Learn Important Idioms and Phrases

 Below are given some Idioms/ Phrases which you may find in your upcoming exams. So get ready to prepare them.

• Out of Question - Impossible
• My going there to attend his wedding is out of question.
• Lion's share - Major Share
• The elder son got the lion's share in the property.
• An Axe to Grind - Selfish Motive
• Every body in this world has his own axe to grind.
• Beat a Retreat - Withdraw to avoid any unpleasant condition
• Seeing that he was dominating, I had to beat a retreat.
• Call a spade a spade - to speak very plainly
• I am not afraid of calling a spade a spade.
• By hook or by crook - by fair or foul means
• He will win the match by hook or by crook.
• Born with a silver spoon - Born of wealthy parents
• Rahul Gandhi was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
• A gala day - a day of festivity
• His coming has proved a gala day for his parents.
• A man of straw - a man who has no influence
• He is a man of straw. That's why no body will attention on him.

Learn Important  Idioms and Phrases

• A White Elephant - Costly but useless possession
• With this poor income, this Mercedes  has become a white elephant for me.
• A fool's paradise - in a state of happiness based on vain hopes
• If Rudra thinks, he can defeat Kinjal in the game, he is living in a fool's paradise.
• Cut a sorry figure - Make a poor show
• Work hard otherwise you will have to cut a sorry figure in the exam.
• Turn over a new leaf - to make a reformed beginning
• After his release from the jail, Peter has turned a new leaf by getting a new job.
• Poke One's nose in to - to interfere
• Don't poke your nose in to my affairs.
• In the arms of Morpheus - Sound Sleep
• After doing work for the whole day, I found myself in the arms of Morpheus.
• A Jail Bird - A criminal who is jailed quite often
• John is a jail bird. He is not worried of being arrested.
• Bolt from the blue - A sudden crisis
• The sudden death of his wife came to him as a bolt from the blue.
• Bone of contention - Any thing that causes quarrel
• The ancestral property has become a bone of contention for the brothers.
• Birds of a feather - People of same nature
• Birds of a feather flock together.
• Capital Punishment - Death Sentence
• The traitors must be served with Capital Punishment.
• Fair sex - Women
• Fair Sex is always dealt in unfair way in this man-dominated world.
• Bated Breath - In anxiety
• People saw India vs West Indies match with bated breath.
• Bandy words - To wrangle
• Good children don't bandy words with their parents on any of the issues.
• Brown study - Reverie / In a day dream
• He is always in brown study. He can't do hard work.
• By the skin of the teeth - Narrow Escape
• They escaped death in the accident by the skin of the teeth.
• Chequered career - Full of ups and downs
• Most of the people don't like chequered career.
• Carrot and Stick policy - Reward and Punishment
• Carrot and stick policy is always beneficial for a good democracy.
• Helter Skelter - Here and there
• Seeing the police, the agitators started running helter and skelter.
• Hornet's Nest - To raise controversy
• The leader stirred up hornet's nest by criticizing the Govt policies.
• Hush money - a bribe
• Hush money hastens the official work.

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• To hold water - to be relevant / to be sound

  Your argument doesn't hold water.

  Instead of giving a sop to Cerberus, he informed the police.

• A sop to Cerberus - Ransom to an enemy

•  A chip off the old block - Characteristics of one's ancestors

•  To take a leap in the dark - to do a hazardous thing without any idea of the result

• He has taken a leap in the dark by joining the group of the smugglers.

  5. To give/ get the bird - To send away

  The father gave the bird to his son for higher education

  6. To get cold feet - to be afraid

  He got cold feet when he saw the shadow in the room.

  7. A square peg in a round hole - A person unsuited to the position he gets

  He got settled in Mumbai from a small village. There his condition was like a square in a round hole.

  
  

  8. To be up and doing - To be actively engaged

  He is up and doing in his new business.

  9. To wrangle over an ass's shadow - To quarrel over trifles

  They are always engaged in wrangling over an ass's shadow. They must behave sensibly now.

  10. Pell- mell -In hurried disorder

  When we reached home, we found the things in pell-mell.

  11. Tall order - A formidable task

  Completing this project was a tall order, but we did it in time.

  12. To be rolling in money - Very rich

  He is rolling in money. He can purchase this car.

  We shall add some more Practice Sets for Idioms and Phrases. Please keep visiting.

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