Idioms and Phrases

1. To beat about the bush - (To talk irrelevantly). A good speaker does not beat about the bush when he speaks in a public meeting.

2. To have a bee in one's bonnet - (To be ecentric). The old man seems to have a bee in his bonnet, for he changes his desire so many times.

3. To beg the question - (To assume what is to be proved). You have not solved the problem correctly because you beg the question by assuming what is to be proved.

4. To hit below the belt - (To take unfair advantage). While referring to his rival's private line he hit below the belt and thus played foul to him.

5. To get better of- (To overcome). The fight seemed equal for a while, but he got the better of his enemy in the end.

6. Between Scylla and Charybdis - (Between two dangers in which if a man avoids the one, he falls into the other). If he escapes the scylla of sensuality, he will run into the charybdis of drinking.

7. Between the devil and the deep sea - (Between two equally great evils when there is no escape either way). He is between the devil and the deep sea, for he must either resign or face an enquiry into this case of embezzlement.

8. To be on the horns of a dilemma - (To face a perplexing choice between two unpleasant things). My poor friend is on the horns of a dilemma, for if he goes abroad, he will break his wife's heart and if he does not, he will mar his future.

9. To bid fair - (To give a promise of). This intelligent student bids fair to top the list this year in the university examination.

10. To kill two birds with one stone - (To accomplish two purposes at once). He killed two birds with one stone, for he visited Kanpur and enjoyed the cricket match also.

11. Birds of the same feather - (Persons of the same character). One thief likes to accompany another, for the birds of the same feather flock to- gether.

12. A bird of passage - (A temporary resident). My friend cannot settle in this city because he is a bird of passage.

13. Bag and Baggage (With all one's belongings). When he was transferred, he left Agra bag and baggage.

14. A Black Sheep - (A disloyal person). The robber said that there was a black sheep in the gang who had betrayed its secret to the police.

15. To Beat Black and Blue - (To thrash soundly). The police caught the thief and beat him black and blue.

16. Blood is thiker than water-(One cannot ignore family ties). Blood is thiker than water, so he has appointed his brother incharge of this office.

17. Blue-Stocking - (A literary woman). India has produced many a blue stocking like Sarojini Naidu.

18. In The good books of - (To enjoy the favour of). He is in the good books of his principal, so he hopes to get the appointment.

19. Bread and Butter - (Means of livelihood). It is a question of bread and butter, so he should not quarrel with his boss.

20. To be born with a silver spoon - (To be born rich). Pt. Nehru was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

21. To make a clean breast of - (To make complete confession). The thief made a clean breast of his guilt when the policeman beat him.

22. To nip in the bud - (To suppress or end in early stage). This kind of indiscipline among students should be nipped in the bud.

23. To take the bull by the horns - (To attack a danger boldly). Next morning he took courage to face his powerful enemy in the office and took the bull by the horns.

24. To put the cart before the horse - (To be preposterous or foolish by putting before what should be put behind). If you teach them the world- geography before the geography of India, you will put the cart before the horse.

25. To cut one's coat according to one's cloth - (To live within one's means). With a small salary I cannot visit the cinema every week, for I have to cut my coat according to my cloth.

26. A cock-and-bull story - (A false story or explanation). When he is late, he explains his irregularities with a cock-and bull story.

27. To shed crocodile tears - (hypocritical or false grief). She hated the old miser so she shed crocodile tears at his death.

28. As the crow flies - (In a straight line). The plane which took Pt. Nehru to Delhi, flew in a crow line.

29. To take up the cudgels - (To hold a brief or to defend). A good man does not take up the cudgels on behalf of a wrongdoer nor does he hold a brief for a criminal.

30. To curry favour with (To flatter for favour). This clever and worldly-wise man does not fail to curry favour with any officer in the town.

31. A dog in the manger policy (Preventing others from what is useless to oneself). In spite of this surity to lose in the coming election he follows a dog-in-the manger policy and does not give a chance to me.

32. To go to the dogs (To be ruined). This heavy loss will make his firm go to the dogs.

33. To go to the wall - (To fare badly). The new hands will go to the wall due to this retrenchment in our factory.

34. Double dealing - (Deceiving) Being an honest man he is incapable of double-dealing.

35. Throw dust in one's eyes - (To deceive) A man cannot throw dust in my eyes when I know the facts.

36. To set by the ears - (To cause a quarrel) - It is the old man's will which has set all the family by the ears.

37. To eat one's words (To withdraw one's words). Being rash to pass a disgraceful remark he had to eat his words.

38. A white elephant - (Something costly to maintain). This foreign engineer in our iron and steel factory draws a fat salary, so it is difficult for us to keep such a white elephant for a long time.

39. To take exception to - (To object to). This remark from you is a reflection on me, so I take exception to it.

40. After Cry - (A long distance in time our space). From this city to Newyork.

41. A feather in one's cap - (A thing of pride and distinction). That he has become a member of the executive council is another feather in his cap.

42. By fits and starts (Irregularly). She is not a regular student, because she works by fits and starts.

43. To follow suit - (To do what the predecessor has done). When the chief guest began to take tea, we followed suit.

44. To take time by the forelock - Napoleon took time by the fore- lock and began every work fifteen minutes before it was to be done.

45. In full swing (Something at its peak in activity). When I reach there, the fair was in full swing.

46. To throw down the gaunlet or glove (Challange). This wres- tler has thrown down the gaunlet to all the champions present in the arena.

47. To gird up the lions - (To get ready for hard work). Let us all gird up the lions to better the lot of the poor pople in this country.

48. To bring grist to the mill - (To be a source of some income). Every member of this family earns something for even the children bring some grist to the mill.

49. To split haris - (To advance hair-splitting arguments). I request you to state the thing at once and not to waste my time in splitting hairs.

50. Hand in glove with - (To be intimate and friendly). He is hand in glove with his neighbour these days, for they now work together to become prosperous.

51. The handwriting on the wall - (Warning of the coming disaster). That the Congress has lost many seats in the recent corporation election is the hand-writing on the wall which it cannot ignore easily.

52. To die in harness - (To die while doing one's duty or work). He is an industrious and hard-working man and hopes to die in harness only.

53. To harp on the same string (To be always talking about the same thing). He bores me by harping on the same string continually.

54. To bury the hatchet - (To stop quarrelling). He has buried the hatchet and has befriended his rival.

55. To make hay while the sun shines - (To take full advantage of an opportunity). This is a golden opportunity for you, so you should make hay while the sun shines.

56. Over head and ears - (Over-whelmingly). He is over head and ears in debt.

57. To take to one's heels (To run away). When the thief saw a policeman coming towards him, he took to his heels.

58. Helter-skelter (In confusion or disorder). When they saw the headmaster they ran away helter-skelter.

59. To out-Herod Herod - (To make more noise and bluster than Herod or to exceed Herod in oppression). He out-Heroded Herod in his verbal attack on his rival or Hitler out-Heroded Herod in his dealings with the Jews. 60. To ride the high horse - (To talk big or to put on airs). Being the brother of his differences with the boss.

61. To eat the humble pie - (To be humiliated). He wrote an apology and thus ate the humble pie for being rude to his teacher.

62. To break the ice - (To begin conversation after silence). After a long silence he broke the ice and began to persuade his angry friend to accom- pany him.

63. Inns and Outs- (all the details). I can give my judgment only when I know all the inns and outs of this matter.

64. To have many irons in the fire - (To be busy with many things at the same time). He has many irons in the fire, so he cannot call any moment of time his own.

65. To strike while the iron is hot (To act while an opportunity lasts). The present education minister is favourable to our teachers commu- nity, so we should approach him for an increase in our dearness allowance. Indeed we should struke while the iron is ht.

66. To laugh in one's sleeves - (To laugh secretly). This simple man does not know that is companions are laughing in their sleeves and are thus making a butt of him.

67. To leave in the lurch - (To leave in difficulty). My friends left me in the lurch whn they-cycled ahead without telling me the way to my house.

68. The loaves and fishes - (The material advantages). He is more than sixty years old, but he sticks to his office for the loaves and fishes.

69. To be at loggerheads - (To quarrel). They are at logger-heads over the division of work in the library.

70. To cry over spilt milk - (To regret in vain). When you are robbed of your money, you should not cry over spilt milk.

71. To mince matters (To be soft-tongued). Without mining mat- ters I told him that his son was weak in English.

72. To make a mountain of a mole-hill - (To magnify a trival mat- ter). This is a trivial matter so you should not make a mountain of a mole-hill. 73. To move heaven and earth - (To do everything possible). He has moved heaven and earth for his reinstatement.

74. To hit the nail on the head - (Give the exact answer or solution). Without beating about the bush you should hit at the head of the nail.

75. To lead by the nose (To make one do what one likes). Every person can lead him by the nose, for he is a very simple man.

76. Null and void - (of no legal validity). This bond will become null and void after five years.

77. At odds - (In conflict). They are at odds for they seldom meet each

78. To pour oil on troubled waters - (To soothe or pacify). They do not stop quarrelling with each other even when I have made my best efforts to pour oil on troubled waters.

79. Out of sorts (Not feeling well). He is feeling of sorts, so he has taken leave today.

80. A fly in the Ointment - (a defect marring the excellence). The poor relation seems to be a fly in the ointment in the company of rich people.

81. To hold out the olive branch (To try for peace). India has al- ways held out the olive branch in her disputes with the neighbouring coun- tries.

82. To palm off anything - (To pass off an inferior article as supe- rior). He cannot buy woollen cloth from this shop-keeper, because once he has palmed off an ordinary rug for a genuine Dhariwal product.

83. Pandora's box - (a source of many evils). Democracy has proved to be something like Pandora's box, for its elections are a source of many evils.

84. To cast pearls before swine - (Waste advice or something valu- able before those who cannot appreciate the value). While delivering a thrill- ing speech before the illiterate and ignorant people, he cast pearls before swine.

85. Pell-mell - (In a confused or disorderly manner). When the class room caught fire, the students left it pell mell.

86. At a premium - (Valued highly). Dishonesty is at a premium in this line of trade.

87. Pros and Cons (Points for and against). A man can judge this case only after he has examined its pros and cons carefully.

88. To feel one's pulse - (To know one's feelings). Pt. Nehru has felt the pulse of every citizn in India, so he knows that the nation is behind him over the Kashmir issue.

89. To call in question - (To dispute). It is not wise to call the author- ity of a boss in question.

90. The rank and file (Common people). The revolt against the present ministry has not spread in the rank and file, for it is still confined to the upper classes.

91. To rise from the ranks - (To rise to an eminent position from a very humble position). Napoleon rose from the rank for he started as an ordi- nary soldier.

92. To read between the lines (To see the hidden meaning). This is all right, but reading between the lines I find that it will not help us in the execution of our plan.

93. Catch Red handed - (In the act). The thief was caught red handed, for the watchman found him inside the room.

94. Red tape (Long and tedious process through which a file moves before a final order is passed). The scheme of cooperative societies is likely to be held up for a week by red tape.

95. A red-letter day (To take a fateful step). When he resigned, he crossed the Rubicon, because he will no longer be reinstated.

96. The salt of the earth - (The people who preserve the society by the good influence of their character). Those men and women who live for their fellows, are the salt of the earth.

97. A good Samaritan (A really kind and charitable person). He proved the poor beggar's good Samaritan by arranging to his medical treat- ment.

98. Scot-free (Unpunished). Three boys were punished but the real mischief-monger went scot-free.

99. At sea- (To be perplexed). All the doors being closed I am perfectly at sea to understand how the thif entered the room and made away with my cash and clothes.

100. To talk shop - (To talk one's own profession). He is a cloth-dealer, but he seldom talks shop while going with me to the Ganges.

101. To give the cold shoulder- (To treat in a cold manner). When I approached him for favour, he gave me the cold shoulder.

102. At sixes and sevens - (In disorder). He was much surprised to find everything in his drawing room at sixes and sevens.

103. To smell a rat (To know something is wrong). When I saw the window open from a distance, I smelt a rat.

104. To end in smoke - (To fail badly, to come no nothing). He lacks practical wisdom, so this scheme will end in smoke.

105. To sow wild oats (To lead a wild reckless life in youth- He repents now in his old age for having sown wild oats in his youth.

106. At stake - (In danger). His reputation is at stake, so he should fulfil his promise.

107. On the spur of the moment - (On impulse or without delibera- tion). This witty man answers all questions on the spur of the moment.

108. A storm in a tea-cup- (A noisy quarrel or insignificant distur- bance over a trival matter). There was a storm in a tea-cup when they failed to decide whether the amount of subscription should be raised or not.

109. On tenterhooks - (In agonised suspense). I request you to tell me your decision and not to keep me on tenterhooks.

110. With the tongue in the cheek - (Insincerily or ironically). This man is a bad character, so while praising honesty and truth he talks with the tongue in the cheek.

111. Touch and go - (A situation in which a little thing may turn the balance). The fate of the present mininstry hangs in the balance, so it is but a tuch and go affair.

112. To pay truant (To be absent without leave). He has played truant more than once, so he is not in the good books of his teacher.

113. To blow one's own trumpet - (To boast or praise oneself). These days a man has to blow his trumpet if he wants to achieve success in any walk of life.

114. With a vengeance - (Anything in the extreme). This lawlessness as a manifestation of newly-won freedom is freedom with a vengeance.

115. To throw cold water - (To discourage). This is a very good scheme, but the old man is likely to throw cold water on it.

116. Of the first water- (Of the finest quality or of diamond). Every repartee let out by his tongue is of the first water.

117. To hold water (To stand examination or to be tenable). The argument which you have given, will not hold water.

118. A wild goose chase - (A foolish and useless quest). If you visit the Himalayas to see the snow-man only, it will be a wild goose chase only.

119. At one's wit's end - (Not to know what to do). I am at my wit's end, for I am unable to decide what to do with this mischievous boy.

120. To keep the wolf from the door (To escape starvation). The poor workers cannot continue this strke for a long time, for they have to keep the wolf from the door.

121. Out of the wood - (Out of a difficult situation) - The shortage of food-grains still continues, so we are not yet out of the wood.

122. Yeoman's service (Hard and faithful work). As a supply minis- ter he has done the yeoman's servie to the public and deserves all possible tribute for it.

123. A French leave (Absence without leave). The teacher had to explain to the principal why he went on a French leave.

124. In Full swing (at its busiest). The exhibition was in full swing when I visited it.

125. To give a wide berth (to keep at a distance or to avoid). We should give a wide berth to all bad people.

126. Gone to his account (dead). I am sorry that this gentle crea- ture has gone to his account.

127. Within an ace of - (The smallest possible amount, hair's breath). It was within an ace of what he desired.

128. A wet blanket - (A person who checks conversation damps en- thusiasm). The entry of this strict teacher proved to be a wet blanket to the fun enjoyed by the.students.

129. A dark horse - (Little known of, unexpected winner). By wining the race it has proved to be a dark horse, for it was not expected to do it at this age. 130. A maiden speech - (The first speech in public). He has never spoken in public in the past, but he has done so well in this maiden speech.

131. By hook or by crook - (By fair means or by foul). He has made up his mind to become rich by hook or by crook.

132. To play the game (To act honesty, to observe rules). A God- fearing man plays the game and does not deceive his fellows (or He has played the game well)

133. With one accord - (Unanimously). All the students decided to go on a picnic with one accord.)

134. Turn to account - (Make useful). He has turned to acount every useless thing he got from me.

135. To set at nought (To defy). His boss has dismissed him for having set his authority at nought.

136. At the outset - (In the very beginning). He has missed the catch at the outset, but now he is playing well.

137. Palmy days (Prosperous times). He is now a beggar but he still dreams of his palmy days.

138. In the wake - (After something). Flood brings cholera in its wake, so all possible medical arrangements should be made in advance.

139. Kith and kin - (A near relation). He is his kith and kin, so he is bound to favour him.

140. At the eleventh hour - (At the last minute). He approached me at the eleventh hour, so I could not do much for him.

141. The gift of the gab - (The power of speech). These days a man cannot become a leader if he has not been favoured by nature with the gift of the gab.

142. The heel of Achilles (Weak or vulnerable point). Every great man has the heel of Achilles in his personality if he is a human being.

143. To burn one's boats - (To leave no means to retreat or to take a final decision). While speaking on the Quit India Resolution he said that they had burnt their boats, so there was no going back.

144. To hit below the belt (Play foul). While wrestling with his rivals this honest man has never hit below the belt.

145. To go against the grain (Not to be tasteful or according to inclination). These days many students offer English even when it has gone against their grain.

146. Cat's paw - (a person used as a tool by another). I have to mind self-respect, so I cannot be a cat's paw in his hand.

147. To pay lip service - (Not to be sincere in praise). I know that you are not really favouring me, so I request you not to pay lip service to me.

148. To feather one's nest (To secure money or comfort). Everyone of these selfish time-servers and turn-coats feather their own nest when they talk of doing service to other people.

149. A Utopian scheme - (A scheme or plan too ideal to be realized). I don't think that this Land Gift Movement is to prove a Utopean scheme only.

150. A turn coat - (A time-server). He flatters the present chief min- ister as he did in the case of his predecessor, because he is a turn-coat and does not really belong to any party.

151. To flog a dead horse - (To receive a dead issue). If you question the integration of Kashmir with India, you will only flog a dead horse.

152. Will-o-the-wisp - (Anything that deludes). Man's life is a struggle in which happiness is like the will-o'-the wisp, for it deludes him forever.

153. Wool gathering - (Absent minded). He was wool-gathering when the teacher introduced this difficult lesson.

154. To have a finger in every pie - (To meddle in every affair). He is so proud and ambitious that he has a finger in every pie.

155. To make the flesh creep - (To scare with terror). This murder will make any man's flesh creep.

156. To call a spade a spade - (To be plain and blunt in speech). If you want me to speak of this matter, I will call a spade a spade and will not mince matters.

157. Get at somebody- (To meet someone suddenly) Isha got at Diya while she was going to college

158. To beggar description - (Beyond description). The beauty of the Taj which is a great wonder of the world, beggars description.

159. To bear the burnt of (To endure the main force) Strain or shock of). It was the pipal tree that had to fear the burnt of the lightining on Monday, but the neighbouring trees escaped narrowly.

160. To chew the cud - (To meditate on some idea). He promised to give his judgment only after chewing the cud on the scheme.

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