CHAPTER A 50

COMMOI\ IDIOMS AND PTNRASES

above all (mainly, chiefly q{IlE) Rabindranath is, above all, a
cosmopolitan lBnf<, ffi+) personality (<Ifuq).
above board (bonafide; honest and open,-* s 4R) His remarks
(q-g<i') are above board, I think.
acid test (ordeal, qfl "tftxt) Everyone must succeed in the acid
test of the time he lives in.
according as [iust as-W5"t) Workers should be paid according as
they need.
ABC (elementary things-Qt{fr-+ &fi-q-n) He does not know
theABCofscience.
a bed of roses (a comfortable situation-{rFF-.tr 9-{Ql, n) Life is not a bed
of roses.
a black sheep (a bad person-TEfqk-n) There is a black sheep in our
club.
above one's station (beyond one's ability etc.-'|qT(IqR <Rc<-adv.) He
will try his best but the post is above his station.
above one's means (beyond one's income-9lC${ q.l{$-adv.) A
scrupulous (f<C{rS) person does not live above his,/her
means.
above water (not to be unsuccessfuFqgrs-dd CI RgTI-adv.) He tried
to keep his head above water.
after all (in spite of all remarks to the contrary-qE $epg eiGIg-
adv.) Life is after all a benediction (Wft{1q;.
all along (all the time-Iztr W:lll-adv.) He was present in the
meeting all along"
all but (almost, about-Q13tr adv.) He is all but ruined. The work
is all but finished.
all in all (self-sufficient-ryffi{1, powerful-adv.) Nobody is all in
all now-a-days.
all in (exhausted, tired-{?q.l€)-adj.) I was all in after the
meeting.
 856 A Passage to the English Language
all and sundry (all people-mfQ-n) He invited all and sundry to his
father's funeral (9lsitBfuRl).
all at once (suddenly-eh9-adv.) All at once Ihe crazy ("llrl{) man
shouted io the top of his voice
all for (SelI3 favourable-9ffiC{, EfEJEi q4Q-66;y He was all
for going to the picnic.
all one to (q-$R aefi, ftg qlrq {H ql !cT{) It is all one to me whether
he helps me or not.
all out (Tf{fu e[6slltt) The government has made its all out
efforts to remove illiteracy (fu) from the country.
all over (everywhere c-{q-adu.) The dog is found all over the
world.
all the same (same, making no difference-€€ sefi) It is all the same
to me whether he comes or not.
all of (on) a sudden (suddenly-{h9-adv.) All of (on) a sudden the wall
collapsed (<tr6{ "fgE), and the cat ran away.
all up with (thoroughly demoralized-ffi"{R, qoFt, q< qtl eF) h is
all up with the patient.
all over with (c,fTfg) It is all over with the old man.
all the same (despite-fis) He is a rich man; all the same he is not
happy.
all there (seii B q1{{q{&s-adj.) Today she is over sixty; yet
she is all there.
advanced in life (aged, old-Iq-adj.) Though he is not much advanced
in life, he is experienced.
again and again (frequently-Rl3Flt{-adv.) If any problem seems hard to
you, you should think over it again and again.
against the grain (qfi-qq-6syond one's willingness-adv.) He agreed
with her to the proposal (e1-gB; against the grain.
against the rainy day (to use during the bad times-qC{l{ flIslf,{ql
+<riT-Adv.) Wise men try to lay by something against
the rainy day.
add fuel to the flame (t*.i cTfu.fl{ v) This news will only add fuel to the
flame of the misunderstanding.
a host in oneself (self-sufficient person-€s1Q aF{-n.) He is a host in
himself and does not need help.
a man of letters (a learned *an-fuq <t&-n.) Dr. Muhammad
Shahiduliah was a man of letters.
a man of word (€F s{K mio-n.) My uncle is a man of word.
a man of parts (eft TIfu, expert-n.) Her husband is a man of parts.
apple of one's eye (beloved-60'lCek {R, TSfffi ffi-n.) Biva is the apple
of her mother's eye.
 Grammar : Common ldioms and Phrases 857

apple of discord (the main cause of quarrel-Rlffi{ sK'f-n.) A broken

toy is the apple of discord among the children.
anything but (not at all-IC'Ktq Tt-adv.) His statement is anything bui
true.
as usual (according to one's habit-{qfl-ftG, qqllsT q{clr{-adv.) He
arrived at school at 8 a. m. as usual.
as a whole (mRE< tr"f<, c1{ qs {r{ s'f,{-adv.) Look at life as a whole
and you will see that it is meaningful.
as a rule ffiw q-gn-<-adv.) As a rule, she kept silent in the meeting.
as ill luck would have it (unfortunately-{6lryq'$e-adv') A child was
born to them but, as ill luck would have it, it died when
it was eight days old.
as if (as though-C$l-conj.) He behaves as if he were the owner of the
house'
as though (as if-C{;t-6bnj.) He behaves as though he were the owner
of the house.
as the crow flies (dircet (nuffi-adv.) The station is three kilometers
away from here as the crow flies.
as it were (so to say-CT{-adv.) Religion is, as it were, the guide of the
mind.
as for (regarding, about-:{tKfi-PreP;) As for myself, I am innocent.
as regards (cTffi) He knows nothing as regards this occurence.
as to (about, CTffi, fr'{C{) We decided as to where to go for a walk.
as the case may be (according to the need of the sih-ration-q-Q
qT{llK-Adv.) Use this machine as the case may be.
at a loss (puzzled-ft<+-'c<rR{p adj.) He was at a loss and could not
understand what to saY in rePlY.
at one's wit's end F(s6{rR1p-Adj.) He was at his wit's end at the
sight of the ghost ($).
at all costs (<-se qtG 6{t-s adv.) He will keep his word (qftEt) at all
costs.
at all events (what ever many happen-{t-Q sQs i.l 6€{-adv') At all
events, I will see you tomorrow.
at all hazards (in the face of all difficulties-'iE <t{t frtft wqc adv.) I will
support your opinion at all hazards.
at all risk (at all hazards) I will support you at all risk.
at a stretch (qs q'tetl(-v, (s?fil, without stopping-adv.) He can swim
two miles at a stretch.
at best, at the best (at the upper extreme-<V--fq-f{-adv.) Our life is at
best a continuous struggle.
at bottom (really--ef1s"lCS, FsC{ Fs-f<-at the core-adv.) Though
(<frs) he looks cruel, he is kind at bottom.
 858 A passage to the English Language
at the bottom of (at the top of-fu) The boy shouted at the bottom of
his voice.
at the top of-The boy shouted at the top of his
voice.
at times (occasionally-qlf<l \If-<t-adv.) He at times
comes here.
at random (indiscriminately-€cfl'nqfi&-adv.) He talks
at random rike a
mad man.
at liberty (free-{s-6dj.) They are at liberty to go anywhere.
at a standstilt (Run,_vuolaql-adj.) The discussion
is now at a standstilr.
at fault (guilty-adj.) you are at fault.
at one's elbow (near at hand_t-Cs3 Sl,6q_66u.; His private
secretary is
always at his elbow.
at the tatest ($ c<ft 6qR Rf{-adv.) He will arrive here at 5 p. m. at the
latest.
at the eleventh hour (at tfre last moment_Crl{TX(g adv.) The patient
was in a dangerous condition and the doctor came
at the
eleventh hour.
at the point of (very near to-CR$1t-adv.) He is at
the point of death.
at length (after a long time-W6i:F
"16{_adv.) The man came to a good
decision at length.
at length (elaborately-frUlRv slC-{-adv.) We discussed the
matter at
length and came to a unanimous (&-STsl'i"f) decision.
at dagger's drawn (severe enmity-frq{ .lqs1li-adv.) The
two brothers
are at dagger's drawn with each other.
at arm's length (for-{R-adv.) Keep bad boys at arm,s
length.
at one's heels (flke'tlcq-adv.) We followed the thief at
his heels.
at sixes and sevens (at random qrfl-c{-rqt-) I found the books
on the
table at sixes and sevens.
at large (freely flfuqr4-adv.) clouds roam about(fro-<"| +,c<
c{g-{) at
large in the sky.
at variance with (irrelevur-r1 1e-qfqqrfft{-) His works are
at variance
with his words ($rfi).
at stake (in danger-frnfifi)_This family is now at stake.
at one's finger's end (in one's knowleage A"lhif6, qt{ictlil( q}€sl{)_
Every qfi.lD_CflqD) of this town
important niche (CSlq.l, is
at his finger,s end.
at the verge of (at the point of qrc) The unscrupulous (Wfr6qq;
man is
now at the verge of ruin.
at issue (point of discussion, moot point-gr6('Rrr) The
main point at
issue of the meeting was the population p.obl"_
of
Bangladesh.
at the end of onets letter ($rlrc-l <i q.[C{T crIT frqlT) Now the old man is
at the end of his letter.
 Grammar : Common ldioms and Phrases 859

at (the) most (at best-i9[Ql3t) He is at most a twenty-one-year old man.

at any cost (by any means-C< C+t{ G"nfS) He will dr: it at any cost'
at any rate (at any cost-C{ C$Iq €{If{) She must come at any rate
before 5 P. m.
at bay (hard-pressed-C{t"ih,.tl9) The once-strong {amily is now at
bay for financial Problems.
at dead of night (tffu€) The police caught the thief at dead of night"
at death's door (at the point of death-{q]-{ El[T) The patient is nov; at
death's door.
at ease (in peace or pleasure--ttfu[o {I qFl(II) A man who has enemies
can not live at ease.

at every step (gfu 'lCn 9lCh) There are dangers at every step in our life
and yet(v{e) we want to live'
at a deadlock (4-TI"{R \it5-{ q-<'{fT) The Farakka negoiiation is now at a
deadlock.
at first hand (in the beginning--q?kqt) He got a satisfactory ({tEt{-wi.s)
reward at first hand.
at first sight (Qa|5I cn.nreQ) I could not recognize him at the {irst sight.
at leisure (q'fl{qTC{)-Man does the most important thing at leisure.
at the outset (in the beginning \g41st) The marathon runner stumbled
(c{f-Eb c?fq) at the outset of the race'
at the advent of (at the arrival of. q.|slTc{) False friends came at the
advent of good days in a person's life'
at the close of (after the end of-"tkcm, q<-{F[ {cE) The boys started
for their respective homes at the close of the school
Period.
at the disposal of (under the authority of n-$fu) There are three posts
of accountant at the disposal of the Managing Director
of the comPanY.
at the heat of the moment (in the moment when one is emotional-
t(€q-ffi qq:-v) Do noi take any decision at the heat of
the monent.
at one's back (behind the screen secretly ctfi{({, q'{lT'Irc) Never speak
anything of any of your friends at his back'
at one's beck and call (obedient qEIQ-{ {{I) The children are not at the
father's beck and call.
at one's sweet will (OKs qgg5-) A man can not do anything, he likes
in the societY at his sweet will.
at present ({fu{) He was once a poor farmer but by dint of (<cft-+rs)
hard labour he has become rich at present'
at a pinch of (for the necessity of-$$qg4< \flftq) You have to change
some of your decisions ai a pinch of the situation'
 860 A Passage to the English Language
at a round rate (at the fixed price (frffiio fFi) Things are selring in the
shop at a round rate.
at a snails pace (very slowly $ Q-{rtfuE) The economy of Bangladesh
is growing at a snail's pace.
at all (in the least degree-Gr6s {t) There is no water at ail in the pond.
at last (in the snd-q{c{C{) He tried hard, and at last succeeded in
achieving his goal.
at home (proficient in-o|s) The students of Bangladesh should be at
home in Bangla.
:tP at home (comfortable-913[F) He {eels at home in Dhaka now.
i!;.
at least (in the lowest estimate-s'{'fcs) He is the owner of thirtv rakh
taka at least.
arm in arm ('l{'Bl{ qqfu q-<,{lT) AII good people should live arm in arm
with one anpther.
art and part (qfurTfr s c-fiqn) we have no art and part in his affairs.
at a discount (qq{s.) Female education is no longer at a discount now.
at a low ebb (in an unfavourable situation qfrTE q<-{l{, vtF< qc<_aav.)_
The popularity (q-{AT-sl) of this singer (ftfl) is now at a
low ebb.
beck and call (obedient q{ois) The servant is always at his master's beck
and call.
before long (soon, in no,time-m, qfr({i adv.) His business will flop
down before long, because he is not a good manager.
beyond measure (q"tRfiv-, much) I am preased beyond measure at your
success.
beyond doubt (undoubtedly-frawCrT'R) This boy will pass in the first,
division beyond doubt.
bad blood (enmity,hostility-\g-n.) There should be no bad blood
between you two brothers.
between you and me (cuf{R 9l{lR Tcqi ffll<q crfi"n +.fefi, c+E mq rt
filc{)-Between you and me, he seems to be a bad
man.
bird's eye view (cursory glance s|{I el:tl l-ll, EIqa]sR< ffi;-We took a
bird's eye view of the scenery.
bid fair (G1{ Tc{ qP'fi ql'tt-v) The girl bids fair to be a great artist in
future.
black sheep (T-{ftf<)-There are black sheep in every society (t_d( 6q{).
bolt from the blue (a danger without warning-fr{l mfs <-q'l]s_n) The
news of the teen-ager Ramu seemed to be a bolt from
the blue.
burning question (important issue-eF\{ frW-n) population problem
is a burning question of our country.
 Grammar : Common Idioms and Phrases 861

beat about the bush (speak of irrelevant matters-\TEltlfrs Sell TEl,

q{-Sl(T Qsg{-v) Why do you beat about the bush?
Come to the point.
beat black and blue (to beat or punish mercilessly-fid{sk< eRI{ F-<1-
V.) The robbers (v1'-$tFTI) beat the man black and blue.
beggar description (to be beyond saying-q<{fts q€{t-V) The distress
(s?) of the Muslims in Bosnia beggars description.
bring to light (disclose-eFFlrt Fd-V) The police brought the secret to
'd''3 light.
t. bring to book (reproach-\rqWl cl-V) The father brought his son to
book for his failure in the exam.
breathe one's last (decease, die-6'l{ frfle{lq sn{ T-{1, r-cr <ls{t-V) The
man breathed his last in his native village.
birds of a feather (persons of like disposition-'c€ flliltT-< 6Efs-V)
Bird's of a feather flock together (6u'F{ (Ftc( Elcs;r\D-l
sR r)
brown study (day deram-fr{t$-n) The woman is absorbed in (1fl)
brown study.
bear in mind (remember-{F <Tql-V) Always bear in mind that you are
a reputed (qlE,Fil) person.
back and batly (lively hood-ftRKt, v-<cl c'lFIGl-n) Who will provide the
increasing population with the required back and bally?
back and forth (to and fro-€frs efrs adv.) The mad man was walking
back and forth in the doctors chamber.
back stairs influence (secret and illegal influence-CtfieF q<( c< qtR'ft
Q9lK-n) No back and stairs infliience will work in his
office.
bad book (disfavour-tll:il1;fq-{, qq.{ft{-sl-n) The secretary has fallen in
the bad book of the manager.
bad names (tfl-dfq-q-n)-He ealled the man bad names.
bad bargain (purchasing at a high price-C{Ft q16q 65-41-n) You had a
bad bargain of the watch tr see.
bare word (s{ {c*k Tafi, qlfr e$q t{ srli_-n) He believed your bare
word and now he has been played false with.
base born 1ftr'<<*iwt'o, rll<lef Q,Fic-adj.) He is a base born person; I cannot
go along well (rllof $?Lq uFfi) with him.
.be all and end all {the ultimate out come-5-{:i "fR{&-d A loss of one
million taka was the be all and end all of the project.
bear (a) grudge (bear hostility to-rlQg1<rfrrs'{ caffscl T-<l-v) we should
not bear (a) grudge against our brethren.
bear hard upon (behave rudely-frfur{ <r+qf* o-<l-V) Never bear hard
upon your servents.
 862 A passage to the English Language
bear up against (tackle-c$stfr'El€r-v) The old man could not bear up
against the poverty and died.
bear away the be[ (to be the first vr{eeF q€trr-v) wiil she be able
to
bear away the bell?
bear away the palm (jo^win qft qeifl_V) Will she be able to bear away
the palm?
bear a brave face (to confront bravely-qf{ffi{ C'kq
W"IER E€TI_V) The
soldiers bore a brave face against their enemies.
bear a resemblance to (to be similar to-_{'l RsTt, q-{q nct
ReTl_V) The
boy bears a resemblance to his father.
bear fruit (to be fruitful-FEeq q€Tl-v) your request wiil not hear fruit
in this case.
bear the stamp (to show partial resembrance-{Fil;[ fi?fi 6r6a-q
11.,"
condition of" his office bears the stamp of a successful
business.
bear the brunt (fu9 q-qs-fl-v) Many people courd not bear the brunt
of poverty during the famine and died.
bear testimony to (4Si Ch-{l-V) His work does not bear testimony
to
his words.
beat the air (to try in vain-frSaf olf q<pVl He beat the air to
convince
the man that he was not a thief, but the man did not
believe him.
beat time (keep harmony with-slE RI?fi-V) The wife failed to beat
time
with her husband and started living in a separate house.
beaten track (vfil elel)-Will you follow the beaten track again?
bee line (straight way-firerefel-n) our school is one mire
away from
here on the bee line.
beauty sleep (premature sreep-ealrr <R-sir
F-n) The beautiful girl looks
more beautiful in her beauty sleep.
bell wether (leader-E-6{R cq-q-n) The poiice courd not arrest the beil
wether of the rebellious (ffi group.
below the mark (below the standard-\flqftrF{ ceIcF sq-adj)
The essay
that you have written is below the mark.
below the bett (unlawfully-q;nh*r*-adv.) Never punish yc,ur
younger
brothers and sisters below the belt.
beside the mark {irrelevant-9eFIfro adj.) what he has
written is beside
the mark.
better late than riever ({ Sltl-it 6.C{ CqR.Cq <,-Sle gl{_adv.)
Better late
than never study for the exam now.
between two fiires (in a dilemma-EgS qSS-Cb_adv.) Now
the old man is
between two fires.
 Grammar ; Common Idioms anci Phrases 863

between the cup and the lip (between desire and reality-9|.fi e
<lq<-sk $<lrlft:{-adv) There is a great gap between the
cup and the lip.
between the devil and the deep sea ({Sl-sd, ilE, ql{ qq"{ q{qm-adv.)
Sorrounded (c<Eu a31 by poverty (nfu) and attacked
by disesases, the old poet is now between the devil and
the deep sea.
bide one's time (to be on the look out for a chance-W1lctl{ efesTT
ellsl-U There is no vacancy of posts in this office now.
::i.:t
You can bide your time for a chance in the next year.
big wig (famous person-{IsflT:tl <i&-n) Are the big wigs of this
country aware of the condition they are in?
black and white (in writing-frflssfr< adv.) She put her address in black
and white and gave it to me.
black art (wizardry-{EQqTf, fuqFt-n.) Does she practise black art?
bite off more than one can chew (cflb v-cn E CuFl scfit t1lrc6l.zl qF-<cl F{1,
rFqEI{ qfi-+ otq Eks tr{t-v) He failed in his business
because he bit off more than he could chew in starting
so many projects.
bite the ground or dust (die-T{l)-V) The thief was beaten up severely
({lilqo-qr<) and bit the ground (or dust) in a week.
biscuit throw (a little distance {FIIry 1-d\ n) We came by (C'IET|:I) the
watch at a biscuit throw from where we sat for a rest.
block head (a fool-6{FFt 6{ls-n) Nothing important is possible by such a
block head like his uncle.
trlue blood (aristocracy-qrGqFl-n) An well educated man never boats
of (fr n-at) his blue blood.
blood feud (Tf{E6Frs fuq'-n) The blood feud among various groups
of people in India may cause serious problems.
blow one's own trumpet (to speak highly about ownself-VTYtrq{(cl
frt-v) A learned man does not like to blow his own
trumpet.
blow hot and cold (to express various opinion-ffi {E 6q-ql, -{R-{ qfrq
e[sH q$.._v) If you want to have your people follow
you always, then do not blow hot and cold any more.
body and soul (entirely-t[Tttfr adv.) she gave herself body and soul
. to the pursuit of name and fame.
book worm (a bookish person <trr< ctttfl n.) A book worm can not be
well educated in life.
bosom friend (close friend-sF? <T-n) Keats was Shelley's bosom
friend.
 864 A passage to the English Language
be born with a sirver spoon in one's mouth (c{r{r{ t-lTF
wq fr,u
A-{'{)-Rabindranath was born with a silver spoon in his
mouth but he never forgot the poor.
be born under a lucky star (fullJ fu.g q*{elq"t €{l v) Few people
are
born under a lucky star.
bread and butter (source of livelihood, fffr-fli bsl) To many people,
fishing is the chief (e{l{) bread and butter.
blow for blow (tit for tat-{F{ <qrq firq*, qfqlrq{ <qrq ,il.*l qFls_n)
In this age of education and humanity, the principle of
blow for blow is not a valid one.
bone of contention (issue of discord-itrfgkt frqR <t 4]-{cl_n) One piece
of land is the bone of contention between the two
brothers.
bread and cheese (clq'{ct rrlh}, ordinary food-n) The poor are satisfied
with just brgad and cheese.
bring to mind (call to mind, remember-a3.i s-fl-v) I can not bring to
mind when we should go.
big bug (important person-eFg"lf <r q-fft crylT-n) The chairman is a
big bug of the Union Council.
build castles in the air (wi-E1"1Tlr sH{r F-{l-v) Do some thing; do not
build castles in the air.
burn one's boat 11qft fi-on or<s) frStrv qtr{ cclcs fl-q qfl_Vl He
would rather burn his boat than listen to your advice.
blot one's copv book 1uR'ca ot(T q-fl-v) The man has blotted his copy
book and now he is suffering.
burn the candle at both ends (W"im Ffl, waste, squander_V) Do not
burn the candle at both ends now; you will have to
suffer in the future.
buy a pig in a poke (frr<DTI il s'6{ cs-{-{ $clt cq'fi-v) you have wasted
all your money; you have bought a pig in a poke.
by the way (SCqs)-By the way, I tell you that you should not
count on 1fr-v'< e-*) nim.
by the by (Tq]elq6E, s slE sqt) By the by, how is your business
going?
by and large (in total-frld{ E"r<-adv.) He has bought six hundred
mangoes by and large.
by and by {in no time, soon--frgQ-adv.) The train will ccme by
and by.
by dint of (<rn, <ffin-Co-; He succeeded by dint of hard labour.
by fits and starts (by irregular efforts-yffi Errcql Do n.t read this
book by fits and starts; be serious.
by fair means or foul (by any means-6{ C+fq sfC<R 6{lT) He will
achieve his objective by fair means or foul.
 Grammar : Common Idioms and. f,rrases 865

by hook or by crook (by any means-6{ C+f+ qC<Q q=p) You must go
there by hook or by crook.
by leaps and bounds (very fast-ll qEqtr{ adv.) The prices of things are
going high by leaps and bounds.
by means of G"nrS) You can succeed in life only by means of hard work.
by no means (in no way-ft'gCsQ {l) He will by no means listen to
you.
by any means (by hook or by crook-m'ofq sf€ 6{s-adv.) He will
catch the bird by any means.
by turns ("6T4cq-adv.) The two brothers worked by turns.
by virtue of (by dint of {Cal, eC{) You can succeed in life only by
virtue of hard and honest labour.
by far (q-{ft-s cql6s) He is by far the best man in the village.
carry the day (to win-qft qs{l-V) Hurrah! Our team has carried the
day.
carry weight (be important-eF\"1{ qsTt-V) The opinion of the old
man carried weight in the meeting.
cart before the horse (cs19R qfttt flq, disorder, rls{Eil sq-n) Why do
you do this in this way? You are putting the cart before
the horse, I see.
cats and dogs (heavily; torrentially {f-{{Ifd)-adv.) It has been raining
cats and dogs since morning.
catoutof thebag (ct"no$SF)-disclosure of secrecy-n) Do not be
so foolish as to let the cat out of the bag.
cat's paw (slR\: C3IER T{q-n) Many poor people of our country
are the cat's paw to the rich.
catch a tartar (-19 c{lrs-{ 'tl$l{ 1-$-v) He caught a tartar when he
invested much money in a partnership business with that
rogue.
catch sight of (to see suddenly-Rhs fi{rs {sFI-v) She caught sight
of the thief when the thief was about to enter the room.
chalk and cheese (irrelevance-cfrfr-s tf{Rq-n) It is not a good report,
you have brought in chalk and cheese.
close quarters (nearness-*f$?i-proximit5r--n) He observed ihe man
from close quarters and then decided to give him the
job.
cut one's coat according to one's cloth (to ltse within one's mean-VTT
$<t <FI T{l-v) Be wise and cut yout coat according to
your iloth.
carnT coal to New.Castle (ao-a ** Csq cmfi-v) This policy of the
government will give opportunities only to the rich;
even the government is now carrying coal to New
Castle.
APTEL-s5
 866 A passage to the English Language

cock sure (confident-9Q1fi-{-adj.) He is cock sure that the business will

, be lucrative (4ssTdfs).
cold water (lack of incentive-frips{q-n) Help them if you are able, but
do not throw cold water on their plan.
cold shoulder (unfriendliness-q<T'Tqs WU-{"t-n) I requested him for
help, but he gave me the cold shoulder.
come off with flying colours (to win-q'ft qsTI; to succeed_1upff
qe{t-v) They had strived for success and at last came
i.
o{f with flying colours from the tournament.
.ii,
come to a standstill (to be motionless to stop-celc{ rls{l-v) His
business has come to a standstill for his unability to make
effective and efficient plans.
come into fashion (come in vogue-{FRo Rerl-v) Mala print sarees
have come into fashion now-a-days.
come to nothing (end in r-oLn-frq-q E€TI-') At last their attempts
came to nothing.
come to pass (occur, happen, come about-\bl-v) Many funjy as well as
fatal things come to pass in a man's life.
cut in the corner (to go straight-C$W "lC{ RleRl-v) We have only thirty
minutes time before the train starts but there is a long
way to walk; so we have to cut in the corner.
cut a dash (pretend-vf{ Gll-v) Why do you cut a dash of being what
you are not?
cut and thrust (hand to hand fight-Effi {h-n) They were involved
in a cut and thrust for a trifling (-v;e) matter.
cut to the (quick, or) heart (offend-{'f* O? CqsTt-v) His sarcastic
Ff,<fiq) remarks cut the woman to the quick and she
began to weep.
cut short (sho*en-qift€ F{t-v) since the au,lience became restless he
had to cut his speech short and deliver only the
summary.
cut short (bring to an immature end-w:Flq !fi-d His life was cut
Tw
short by a heart attack.
call in question (doubt-qCq-{ S3tl, suspect-v) The honesty of ihe man
was called in question by all.
call to the bar (become a lawyer (9tffiR RsTI----v) He passed the L. L.
B. exam and was called to the bar.
chip of the old block (a member of the famous old family <l'fot r<fi-n)
I know him very well, he is a chip of the old block.
crocodile tears (affected sorrow-{lTf Tl{l-n) she shed crocodile tears
at the death of her step son.
 Grammar : Common Idioms and phrases 867
cut and dried (readymade-qfqrFt, <l-{lc{t-adj.) There must be flexibility
FqA'{l5T) in your plans only cut and driecl policies are not
effective for business.
come to fight (to get disclosed el=Fl't "tlsrl-v) If you think about anything
over and over again (<l{ <ld), the mysteries must come
to light.
come true (Ivl tr*, Tqq EgTl-v) His hope has come true.
,.,!$
come to the point (q-qe oeJtT qlql-v) Do not beat about the bush,
come to the point.
caught red handed (ER^5 {lle !o) The thief was caught red handed.
cut one's wisdom teeth (eye-teeth r{l=Fal d'tu slt-u) The boy has not
get c^ut his wisdom teeth; how will he do this tough
thing?
cutloose (frfus-fl, (F6i.I,E!EEITEIqI$-{I-') He cut the package loose
and showed us the articles (n<iffrl contained in it.
cut someone dead ({ cq.Ir{<l{l (F'IRsRs-fl-v) on my way to school I
met an old friend of mine, but I did not have enough
time to waste and so I had to cut him dead.
cut it fine (qqFq!A<wlrq\erTrRc*|-r6ffiFRct<o'6(D-fl-v) He cut
it fine for as soon as he entered the train, it began to
move.
cut up rough (T{ 3T{ Esfl, rffi$R s-{ro gq]I5 q\s{]-v) At this words, he
cut up rough.
die in harness ($IW S-?l-6s AifCE {{l-v) Many poor people of Bangladesh
die in harness but they achieve nothing during their life
time.
dilly dallv (loiter, {ffi 4-fl, EFtrEl st-4rr1 F{t*v) Do not dilly dally and
start the work right now.
day dream (qTFi S{3 SS{l-n.) Many young girls waste their time in
day dreams.
drive to the wall (oppress-frpffrs F-{t-v) The rich would not drive ihe
poor to the wall if they knew that all men are equal.
ducks and drakes (waste-y4E-s-n) Do not play dr-rcks and drai<es with
your money if you want not to suffer in future.
easy and free (affable-qq'fr-q-36i.) The girl is easy and free, and so she
has many friends.
eat humble pie (\Tfir{ Eqq iF'c< trfl ElrsRl-v) The manager had to eat
humble pie before his employees.
fair and square (honest-{9-adj.) The learned persons should be fair
and square.
fair play (decitless--{Elit{IRQT fttr <t s'M-adj.) I believe in the practice
of fair play in my business.
 868 A Passage to the English Language

fair weather friends ({c{{ ellTliil, EI{{ flR, qqgq 6a1fta-n) When you
will be rich. you will have many fair weather friends
who are actually no real friends.
finger in the pie (taking part-9$t 4{ct, participation-n) She has a finger
in the pie in every matter of her family.
from the frying pan into the fire (from bad to worse-{t Cqf$ qF€
:{a,-adv.) He was transfered to a new region (vfre)
and found that he came from the frying pan into the
,r,:i"" fire.
.ii '
first and foremost (the most important-l't66-C{ e+\{-adj.) The first
and foremost duty of students is to study as much as
possible.
fish out of water (trapped in an unfavourable situation-rlFl"f {RRfuE
"tfuv-n) In the new city he felt like a fish out of water,
because he had no friends there.
fish to fry (an urgent piece of business-n) Hurry up, I have other fish to
fry.
fan the flame (arouse the emotion-slGtrt EffiR-s o<l-v) His words are
so attractive that they fan the flame of every one.
flog dead horse (waste strength in vain-c{[9-l3t sl{ slfi, $ {fu <i-{ s-dt-
v) He flogged dead horse by doing that work; it proved
useless.
follow the footsteps of ("llc* eflIT q{{dct Gll-v) people always follow
the footstePs of some great men.
follow suit (imitate-q-{€{61 o<t-v) The leader of the robbers began to
beat the man and other followed suit.
fool's paradise (6{1TFI q{-n.) He is living in a fool's paradise by thinking
that he will be a multimillionaire without doing any
work.
foul play (qqq15-3c1--n.)-Be honest; do not indulge in foul play.
free and easy (ordinary, slt-gT{ft{-not pompous-adj.) The marriage
ceremony of her sister was free and easy.
from hand to mouth (insolvency, ftl sc{ fiq {l€$)-Many poor people
of our country live from hand to mouth.
fall flat (to be of no influence-ottf+< TIE\erl-\4 The teacher's
advice fell flat up,:n the students.
fight shy of (avoid-4&R {lsR'l-v} Honest boys always fight shy of
bad and dishonest friends.
find fault with (be critical to, cfl{ trsl-v) You have to correct yourself
before finding fault with others.
from time to time (occasionally {tc{t {lGlt-adv') The man comes here
from time to time.
 Grammar : Common Idioms and Phrases 869

fair field and no favour {unbiased behaviour, f+<cm <r+qt<-n) people

always want fair field and no favour from the leaders of
the societY.
far and near, far and wide ({Gl TFtr<, every where-adv')
Rabindranath is a famous poet far and near'
far and away (considering all sides-Kfrs ft38-i1 $'C{-adv')
Rabindranath is far and away the greatest poet of the
world.
few and far between (seldom-OqtftS, "I{ 3lq) His visit here is few
and
far between.
je;o
ii' fare and fury (excitment-gfg-q-{-n) When he talked with the rebellious
workers, he added fare and fury in his speech'
flesh and blood (human-<g$(rry{ cttr{-n) No flesh and blood can
bear
({q'q<l) such an insult'
for good, for ever (fr<sc{-adv.) The old man left the village for ever'
for the sake of (for, in the interest of, 9-6{I,
rtl&f*-prep.) He did
everything for the sake of your well-being'
from bad to worse (q;Cl q:1q {I{lCaK frf4-adv.) The patient's condition
is going Jrom bad to worse'
- and *o'-*ood
gall (sarcasm
ry St't-*t' bitterness) The woman's
*ords are just gall and wormwood to people'
get by heart (memorize-{:lQ si[I-v) She is so fond of Rabindranath's
poetry thai'she has got many poems of Shanchaita by
heart.
give ear (listen-VleR fir{ c'ltTt-V) Give ear to what your
teachers say in the class.
get rid of (to be free from-{p Re{t-v) It is very difficult to get
rid of had friends'
give vent to (exprees-$sl'l s{l-V) She gave vent to her feeling by
a loud cry.
give the airs of (pretend-9Ft F{t-V) He is the son of a poor farmer
whereas, he gives the airs of a rich man'
gain ground (prosper steadily A<R{-slc{ Enfu oat-V) If you have
talent in you, you are sure to gain ground in the long
run.
gain the day (win, come off with flying colours-H''Sfi9 S{ll' carry the
day-V) They are happy that their team has gained the
day.
get into a scrape (to fall in a danger-fr"fcF TVI-V) He lent him some
money and now he cannot take it back; he has gotten
into a scraPe.
get a chance for the better (to prosper-ffi F{l-V) He has passed in
theseconddivisionandwantstotakeanimprovement
exam because he wants to get a chance for the better'
 870 A Passage to the English Language
get up one's head
1!ove water (overcome difficulty frtq FtE?" slL
V)_fo,w he is in danger but he hoies that he
*. get
up his head above wailr within tri,o-m;r6r. '* well
give up the ghost (die_:[C ]leTl_v)
The patient gave up the ghost in
the hospital.
go to rack and ruin (to.be destoryed fully_i[rfl?R qiCRsR]_V)
policy of the government is,not effective,
If the
the vvvl
of the country may go to rack und;i".--' "'v economy
go through fire and water (bear hardship
T? A-sl{ -nf *s. *q-aof_V) If
you w.an! to be great in your life, you have to go
through fire and witer.
' ,i, li golden opinion (high opinion_Bu qF"fi_n)
,!. . We have golden opinion
about our leader.
get into good graces (T{\ Els F-{t-V) The
employee tried hard to get
_ into good graces of the manager.
Green Revolution (T{si fr?R, .FT Es"fIatr{ fr:r<_n)
A Green Revolution
can bring presperity to our country.
grind one,s own axe (fr,nin GI{ \TIil TqlT
<T"fl_Vj As a leader you have
much responsibility to the people, and so
always try to grind your own axe, vou ,noJa .,ot
hard and fast (routine-{fl ft<n-aa1. There
is no hard and fast rule in
this matter.
head and heart (dfrts $ q'q-c{ adv.) Hazrat
Muhammad (s) was head and
heart the greatest man of the world.
heart and sour (efcfel-54-udv.) She tried heart
and soul to succeed in life,
and she succeeded.
high and tow (cQlb <g r{lE-adj.) All men, high and low, artended rhe
public meeting.
hole and corner (qrfi[fr-adj.) Nobody likes your
hole and corner
policy.
hue and cry (pandemonium-CffSCeflE_n) The public
raised a hue and
cry in the field.
hang in the balance (remain unsettled_qfu(frv q-a1_u,
,,l" trial
1Rfl-<) has. been hanging in the balance
hold water (sustain through proof-efqlc"f frtT efi-sl_V)for two years.
Hi,
W) did not hold water at last. "*.ur" 1W
high-time (E+l{{F {:l{-n) It is high time for us
to start for Khulna.
hair-breadth escape (a^narrow escape-TlqrFl< q{i
<Tr'-n) The assassin
(slEvlft, gft) ,i,ot at him, but he had a hair
breadth
escape.
hall mark (symbol of pureness-frefr< F€_n) His conduct is the hall
mark of his honesty.
 Grammar , Common Idioms and Phrases 871

halt between two opinions (hesitate, vicillate tg-gs <'-{f-U Do not halt
between two opinions in taking a kind decision'
hammer an idea into one's head (Ilell{ {t{cfi trfi{-v) It is not easy to
hammer an idea into a passive person's head'
honest-IR Rs{l-n.) If your servant does not have
have clean hand (be
clean hand, send him back'
hand to hand (face to face, {C:111{\, qgqtfu-adj.) The two
groups of
workers had a hand to hand fight and many were
injured.
hangheavy(becomeaburden_K|dK{gI..r{Egxl,6{Rl{miqs{l_V)
Time hangs heavy when one waits for one's beloved'
hard up (qgi<dg-adj.) He is hard up now; he can not lend you money'
hard of hearing (dull of hearing AI{ <k<-adj') Speak loudly; the
man is
hard of hearing'
hard by (near, Ifr€F-adv.) The markei is hard by our house'
Law does not
haves and have-nots (the rich and the poot, tft-RR6-n.)
differentiate between the haves and have-nots'
heart to heart (99{s vlf<, cordially adv') They talked heart to
heart and
came to a unanimous decision"
heart and hand (eagerly-qW6{<:il(el-adv') The man worked heart
and
hand {or six months {or the company and then got a rise
in his salary.
seem io be
henpeck husband ftu"t rrtft-d A henpeck husband does not
a caPable Person'
here and there (everywhere-qft adv') Now-a-days' thieves are
here
and there in the country'
hey day (Tsq-dar-youth-n) He amassed much wealth in his hey day and
now he is haPPY in this old age'
him for
high and mighty FSs-aclj.) His reiatives and friends do not like
his high and mightY conduct'
hitherandthither(hereandthere_4rll6{C{tI[C{_adv.)Shefoundher
books hither and thither in her room and became angry'
hold one's tongue (keep silent, qei s'Cd
qlol-v) He is very flippant' he
can not hold his tongue for a while'
but his
horns of a dilemma (€-W C(u:n-;) He is invited by his friend
wife does not want to let him go; he has been placed on
the horns of a dilemma'
hornet's nest about one's ears (difficult danger, <V <?F[I-<
Rtt' qfe 6stb
ql;{I ffi-n) My father is not so foolish as to bring the
hornet's nest about his ears in our family'
is a host in
host in oneself (q$R ,{s,f-n) In times of difficulties, Shuman
himself.
 872 A Passage to the English Language
hot water (difficulty qEF{I_n) The once_famous Mirza family
hot water for want of money.
is now in
hotch potch ."
frfir[qjisorder-fr1ue1-41-n) He is not good
a manager,
he makes hotch potch of everything
hows and whats (OR"t.e.S"fF*n)
He does not know the hows and
whats of doing this work; so do not
fet nim L.it]'
hue and cry (pandemonium-c{r3*{-q-n)
Boys are .ur.ins o-i* una
cry in the field.
hand in glove (intimale-$r$-adi.) The
secretary is hand in glove with
prime
the Minister.
in accordan". *r11,-(1:!.rlils, to_\Ttr<) She did every thing in
accordance with her brother,s advice.
in as much as (Since-C{I{g{_Conj.) In
as much as the book was of no
value to him, he sold it out.
in case of (in the event of-{fr, Ecsrq-rq. G.-,.-{*]T)
He wiil not lose
heart everi in case of failure.
in black and white (in writing-frfisq-6q)
The police put the statement
of the witness in black and white.
in course of (in the process of-\t-{F< T{-{)
He said this in course of his
speech.
in full swing (Tflq-cq)-The rainy season is
now in fuil swing.
in keeping with (consistent with-:T{fuf)
His words are not in keeping
, with his doings
in a fix (at a ross, puzzled-{9{ft)
when she saw the thief in the dark,
she was in a fix and could not shout.
in lieu of (in place of-'iR-<S) I took up mathematics
geography.
in lieu of
in the good book (in favour of-{Te-R)
The secretary tried to be in the
good book of the manaqer.
in point of (in respect of_C*lf6) She is"senior
to me in point of age.
in quest of (in search of-w6qq"cq; His whole rife
passed in quest of the
Eldorado, but in vain.
in season and out o{ season (at all times_{"F E"f{, T{ CIR)
disturb our family in season and out of ", Guests
-
,nu.on.
in the dark (ignorant-q€) About this matter,
I am totalry in the dark.
in the face of tR"ftq< {c?t: {6gs, againstl
t_t" ,".ona"Jrn"',r'ri"1"." .,
all opposition.
in the least (at a'-cqrcbe B negative)
she was not in the
least hungry.
in the long run (finaily-sr-{c.rc{,
"iRqftT) If you squander monev and
weatth in this way, you *itt I",uu" tr;;ii;
run.
i..-t'tl'tong
in the nick of time (in_ the correct time frs
w-rR) The leader came in the
nick of time and took the right decision.
 Grammar : Common Idioms and Phrases 873
in the teech of (in the face of-{Qe) He seconded me in the teech of all
opposition.
in view of (in consideration of-fu A'6f) He was pardoned in view of
his age.
in vogue (in fashion-EFF{E) This dress in now in vogue among the
teenagers.
in good part (in a friendly way-slqsfR, 9q qCd-adv.) She will not take
your advice in good part.
in the cart (in u 11-qugfr) I was in the cart when I met my enemy on
" lijt my way to home.
:i: ins and outs (t*ftilft, q<frq) Mr. X knows the ins and outs of politics.
in pursuance of ($[cl{ eqni) People work hard in pursuance of their
desire to be happy in life.
in a body (together-4Fl@)-We all should work in a body for the
amelioration of our country.
in stead of (tfu) She was supposed to buy a pen, but she bought a
book instead of it.
in spite of (fis)-ln spite of hard labour, he could not pass in the
exam-
in search of (I$IC{, in quest of) The primitive man spent most of the
time wandering in search of food.
inferiority complex (Q-dT-{fq-baseness) Since he has an inferiority
complex, he is not likely to be happy in life.
iron will (determination-lp T(Ffl-n) We support him only for his iron
will at every step.
in a dilemma (E-W C(s6) He was in a dilemma because both the men
were his relative.
in a nutshell (briefly-{q(Sl'f-adv.) Since we had a very short time, she
told her story in a nutshell.
in a word (in summary-C(f$-Cel) She told the story in a word to all
present.
In case Fft, "ttcqqfrqRR qT{ ed c{-) Keep this umbrella with you in
case there will be rain.
in cold blood (deliberately-{FR-rcsl-r<, ffic+-aav.) He killed the
man in cold blood and was sentenced to death.
in default of (as a substitute for, fr<.fl Rrryr<, q-{f q-sF ql '{Is{t c{cE)-This
book will do in default of the prescribed one.
in defence of (in support of-Wdf*) He was prepared to do everything
in defence of his own will.
in defiance of (neglecting-q-{C$ S'({) Do not do anything in defiance
of your falher's advice.
in right earnest (sincerely-qf\SfrS-s-fil {ICel) She will help you in right
earnest.
874 A Passage to the English Language
in favour of (q'{TfE, otCs)-They canvassed in favour of my brother.
in fine (in conclusion-Botcs,qr<) In fine, we need to exert our best
efforts to remove illiteracy from our fatherland.
in front of (before-{FlF) There is a school in front of the hospital.
in good faith (bonafide-{ilrT R{16{-adv.) He totd me every thing in
good faith.
in honour of (Xay6a; We gave a party in honour of our guests.
in no time (soon-ffi-adv.) He will come back in no time.
in order to (for the purpose of-g?qTflj) We went there in order to meet
the man.
in opposition to (against-ft-f[q) The audacious son acted in opposition
to his father's advice.
in sackcloth and ashes (repentantly-qft qNTcTf fiCql-adv.) She
begged excuse of us in sackcloth and ashes.
in the guise (garb) of (in the semplance of-eEtr{6rf-) He told a great lie
in the guise of an interesting story.
in the wake (train) of (immediately after-ff$ '[T) The police came in
the train of the accident.
jack of all trades (q-{sTn-sf-knowing everything) The precious boy is a
jack of all trades and master of none.
jog trot (monotonous pace-q?FTttC{ {+i{fu-n) They are advancing in a
jog trot with their business.
jump at an offer (accept eagerly-qpf5q el{.t F{T-v.) The lady secretary
jumped at the offer of the post of the marketing
manager.
key stone (1{ftfr-governing principle-n) Equal justice is the key stone
of the judicial system of our country.
kiss the dust (frNewt,ffi{skRqsE€{l-v) Many people in Kashmir
are kissing the ground for liberty.
Last but not least (eF ft-q q$fg qfts) Belore my examination began,
she gave me the last but not leasi advice standing at the
gate of the school.
lay hands on (catch-{fl-v) They tried to lay hands on the robbers but
failed.
lay heads together (discuss-sTf6{F-{l +<t-v) We laid heads together on
the issue and found a satisfactory solution.
lay figure (q?R1E <ffu-n)-He is a lay figure but has made important
comments.
leap in the dark (ltqcrm CIcq qft645rs1 $5 cfi-q CCTE 351.E qs 6q-Tt-v)
Think about your decision once more; do not leap in the
dark.
lead astray (R"rcet tffi F{l-v) Do not mix with those bad boys, they
will lead you astray.
 Grammar : Common Idioms and phrases g7S

laugh on the wrong side of the mouth (qq <s {ifc< Eeq-v) The death
of her. father on the day of Razia,s mariage ceremony
made her laugh on the wrong side of the mouth.
laugh in one's sleeves (cutl"Icr ql{ftE Rerl-v) The foolish conduct of
the learned man made us laugh in our sleeves.
laughing stock (S"Qt-ru-tR-n) Since he is somewhat foolish, he is ihe
laughing stock of his friends.
lost labour ('rv{r-n) Ali their efforts proved to be a lost rabour when
the man said that there was nothing in the underground
pot but some iron.
!.'ji lead by the nose (qrrfi 'f1alC{ <t$ <<l-v) you must lead that boy by the
',i' ,
nose; he is very audacious.
leaf out of one's book (WqE-g"t s q1ryaq-n) Try your own way; do not
take a leaf out of others' book.
learn by heart (rote) (T?fq. F{t memorize-v) Learn this poem by heart.
letter and spirit (q1cf-K-6"i-n) He acted upto my advice in letter and
spirit.
level best (ql<rnie, according to the best ability-) She did her level best
to help the strangers and was praised.
lion's share (the major portion-frqpfrt, Rfl? q('t-n) A lion's share of
our GNP comes from agriculture.
loaves and fishes (personal gain-ffi4s 4s-n) Try to think of others,
not for your own loaves and fishes.
loose rein(Tl?H', frC{F ft S'K) Do not spend with a loose rein; save
some thing against the rainy days.
losing game (qq4 fiC$ef <ks eRMT q{{Ifi^o--n) In the present system of
economy in Bangladesh, an effort of a beggar to be a
millionaire is nothing but a losing game.
lie in wait (sSI'lF alffi-v)-The fox lay in wait for a hen.
light and leading (educated and honourable-Fffrs s {.llTlll-n) We
have invited many men of light and leading.
lead a cat and dog life (l@-eT<1fl{o1ThlTfr<+st"Fsn-v) The two
brothers are leading a cat and dog life.
leave no stone unturned (CF?R qF Tl $-<T-r) We left no stone unturned
, to re-unite the parted groups, but in vain.
live fast (extravagance-qfr-qtR-n) Do not live fast, lest you should
suffer in the long run.
maiden speech (the first speech-eeF <gsl-") It was her maiden
speech to the public; yet it wis fascinating.
make good (compensate-T&$"1 T{l-v) Now it is time for us to make
good the loss of the poor caused by our having been
rich.
 876 A Passage to the English Language

muster strong (come together in groups-qfq qC{ qT-q E\3{t-v) When

people heard about the president's visit to their village,
they mustered strong to greet him.
man in the moon (qqnqTl-<I tth-") What about you? You seem to have
become a man in the moon now-a-days.
man of letters (learned man-fu{ <Ifu-n) Mr. Haq was a man of
letters.
man of straw (a do-nothing, qfid 6;E) Such an important work can
not be done by such a man of straw.
1d; man in the street (ordinary man-{l{l3tcl CqlS-n) Even the man in the
?il
street can understand such a simple thing.
man of mark (noted person-S6 qlft-n) He is a man of mark indeed,
though not rich.
measure one's length-(bF BT{ CcT 'ftV {ts{l-v) As she walked on the
slippery street, she measured her length on the
pavement.
milk and water (weak-frffiq-n) He has suffered from fever for about
a month and now he has become a man full of milk and
water.
mince a matter (Wctr+ sefi tfl-Fr Kc"l qR{s
<el-v) Speak straighty, do
not mince a matter.
mind one's own business (oil one's own machine-frrq-< 5-<-s'i{ cgE
m{t-v) You are not free from errors; so mind your
own business.
move heaven and earth (try one's best <c${I$ ofi +-+l-v; She moved
heaven and earth to pass the exam, but {ailed.
make headwav GEfu Ffl-make progress-v) When will education
make headway in our country?
make a clean breast of (confess-6q'lTftsR +-<t-v) The thief made a
clean breast of how he comitted the theft.
make the best use of ({ft,*t qql-{q'{ T-$-v) We should make the best
use of our resources.
narrow escape (wrgTl s-{i <-+l-n) He had a narrow escape from the
accident.
near at hand (vclry near-{{ TlRTolR) The final examination of the
students is near at hand.
neck and crop (vl{In+vo-adv.) She went out in the rain and got wet
neck and crop.
nest egg ({lfs< "ilF-n) I cannot part with this piece of land; it is my nest
egg.
(41 <-tfo's EFI, El{ ffi
next to nothing {t) The man has some money,
but it is nest to nothing.
none-de-plume (<nft Eq 4T-) Rabindranath wrote some poems under
the none-de-plume of Vanu Singha Thakur.
 Grammar : Common ldioms and Phrases 877

nip in the bud (destroy at the very beginning-Yqfdt ffi 3'itl-v) The
practiie of taking bribe by high government officials
ihould be niPPed in the bud'
on last legs (dying-frft{{F{-adj.) It is important that the practice of
taking bribe be on last legs immediately'
of course (naturally-s{.tJ)-He is, of course, kind and sympathetic.
off and on (now and then-Tfr<t {fr$, em-adv') The manager of the
Head Office visits the northern branch office off and on'
on pain of (AQ6q 'Cq "tfrffi Er{ €m1 s-{ Ir{ 6{Crl) The student must
prepare the lessons on pain of punishment'
on the alert (watchful-I'sd*circumspect-adj.) Be on the alert when
You sleeP alone in this room'
on the eve of ({Frq-Sne wept on the eve of her husband's departure
GqlR).'
on the score of (on account of-Fl36"l, qfu1s) She stayed home on the
score of illness.
on the ground of (ort t-hn t.otn of) She stayed home on the ground of
illness.
on the contrary (rather <Kq q'Keff$, on the other hand) He came to
help me; on the contrary, his brother came to do harm
to me.
on the spur of (sfE-s gtgsT{l {6"|) Do not take any decision on ihis
serious matter on the spur of the moment'
on behalf of (in the interest of 9|6Ei) She signed the contract on behalf of
her father.
one and all (q-{Q)-fhe players one and all entered the playground'
once in a way (rarely-{ffi9-adv.) He makes such foolish decisions
onlY once in a waY'
out and out (entirely t5$"IR, qq fr'$ Crl6-6) He is out and out an honest
man.
qrql F|.{&s-adv')
over head and ears (greatly burdened r<Ktt <l ftqrq<
At reesent the Bakshi family is over head and ears in
PovertY.
out of sorts (unwell-q{'{-adj.) She feels out of sorts today'
out of doors (outside-{Gl-it q1ft1-<-adv.) Never remain out of doors at
night.
odds and ends (ftsilft &fr'q"fE-n) Before changing the house, they
gathered up all odds and outs carefully'
oil the wheel 1WO <W o<t-v) Even if you are angry you must oil the
wheel.
oil one's tongue (flatter-F1fi6{lE +-*l-v) The man earns by oiling his
tongue.
 878 A passage to the English Language
old head on young.shoulder (qfry
'flat_n) The boy is only fourteen,
yet he can solve very difficult problerisr-He'ilur,
old head on young siroulder. U" un
once for all (for ever-F<gr{-adv.) She parted
with her relatives once
for all.
on and on (continuously*@'il48-adv.) you
must try on and on till you
find a good solutioir to the problem.
one and again (more than one time-r{Frit$
{31-adv.) she has been
awarded once and again in her life.
open secret (effi," c*r"'{ aafi-n) That many
high officiars in our country
bribe ({<) t an open secret at present.
take-
one or the other (Ti?Fn sr{i q.F)-she
has chosen two shirts. but she
must buy one or the other.
on the other hand (on the. c<intrary_g"l{rll$)
He came to help me; on
the other hand, his brother came to do harm
out and away (<-qetct_adv.) Our house is out and to me.
away bigger than
theirs.
out of date (out of fashion-Hqufr-s-adj.) Do
not buy this shirt; it is out
of date.
over and over again (again and again*<tT{I<tr-adv.)
Read the poem over
and over again and then you wilr be able
to mim-orize it.
over and above (besides, qftsq) He has
bought a pen, ; ;;;1, ,.rn"
paper..and ink; over and above,
umbrella.
he has Uorgtt un
of one's own accord (willingly_CEElR_adv.) Jerry
did many good
things to the writer of his own accord.
-
of no avail (in vain-!t-adj.) All our efforts
were of no avail.
on account of (Olmct) She could not come
to class on account of ill_
health.
once again (q'L<s qs-{f{_u.du.) Last year
he failed in the s. s. c.
examination, but he intends to appear
at the examination
once again.
on the point of (bnr) we reached the spot
when the tiger was on the
point of killing the man.
- threshord (at
on the of the en116nqg-ef*.t flrer) when Rabindranath
became famous for his poetry, Bangla
then on the threshold of a
literature was
n"* movement.
on the whole (in total-fiff{ b"r<-adv.)
The woman was considered to
be competent for the post on the whole.
out of the question (impossible-sw<If lt-is
out of the question for me
to buy so many books in a month.
part and parcel (inseparable part*\5rfrrqq] g(T-n)
Love is a part and
parcel of human character.
 Grammar : Common Idioms and Phrases 879

paddle one's own canoe (depend on oneself-frrq''{ S"t< ft6< n-<l- v)

Though he had no job, he got married and began to
paddle his own canoe in his family-life.
patck up the quarrel (fi--<Tq STI<{[ q-d-v) Will anybody volunteer to
patck up the quarrel between the two relatives ?
pave the way (oFt el-.lg s-<l'-v) Hard labour can pave the way to your
success.
pay one back in one's own coin (frcw< scnT Ss +-<l-v) The professor
paid the politician back in his own coin.
penny wise and pound foolish (C"tqq Ccff$ <-s rFG qCE€ C{SIE TIT{I qeIE
ffir+ foT qffi{ sB q?rq rqTrcu {rraa] ar{ adj.) A
penny wise and pound foolish governmant officer is an
enemy to the country.
pick a quarrel (tItM it{t{-v) Never pick a quarrel with anyone.
pick one's pocket (qf+i qKt-r) \ /lrile he was traveling in the bus on
the way from Mirpur to Gulistan, somebody picked his
pocket.
pick and choose (select appropriately-qft$ ffiE-a s-g'-u) The owner
picked and chose a good person for the post of his
personal secretary.
pillar to post (q+ ?rq cclC's q{i'q'6{)-Vagabonds wander from pillar to
post all through their life.
pin money ("Ift-{ s,Ffl firo gqg qs"RF)-She saved all her pin money and
bought a nice present (EeRR) for her husband.
pinch of salt (carefulness-{CD-rFl9l-v)-Since you are weak as yet, you
should walk with pinch of salt to avoid any possible
accident.
play tricks (try to deceivn--qiskclt F-{l{ CFA +-<1-v) The man was sorry
for his playing tricks with him.
pluck up one's heart (to gain courage->tl{4 TS{ F{l-v) It is but a little
danger; you should pluck up your heart and meet the
situation.
point blank (directly-q'{tqR, olbl sQt{-adv.) The old man said to the
beggar point blank that he would not give him anything
to eat.
pore one's eyes out (flW "lW Ol"l <iql T{l-v) Good students never pore
their eyes out just before the examination.
prick up one's ears (Qli <F-<l-v) Something rustled in the dark and
"n$l
she pricked up her ears to listen.
puppet in the hand (q6q6 E|il uIfrtr <ifu-n) A leader should not be a
puppet in the hands of his/her followers.
pros and cons (slqTqEe-SfrO-n) Before arriving at a final decision,
think about the pros and cons of the matter over and
over again.
 880 A Passage to the English Language
quarrel with one's bread and butter (ftfu? sfq (qfg 6qeFl_v) He
took a hasty decision on the spur of the moment and
quarrelled with his bread and butter.
quick march (adv. advancement- W qeFfi{-n) All were astonished at
the quick march of communism in Russia but now they
are more astonished at its receding back.
run one's race (frq4 {rt-{ sKl-v) That poor man run his race in a
miserable way.
rack one's brain (rle[ qql"T-v) I racked my brain to remember the date
of his birth, but in vain.
rack and ruin (complete destruction-rTa{ K({-n) The pak army
caused much rack and ruin in our courtry.
rag day (playful time o{ college life-Ftrttre "l$l{ ?q ?u {"f fr{-n) I
remember of many a rag day of my college life.
rain cats and dogs (S-{q 1E'nE q€{l-v) It has been raining cats and dogs
for two hours.
rain or shine (54rq €ffl<f qms$R) I must go there, rain or shine.
rank and fite (rl{l-<"t tqfi-+-n) The soldier was promoted from the rank
and file to the post of the captain.
rank and fashion (aristocratic society qesT]E qIlQ-n) The culture of
any community mostly depends on the rank and fashion.
read handed (qrco {I[9-66u.; The robbers were cought red handed by
' the public.
red letter day (l-<fuft-{-n) The 21st of February is a red letter day to
all the Bangalis.
red tape (qfurc< 4E fiFv-R cft61y-n) The payment of his pension was
trapped in the red tape of the Ministry of Home affairs,
and at last he died without receiving the pension.
rise up to the occasion (riqt< ftal q-{ frfrCT Ofe-q"R E€Tl-v) At time's
calls all must rise up to the occasion.
rise and fall (ups and downs-E{fiqi5;1-n) Without facing any rise and
fall of life, no one can be great.
rise in arms (qfi fuq-v) Some personnel of the army o{ Russia rose
in arms against Gorbachev.
root and branch (entirely, r-tf-adv.) He alone will not be able to do
the work root and branch.
run short (become exhausted-OFi qCT <ls{I. TRCS S}e$-v) The ancient
rnariner as well as the crew ran short of drinking water
and their ihroats got dried.
run to waste (go astray-R"lcrl {l€Rt-v) If you fail to guide your brilliant
son to the right way, he will run to waste by mixing
with bad companions.
right and Ieft (r=r fr+ frcr-adv.) we attacked our enemies right and left.
 Grammar : Common ldioms and Phrases 881

ride anchor (Cltv< CfR-e; As soon as the ship was atqcrt to ride anchor
in the estuary (ml€t), a terrible sto,rm arose and the
captain suggested moving into the sea.
sack cloth and ashes (frlf$< C'lf,llzF-n) Today is your birthday, so put
of such sack cloth and ashes.
saddle on the right horse (\flq-{ <Ifufs 6qf$ F--{t-v) A judge must be so
wise as to saddle on the right horse.
safe and sound (fr-*t1zn-adv.) The fighter plane bombed on the target
and returned safe and sound.
sail under false colours (ffim clfl"ld. €l-v) The management
understood ihe employee's sailing under false colour and
dismissed him.
sav€ and except (<ICE) All the members of the family save and except
me have,gone to the party.
scape goat (Sl{ EeK qfif{ ffiF Elg|l{ R.{-_n) He is very obedient; that does
not mean that you should make a scape goat of him.
Scylla and Charybdis (!E fiio R{oi-n) On one side his wife does not let
hirn go, on the other side he has to keep his word, he; is
between Scylla and Charybdis with the matter.
see into mill stone (fR nqf-d This person can see into mill stone; how
will you deceive her?
see the light (be born-qiry{qclT$-u) A human being has seen the light
tonight in the hospital.
sheet anchor (Rfcs< oiD, els qcE-n) The gold-watch was his sheet
anchor, but the robbers robbed it away.
shifts and changes (ups and downs, rise and fail-€{lq 4\5;I-n) Our
economy is not stable; it has so many shifts and changes
that no business can be effectively run here.
short cut (ClftS "tql-n) Since we are late, we have to follow the short
cut to get to the airport.
short temper {K{ tFt ml{-n) i can not manage well enough with this
short temper.
shoulder to shoulder (together, in a body (S-C{lC:f-adv.) All concious
and learned people of our country should work shotilder
to shoulder to bring happiness to the country.
shoulder to wheel (effort e|IFH-n) if you put your shoulder to whee!,
you are sure to pass.
sav€ onets skin (CEll Celr{t rfqE'fls{t-v) Because you mix with bad
boy's" you cannot save your skin now.
skin and bone (+<+lE"fi< abj) The man has suffered from {ever during the
last two months and now he is just skin and bone.
snake in the grass (secret danger-{sFt R"m-n} Look before you leap;
there is snake in the grass.
APTEL_56
882 A Passage to the English Language
steer clear of (evade-€&-C{ {le{t-v) One should steer clear of bad
friends.
stick at nothing (frgcE fl'Dlqfi'qlR€{l-v) such a man like you sticks at
nothing.
storm in a tea potlcup (cqt? <l"fn"< ffi cn<'mn-n) people raised a
storm in a tea pot over the nomination of their favourite
candidaie fcr election.
swan song (Sk{ (.l\ <u-qt-n) Do you know what the swan song of
shelley is?
slveat of one's brow (ElalF slT "IICR Fall-n) The poor of our country
earn by the sr,veat of their brow, but many of them can
not prosper.
swirn with the tide (6lFF d"sl qM, c({IttsF-?r frce qF (T$-v) Those
who have no opinion of their own find it easy to swim
with the tide in time of an election; but it is not a good
practice.
stone's throw (ffi) The school is at a stone's throw from their
house.
sum and substance ({l<{{ n) This is the sum and substance of the story.
stand in good stead (be of great help;l-{"S+ R€{t- v) His advice has
stood me in good stead.
stick to guns (remain firm on purpose BCrcB ffi6q afl-$t-r) If you want
to prosper in life, you have to stick to your guns.
scot free (unhurt-Vlttls <l6io, q{1-q6-) The robbers were able to go
away scot free.
slow coach (V"tntd-n1 Nothing importrnt can be done with such a slow
coach as you.
turn tail (mWeBR,"nfrcq{tsft-v) At last tl,e pak army turned tail from
Bangladesh.
take to heels (turn taii)-The thief took to heeis when the man shauted
to gather people.
tall talk (W W sc,tl, Tttfl$T{-ni He has become a laughing stock only for
h:s tail talks.
through thick and thin (fr"kn qt{rq'c?T s-{Q.tge) A man should love
another man through thick and thin.
thank less task (G +'lq T'6( qTF fi"t-n) Loving people can never be a
thankless task.
take time by the forelock (TCSkrR Cn]-{Sk fit) His uncle is the M. D. of
the company and the company needs a junior officer; he
rnust take time by the forelock.
throw cold water (discourage-frFsqtq cil-v) Nobody should throw
cold water on the efforts of chiidren.
ten to one (very iikely-$ is{)-Ten to one, this girl will pass in the
examination"
 Grammar : Common ldioms and Phrases 883

to the letter ({cfl{R-adv.) Students must carry out their teachers' advice
to the letter.
to the contrary GTIE)J must say that he is a good man though many
people will say to the contrary.
through and through (thoroughly Tslfs 9l({-adv.) she advised me to
read all the poems by Rabindranath through and
through.
turn over a new leaf (fr<nq-Wqffief + l-v) After her marriage to
the rich man, she turned over a new leaf in her life'
to break butterfly on the wheel ({-lI {l{cs oNF{ qltfi-v) A great many
people mustered together to punish a poor thief; they
did nothing but break butterfly on the wheel.
turning point (ffi+ !b{t sl crl{ TqT {ctl{ Tu{1or<Qq-t1 The vear
1971 is a turning point in the history of Bangladesh.
take to one's heels (flee-'lafg{ s;ll-v) The robbers took to their heels
at the sight of the police.
ups and downs (rise and falFBqf{-4s{) There are ups and downs in
every life in every country.
up and doing I'Q 4lEfl-adj.) Now is the time for us to
(be ss116us-Brb
be up and doing for the prosperity of our country.
wild goose chase (flwl{-n) All the nighi they looked for the thief who
took to his heels unwatched, and thus they macie only a
wild goose chase.
with one accord (4FlE qcT-adv.) They finished the meeting with one
with one voice (qffi6{-adv.) The people supported the leader with one
voice.
with a view to (in order to--Emf.B) She came to me with a view to
seeing (see) me.
weal and woe (sorrows and happiness-{3{ +i-n) During our lifetime'
we have to go through weal and woe.
with flying colours 1ftum cft<-< <'fl sc(-adv.) The team returned from
the stadium with flying coiours.
with reference to (;Ptr6-prep.) He said many things but nothing with
relerence to our going to a Picnic'
with an eye to (arti crcq-prep.) She started a business with an eye to
handsome payoffs.