: Out of problem
Use: After he gives bribe to the officer, he is out of woods.
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Meaning: A very easy task
Use: To clear SSC is not a piece of cake.
13.Pie in the sky
Meaning: Fictional, impracticable
Use: Clearing SSC CGL is not pie in the sky.
14.Put down
Meaning: Reduce instantly
Use: After army operation the numbers of terrorist are put down.
15.Pick holes in another’s coat
Meaning: To find fault in someone else
Use: We should refrain ourselves from the habit of picking holes in another’s coat.
1.Queer fish
Meaning: Strange person
Use: Mohan is a queer fish for the persons in this area.
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Meaning: Hard or difficult time
Use: The time of illness is rough time for him
11.Run out of steam
Meaning: Lose energy or enthusiasm
Use: After a lot of hard works he runs out of steam.
12.Running battle
Meaning: An argument that continues for an extended period
Use: He is fired from the company as he has a running battle with his boss.
13.Run helter-skelter
Meaning: Carelessly hurried; confused, disorderly
Use: Books and papers were scattered on the desk in a helter-skelter manner.
14.Red Tape
Meaning: Official rule which acts as hurdle
Use: My application for driving license was held by red tape.
15.Rule the roost
Meaning: Acts as dominant over other, or act as boss
Use: Ram might be the boss in office, but at home, his wife rules the roost.
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1.Smell a rat
Meaning: To suspect something
Use: She smelled a rat when she phoned him at the office where he was supposed
to be working late and he wasn't there.
2.Seylla and Charydis
Meaning:Between two danger
Use: Whenever you feel seylla and charydis in your life, the only God can help
you.
3.Spick and Span
Meaning: Clean and Tidy
Use: Every European country is spick and span.
4.Show cold shoulder
Meaning: A show of deliberate indifference or disregard.
Use: I tried to be pleasant to her, but she gave me the cold shoulder.
5.Spill the beans
Meaning: Reveal the secrets.
Use: Ram spilled the beans of marrying affair with Shyam.
6.See eye to eye
Meaning: Agree with someone
Use: My brother doesn’t see eye to eye with me on picnic programs.
7.A slip of the tongue
Meaning: An error while speaking, say something unintentionally
Use: Be careful talking to the police tomorrow; one slip of the tongue could get us
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into big trouble.
8.Shake in one’s shoes
Meaning: Afraid
When he faced the cops, he started shaking in his shoes.
9.At Stone’s throw
Meaning: Very near, short distance
Use: Rama house is at stone’s throw from Mahesh house.
10.A slap on the wrist
Meaning: A small punishment
Use: They someone in the school and got a slap on the wrist.
11.Small fry
Meaning: Not so important
Use: He is a famous politician at the district level, but at state level, he is a small
fry.
12.Spit blood
Meaning: To speak in an angry way.
Use: I think he was going to spit blood when he heard about his loss, but he is
calm.
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13.Spin a yarn
Meaning: Tell a fanciful story
Use: Don’t try to spin a yarn, I know your truth.
14.Show one’s wild oats
Meaning: A time of full enjoyment when you are young
Use: Go through a period of wild or promiscuous behaviour while young
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Meaning:forward and backward
Use:He is moving the car to and fro.
6.Take to heels
Meaning:To run away
Use:The Thief took to heels when he saw the owner.
7.Throw cold water
Meaning:To discourage someone
Use:Ram has a habit of throwing cold water, whenever we talk about some new
business plan.
8.Throw out of gear
Meaning:Not working properly
Use:Many small scale industries have been thrown out of gear due to lack of
electricity problem.
9.Turn to account
Meaning:Turn to advantage
Use:Maharana Pratap turns his failure to account.
10.Take a forty winks
Meaning:Take a nap for a short period
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Meaning:Under pressure
Use:He claimed that he signed the confession under duress.
5.Underdog
Meaning:Weak person in comparison to other
Use:He always supports the underdog people in his constituency.
6.Uncharted waters
Meaning:A situation that is new and not known
Use:For arts, student differentiation and integration are uncharted water.
7.Under fire
Meaning:Being criticised
Use:After coal scam,UPA government is under fire.
8.Upper crust
Meaning:High-class people, often rich and high social status
Use:Ambani brothers are the upper crust in India.
9.Upper hand
Meaning:Dominating and controlling position
Use:The USA has an upper hand on the world.
10.Under lock and key
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Meaning:Stored securely
Use:Money in the bank is under lock and key, so there is no harm in depositing
your money.
11.Under someone heel
Meaning:Under control of someone else
Use:The ram is under the heels of Mohan.
12.Under the knife
Meaning:Undergo a surgery
Use:Ashok is under the knife in City hospital for his heart surgery.
13.Under the weather
Meaning:Feel sick and lack of energy
Use:He is under the weather due to climate change.
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4.Vent the spleen
Meaning: To express anger
Use:Politicians used the press conference as an opportunity to vent their spleen on
reporters.
5.To wash Dirty lining in public
Meaning: Discuss or argue about one's private affairs in public.
Use:She decided not to take the family dispute to court as she feared it would only
lead to a lot of washing of dirty linen in public.
6.Wild goose chase
Meaning: A foolish and Hopeless search
Use:After two hours spent wandering in the snow, I realized we were on a wild
goose chase.
7.Wear one’s heart on one’ sleeves
Meaning: To display one’s feeling openly
Use:Mohan always has his heart on his sleeves so that everyone knows how he
feels.
8.With a high hand
Meaning: Oppressively
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3.Yoke around someone's neck
Meaning: A type of burden, pressure
Use: They buy a house on installments and it becomes a yoke around the neck.
4.Yeoman's service
Meaning: Very good service,
Use: Providing food to hungry is a yeoman's service.
5.Young Turk
Meaning: A rebellion, an anarchist
Use: Ram is a young Turk as he tries to change the politics of his region.
6.You got me there
Meaning: Unable to answer
Use: I don’t know what to say, you got me there.
7.Young at heart
Meaning: To have a spirit of youth even in old age.
Use: Although he is 90 years old, he is young at heart.
8.Zero hour
Meaning: The time when something is already planned to start.
Use: This is the zero hour for the attack, said the major.
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9.Zero tolerance
Meaning: Non-acceptance of antisocial behaviour in a strict manner
Use: I will be chairing an organisation that will always take a zero tolerance
approach to drug abuse in sport
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