UNACADEMY

PROFILE

NET JRF 2003

PRINCIPAL SSC CGL
ENGLISH ENGLISH
GOVT
LITERATURE
COLLEGE

WATCH
20 years FOLLOW MY ALL
ON
of COURSE
UNACADEM
experien
Y
ce
01 Idioms meaning
02 Etymology of the idiom

03 Idioms explained from previous years papers

04 Simple examples to understand

 KEEP AT BAY
Prevent, either a person or an event, from advancing nearer.
The allusion is to a ship that is anchored in a bay
and waiting to enter a port.
The Old French words 'abbay' or 'abai' mean
'barking'. To keep at bay meant then to be in a
standoff with a baying dog that was intent on killing.
Despite of his all efforts, he was kept at bay and allowed to enter the
circle of friends.
 IN THE OFFING
likely to happen soon
'the offing' is the part of the sea that can
be seen from land, so if a ship was 'in the
offing' it was expected to dock soon.

There is great stir in the office from yesterday. We

can assume something important is in the offing.
 LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG
to disclose a secret
From the practice of fraud of substituting a cat for
a piglet at markets.
The girl was quite embarrassed as she inadvertently
let the cat out of bag about her affair.
 SMELL A RAT
to become suspicious that something in a given situation is
not quite right
to find out an inside informer
It is said to come from the days when rats were common
pests and carriers of disease. Dogs were prized for their ability
to smell out and destroy them.
The way he behaves these days make me smell a rat.
 SOMETHING FISHY
something of doubtful character or of some shady deal
where the motives are suspected.
refers to a strong odor from older fish, for example where a
market seller would be selling old fish while claiming how
fresh they are.
The opposition has been crying a lot about the arms deal and blaming
that there is something fishy about it.
 THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG
An item of minor importance dominating a situation.

Countries like Burma creating headache for India at

border is just an instance of the tail wagging the dog.