Idioms & Phrases - 5533827

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{Q>iH$ amoS>, gXm{ed noR>, nwUo-30 ENGLISH WRITING AND GRAMMAR
Session -2
Idioms and Phrases
 Useful for all competitive examinations – UPSC| MPSC| SSC| CDS|

BANKING|CAPF|
 Different methods to remember vocabulary.
 Vocabulary discussion with examples.
 Previous years’ vocabulary explanation.
 Usage of vocabulary in WRITING.
By:
Mahesh Patil M.A. (English)
Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

Idioms and Phrases
UPSC 2020
CAPF 2019

CDS 2021
2019

2018
PSI 2017
TAX ASSISTANT 2017

COMBINED GROUP C 2019
FOREST 2017

IDIOMS AND PHRASES

FREQUESNTLY AKSED IN UPSC MPSC SSC CDS BANKING EXAMS
No. Idioms/Phrases English Meaning

1 A hard nut to crack A difficult problem to solve
2 A thorn in the flesh A constant source of annoyance
3 At one’s beck and call Under one’s control
4 An acid test A critical test
5 All eye for an eye Tit for tat
6 At once At the same time, promptly, instant
7 At home Comfortable
8 Achilles’ heels A small but fatal weakness
9 Add fuel to fire To make a matter worse
10 An arm chair job Good income job with high comfort
11 An axe to grind Something done for selfish reasons
12 An iron will Strong will power
An old flame A person, one had a romantic relationship with, in the
13 past.
An old head on young shoulders A young person who behaves like an older person with
14 more experience.
15 An olive branch Peace request/peace treaty/ symbol of peace
16 Apple of discord A subject of dispute/ cause of quarrel
17 Apple of one’s eye Cherish carefully, favorite, loving
18 Apple pie order In good condition/ perfect order
19 At a lose To be unable to decide
20 At a pinch In a trouble
21 At arm’s length Avoid becoming too friendly
22 At daggers drawn To have bitter enmity
23 At ease Free from pain and anxiety
24 At one’s finger ends To have complete knowledge, to be expert in
25 At one’s wits ends Puzzled/confused/perplexed
26 At sixes and sevens In disorder
27 At stake At risk or insecure
28 At the eleventh hour At last moment

A man of straw A man with no voice or will of his own/ a weak

29 character person.
30 A black sheep An unlucky person, Bad characters
31 At a snail’s pace Very slowly
32 At logger heads In dispute, to fight
33 All at sea Completely confused
34 A white elephant An expensive but useless possession
35 Axe out To turn out
36 Bring to light Disclose
37 Bread and butter Material welfare
38 Back stair gossip Talk among servants/unfair talk
39 Back and forth Backward and forward
40 Bad blood Enmity/ bitter relation, Ill feelings
41 Bag and baggage With all belongings
42 Baker’s dozen Thirteen in number
Be born with a silver spoon in one’s To be born in a rich family
43 mouth
44 Be in the driving seat Bearing all responsibilities
45 Bear the brunt of To bear the main part of something unpleasant
46 Beat about the bush To talk in a roundabout manner/circumlocution
47 Beat black and blue Beat mercilessly
48 Beat the record to do better than ever before
49 Beat hollow To beat thoroughly and convincingly
50 Bed of roses Pleasant situation of comfort
51 Bed of thorns A situation of extremely difficulty
52 Beggar description A person with no source
53 Bell the cat Taking first step at personal risk
54 Between the devil and the deep sea Between two difficult situation
55 Between Scylla and Charybdis Between two difficult situation
56 Big gun An influential person/ significant person
57 Bird of passage One who comes occasionally
58 Bird’s eye view Overview/ concise view
Birds of a feather People with the same idea, characteristics and
59 interests
60 Bite the dust To be defeated
61 Black sheep a disgrace · the least reputable member of a group
62 Blow one’s own trumpet To praise oneself

63 Blue blood Royal or aristocratic descent

64 Blue book Government report
65 Body and soul Entirely
66 Bolt from the blue Unexpected problem
67 Bone of contention Subject of a dispute
68 Boon/blessing in disguise Hidden blessing/ bad turns into good
69 Bosom friend Fast friend
70 Break the ice Break the silence/to start a conversation
71 Breathe one’s last To pass way/ to die
72 Broad day light In day light (when crime cannot be hidden)
73 Broken reed A weak, unreliable person
74 Brown study Day dream/ half-conscious mind
75 Bull in the china shop One who is out of place in a dedicated situation
76 Burn a hole in the pocket Money spend quickly
77 Burn one’s finger To get oneself into trouble
Burn the candle at both ends To work very hard and stay very late at night and get
78 up early in the morning
79 Burn one’s boats Go back on a decision
80 Burn the midnight oil Laboring/studying late night
81 Burning question An important topic, hot issue
82 Bury the hatchet To end enmity or hostility/ make peace
83 By fits and starts Irregularly/sporadic
84 By hook or by crook By any means, right or wrong
85 By leaps and bounds At a rapid pace
86 By the skins of one’s teeth/ by a whisker Narrowly/ by a hair breadth
87 By long adds By a great difference
88 Bricks and mortar Buildings
89 A closed book a person or thing that is difficult to understand.
90 Bring home To convince
91 Bite one’s lips Control one’s anger
92 Bee in one’s bonnet To be crazy about something
93 Be nipped in the bud To destroy a thing in the very beginning
94 To be above board To be honest in any business deal
95 By and large On the whole, speaking generally
96 Blow hot and cold To be irresolute

97 To be on one’s mind To worry about something

98 Bear the hunt Suffer the most
99 To be on the apex To be at the highest point
100 By the strong hand By force
To blow one’s stack top or Become very angry/ lose one's temper.
101 blow a fuse
To beat a hasty retreat Withdraw quickly, typically in order to avoid
102 something unpleasant.
Carry the coal to new castle energy Spending time and energy in doing something that is
103 useless and wastage of
Cast pearls before the swine A right thing in a wrong hand/ who doesn’t have
104 value to understand what he/ she got
105 Castles in the air be realized Day dream/a hope or desire unlikely to
106 Cat and dog life Troublesome life
Catch the tarter To grapple with an unexpectedly/ to catch a
107 dangerous person
108 Chew the cud To ponder over/meditate
109 Chicken hearted Lacking courage/cowardly
110 Cock and bull story A concocted story
111 Crocodile tears An false display of grief
112 Cross swords To quarrel or fight
113 Cry for the moon To desire the unattainable
114 Cry over spilled milk Regret in vain for what cannot be undone
115 Thick and thin In spite of troubles or difficulties
116 Cut both ways Argue in favor of both sides
117 Cut no ice To fail to make an impression
118 Creature comforts Luxuries
119 Curry favour to seek to win favour by gifts or flattery
120 Catch a straw to accept help and support even from the insignificant
121 Cry wolf go give false alarm
Call a spade a spade Speak the truth or frankly
122
123 Cut both end Behave dishonestly
124 Cut the Gordian knot To short out the problem
125 Clear the decks To remove obstructions
126 Cool head To have a nature of not easily being excited
127 Come a cropper To fail completely

128 Come back to earth Return to reality

129 Call in question To doubt, find fault with
130 Cut a sorry figure Not to leave a good impression
131 Cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth To live within one’s means
132 Dance to one’s tune Obeying one’s order
133 Dark horse One who wins unexpectedly
134 Dead letter enforced A law or ordinance that is no longer
135 Damocles’ sword Constant threat
136 Die a dog’s death To die a shameful death
137 Die in harness Die while in service
Dog in the manger A person who prevents others from enjoying what he
138 cannot
139 Donkey’s years A long time
140 Draw a line Set a limit
141 Duck in a thunder storm In a painful condition
142 Do a good turn Do an act of kindness
143 Eagle eyed With keen eye sight
144 Eat humble pie To apologize
145 Eat one’s words Take the statement back
146 Eat one’s heart out Suffer silently
147 End in smoke/ End in fiasco Come to nothing
148 Escape one’s lips Speak unintentionally or unexpectedly
149 Edge out To push out slowly
150 Egg-on To instigate to proceed further
151 Eke out Supplement income
152 Fabian policy Deliberate slow policy/policy of delaying decisions
153 Fair and square In an honest way
154 Fair sex Women
Fair weather friend Selfish friend who are with us only in comfortable
155 Situations.
156 Fancy price At any cost/at demanded prices
157 Feather in the cap Additional success
158 Feather one’s nest one’s position To enrich oneself by taking advantage of
159 Fight shy of To attempt to avoid a thing or person
160 Fish in trouble waters To take advantages of the problems of others

161 Fish out of water Out of one’s usual and uncomfortable place
Fly in the ointment A light unpleasant thing that obstruct the enjoyment
162 of something
Fool’s paradise A state of being happy for foolish or unfounded
163 reasons
164 Forty winks A nap
165 French leave A leave without information or permission
166 Fringe benefits An additional benefit apart from salary
167 From hand to mouth Providing only bare essential
168 Flesh and blood A human being with his natural limitation
169 Gala day Celebration day
170 Get away with To escape
171 Get into a soup/ Get into hot water Get into a trouble
172 Get off scot free To escape without punishment
173 Get on one’s nerves To irritate or annoy
174 Give up the ghost To die, stop working, stop doing something
175 Gain ground Become popular
176 Gribble- gabble Foolish talk
177 Gift of the gab To talk well/ talent of speaking
178 Give a piece of mind To rebuke scold
179 Go through fire and water To brave any danger
180 Go to dogs To deteriorate/degenerate
181 Go to rack and ruin To decay or get destroyed
Good Samaritan A person who helps and pays sympathy
182
183 Grease the palm To bribe
184 Green room performers to get ready A lounge in a theatre or studio for the
185 Halcyons days Peaceful days
186 Hang by a thread Be in a risky situation
187 Haul over the coals To take to task, to reprimand
188 Have finger in the pie To be involved in something
189 Have one’s hand full To be completely occupied
190 Have one’s way The way one wants
Have several iron in the fire activities at To be involved in many project or
191 the same time
192 Hen-pecked A husband dominated by wife

193 Herculean task Task requiring tremendous effort

194 High hand Overbearing
195 Hit below the belt To strike unfairly
196 Hit the jackpot Gaining a big/great success (specially by luck)
197 Hobson’s choice No alternatives
198 Hole and corner policy Secret policy
199 Hold no water Not correct or true
200 Hush money Money given to someone to keep something secret
201 In a fog Confused, not able to understand
202 In a nutshell In very brief form
203 In black and white In printed or written form
204 In full swing At the height of activity
205 In the blues In dumps depressed
206 In the same boat Sharing the same problems
207 In vogue In the current fashions
208 Itching palm A desire for money, greed; also, wanting a bribe
209 Jail word A person who is or has been confined in jail
210 Jaundice eye To look at a conclusion prematurely
211 Kangaroo’s court An illegal court
212 Keep one’s cards close to one’s chest Hiding something
213 Keep one’s finger crosses To wait expectantly
214 Keep one’s word To keep one’s promises
215 Keep the ball rolling To maintain the progress of a project or plan
216 Keep the wolf from the door To avert poverty/starvation
217 Kill two birds with one stone Doing two things at the same time while
218 Kith and kin Blood relation/Nepotism
219 Knit one’s brow To frown
220 Lady’s man A man who is fond of the company of women
221 Lame excuse False excuse/baseless excuse
222 Left-handed complement An insult disguise as a compliment
223 Lion’s share Large part
Live in an ivory tower Living in comfort and being unaware of realities
224 of other’s miseries
225 Loaves and fishes Material benefit.
226 Look of colours Look ill or unhealthy.

227 Look through coloured glasses To see with different

Lump in the throat A tight or uncomfortable feeling in throat due to
228 emotions
229 Mad as a march hare Crazy and insane
230 Maiden name A woman’s surname before marriage
231 Maiden speech First speech
232 Make a hash To mess up
233 Make a mountain out of a mole hill To exaggerate a minor difficulty
234 Make hay while the sun shines To take the benefit of an opportunity
235 Make or mar To make or destroy
236 Make the best of both the worlds Getting benefited from both the sides
237 Man of means A wealthy man
238 Man of iron Man with strong will-power
239 Man of letter Learned person
240 Man of parts A man of qualities
241 Man of spirit A man full of enthusiasm
242 Man of straw A weak person or idea that is easy to defeat
243 Man of the world An experienced person
244 Man of word True to one’s word or promises
245 A man of God A male priest
246 A match made in heaven A happy and harmonious marriage or partnership
247 Mare’s nest A false invention/ rumour
248 Midas touch A man with extraordinary
249 Mince matters To moderate or restrain one’s language
250 To mind one’s P’s and Q’s Taking care of behaviour properly
251 Miss the beat To lose an opportunity
252 Mother wit Common sense
253 Move heaven and earth To try one’s best
254 To make one’s mark Become famous, well known
255 Milk of human kindness Good feelings towards others
256 Made of money Very wealthy
257 Man of/in the street Ordinary, average person
258 Make head or tail Understand
259 Meet one’s waterloo Make one feel terrified, horrified
260 Penny wise pound foolish Careful about trifles but wasteful in large venture

261 Pick up the gauntlet To accept the challenge

262 Play duck and drakes To waste money
263 Play second fiddle To be at a subordinate position
264 Play truant To be absent from duty without permission
265 Poison someone ears To speak against one to another
266 Poke one’s nose To interfere
267 Pour oil on troubled water To pacify the matters
268 Pros and cons To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages
269 Pull one’s legs To make fun of or to tease
270 Pull the wool over somebody’s eyes To mislead/Cheat
Put a spoke in one’s wheel To obstruct, thwart the execution of the plan, to
271 stop someone’s plan
272 Put in cold storage To keep a work pending
273 Put one’s shoulders to the wheel To work or exert oneself heavy
274 Put the cart before the horse To do things wrongly
Put the cat among pigeons To say/do something that causes trouble or make
275 many very angry
Quarrel with one’s bread and butter To fight with the executive or employer, who is
276 providing one’s means of living
277 Queer fish Strange person
278 Rain cats and dogs Rain very heavily
279 Rainy day Future time of need, especially financial need
Red handed Exactly while committing a crime or doing
280 something wrong
281 Red letter day A memorably important or happy occasion
282 Red tapism Delay in decision
283 Rest on one’s laurels Depending on the achievement made in the past
284 Rhyme or reason Sense, logic or meaning
285 Right hand man One’s most supporter person
286 Rock the boat To disturb a situation which was otherwise stable
287 Rolling stone A restless person
288 Royal road An easy or direct way of achieving a desired result
289 Small fry Insignificant person
290 Run amuck Made with murderous frenzy
291 run of the mill Average/common
292 Run the gauntlet To go through an unpleasant experience

293 Smell a rat To suspect something wrong done

294 Smooth sailing Easy progress
295 Shake in the shoes A tremble with fear or apprehension
296 Show the dragon’s teeth others To create future trouble for yourself
297 Speak one’s mind Speak what one really thinks
298 Spick and span In order/neat and clean
299 Stand on one’s legs To be self-dependent
300 Stand/stick to one’s guns To be strict and determined
301 State somebody in good stead To be of great use and benefit to someone
302 Steal a march To obtain an advantage by secret means
Step into another’s shoes To take over a job/responsibility of some other per-
303 son
304 Stiff-necked person Stubborn or arrogant
305 Stir a finger Making effort
306 Stone’s throw Very near
Street Arabs A homeless person
307 (especially who survive by begging)
308 Sum and substance Main idea or gist
309 Swan song The last ceremony or farewell
310 Swelled head Grand opinion of oneself/conceited
311 Sworn enemy People enemies
312 Set the record straight Give a correct account
313 Spread like wild fire Spread quickly
314 Take away one’s breath Take by storm
315 Take into account To consider
Take the bull by the horns To adopt the most direct but the most dangerous
316 way of facing a difficulty
317 Talk big To boast or brag
Talk of the town To be the person or subject everyone is talking
318 about
319 The printer’s devils Error in printing
320 Think twice To consider carefully before deciding
321 Through thick and thin In good and bad times
Throw cold water To criticize or stop someone from doing something
322 that he is enthusiastic about
323 Tooth and nail To violently

324 True to one’s salt Loyal person

325 Turn a deaf ear to Not to pay attention to
326 Turn over a new leaf To be entirely changed (for good)
327 Turn the corner To pass through a critical point in a process
328 Turn turtle To overturn
329 Throw out of gear Disturb the work
Take to one’s heels/ Show a clean pair of Run away
330 heals
331 Time and tide Course of time
332 To leave someone in the lurch To desert someone in his difficulties
333 To join forces Join together, become united
334 To kick of a row Raise dispute
335 To laugh in or up one’s sleeves Be secretly amused
336 Turn a blind eye To ignore intentionally
337 Take one to task Rebuke, scold, castigate
338 Turn a deaf ear Disregard / ignore what one says
339 Turn up one’s nose at To take lightly with contempt
340 Under the nose of Right in front of someone
341 Under the thumb of Under the power influence of
342 Up and doing Active in work
343 Up one’s sleeves An item kept hidden and used whenever required
344 Upon one’s sweet will Oneself desire or wish
345 Ups and downs God and bad times
346 Utopian scheme A visionary scheme though impractical
347 Weather the storm Survive by coming out of difficulties
348 Well-to-do Affluent
349 Wet blanket One who spoil the enjoyment
350 Wheels within wheels A series of intricately connected events
351 White elephant Expensive but no use
352 White lie A minor lie
353 Will o’ the wisp Elusive/unreal
354 Windfall Sudden gain received unexpectedly
355 With a grain of salt To accept with misgiving
356 With one accord\in one voice Unanimously
Wolf in sheep’s clothing A malicious person in harmless or benevolent dis-
357 guise

358 Word for word In exactly the same word

359 Word of mouth Informal oral communication
360 Yeoman’s service Excellent work
361 Pay off old scores Take revenge
362 Make up one’s mind Decide
363 With a high hand Oppressively,
364 Laugh one’s head off Laugh heartily
Back to square one To return to the situation where you were without
365 making no progress
366 Rank and file Ordinary persons
367 Out of the wood Free from difficulties and danger
368 Under his thumb Under his control
369 Hoping against hope Without hope
370 Come off with flying colours Be highly successful
371 Hit the nail on the head Do or say the exact thing
372 Out of the way Strange
373 Have a big mouth To gossips more or tells secret
374 Heart in the right place Good natured
375 Keep ones eye on the ball Be ready for something
376 Make a bee line for To go directly towards something
377 Make a dry face To show disappointment
378 Monkey around To waste time here and there
379 Old flames die hard Difficult to forget old things
380 Zip your lips To shut up or keep quiet about something.
To allow the grass to grow under one’s To be lazy
381 feet
382 Die in cast One cannot retreat or change one’s plans
Dutch courage False, sense of bravery brought about by drinking
383 alcohol
384 Fighting fit In good health
385 Field day A successful or a great day
386 Hammer and tongs To do something with great energy
387 Hand and glove with On very intimate terms
388 Hush – hush Very secret
389 Lady killer Man who is very attractive to women
390 Pull a long face Look gloomy

391 Make a clean breast of To confess without resource

392 To make head or tail of Be able to understand at all
393 To play a second fiddle To be in a subordinate position
394 Laying off Dismissal from jobs of
395 Pin one’s ears back Listen carefully
396 Pick someone’s brains Get information from some one
397 Quite the thing Fashionable, in fashion
398 Quits with Even with, revenged on
399 Hue and cry A great noise
400 Safe and sound Quite well
401 The long and short of In brief
402 Face the music To accept punishment for something you have done.
403 Clean sweep A complete victory
404 Not bat an eyelid Not to show any shock,
405 Head on worry or surprise In a very direct manner
406 Elbow room Adequate space/freedom for work
407 To move heaven and earth To do all possible effort
408 Daydream To think of pleasant thoughts
409 Pied piper A leader who makes irresponsible promises
To sow the wind and reap the whirlwind To start some kind of trouble that grows much larger
410 than one has planned
411 Hem and haw around To be evasive
To take the bull by the horns and To deal with a problem directly
412 resolutely
413 Tight corner In a difficult situation
414 On guard Vigilant
415 Gung ho Extremely excited
416 Once and for all With finality
417 Past master Adept/ skilled
418 Turn out to be To be found to be
419 Full blown Fully developed
420 Muddle-head Stupid
421 Chest-thumping The act or practice of boasting
422 Laughing stock One who is ridiculed
423 Heart bleed Feel genuine sympathy for someone

424 Send shivers down the spine To make someone feel very frightened
425 Day in day out For indefinite number
426 Wry face Disappointed look
427 With open arms With happiness
428 Under the rose Secretly
429 Seem side of life Immoral side of society
430 Take up arms To fight
431 Bring to back To punish
432 Argued eyes Careful, observant
433 Back stair influence By unfair means
434 By the rule of thumb According to practical experience
435 Clip the wings To weaken the power
436 Come home to To understand
437 Take lying down Accept insult
Open secret That many people know about but that is supposed
438 to be a secret
439 Cloven hoof Evil desire
440 Chip of the old block Resembling in one’s parents in habits
441 Bandy words To argue
442 Blue stocking Educated but pedantic lady
443 In a way Hopeful
444 Do away with Get rid of
445 Neck and crop Completely
446 By the virtue of By the power of
447 To curry favour To win favour of
448 For a song At a very low price
449 Ever and anon Now and then
450 Damp squib Complete failure
Cook the books To record false information in order to steal money
451 or show wrong entry to hide stolen money
452 Barefaced liars Shameless liars
453 Bend the truth Not to speak the entire truth
454 Go scot free To escape from punishment
455 Buy a lemon To buy something than is worthless
456 Hand in glove In extremely close relation

Bad eggs With someone who behaves in a bad or dishonest

457 way
Daylight robbery Blatantly overcharging or removing someone’s
458 money by foul play to deceive someone
459 Pull wool over the eyes To deceive someone
460 Feet of clay Hidden faults
461 Lose ground Fail to keep position
462 Lose their head To be carried away
D-day A day on which something important in planned or
463 expected to happened
464 Keep one’s pot boiling Earn hardly enough for living
465 On last legs About to collapse
466 Set someone by ears To incite people
467 Steal the march To get ahead secretly
468 Red herring Something to distract attention
469 Brain fed Taught
470 Mealy mouthed/ Mealy-mouthed Soft-spoken
471 Stand by Support
472 Weal and woe Joy and sorrow
473 Be in the tune with In agreement or mood
474 Keep someone under thumb To keep someone under one’s control
475 Hold someone to leash To restrain
476 Latin and Greek Unable to understand
477 Buy a pig in poke To buy without knowing exact value
478 Goods and chattels Belongings of home
479 Grey matter Intelligence
480 Hornet’s nest Controversy
481 Cast a slur To disrepute
482 Gild the pill To cover the unpleasant thing with a pleasant thing
483 Come to a standstill To come to a stop
484 Fair field and no favour Equal opportunities to all
485 Against all odds Despite many difficulties
486 Pissed off Annoyed
487 Up in the creek In serious difficulties
488 In a trice Very quickly
489 Trojan horse A person or thing intended to undermine or secretly

overthrow an enemy or opponent.

490 Teething problems short-term problems that occur in the early stages
491 Hot potato Hot topic of discussion
492 Rule the roost To Dominate
493 Lock, stock and barrel Including everything; completely.
494 Big draw a big source of attraction
495 Bank on to expect something or depend on something
496 Steal someone’s thunder To make a better impression
497 Speak straight from shoulders Very direct without embellishment
Ruffle quite a few feathers To annoy some people while making changes or
498 Improvement.
499 Play fast and loose Repeatedly changing one’s attitude
500 Put heads together To consult seriously
501 Rise to the occasion Succeed in dealing with a difficult situation
502 Off- hand Without previous thought or preparation
503 Green horns Inexperienced
504 Rub someone the wrong way Annoy
505 Put one’s foot down To assert one’s authority
506 Petered out End weakly
507 See the light of the day To be made available or be
508 Banana republic A small, poor country with a weak or dishonest
509 Go banana to become very excited or angry, act crazy
510 Slip of the tongue Spoken unintentionally
511 Take a black seat Occupy an inferior position
512 Whole new ball game A completely different situation
513 Palmy days Prosperous/affluent days/ peaceful days
514 With bated breath Feel very excited or anxious while waiting
515 Iota Very small amount
516 In for a shock To get a sudden unpleasant experience
517 Get the boot from the public To be kicked or rejected
518 Blood, sweat and tears A lot of efforts and sufferings
519 Bear fruits To give good result
520 Blue-eyed boy Very dear/ attractive
New kid on the block Someone who is new in a place or organization and
521 has many things to learn

522 Big cheese Important person

Bite the bullet To enter with resignation upon a difficult course of
523 action
Fall on one’s sword Assume responsibility or blame on behalf of other
524 people, especially by resigning from a position
A laughingstock A person or thing that is regarded as very foolish or
525 ridiculous strange person
526 Pick holes To find fault
527 Rub the wrong way To irritate someone
528 Winning spree Outburst of an activity
529 The leading light A person who is very important member of a group
530 Throw down the gauntlet To challenge
531 Hullabaloo A very noisy and confused situation
532 All eyes Watching very closely
533 Write off To regard or concede to be lost
534 Slow coach A person with lazy approach of working
535 Catch eyes of To attract the attention of
536 Fast and furious intensely and energetically
537 Down the earth Humble
538 A far cry Notably different
539 Every tom Everyone without discrimination Dick and harry
540 Seal the fate End in failure
541 Get the flak To receive criticism
542 To receive with open arms To welcome
543 Here to stay Set to remain for a longer period
544 Change the gear Change one’s approach in handling a problem
545 Go great guns Progress very well
546 Under the gun Under pressure to do something
Once bitten twice shy Taking full precaution because he/she has been hurt
547 once
Pick up the pieces Try to repair emotionally, financially or other
548 damage done to life
549 Sweat of the brow/ toil and moil Hard labour
550 Fly in the face of To defy
551 Speak volumes of To have abundant proof of
552 Snap fingers at To show contempt

553 At a loose end Idle/unoccupied

554 Back breaking Physically demanding
555 Keep the wolves away from the door To avoid starvation
556 At close quarters Close examination
557 Dead broke Penniless
558 Down and out Poor and ruined
559 Great hand Expert
560 Fight to the finish Fight to the end
561 Fool’s errand Useless undertaking
Square meals Substantial nourishing meals consisting of enough
562 food to satisfy hunger
563 Give a wide berth To avoid
564 Big fish Influential people
565 Take up the cudgels To support or defend
566 Necessary evil Something wrong but essential
567 Pass the buck To blame to each other
568 Play the gallery To gain cheap popularity
569 Turn a hair Show reaction
570 Wash hands of To have nothing to do
571 Deep rooted Existing for a long time and difficult to change
572 A shot in the arm To encourage
573 Uphill task Difficult task
574 Clear writing on the wall A warning
575 Take leaf out of one’s book To emulate
576 Throw a spanner To sabotage a plan
577 Throw up the sponge Surrender
578 Gain momentum Gain force or strength
Take someone by storm To surprise unexpectedly/ to quickly become very
579 successful
580 When the crunch come The moment of decision
Silver-tonged Able to speak in a way that makes people do or
581 believe what you want them to do or believe
582 In the good books of In favor of
583 Develop cold feet To become nervous
584 Ins and outs Minute detail
585 A live wire Energetic

586 To hold to one’s leash To restrain or control

587 Iron hand/iron fist Rigorous control
588 Painting the town red Celebrate flamboyantly
589 Pull wool over the eyes of To blind to the true situation
590 Close to one’s heart Very dear
591 Bated breath In anxiety/expectancy
592 Stand in great stead To be helpful in need
593 Kick the bucket To die
594 Haul over the coal To take to task
595 Die hard Persistent in struggle
596 Picks holes To find fault with
597 Foot in the mouth To say something that one regrets later
598 Ivory tower Imaginary world
599 In a flutter Excited
600 A close shave Something achieved (or escape) by a narrow margin
601 In cold blood Without human feelings/ ruthlessly
602 Stick to one’s guns Remain faithful to the cause
603 Leave no stone unturned Use all available means
604 Harp on the same string Dwell on the same subject
605 Take a leaf out of one’s book Imitate one
606 Leave one in the lurch Desert someone in difficulties
607 To eat your words To take back what you have said
608 To make both ends meet To live within one’s income
609 Sine die Indefinitely
610 Show white feather To show cowardice
Wash one’s dirty linen Discuss unpleasant in public private matters before
611 strangers
On tenterhooks In a state of suspense and anxiety, excited anticipation
612 of an approaching climax
613 To all names To abuse
614 To get rid of Dispose of
615 To take the bull by the horns To tackle a problem in a bold and direct fashion
616 No avail Without any result
617 Bark up the wrong tree Accuse or denounce the wrong person
618 Keep one at bay Keep one at a distance

619 Have a card up one’s sleeve Have a secret plan in reserve

620 Like a cat on hot bricks Very nervous
621 Once in a blue moon Very rarely
622 Read between the lines Read hidden meanings
623 Red carpet To give special welcome to someone
624 Run into the sand To fail to achieve a result
625 Shake a leg To go fast, hurry
626 Spill the beans To expose a secret
627 Snake in the shoes To be in a state of fear
628 Snake in the grass A hidden army
629 Salad days Adolescence
630 To crow over To triumph over someone verbally
631 To blow a fuse To turn someone angry
632 Though thick and thin Under all conditions
633 Take a back seat Choose to decrease involvement
Take your medicine To accept the consequences of something you have
634 done wrong
635 Upset the apple cart To create difficulty
636 Under a cloud Under suspicious
637 Flog a dead horse Try to do that is impossible
638 Token strike To strike to convey the strength feeling on a dispute
639 To give enough rope To allow freedom to do with one wants
640 Sweeping statement Too general and failing to think about or understand
641 Get the sack Dismissed from a job
642 To be In a tight corner To be In a difficult situation
643 A wild goose chase To try to impossible
644 Does not hold water That cannot be believe
645 On the cuff On credit
646 No love lost between Do not like each other
647 Played havoc Cause damage, destruction
To give someone a piece of your mind To tell somebody that you disapprove of his
648 behaviour or are angry with him
649 Make no bones about To be honest and open about something ; not to
hesitate to do something
650 Heads with roll To punish because of something that had happened
651 An open book To have no secret

652 To give the devil his due To give credit to what is good in a disliked person
653 Take with a grain of salt To hear, listen, believe with some doubts
654 To take through his hat to boast
655 Run riot To act without restraint or control
656 To go through fire and water To face any difficulty
657 Give the game away To reveal
658 Turn an honest penny To earn money honestly
659 To run across To meet somebody or find something by chance
To get one’s own back To obtain something again after having lost it; have
660 one’s revenge
To steer clear of To avoid a person or thing because it may cause
661 problem
662 To beat a retreat To go away or back quickly
To blaze a trail To be the first to do or to discover something that
663 others follow
664 To have the last laugh To make someone who has criticized or defeated you
665 Do for To be in a very bad situation
666 On the level Honest, legal or make equal
667 Make ducks and drakes To squander, to waste
668 Go to the winds To be dissipated; to be utterly lost
To take someone to task To criticize somebody strongly for something one
669 has done
670 To run one down To criticize somebody/something in an unkind
To have something up one’s sleeves To keep a plan or an idea secret until you need to use
671 it
672 A Penelope’s web An endless job
673 Pay on the nail Payment without delay
674 Go to the dogs To get into a very bad situation
675 To keep under wraps To keep secret until something in future
676 A sore point with A subject that makes you feel angry or upset
On the verge of Very near to the moment when somebody does sty
677 happens
678 Of no avail Of little or no use
679 A bolt from the blue An unexpected piece of news or event
680 Make up your flesh creep Make someone afraid or full or disgust

Burnt his boats To do something that makes impossible to return to

681 the previous situation
682 Not to hold a candle Someone is not so good as
683 To fight tooth and nail To fight in a determined way for what you want
684 In the long run A long period in the future
In the good books Advantages or disadvantages Arguments and
685 considerations for
686 A big draw To get attraction/attention/ success
To play to the gallery To be in an exaggerated way in order to attract
687 people’s attention
688 Strike a chill to the heart To make somebody be afraid
689 Take thee at the thy word Believe someone truly
690 To go the whole hog To do something thoroughly or completely
691 Shook in their shoes To be frightened or nervous
692 In high spirits Cheerful and full of hope and enthusiasm
693 Sharp practice Clever but possibly dishonest way
694 Sit on the fence Refuse to take side in a dispute
695 Storm in the tea cup A lot of anger and worry about something
696 Set their face against To be determined to oppose somebody/something
Curry favour with To try to get somebody to like support by praising or
697 helping him a lot
698 Take for granted To pre-suppose as certainly true
699 High and dry In a difficult situation without help or money
Turn his head To make a person feel too proud in a way that other
700 people find annoying
701 Turn up her nose at To reject, dismiss scornfully
702 Fell back To move or turn back
703 Ended in a fiasco A total failure
704 Cut him off, without a shilling Disinherit
705 Fell through Not to be completed or happen
706 Too many irons in the fire To be involved in several activities
707 Let the cat out of the bag To tell a secret carelessly or by mistake
Fight to the bitter end Continue fighting till the end and try winning regard-
708 less of consequences
709 To catch up with To reach the same level or standard

Put his foot down To be very strict in opposing what somebody wishes
710 to do; take the firm stand
711 Give vent to their feelings To express a feeling especially anger, strongly
Come out of his shell To become less shy and more confident while talking
712 to other
713 Laid down their arms Stop fighting
714 To stand on his feet To be independent
To take to heart To be very upset by something that somebody says
715 or does
To call it a day To decided or agree to stop doing something to
716 retire
717 To strain every nerve To try hard to get something
718 To die in harness To die while in service
719 Part and parcel Inseparable part
720 To lose ground To lose an advantage for yourself
721 to make one’s blood boil to make somebody extremely angry
722 To speak to one’s mind To say exactly what one thinks; in a very direct way
723 Wear and tear To damage to objects
724 To give currency To spread a story around
725 Go a long way To last a long time; covers a large area
726 Run down To criticized somebody
727 Pore over To examine; look at or read something very carefully
Standstill A situation in which all activity or movement has
728 stopped
729 Cool as a cucumber Very calm and control
730 To have gone down the drain To be wasted; to get very much worse
731 Doctored the account To manipulate the account
731 Pay through his nose To pay dearly
733 Steal the show To attract more attention and praise
734 On good terms To have a good friendly relationship
Sit in judgment To decide whether somebody’s behavior is right/
735 wrong especially when you have no right to do this
Close the book on To stop doing something because you no longer
736 believe you will be successful or will find a solution
737 Carrot and stick Reward and punishment
738 Pandora’s box A source of extensive but unforeseen troubles

Pot -luck dinner A meal to which each guest brings some food, which is
739 served to all guests
740 To bring to light To make new information known to all
741 Pay the piper To bear the cost of something/some service rendered
742 To look down one’s nose To regard with contempt
743 To put two and two together To guess the truth from what you see, hear etc…
744 To go scot-free Free from punishment
745 Birds of the same feather People of the same sort
Too fond of her own voice To talk a lot or too much without wanting to listen to
746 other people
747 Take exception To object strongly
748 Call for To ask
Take cue from To copy what somebody else does as to how to behave
749 or what to do
750 Heart to heart talk Speak honestly and frankly
751 Sail under false colours To pretend to be something that you are not
Rat race Fierce and undignified competition for success for
752 success in one’s carrier, social status etc…
753 Drop like flies To fall down in large number
754 Not to be one’s cup of tea Not what somebody is like or interest in
To have second thought To change your opinion after thinking about
755 something again
756 A shot in the dark A guess; without knowing what the result will be
757 From the bottom of my heart In a way that is sincere
Fall flat Fail to amuse people or to have effect that was
758 intended
759 Carry weight Important in; influence/strength
760 In a pickle In a difficult or unpleasant situation
761 Get on well Have a friendly relationship
762 Save one’s skin To save oneself
763 Ride the high horse To feel yourself better than others
Water under the bridge something happened in the past and is no longer
764 important or worth arguing about
765 See eye to eye Showing agreement/to agree
766 The salt of the earth Very good and honest; kind
767 See pink elephant Any visual hallucination arising due to intoxication

768 As hard as a nail To show no sympathy; kindness or fear

769 See through To realize the truth about somebody/something
To have a bee in your bonnet To think or talk all time about something as it is not
770 normal; an obsession
771 Sweep under the carpet To hide something
772 Out of this world Emphasize how good/beautiful something is
Take your hat off To admire somebody very much for something
773 he/she has done
774 Stick to your guns Hold on to your decision
775 Shoulder to shoulder With united effort
776 Out of my wits To be extremely confused and frightened
777 For good Permanently
778 Feel blue Depressed
779 Time and again Often, on many or all occasions
780 Iron fist Treat people in a severely manner
781 Live wire A person who is lively and full of energy
782 Cool his heels To have to wait for somebody/something
783 Wet his whistle To moisten ones throat; to have a drink
784 See red Be very angry
Much cry and little wool Lots of fanfare for something which have very little
785 importance
786 Narrow escape/close shave To escape by a little margin
787 Null and void Ineffective
788 Set one’s face against To oppose with determination
789 Oily tongue Flattering words
790 On one’s guard Vigilant, careful
791 On one’s last legs Close to collapsing
792 Set the Thames on fire To achieve something amazing
793 Set one’s heart on To have as one’s ambition to obtain something
794 Set one’s teeth on edge To irritate or annoy someone

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emídV AH°$S>‘r English for…

Ý¶y B§p½be ñHy$bÀ¶m g‘moa, Competitive Examinations

 Useful for all competitive examinations – UPSC| MPSC| SSC| CDS|

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

Idioms and Phrases

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

TAX ASSISTANT 2017

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

COMBINED GROUP C 2019

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

IDIOMS AND PHRASES

No. Idioms/Phrases English Meaning

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

A man of straw A man with no voice or will of his own/ a weak

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

63 Blue blood Royal or aristocratic descent

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

97 To be on one’s mind To worry about something

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

128 Come back to earth Return to reality

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

193 Herculean task Task requiring tremendous effort

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

227 Look through coloured glasses To see with different

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

261 Pick up the gauntlet To accept the challenge

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

293 Smell a rat To suspect something wrong done

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

324 True to one’s salt Loyal person

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

358 Word for word In exactly the same word

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

391 Make a clean breast of To confess without resource

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

Bad eggs With someone who behaves in a bad or dishonest

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

overthrow an enemy or opponent.

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

522 Big cheese Important person

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

553 At a loose end Idle/unoccupied

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

586 To hold to one’s leash To restrain or control

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

619 Have a card up one’s sleeve Have a secret plan in reserve

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

Burnt his boats To do something that makes impossible to return to

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

768 As hard as a nail To show no sympathy; kindness or fear

Shaswat Academy, Pune Office: 7820847350 / 7415248787

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