Monday, 28 October 2019

Idioms and Phrases


1.     Directions for preparing a dish ------------ Recipe
Idioms
1.     To be fed up with – All his friends are fed up with his bad habits
2.     To rub someone the wrong way – He got angry with me because I rubbed him the wrong way.
3.     To bury the hatchet – Let us bury the hatchet and become friends again.
4.     A close shave / A narrow shave / A hair breadth escape / A narrow escape – My friend had a close shave in the accident.
5.     To work like a dog – He has worked like a dog all his life.
6.     To kill two birds with one stone – Do not try to kill two birds with one stone. You will end up up killing neither.
7.     A dark horse – He has proved to be a dark horse by topping the class.
8.     Big fish / Big gun – You are not such a big gun as you think.
9.     Small fish /Small fry – Nobody cares for the small fish but everybody tries to please a big gun.
10.                        Crocodile tears – She was shedding crocodile tear at the death of her step son.
11.                        Blue eyed boy – The bureaucrats are the blue eyed boys of the government.
12.                        Red tape – The project has been held up due to red tape.
13.                        Body and soul – You cannot succeed unless you put yourself body and soul into your work.
14.                        Life and limb – You should try to reach your goal without risking your life or limb.
15.                        Grin and bear it – When you cannot escape a loss, it is best to grin and bear it.
16.                        Rant and rave – It is better to be careful instead of ranting and raving after you are cheated.
17.                        Here and there – The thirsty crow flew here and there in search of water.
18.                        Now and again – I have told him to work hard time and again but he does not listen.
19.                        First and foremost – It is our first and foremost duty to obey our parents.
20.                        On and on – I told him to stop but he went on and on.
21.                        Again and again – Do not repeat the same question again and again.
22.                        Round and round – The child is going round and round the pillar.
23.                        Hard and fast – There were no hard and fast rules for playing Kabaddi some time ago.
24.                        Tooth and nail – We must oppose this decision tooth and nail.
25.                        Safe and sound – The fog was very thick but we reached home safe and sound.
26.                        To and fro -  He was walking to and fro in the street.
27.                        Pros and cons – You must weigh the pros and cons of the decision before accepting or rejecting it.
28.                        Up and about – He is up and about at four in the morning every day.
29.                        Tip top – We always find him in a tip top dress.
30.                        Up and down – They are walking up and down in the garden.
31.                        Ins and out – He knows all the ins and outs of his trade.
32.                        Call at - To go to somebody’s place to meet him – I called at my friend’s house yesterday but he was out of station.
33.                        Call on - To go to meet somebody – I called on my friend yesterday but he was not at home.
34.                        Call in – To go and bring somebody – They have called in the doctor because his father is ill.
35.                        Call a spade a spade – To say what is true without fear – Only a brave man can call a spade a spade.
36.                        Call off – to withdraw – The labourers have called off their strike.
37.                        Put up – To live – In which house are you putting up these days.
38.                        Put on – Wear – I must put on my blue dress today as it is my lucky colour.
39.                        Put off – To postpone /  - We have put off the function due to bad weather.
40.                        Put two and two together – I had to put two and two together to understand what he said.
41.                        Put up with – tolerate – I cannot put up with his bad habits.
42.                        Get up – I get up early in the morning and go for a walk.
43.                        Fall out ----- Quarrel – He has fallen out with his best friend.
44.                        Fall in ------- Agree – He opposed my plan at first but at last, he fell in.
45.                        Bring up –----- To rear – Parents bring up their children with great love and care.
46.                        Look after ----– To take care – It is our duty to look after our aged parents.
47.                        Look down upon – Hate – The rich always look down upon the poor.
48.                        To play truant   to run away from school – Those students who often play truant cannot pass the examination.
49.                        To take off – i. You must take off your shoes before entering a holy place.
ii. The aeroplane could not take off due to bad weather.
50.                        To take on – Do not be afraid of problems. Take them on with courage.
51.                        To take to – He has taken to the new school as a fish takes to water.
52.                        To take down – Take down the answer and learn it by heart.
53.                        To take with a grain of salt – He is liar. You must take what he says with a grain of salt.
54.                        To take to task – The teacher will take him to task for not doing his homework.
55.                        To take after – The child has taken after its mother.
56.                        To take root – You must get rid of your bad habits before they take root.
57.                        To pull up – The child must be pulled up for his bad behaviour.
58.                        To pull down – He has decided to pull down his old house.
59.                        To pull off – It was a long journey. So we decided to pull off and take a break.
60.                        To give away – The chief guest is giving away the prizes to the winners.
61.                        To give in – We should not give in to difficulties. We should fight them bravely.
62.                        To give up – You should give up your bad habits.
63.                        To give a long rein to – The child will be spoilt if you give him a long rein.
64.                        To blow up – The terrorists tried to blow up the building but failed.
65.                        To back up – You should never back up the wrong people.
66.                        To back away – We should never back away from a promise.
67.                        To go through – I have gone through the book only once.
68.                        To go back on – A gentleman never goes back on his word.
69.                        To go to the dogs – People who do not work hard always go to the dogs.
70.                        To run down – You should not run down others behind their back.
71.                        To break down – Our car broke down when we were on our way to Delhi.
72.                        To break even – I will get even with him by paying him tit for tat.
73.                        To split hair – Philosophers are in the habit of splitting hair.
74.                        To bite more than one can chew – You should never bite more than you can chew if you want to be happy.
75.                        To backbite somebody – We should never backbite our friends.
76.                        To bring down – The defectors have brought down the government.
77.                        To breathe one’s last – I must reach my goal before I breathe my last.
78.                        To kick the bucket – I am afraid that the old man will soon kick the bucket.
79.                        Apple pie order – I always keep my books in an apple pie order.
80.                        Apple of one’s eyes – being the only child of his parents, he is the apple of their eyes.
81.                        Apple of discord:- Kashmir is the apple of discord between India and Pakistan
82.                        To bell the cat – Everybody can suggest solutions to a problem but very few can bell the cat.
83.                        Bag and baggage – He has decided to leave this town bag and baggage.
84.                        Pig in a poke – His plan is still a pig in a poke. We will know its value only when he reveals it.
85.                        All in all – The principal of the school is all in all in the school.

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