ENGLISH ASSIGNMENT: IDIOMS AND PHRASES

1. All Agog (a) To take him as a model

(a) Everybody (b) All ready (c) Restless (d) Almighty (b) To steal something valuable
2. To take the bull by the horns (c) To follow the dictates of someone
(a) To punish a person severely for his arrogance (d) To conform to other’s standard
(b) To grapple courageously with a difficulty that lies in way 12. To set the Thames on fire
(c) To handle it by fierce attack (a) To do something remarkable
(d) To bypass the legal process and take action according to (b) To try to do the impossible
one’s own whims. (c) To burn something to ashes
3. To throw up the sponge (d) To fling ironical remarks
(a) To surrender or give up a contest
(b) To offer a challenge 13. The robbery was committed in the wee hours of the day.
(c) To become utterly disappointed (a) after midnight (b) at dawn
(d) To maintain grit and enthusiasm until the end (c) at noontime (d) in the evening
4. To keep the wolf from the door 14. There is no love lost between the two neighbors.
(a) To keep away from extreme poverty (a) close friendship (b) intense dislike
(b) To keep off an unwanted and undesirable person (c) a love-hate relationship (d) cool indifference
(c) To keep alive 15. I am afraid the two brothers are at cross purposes.
(d) To hold the difficulties and dangers (a) quarrel with each other
5. Get down to brass tacks (b) dislike each other
(a) Start unraveling the mystery (c) are working against each other
(b) Begin to discuss secret matters (d) are misunderstanding each other
(c) Begin to talk in plain, straight forward terms 16. It was a Herculean task for me.
(d) Get into the thick of a problem (a) work requiring great effort (b) impossible task
6. To run amok (c) easy work (d) an entirely new task
(a) To run a race (b) To run about in frenzy 17. The present syllabus leaves very little elbowroom for
(c) To feel exhausted (d) To run to somebody’s help teachers to be innovative.
7. A bull in a china shop (a) cause (b) possibility (c) freedom (d) necessity
(a) A person who is very ugly but loves the beautiful things of 18. TO RULE THE ROOST
life (a) To be all powerful (b) To crush one’s opponents
(b) A person who takes a sadistic delight in harming innocent (c) To be victorious (d) To acquire, power
people 19. A STICK IN THE MUD
(c) A person who becomes too excited where no excitement is (a) A lethargic fellow (b) A stupid fellow
warranted (c) Miser (d) A person who resists change
(d) A person who is rough and clumsy where skill and care are 20. TO PAY LIP SERVICE
required (a) False sympathy (b) To flatter someone
8. To talk shop (c) False assurances (d) To misinform someone
(a) To talk nonsense 21. TO RANT AND RAVE
(b) To talk reasonably (a) Condemn loudly and forcefully
(c) To talk about business or professional affairs (b) To praise using high sounding words
(d) To abuse someone (c) Cheat (d) To plot
9. A cock-and bull story 22. TOOTH AND NAIL
(a) To true story (b) A children’s story (a) Without stopping (b) Fiercely
(c) A story of animals (d) A foolish and concocted story (c) Bitterly (d) Attentively
10. To be a good Samaritan 23. A GOOD RIDDANCE
(a) To be law-abiding (b) A wise person (a) A lucky escape (b) A fine act
(c) A religious person (d) A genuinely charitable person (c) A profitable business (d) Good relations
11. To take a leaf out of somebody’s book
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24. TO DRIVE HOME (a) To act foolishly (b) To reverse the order
(a) To make someone understand (c) To ignore a warning (d) None of these
(b) To turn up as desired 38. UP TO THE HILT
(c) To return (d) To lay emphasis on (a) Chiefly (b) Utterly (c) Thoroughly (d) Completely
25. TO TAKE FANCY TO 39. TO MAKE A VIRTUE OF NECESSITY
(a) To become fond of (a) To do a compulsion with good grace.
(b) To be fanciful (b) To do a work willingly
(c) To wear unusual costumes (c) Appreciate a work done by somebody else.
(d) To develop disliking for (d) Blessing and Disguise
26. A WRITING ON THE WALL 40. PANDORA’S BOX
(a) Something that must happen (a) A secret (b) An unexpected fortune
(b) An unavoidable event (c) A blessing (d) A collection of evils
(c) A warning 41. TO MEET ONE’S WATERLOO
(d) Ominously significant event (a) To die (b) To be ruined
27. A STRAW IN THE WIND (c) To lose a decisive contest (d) To miss a chance’’
(a) A person who does not stick to one job. 42. TO PLAY ONES’S CARDS WELL
(b) A poor and unimportant person. (a) To do one’s job properly. (b) To impress deeply
(c) A person socially backward. (c) To act wisely and boldly. (d) None of these
(d) Slight indication of how things may develop. 43. A WHITE LIE
28. TO PUT HEADS TOGETHER (a) A lie spoken with good intentions (b) Total lie
(a) To work together. (b) To put up a united front. (c) Hardly true (d) None of these
(c) To hold consultation. (d) Join hands. 44. TO LET THE GRASS GROW UNDER ONE’S FEET
29. ON TENTER-HOOKS (a) To remain inactive (b) Try to gain experience
(a) Feeling uneasy (b) In a state of uncertainty. (c) Act wisely (d) None of these
(c) In deep trouble (d) Undecided. 45. TO FISH IN TROUBLED WATERS
30. A YEOMAN SERVICE (a) Make the things worst
(a) A thankless task. (b) Dedicated service. (b) Take advantage of other’s troubles
(c) A poor show. (d) An unnecessary show. (c) To increase the troubles of those who are already in trouble.
31. TO MAKE BOTH ENDS MEET (d) None of these.
(a) To settle a dispute amicably (b) To bring together
(c) To live within one’s income (d) None of these.
32. TO KEEP THE POWDER DRY
(a) To save money for a difficult time.
(b) To avoid criticism.
(c) Be ready to face any situation
(d) To face a challenge,
33. LOAVES AND FISHES
(a) Material comforts
(b) Daily bread
(c) Ups and downs of life
(d) Good and bad situations.
34. A LEFT-HANDED COMPLIMENT
(a) A bitter criticism (b) A false praise
(c) An unfavorable comment (d) None of these.
35. A FLY IN THE OINTMENT
(a) A hidden observer
(b) All unwanted guest
(c) Something that spoils a good occasion
(d) An undesirable person
36. NULL AND VOID
(a) Cancel (b) Reject (c) Defuse (d) Invalid
37. TO PUT THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE
 01. Fling away (c) to be annoyed (d) to be intimate
(a) to have an affair (b) to flare up 18. To shake the dust off one’s feet
(c) to throw aside violently (d) to swing (a) to wash feet (b) to walk fast
02. Stick by (c) to leave a place with a sense of resentment
(a) to adhere closely (b) stand by someone (d) to rest after a long journey
(c) to paste (d) to pass by 19. To draw the long bow
03. Wink at (a) to shoot (b) to exaggerate
(a) to tease somebody (b) to like someone (c) to criticize (d) to admire
(c) to avoid taking notice of (d) to stare at 20. To know the ropes
04. To feather one’s nest (a) to recognize the lost things
(a) to build one’s house (b) enrich oneself when (b) to do rigging
opportunity occurs (c) to know the procedure of doing a job
(c) to harbor ill-feelings (d) to flog
(d) to acquire something in abundance 21. To give the devil his due
05. A san song (a) to be just to a person even though he does not deserve such
(a) melodious song (b) disharmonious display treatment
(c) utterance/statement made just before death (b) to surrender oneself willingly when one’s mistake is
(d) concocted tale defected
06. A white elephant (c) to punish an innocent person
(a) precious thing (b) uncommon event (d) to punish a guilty person
(c) unprofitable possession (d) a rare phenomenon 22. To knuckle under
07. To plough the sands (a) to be in a crisis (b) to submit
(a) to be extremely accomplished (b) to be resourceful (c) to take rest (d) to go to bed
(c) to be dejected 23. To have a dig at
(d) to busy oneself in an unprofitable proposition (a) to criticize someone (b) to sow seeds
08. To rate soundly (c) to weed out (d) to praise someone
(a) to censure strongly (b) to acquire heavy profits 24. Three R’s
(c) to be at peace (d) to assure somebody (a) radiogram, radiograph, radio telescope
09. To run in the same groove (b) rabble, rattle, razzle
(a) to have a pleasant time (b) to run away from somebody (c) reading, writing, arithmetic
(c) to be in the same situation (d) to advance in (d) rail, radar, raft
harmony 25. To rest on one’s laurels
10. Our transatlantic cousins (a) to cease to strive for further glory (b) to be lazy
(a) foreign relatives (b) friendly neighbours (c) used (c) to be proud of one’s victory (d) to die
by British for Americans (d) people living across the 26. Raw deal
Atlantic (a) unjust treatment (b) unripe fruit
11. A brazen- faced fellow (c) early stage of business (d) contract not yet finally
(a) cruel person (b) ugly person decided
(c) dark-complexioned person (d) impudent fellow 27. A forlorn hope
12. French leave (a) a plan which has remote chances of success
(a) a person who does not take leave (b) hope about unforeseeable future
(b) leave without permission (c) hope of single person (d) hope of a silly person
(c) a long leave (d) to take a day off and have fun
13. To burn a hole in the pocket 28. Printer’s devil
(a) to steal from someone’s pocket (a) messenger boy in a printing office
(b) to destroy other’s belongings (b) blunder
(c) to be very miserly (c) low type of printed material (d) delay in printing
(d) money that is spent quickly 29. To be on the carpet
14. To bury a hatchet (a) subject to criticism (b) under consideration
(a) to have found a treasure (b) to make peace (c) a heartfelt welcome (d) on the ground
(c) to purchase something without discretion 30. To bring the house down
(d) to act in a suspicious manner (a) to appeal greatly to the audience
15. Swollen headed (b) to pull down a building (c) to defame one’s family (d) to
(a) to be suffering from illness (b) to be conceited pass a bill unanimously
(c) to be narrow-minded (d) to be dumb
16. To be like a fish out of water
(a) to be face to face with death 31. Sackcloth and ashes
(a) to cremate (b) penitence
(c) dirty clothes (d) cheap clothes
(b) to be in a strange situation 32. To put two and two together
(c) to be in want of a house (d) to be determined to live (a) to progress steadily
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17. To be hand and glove with someone (b) to compare the debit and credit
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(a) to be social (b) to be playful (c) to conclude keeping in view the merits and demerits
 (d) to oppose as a last resort 50. Not worth a rap
33. To weather the storm (a) worth nothing (b) very expensive
(a) to face a crisis (b) to survive a crisis (c) worth a lot (d) modestly priced
(c) to be the victim of a crisis (d) to create crisis 51. To leap the pale
34. Hobson’s choice (a) to throw a bucket
(a) lion’s share (b) the best choice (b) to get into debt, to spend more than one’s income
(c) option of taking the one offered or nothing (c) to have much of fear (d) to become pale
(d) the last chance 52. To cut the Gordian knot
35. To whitewash (a) to perform the opening ceremony
(a) to clean a place (b) to work hard (b) be present at the opening ceremony
(c) to retrieve damaged reputation (c) to solve a difficult problem (d) to get a sharp cut
(d) to use cosmetic 53. To sow the wind and reap the whirlwind
36. To keep an open mind (a) to enjoy the fruits of hard work
(a) to remember (b) to forget (c) to come to no (b) to be deprived of one’s reward
decision on a subject of discussion (d) to be clear-headed (c) to act wisely (d) to suffer for one’s foolish conduct
37. Open question 54. To play possum
(a) a question put to all (a) to play hide and seek (b) to feign ignorance
(b) a question without any generally agreed answer (c) to cheat somebody (d) to play seriously
(c) a permanent problem 55. A grass widow
(d) a clearly-written/expressed question (a) a young widow
38. On one’s mettle (b) widow who has illicit relations with men
(a) rouse to do one’s best (b) to put on an overcoat (c) to (c) a woman whose husband its temporarily away from her
safeguard against attack (d) to use one’s own money properly (d) a working old woman
39. To keep the pot boiling 56. Much ado about nothing
(a) to maintain interest (b) to heat (a) to take something seriously (b) to play false
(c) to show anger (d) to do experiments (c) to make fuss (d) to add
40. Grist to one’s mill 57. Judas kiss
(a) grain to be ground (b) useful for one’s purpose (a) wooing (b) a narrow escape
(c) income from will (d) to work one’s machine (c) hypocritical affection (d) a religious person
41. Kangaroo court 58. To have no truck with
(a) a group of kangaroo (b) the young kangaroo (a) have no means of conveyance
(c) unofficial court (d) unofficial estimate (b) scientifically backward
42. The heels of Achilles (c) to have no trade with
(a) bare-foot (b) to run fast (d) to have no dealings with
(c) to wait on somebody (d) the weak point in a 59. To clean the Augean stables
person (a) to purge the administration of its abuses
43. To eke out (b) to buy horses
(a) to subtract (b) to supplement (c) to sell horses (d) to improve working conditions
(c) to etch (d) to oust 60. A fly in the ointment
44. To be in the doldrums (a) to clean a thing (b) to sterilize
(a) to be in low spirits (b) to be within doors (c) a problem in a situation (d) an unsuccessful attempt
(c) to praise loudly (d) to be in a crisis
45. Blind alley
(a) blindness due to old age (b) a dark room ****************
(c) unprofitable action
(d)continuing efforts in spite of confusion
46. Tied to the apron strings of
(a) be independent (b) to be dependent on
(c) to live together (d) to fall in love with
47. To stick to one’s colors
(a) to refuse to yield (b) to be patriotic
(c) to be notorious (d) to be straightforward
48. The sinews of war
(a) the money (b) the soldiers
(c) the cavalry (d) the infantry
49. Take up the cudgels
(a) to take a notice (b) to accept a present
(c) to defend someone vigorously
(d) to accept a challenge
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