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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 23, , IDIOMS AND PHRASES - 2, , CHAPTER, , 'LET'S USE THEM IN SENTENCES', 1., 2., 3., , 4., 5., , 6., 7., 8., 9., , 10., 11., 12., 13., 14., , Above board (honest and straightforward, bZekunkjh ,oa fu%Ny)&, Gandhi ji was above board, and hence had nothing to hide., Adam’s ale (pure water, 'kq¼ ty)& In the remotest parts of Rajasthan, people walk, miles for Adam’s ale., Add a new feather in one’s cap (to acquire a new honour or distinction, dksbZ u;k lEeku izkIr, djuk)& Paramount Coaching Centre has added a new feather in its cap by starting, Paramount Reader Publication ., Add insult to injury (to harm as well as humiliate, tys ij ued fNM+duk)&, She has added, insult to injury by returning the gift and sending a ‘get lost’ note., After one’s own heart (similar to you, tks vki ds tSlk gh gS)&, Seeing your inclination, towards art and Literature, I can say that you are clearly a person after my own, heart., An eye wash (a pretence, fn[kkok)&, The whole investigation was just an eye wash as, no one was held guilty., An hair-breadth escape (very narrow escape, cky&cky cpuk)&, He had a hair-breadth, escape when his bike skid on the oil drenched road., An old flame (long time love, iqjkuk I;kj, )- He met his old flame in the market yesterday, but prudently avoided eye contact ., An old head on young shoulders (to be more matured than one’s own age, viuh mez ls, T;knk le>nkj gksuk)&, He is an old head on young shoulders as he teaches Physics at a, university at an young age of 25 ., As fit as a fiddle (strong and healthy, LoLFk)&, He feigned illness but I knew that he, was as fit as a fiddle., Assume airs (to pretend superiority, cM+Iiu fn[kkuk)&, After becoming an IAS officer he, has assumed airs., At a stone’s throw (at a little distance, FkksM+h nwjh, Lalij)&, Quila is at a stone’s throw, from my house., At large (absconding, dkuwu ds fxjÝr ls nwj)&, Many terrorists are at large and posing, serious threat to the security of India., At logger heads (to be at strife, 'k=kqrk dh voLFkk)&, Congress is always at logger heads, with the BJP., , English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 381

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 15., 16., 17., 18., 19., 20., 21., 22., 23., 24., 25., 26., 27., 28., 29., 30., 31., 32., 33., , 34., 35., 382, , At naught (to disregard or treat as of no importance, vlEeku djuk)&Leaders today set, Gandhiji’s ideals at naught., At odds (in disagreement, vlger gksuk)&Various political parties are at odds in the, matter of Women Reservation Bill., At sea (to be confused, my>u esa)&, He was at sea when he saw the question paper., At one’s beck and call (at service, vkKk esa gkftj jguk)&, The servants were always at the, beck and call of the rich merchant., Back stairs influence (improper and private influence, ,slk izHkko tks vlkoZtfud gks ,oa lgh ugha, He tried to get a government job by back stair influence., gks)&, Bad egg (a worthless person, vokaNfu; O;fDr)&, Often a prodigal son of a rich father, becomes a bad egg for the society., Bandy words (to argue, tqcku yM+kuk)&, The two neighbourers usually bandy words and, create a lot of nuisance., Bank upon (depend on, count on, ij fuHkZj gksuk)&, You can bank upon us at the time of, need., Bated breath (holding your breath, in anxiety, fpark bR;kfn ls lk¡l :duk)&, We waited for the, good news outside the delivery room with bated breath., Caught red-handed (to be caught while committing a crime, jaxs gkFk idM+s tkuk)&, My, brother felt ashamed when he was caught red handed reading my personal diary., Be in bad books of (out of favour, Ñik ik=k u gksuk)&, She is in bad books of her parents, as she went to see a movie without informing them., Be in bad odour of (to be out of favour, fdlh dh cqjh jk; esa gksuk)&, A corrupt minister is, always in bad odour of the public., Be in good books of (to be in kind favour, Ñik ik=k gksuk, ½& She is in good books of her, employer as she is very efficient and hardworking., Be in good odour of (to be in good favour, fdlh dh vPNh jk; esa gksuk)&, An honest minister, is always in good odour of the public., Be in the driving seat (to take the whole responsibility, lkjh ftEesnkjh dk Hkkj mBkuk)&, Ramesh is the eldest son and so he is in the driving seat after his father’s death., ½& Our school bore the palm in the dance, Bear the palm (to be victorious, fot;h gksuk, competition held at the district level., Beat the air (to make useless efforts, O;FkZ iz;kl djuk)&, Trying to reform a hard-core, criminal is like beating the air., Bed of roses (an easy and comfortable situation, ljy vkSj vkjke dh fLFkfr)&, The life of the, prince was a bed of roses., Bee in one’s bonnet (go on talking about something which other people think is not, )& She, ugha, gksa bee in her bonnet, important, jkx vykiuk ml ckr dk tks nwljksa ds fy, egRoiw.kZ, has, about recycling of waste material., Behind the scene (secretly, fNis :i esa)&The minister is the mastermind behind the, scene and the police are arresting small fries., Below the belt (to strike unfairly, xyr rjhds ls izgkj djuk)&, One must compete with, others in a fair manner and should not hit anyone below the belt., English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 36., 37., 38., , 39., 40., 41., 42., , 43., 44., 45., 46., 47., 48., 49., 50., 51., 52., 53., 54., 55., , Beside oneself (to feel extremely nervous or worried, cgqr vf/d fpUrhr ;k O;kdy gksuk)&, Before any exam I am beside myself., Beside the mark (irrelevant, vizklafxd)&, The judge did not hear any argument that, was beside the mark., Between Scylla and Charybdis (between two great dangers, nks dfBu ifjfLFkfr;ksa ds chp)&, She is between Scylla and Charybdis: If she obeys her mother-in-law she will lose, her job and if she does not she will lose her family., Bid defiance (to defy, voKk djuk)&, The army is bidding defiance by going against the, government., Bite the dust (to be defeated, gkj tkuk)&, In every match , the Pakistani team bit, the dust., Blaze the trail (to be pioneer and make path for others, nwljks ds fy, jkLrk cukuk)&, Only a, man of iron can blaze the trail., Blessing in disguise (something intrinsically good but having a bad appearance, Åij ls, cqjh fn[kus okyh ij okLro esa vPNhHe, ckr)&, missed the train but it was a blessing in disguise, as the train met with an accident., Blow one’s own trumpet (to praise one’s ownself, viuh gh 'ks[kh c?kkjuk)&, Every political, party always blows its own trumpet and denounces the other political parties., Blue stocking (an educated intellectual lady, i<+h fy[kh efgyk)&, A blue stocking was, rarely found in Medieval India., Book worm (a bibliophilic person, fdrkch dhM+k)&, She is not a book worm but still, comes first., Break the ice (to break silence by speaking first, fuLrC/krk rksM+uk)&, Shyam broke the ice, by talking to me after a long time., Bring down the house (receive great applause, Hkjiwj rkjhiQ ikuk)&, The performance of, Lata Mangeshkar brought the house down., Bring home (to explain, le>kuk)&I was unable to bring my views home before, my parents., Bring to book (to punish, ltk nsuk)&The guilty should be brought to book., izdk, esa ykuk)&, Bring to light (to disclose, irk yxkuk] fNih ckr dks’k, The CBI has brought many, indiscripancies to light in many high profile cases., Brow beat (to intimidate, Mjkuk)&, The Government must not brow beat the social reformers if they protest against any unjust law., Burn one’s boats (point of no return, okilh dk jkLrk can dj nsuk)&, By signing the agreement, he burnt his boat. Now he will have to work in this organization for two more years., By and by (gradually, /hjs&/hjs)&, You will learn the norms of this organization by and by., By and large (on the whole, laiw.kZ :i ls ns[kus, ½&ij My friend is by and large an, honest person., By dint of (by means of, ds cy ij)& You can succeed by dint of hard work only., , English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 383

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 56., 57., 58., 59., 60., 61., 62., 63., 64., 65., 66., 67., 68., 69., 70., 71., 72., 73., 74., 75., 76., 77., 78., 384, , By fair or foul means (by any way right or wrong, lgh ;k xyr fdlh Hkh izdkj ls)&, He will try, to get a job by fair or foul means but will ultimately lose his peace of mind., By the rule of thumb (according to practical experience, O;ogkfjd :i ls)& By rule of, thumb we must not allow children to take major decisions., Call a spade and spade (to be frank, eqagiQV ckr ½&, djukHe never hesitated in calling a, spade a spade and hence he has few friends., Call names (to abuse, xkyh nsuk, ½& He has a bad habit of calling names., Capital punishment (death penalty, ekSr dh ltk)& Capital punishment should be, abolished as it is the cruelest form of punishment., Carrot and stick policy (reward and punishment policy, buke vkSj ltk dh ikWfylh)&, The, multinational companies adopt carrot and stick policy to get maximum output., Carry matters with a high hand (to deal with a person strictly, l[rh ls fuiVuk)&The, police carry matters with high hand., Cast a slur (to bring disgrace, vi; ’k dk dkj.k cuuk, ½& Taking bribe could cast a slur on, the honour of your family., Cave in (yield, >qd tkuk)&, One must not cave in under pressure or temptation., Chapter and verse (in full detail, iw.kZ fooj.k ds lkFk)&, I cannot narrate the whole incident in chapter and verse., Cheek by jowl (close together, lkFk&lkFk)&, Many poor people live cheek by jowl in a, small room., ½& It is not a child’s play to address a crowd., Child’s play (a very easy task, cPpksa dk [ksy, Clinch the issue (to clear the controversy, fookn [kRe djuk)&, The college administration, clinched the issue by accepting the demands of the students., Clip one’s wings (to weaken the power, ij drjuk)& Sonia Gandhi clipped the wings of, some ministers by withdrawing the powers delegated to them., ½& His family had a close shave in the bus, Close shave (a narrow escape, cky&cky cpuk, accident., Cloven hoof (symbol of disgrace or evil intention, vlEeku ;k 'kSrkuh bjkns dk izrhd)&, Usually, some or other leader of the BJP shows cloven hoof to the BJP leadership., Cock a snook (to show impudent contempt, vlEeku izdV djuk)&, He refused to accept the, award, cocking a snook at the Filmfare Award jury., Cock sure (very sure and certain, lqfuf'pr gksuk)&, I am cock sure, we will win the match., Cold reception (not a hearty welcome, tks xeZtks, were very, ’kh ls Hkjk Lokxr ugha We, gks)&, unhappy when we were given cold reception at his marriage party., ½& I came across a problem when I was, Come across (meet by chance, vpkud eqykdkr gksuk, solving the equation., Come home to (to understand, le> esa vkuk)&, At last, it came home and we got the, correct answer., Come in handy (to be useful, dke dk gksuk)&, This opener comes in handy when we, need to open this container., Come to a pass (a difficult situation, fdlh ?kVuk dk gksuk)&, The accident came to pass due, to the negligence of the driver., English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 79., 80., 81., 82., , 83., 84., 85., 86., 87., 88., 89., 90., 91., 92., , 93., 94., 95., 96., 97., 98., , Come true (to prove true, lgh lkfcr gksuk)&, My dreams have come true as I have got, selected., Cool one’s heels (to be kept waiting, bUrtkj djk;k tkuk)&, We sat down and cooled our, heels for the minister who didn’t turn up., Corporal punishment (bodily punishment, 'kkjhfjd n.M)&, Corporal punishment is, banned in schools., Count chickens before they are hatched (To anticipate profit before hand, igys ls ykHk, dk fo’okl dj ysuk)& Don’t dream of profit now as it is futile to count your chickens, before they are hatched., Cross one’s mind (to occur to oneself, vpkud fnekx esa vkuk)&, I was resting when suddenly a new idea crossed my mind., Curry favour (to win favour by flattery, [kq'kken djds ds Ñik dk ik=k cuuk)&, Many developing, countries curry favour with America., Curtain lecture (a private scolding by wife to her husband, vdsys esa ifr dks nh xbZ Mk¡V)&, Don’t tell me that your father has never got any curtain lecture in his life., Cut both ends (to argue in support of both sides of the issue, nksuksa i{kks ds rjiQ ls rdZ nsuk)&, Mahesh always cuts both ends and hence he has neither friends nor foes., ½& The, Cut the Gordian knot (to solve a difficult problem, fdlh dfBu leL;k dk gy fudkyuk, national leaders cut the Gordian knot by making India a secular country., Cut throat (tough, dBhu)&We face cut throat competition in every field., Damp squib (complete failure though earlier thought to be exciting, iw.kZ vliQyrk] tks yxrk Fkk, mÙkstukRed gksxk)&, The performance of team India turned out to be a damp squib., cT+kkuk, Dance attendance upon (to be in servile attitude all the time, pkiywlh djuk@ gkftjh ½&, The mother-in-law wanted the lady to dance attendance upon her., Dark Horse (unexpected winner, vizR;kf'kr fotsrk)&, An unknown independent candidate, came out as a dark horse after the election., Days of reckoning (a time when the effects of one’s past mistakes or misdeed catch up, with one, tc Hkwrdky esa dh xbZ xfYr;kas dk vlj fn[kus, Youyxs)&, have been manipulating the, account for a long time. Now days of reckoning have come., Dead broke (penniless, fnokfy;k)&, Due to recession he has become a dead broke., gksuk)&, Die-hard (obstinately resistant to change, ifjorZu ds f[kykiQ n`<+rk ls He, is a die-hard, fan of Devanand., Dig one’s own grave (to do something which causes you harm, ,slk ÑR; tks eqlhcr esa Mky, ns)&You are digging your own grave by writing your pass word in your diary., Dog’s life (very miserable life, d"Vnk;d thou)&Due to unchecked inflation, the poor, are living a dog’s life., Double dealing (deceitful actions, /kks[ksckth ds dk;Z)&, The double dealing of the lawyer, was exposed by a sting operation., Double-edged sword (act that will harm oneself as well as the others, ,slk dk;Z tks nwljs dks, vkSj Lo;a dks Hkh uqdlku igqapk, lds)&, Corruption, is a doubled edged sword for the public as, well as the Government., , English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 385

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 99., 100., 101., 102., 103., 104., 105., 106., 107., 108., , 109., 110., , 111., 112., 113., 114., 115., 116., 117., 118., 119., 120., 386, , Down and out (lacking funds, resources or prospects, iQ.M] laink bR;kfn dh deh gksuk)&, He, was down and out when his factory was burnt to the ground., Down in the mouth (filled with melancholy and despondency, nq[k ,oa fujk'kk ls Hjk gksuk)&, She was down in the mouth when she saw her husband’s dead body., Draconian law (extremely severe law, vR;Ur Øwj dkuwu)&, There are still many draconian, laws in under developed countries., Draw the long bow (to tell large stories or to exaggerate, yEch dgkfu;k¡ cukuk ;k c<+k&p<+k dj, Come to the point. Don’t draw a long bow., dqN crkuk)&, Drawn battle /match (a battle or match in which no party wins, cjkcj dh ckth gksuk)&, The, drawn battle created a lot of excitement till the last ball., ek=kk)&, Drop in the ocean (very insignificant amount, vR;Ur gh FkksM+hMy, knowledge about, Archeology is only a drop in the ocean., Ducks and drakes (to waste money, iSls cckZn djuk)&, I cannot allow you to play ducks, and drakes with my hard earned money., lkgl)&, Dutch courage (bravery under alcoholic influence, 'kjkc ds u'ks esa fn[kk;s tkuk okykHis, dutch courage will vanish when he will gain his sense., Easy money (bribe, fj'or)& Many officers make easy money., Eat one’s word (to admit that something you said in the past was wrong, ;s Lohdkj djuk, fd dgh gqbZ ckr xyr FkhThose, )& who said that Amitabh Bachhan’s charm was over had, to eat their word after the success of Kaun Banega Crorepati., Egg on (to urge somebody to do some thing that is generally wrong, dqN xyr dk;Z djus ds fy,, izksRlkfgr djuk)&, He egged me on to drive faster., Eke out (to support (existence) with difficulty and effort or to add (something insufficient), especially with effort, cgqr eqf'dy ls dqN miyC/ djkuk)&, He is trying to eke out an, income by doing over time., Elixir of life (nectar of life, thou dk ve`r)& Contentment is the elixir of life., Enough and to spare (plentiful, izpqj ek=kk esa)&, He earns enough and to spare., Ever and Anon (now and then, tc&rc)& The night was dark and we could hear the, howling of dogs ever and anon., Every dog has his day (good fortune comes sooner or later, vPNk fnu lcdk vkrk gS)&, When, he bagged three movies in a row, he realized that every dog has his day., ls She is an honest person by every inch ., Every Inch (Completely, iw.kZ :i ½&, Eye wash (ineffective remedy which is just for show, fliQZ fn[kkos dk)&, The committee set, up to look into the multiple scams was just an eye wash., See eye-to-eye (showing agreement/ to agree, iw.kZr% lger gksuk)&, The two competitiors, never see eye to eye., djuk, Face the music (to face opposition, dfBukbZ ;k fojks/ dk lkeuk½&, Every leader has to, face the music if he doesn’t fulfill promises made by him., ½& I don’t want to fan the flame of the tension, Fan the flame (to aggravate, cnrj cukuk, between the husband and the wife., Few and far between (very rare, cgqr de)&The houses in this remote village are few, and far away., English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 121. Fight to the finish (to fight to the end, vkf[kjh urhts rd yM+uk)&, When she was blamed, and sued without any rhyme or reason, she pledged to fight the case to the finish., 122. Fish in troubled waters (to take advantage of the difficulties of others, nwljksa dh ijs'kkuh dk, ykHk mBkuk)&, Many lawyers don’t hesitate from fishing in troubled waters., 123. Fit to hold a candle to (match for, equal in quality, cjkcjh dk gksuk)&, He is such a miser, that he is not fit to hold a candle of such a lavish reception., 124. Flash in the pan (something or someone that became successful quickly and is unlikely, to be repeated, vLdekr liQyrk ikuk tks {kf.kd gks vkSj Hkfo"; esa fiQj 'kk;n, The usuccess, gks)& of, Kumar Gaurav in his debut movie ‘Love Story’ was a flash in the pan., 125. Flesh and blood (human nature or physical existence, together with its weaknesses /, substance and depth in artistic portrayal, gkM+&ek¡l dk gksuk@ fdlh dyk esa ik;h tkus okyh xgjkbZ)&, The movies of late seventies lacked flesh and blood with their ketchup blood and, round the tree romance., 126. Flog a dead horse (to waste one’s energy, csdkj dh dks'kh'k djuk)&, Trying to reform a, terrorist is like flogging a dead horse., 127. Fly in the face of (to defy/ to brave/ to withstand, voKk djuk@ lkgl ls lkeuk djuk)&, The, theory about the existence of heaven and hell flies in the face of all logic and common sense., 128. Fly into a passion (to be enraged, Øksf/r gksuk)&, He flies into a passion within seconds, if someone ignores his instructions., 129. Fool’s errand (a fruitless mission or undertaking, fu"iQy dk;Z)&, Many projects of, Mohammad -bin-tuglaq were fool’s errand., 130. Foot the bill (bear expenses, [kpZ ogu djuk)&, You had ordered these tasteless pizzaz ., Now you will have to foot the bill., 131. For good (for ever, ges'kk ds fy,)He educated him and sent him to America for good., 132. For the rainy day (precaution for emergency, dfBu ifjfLFkfr;ksa ds fy;s izcU/)&, I have kept, some money in the bank for the rainy days., 133. Foul Play (treachery, /ks[kk/M+h)&, Foul play destroys the fun of life., 134. French leave (leave without information, fcuk lwpuk ds vuqifLFkr gksuk)&, If you take french, leave, you will be fined., 135. From the bottom of one’s heart (very sincerely, vUrj eu ls)& I thanked him from the, bottom of my heart for his timely help., 136. Gain ground (to progress/ advance, rjDdh djuk@ opZLo c<+kuk)&, Due to the misgovernance, by the ruling party, the opposition is gaining ground., 137. Gentleman at large (wealthy man with time on his hands, /uh O;fDr ftlds ikl le; dh deh, Here he was, talking like a gentleman at large who was free to come and go, u gks)&, and roam about the world at pleasure,, 138. Get down to brass tacks (discuss the basic facts or realities/ to deal with the matter, djuk)&After avoiding the thorny question of tax reforms, straight, fdlh eq[; fo"k;ij ppZk, for months, the ruling party finally got down to brass tacks last week and drafted a, preliminary proposal., 139. Get into a scrape (find oneself in a difficult or awkward situation, [kqn dks eqf'dy gkykr esa, ikuk)&By signing the bond he will get into a scrape., English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 387

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 140. Get the better of (to overcome, dkcw ik ysuk)&, At last he got the better of his problems, and opponents., 141. Get wind of (to know the secret, Hksn tku ysuk, ½& The opposition got the wind of the plans, of the ruling party., 142. Gird up the loin (to be well prepared for some difficult task, fdlh dfBu dk;Z dks djus ds fy,, dej dl dj rS;kj gksuk½& If we all gird up the loin, we can remove illiteracy., 143. Give a wide berth (to give ample space or distance to avoid an unwanted consequence,, fdlh vokaNfu; urhts ls cpus ds fy, nwjh cuk;s j[kuk)&, Being an understanding father, you should, give a wide berth to your son and wait for the right time to talk to him., 144. Give cold shoulder (pay no attention to, è;ku u nsuk)&, He went to the police for help but, they gave him cold shoulder., 145. Give somebody enough rope (to hang themselves) (to allow someone to do what he, wants to, knowing that he will probably fail or get into trouble, fdlh dks dqN djus dh vuqefr, Don’t stop him.Give him enough rope to hang., ns nsuk ;s tkurs gq, fd og vliQy gks tk,xkA)&, He will be rejected for his poor performance and will return home., 146. Give the devil his due (even the wicked person should be given the credit due to him,, In spite of being so rude, he helped me in need. The, cqjs vkneh dh Hkh mfpr iz'kalk, ½&djuk, devil should be given his due., 147. Give up the ghost (to die, ej tkuk)& My grandfather gave up to ghost last Sunday., 148. Give vent to (to express one’s thoughts or feelings, vius fopkjksa ;k Hkkoukvksa dks izdV djuk)&, Every Indian is free to give vent to his thoughts., jguk)&, 149. Wool-gathering (to engage in fanciful daydreaming, euHkkou dYiuk esa [kks, Work, hard. Wool gathering will not help you in any way., 150. Go back on one’s word (to change one’s mind about/ repudiate, ckr ls ihNs gV tkuk)&, She, has decided to do charity and she should not go back on her word., 151. Go broke (become bankrupt, fnokfy;k gksuk)&, He has gone broke and is unable to make, both ends meet.., 152. Whole hog (the whole way/Completely, iw.kZ :i ls)&, She went the whole hog and checked, the account of the whole month in one go., 153. Golden opportunity (very favourable opportunity or chance, lqugjk volj½& He missed, the golden opportunity by declining the offer., 154. Green horn (an inexperienced or immature person, especially one who is easily, gks)& heavy loss because he, deceived,vuqHkoghu O;fDr ftls csodwiQ cukuk vklku, He incurred, relied on the green horn who was his own nephew., 155. Hang in balance (have two equally possible results/ be uncertain, vfuf'p; dh fLFkfr)&, After, the opposition party won the election, whether or not the new highway will be built,, hangs in the balance., 156. Hang over one’s head (to have something bothering or worrying one, ijs'kkuh ;k leL;k dk cus, jguk)&He committed suicide because troubles and court cases hung over his head., 157. Hard and fast (definite, fuf'pr)& There is no hard and fast rule for solving these, numericals., 388, , English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 158. Harp on the same string (to keep on talking on the same topic, ,d gh fo"k; ij ckr djrs, jguk)& Some obsessed people have the habit of harping on the same string., 159. At the nick of time (at the last possible moment, Bhd le; ij)& I reached the examination hall at the nick of time., 160. Heart and soul (with complete faith and dedication, lPps fny ls)&He has put heart and, soul in his work., 161. Heart to heart (very frankly, iwjs fny ls] [kqys :i ls)&, The two friends had a heart to heart, talk as they met after many years., 162. Hen-pecked husband (admirer of one’s own wife in a servile manner, tks: dk xqyke)&, Every boy boasts, “I will never become a hen pecked husband.”, 163. Himalayan blunder (a serious mistake, xaHkhj xyrh)&, He committed a Himalayan blunder by leaving for work without his body guards and was shot dead., 164. Hit the nail on the head (to act in the right way, Bhd fu’kkus ij pksV ekjuk)&, You have hit, the nail on the head by making the bid at the right time., 165. Hold good (valid/ applicable, ykxw@ mfpr Bgjkuk)&, Rule of triple talaq doesn’t hold good, even in the Islamic countries., 166. Hold one’s ground (to stand firm, n`<+rk ls MVs jguk)&, The Indian soldiers held their, ground to the end., 167. Hold one’s jaw (to stop talking, cksyuk cUn gksuk)&, Please hold your jaw else I shall, go away., 168. Hold the fort (to stand firm on one’s position, vius LFkku ij MVs jguk)&, Our soldiers held, the fort and proved their valour., 169. Hold the scales even (to be impartial, fu"i{k jguk)&The Judge must hold the, scales even., 170. Hold water (to stand up to critical examination, lgh lkfcr gksuk)&, Your argument does not, hold water., 171. Hot water (trouble, ijs'kkfu;ka)&, Your cousin is in hot water due to his controversial speech., 172. In a fix (in a difficult mental state, ekufld my>u esa)&, He was in a fix when he saw his, mother in ICU., 173. In a tight corner (in difficult situation, eqf'dy gkykr eas)&, I found myself in a tight corner, when I lost my journey ticket., 174. In doldrums (to be depressed, fujk'kk esa)&, He was found in doldrum when he could not, succeed even in his third attempt., 175. In embryo (immature/ in the making, vfodflr voLFkk esa)&, My plan of expanding my, business is still in embryo., 176. In no time (in a very short time, FkksM+h gh nsj esa)&, He can solve any mathematical, problem in no time., 177. In one’s teens (from thirteen to nineteen years of age, rSjg ls mUuhl lky rd)&, A person in, his teen is spirited, full of dreams and optimistic., 178. In the air (in circulation/ in people’s thoughts, ppkZ esa)&, News of his cold blooded, murder is very much in the air., English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 389

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 179. Down in the dumps (unhappy, depressed, nq[kh@ fujk'k)&, He is down in the dumps after, his father’s death., 180. In the family way (pregnant, xHkZorh)&, She has applied for leave as she is in the, family way., 181. In the good books of (to be in favour with a person, i{k esa djuk)&, People usually flatter, their boss to remain in their good books., ½& The, esa boy was in the jaws of the, 182. In the jaws of (in the grip of, nkarksa ds chp] fdlh ds dCts, kidnappers., 183. In the limelight (at the centre of attention, vkdZ"k.k dk dsUnz)&, Film stars are habitual of, remaining in the lime light., 184. In the lurch (in a difficult and embarrassing position, eqf'dy ,oa chp ea>/kj okyh fLFkfr esa)&, when the experiment failed, the sub-ordinates left the eminent scientist in lurch., 185. Melting pot (a place where immigrants of different cultures or races form an integrated, gS)&, society, ,slk LFkku tgk¡ vizoklh yksx viuh&viuh lH;rk ds lkFk ,d lekt cukrs, With, immigrants, from all over the world getting an easy passage to India, our country is becoming a, melting pot., 186. In the red (in debt, dtZ esa)&, The company is in the red due to its unfeasible projects., 187. In the teeth of (in opposition to or defiance of/facing danger or threats, ds fo:¼@ [krjs dk, lkeuk djuk)&The tribe was in the teeth of starvation., 188. In the twinkling of an eye (in a moment/in no time, {k.k Hkj esa)&, The house came down, in the twinkling of an eye., 189. To fish in troubled waters (to take advantage of the problems of others, fo"ke ifjfLFkfr dk, Many self-centred lawyers fish in troubled water., ykHk mBkuk)&, 190. For all intents and purposes (for all practical purposes, gj O;kogkfjd mís'; ds fy,)&, This, dictionary is useful for all intents and purposes., 191. Snake in the grass (a secret enemy, vkLrhu dk lkai@ diVh fe=k)&, Politicians playing caste, based politics are snakes in the grass., 192. Keep abreast of (not to fall behind, ihNs u jg tkuk)&, We must keep ourselves abreast of, the latest development in technology., 193. Keep an eye on (to watch, utj j[kuk)& It is very necessary for us to keep an eye on, our growing children., 194. Keep an open table (to entertain all, lc dk Lokxr djuk)&It is not very difficult to keep, an open table in a party., 195. Keep at an arm’s length (to keep at a distance, nwjh cuk dj j[kuk)&, You must keep bad, habits at arm’s length., 196. Keep at bay (To keep someone at a distance, nwj j[kuk, ½& He held the police at bay with, a gun for several hours., 197. Keep body and soul together (to be able to pay for just those things that you need in, order to live, fliQZ thou&;kiu Hkj dk tqxkM+ dj They, can barely keep body and soul, ikuk)&, together on what he earns., 198. Keep the pot boiling (to keep going on actively, thou p;kZ tkjh j[kuk)&, One has to keep, the pot boiling inspite of all odds one has to face in life., 390, , English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 199. Keep up appearance (to keep one’s prestige/to maintain outward show, ckgjh fn[kkok cuk;s, j[kuk)& Inspite of being a bankrupt, he is able to keep up his appearance., 200. Kick one’s heels (wait impatiently to be summoned, cqykos ds fy, cslczh ls bartkj djuk)&, The, whole day we kicked our heels outside the court room., 201. Kick the bucket (to die, ej tkuk)&He kicked the bucket and left his family in extreme financial difficulty., 202. Kill the fat calf for (to arrange a lavish reception for someone, fdlh dk /we/ke ls Lokxr, djuk½& India killed the fat calf for the Common Wealth Games., 203. Kiss the dust (to be humiliated, viekfur gksuk)&, In Indo-Pak war our enemies had to, kiss the dust., 204. Knock against (to hit against, VDdj [kkuk)&, I couldn’t see the transparent door and, knocked against it., 205. Lapped in luxury (brought up in luxury, foykflrk esa iyuk)&, Great people are generally, not lapped in luxury., 206. Laugh in one’s sleeves (to laugh secretly, pqids ls)&Our neighbours laughed in their, sleeves when they saw my grand father wearing a pair of fashionable googles., 207. Lead by the nose (to lead someone by coercion/ to guide someone very carefully, nokc, I had, to lead him by the nose to the meeting., esa ;k ekxZn'kZu djus gsrq fdlh dks jkLrk, fn[kkuk)&, He will never find his way through the admission form unless you lead him by the nose., 208. Lead to the altar (to marry, 'kknh djus tkuk)&, He promised her to lead her to the altar., 209. Leap in the dark (to do something though there is uncertainty about the outcome, vfuf'pr, play lottery is to leap in the dark., ifj.kke gksus ij Hkh dksbZ dk;ZTo, djuk)&, 210. Leave no stone unturned (to make all possible efforts, dksbZ Hkh iz;Ru ckdh u NksM+uk)&, He, worked very hard to pass the Civil Services Exams and left no stone unturned., 211. Leave one in the lurch (to leave one in difficulties, fdlh dk dfBukbZ;ksa esa lkFk NksM+, He nsuk)&, kicked the bucket and left his family in the lurch., tkuk)&, 212. Let by-gones be by-gones (to forget old things, iqjkuh ckrksa dks Hkwy, India, and Pakistan must start bi-lateral talks and let by-gones be by-gones., 213. Lick the dust (to get defeated, gkj tkuk)&, The team licked the dust in the final match., 214. Lie in wait (wait in hiding to attack,?kkr yxk;s cSBs jguk)&, The policemen were lying in, wait for the kidnappers., 215. Live in an Ivory tower (where one can be aloof from the realities of life , tgk¡ thou dh, The queen lived in an ivory tower and did not know the meanokLrfodrk ls nwj jgrs gSa)&, ing of poverty., 216. Long and short (all that can or need be said., lkjka'k)&, The long and short of the whole, discussion will be made available to all in black and white., 217. Look down upon (To hate a person, fdlh O;fDr ls ?k`.kk djuk)&, I hate those people who, look down upon the poor., 218. Lose the day (to be defeated, gkj tkuk)&My favourite football team lost the day., 219. Make a fortune (To grow rich, /uh cu tkuk)& He made a fortune by selling smuggled, goods., English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 391

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 220. Make after (to pursue or chase, ihNk djuk)&, The people made after the chain snatcher, and caught him., 221. Make amends (to compensate, gtkZuk nsuk)&, He had to make amends for his bad behavior., 222. Make head or tail of (to understand, le>uk)& The doctor could not make the head or, tail of his illness., 223. Make one’s mark (to achieve distinction, viuk izHkko NksM+uk)&, India has made its mark in, the field of technology., 224. Make out (to understand, le> ysuk)& I could not make out what he was saying., 225. Make up the leeway (struggle out of a bad position, especially by recovering lost time,, The Government will have to make up the, xoka pqds le; dh {kfriwfrZ djds cqjs gkykr ls fudyuk)&, leeway by taking remedial actions immediately., 226. Make up one’s mind (To determine, fu'p; djuk ½& She has made up her mind to, divorce her cruel husband., 227. Make a clean breast (to confess especially something bad or illegal, fdlh xqukg dk lp, dcwy ysuk )&, After months of lying about the money, he decided to make a clean, breast of it and tell the truth., 228. Man in the street (common man, lk/kj.k O;fDr)&The life of a man in the street has, become very difficult because of rising price., 229. Man of iron (man with strong will-power, n`<+ bPNk 'kfDr okyk)&, Nothing can deter a, man of iron ., ½& We were ready to, 230. Meet half-way (to be prepared for compromise, le>kSrs ds fy, jkth gksuk, meet the other party half way and settle all litigation., 231. Milk of human kindness (human compassion, ekuork ls Hkjk g`n;)&, Milk of human, kindness is necessary for the existence of humanity., 232. Narrow circumstances (hard days/ poverty, xjhch ds fnu)&, After his father’s death, he, is living in narrow circumstances., 233. Neither chick nor child (no child, dksbZ cPps dk u gksuk)&, She feels very lonely because, she has neither chick nor child., 234. No love lost (having no love, fdlh izdkj dk izse@fe=krk dk u gksuk)&, There is no love lost, between these two neighbours who are fighting an endless court case., 235. Nook and corner (at every place, izR;sd LFkku ij)&, I searched for my book at every nook, and corner of the house., 236. Oil someone’s hands (to bribe, fj'or nsuk)&We should stop oiling the officials’ hands., 237. Beauty is only skin deep (physical beauty is not important, ckgjh lqUnjrk egRoiw.kZ, She, ugha)&, took a wrong decision by not marrying this gentleman.She doesn't know that beauty, is only skin deep., 238. On and on (to continue, tkjh j[kuk)&She went on and on but nobody listened to her., 239. On the horns of a dilemma (to face a difficult situation between two problems, eqlhcr esa, drive has put many shops on the horns, iQaluk] nks dfBu voLFkkvksa dsThe, chp demolition, esa)&, of a dilemma because if they do not shut down, their shops will be sealed and if they, do, they lose their means of livelihood., 392, , English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 240. On the wrong side of (one’s age being more than, vf/d mez dk gksuk)&, He is on the wrong, side of fifty now., 241. Open secret (known to all, loZfofnr)&He is bankrupt and this is an open secret now., 242. Order of the day (some common things of the time, dksbZ izpfyr ckr)&, Following new, fashion is the order of the day., 243. Out of the wood (out of difficulties, eqlhcr ls NqVdkjk)&, At last India came out of the wood, and got independence., 244. Pay one back in one’s own coin (tit for tat, tSls dks rSlk)&, The person doing wrong, should be paid back in his own coin., 245. Pell mell (very fast and not organised, cgqr tYn vkSj vLr&O;Lr rjhds ls)&, Every thing was, done pell mell as we got the order at the eleventh hour., 246. Petticoat-Government ( undue influence of women, fL=k;ksa dk vuqfpr ncko)&, Petticoatgovernment may adversaly influence your whole project., ½&, fudkyuk, 247. Pick holes in (to find fault with, nwljksa esa nks"k, My boss has the habit of picking, holes in our performance., 248. Pin prick (troubles that are for short time, tks leL;k,a dqN fliQZ le; ds fy, gks)&, We should, ignore such pin pricks and get on with the job., 249. Play a double game (to act dubiously, /ks[kk/kM+h djuk)&, My friend was playing a double, game., 250. Play fast and loose (be unreliable, vfo'oluh; gksuk)&How can you trust a man who, plays fast and loose changing his statement every minute?, 251. Play one false (to deceive, fdlh dks /ks[kk nsuk)&, He played her false and married again., 252. Play one’s cards well (to do the correct things to achieve a desired result, le>nkjh ls dke, djuk)& If you play your cards well, you will get selected.., 253. Play the fool (to act foolishly, csodwiQh djuk)&, Why do you play the fool when it comes to, spending money?, 254. Pocket an insult (to bear insult, vieku lgu dj ysuk)& Indians had to pocket much, insult during their fight for Independence., 255. Poison one’s ears against (to set a person against another, fdlh ds fo#¼ dku Hkjuk)&, She, has poisoned the ears of my mother-in-law., 256. Past master (an expert, fdlh {ks=k dk fo'ks"kK)&, He is a past master in cheating others., 257. Pour oil on troubled waters (to pacify the anger of others, Øks/ dks 'kkUr djus dk iz;Ru)&, He, solved the matter by pouring oil on troubled waters with his good behaviour., 258. Pull the string (to exercise secret influence, fNis :i ls izHkko Mkyuk)&, When I saw extreme, level of red-tapism in the organization, I had to pull my strings to get my work done., 259. Pull to pieces (to criticise severely, dVq vkykspuk djuk)&, The leader of opposition has, pulled the ruling party to pieces., 260. Put an end to (to finish, lekIr dj nsuk)&She has put an end to her unfeasible ideas., 261. Put pen to paper (to start writing, fy[kuk vkjEHk dj nsuk)&, In my board examination I put, my pen to paper without wasting a second., 262. Put the saddle on the right horse (to blame the really guilty person, lgh vijk/h ij vkjksi, yxkuk)The court put the saddle on the right horse and passed the right order., English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 393

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 263. Put to the sword (to kill, ekj nsuk)&, Nadir Shah put even children to the sword., 264. Put up with (to tolerate, lgu djuk)& Maharana Pratap could not put up with insult., 265. Rank and file (lower middle class people, lk/kj.k Js.kh ds yksx)&, The extra-ordinary, speeches of the great orators cannot be appreciated by the rank and file., 266. Red rag to a bull (something that will surely produce a violent reaction, fuf'pr gh mÙksftr, djus okyh ckr)&The racial comments against the Indians proved to be a red rag to a, bull and the riot took place., 267. Rise to the occasion (to show that you can deal with a difficult situation, ;s fn[kk nsuk fd, vki eqf'dy gkykr dk lkeuk dj ldrs gS)&Mahatma Gandhi rose to the occasion and dared, the British., 268. Roll up one’s sleeves (to be prepared for hard work, dM+h esgur ds fy;s rS;kj jguk)&, We will, have to roll up our sleeves as the time of examination has come., 269. Rub shoulders with (to meet and spend time with, fdlh ds fudV lEidZ esa vkuk)&, He claims, to have rubbed shoulders with Salman Khan during his journey to Sydney., 270. Run down (reduced in health/to criticize, LokLF; esa fxjkoV@ fuUnkI djuk)&, was worried, because she looked run down ., Do not run down your friends in public., 271. Run short/ Hard up (not proving sufficient, shortage of money/ something, fdlh pht@ iSls, dh deh)& I am running short of money these days., If you are hard up, you can come to me., 272. Scratch one’s head (to be perplexed, ijs'kku gks tkuk)&, I scratched my head when I saw, the puzzles in the PO exam., 273. Screw up one’s courage (to gather courage, lkgl c<+kuk)&, Working women have to, screw up their courage to handle eve teasing incidents at their working places., 274. Seal of love (kiss, pqEcu)&They validated their marriage with a seal of love., 275. See the light (to be born, tUe ysuk)&Many female babies are aborted before they see, the light., 276. Set price on one’s head (to offer reward for killing or helping in the arrest of a criminal,, fdlh vijk/h dks ekjus ;k idM+okus esa enn djus ij buke dh, ½&?kks"k.kk, The government of America had, set price on Osama’s head., 277. Show a clean pair of heels (to run away, Hkkx tkuk)&, The chain snatcher showed a, clean pair of heels and the people were unable to catch him., 278. Sink fast (to deteriorate in quality or condition, cn ls cnrj gksuk)&, The patient was sinking fast., 279. Slip of the pen (a small unintentional mistake in writing, fy[kus esa vutkus esa dh tkus okyh, xyrh)& The slip of the pen created a lot of confusion., 280. Snake in the grass (some hidden enemy, vKkr 'k=kq)&, Many leaders are snake in the, grass creating disharmony in the society., djuk)& always, 281. Sow wild oats (indulgence in youthful follies, ;qokoLFkk dh csodwfiQ;ka, Mothers, keeps an eye on their daughters to see that they do not sow wild oats., 282. Square meal (full meal, isV Hkj Hkkstu)&, A poor person does not get even one square, meal a day., 394, , English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 283. Stand in good stead (to be of great service, cgqr lgk;d gksuk)&, Your experience will, always stand in good stead when you join a full time job., 284. Storm in a tea cup (much hue and cry over a little matter, NksVh lh ckr ij cgqr 'kksjxqy djuk)&, Do not worry about these silly rows. They are just storm in a tea cup., 285. Strain every nerve (to make every possible effort, gj izdkj dk iz;Ru djuk)&, I strained, every nerve to get out of the problem., 286. Sword of Damocles (an imminent danger, flj ij yVdh ryokj)& Terrorism is a sword of, Damocles hanging over the whole world., 287. Take a leaf out of another man’s book (to imitate another person, udy djuk)& He has, no originality of thought; he only takes a leaf out of another man’s book to make, quick money., 288. Take an exception to (to be offended by something, fdlh ckr dk cqjk ekuuk)&, She took an, exception to his joke., 289. Take into one’s head (to suddenly decide to do some thing, often silly or surprising,, took into their heads to get married, dqN csodwiQh Hkjh gjdr djus dk vpkud fu.kZ;Itysuk)&, next sunday., 290. Take pains (to work hard, dfBu ifjJe djuk)& She took pains to bring up her children, after her husband's death., 291. Take the bull by the horns (to face danger with courage, [krjs dk fgEer ls lkeuk djuk)&, Bhagat Singh took the bull by the horns and bravely challenged the British empire., 292. Take to one’s heels (to run away, Hkkx tkuk)&, when the police came, the robber took, to his heels., 293. Tall talk (boasting, 'ks[kh ekjuk)&, One of my friends Rajesh is famous for his tall talks., 294. The Fourth Estate (the press, izsl)&Today the fourth estate can influence the court, proceedings of any case., 295. The knock down price (very low price, cgqr de dher)& I bought every thing at the, mega sale at knock down prices., 296. Sheet anchor (a person or thing to be relied upon in an emergency, vkikrdky esa dke vkus, His uncle proved to be his sheet anchor after his father’s death., okyk O;fDr vFkok oLrq)&, 297. Thick-skinned person (not easily offended, insensitive, yTtkghu ;k laosnughu O;fDr)&, He is, such a thick- skinned person that he laughed when people cursed and abused him., 298. Think lightly (not to be serious about a thing, etkd ds :i esa ysuk)&Don’t think of your, married life lightly., 299. Throw light on (to make something easier to understand, fdlh fo"k; ij izdk'k Mkyuk)&, I, wanted to throw light on the pitiful life of the bar dancers., 300. Throw mud at (try to make a low opinion of someone by saying unpleasant things about, him, cnuke djuk)&Companies should think carefully before slinging mud at someone, who may respond with a libel action costing it crores of rupees., 301. Tool in the hands of (under the authority of another, nwljs ds gkFk esa dBiqryh dh Hkkafr)&, The, whole legal system has become a tool in the hands of the politicians., 302. Turn one’s coat (to change one’s party, ny cny ysuk)&Some people are so ambitious, that they often turn their coat., English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 395

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Idioms And Phrases - 2, , 303. Turn the tables (to change the situation completely, fLFkfr dks fcydqy cny nsuk)&, The ruling, party had an easy victory in the last Lok sabha election but inflation and corruption, have totally turned the table., 304. Under a cloud (under suspicious conditions, lansgiw.kZ fLFkfr, Ever, since the rumours of, esa)&, corruption started, the former chief minister has been under a cloud ., 305. Under the rose (secretly, xqIr :i ls)& He is selling confidential documents under the rose., 306. Under the thumb of (completely under one’s power or influence, fdlh ds opZLo esa nck gksuk)&, He is under the thumb of his mother and does not listen to the problems of his wife., 307. Upto the mark (up to standard, mfpr Lrj rd)& I have to watch my staff all the time to, keep them up to the mark., 308. Vexed question (much debated and discussed, ftl iz'u ij dkiQh cgl gks pqdh gks)&, 'Mercy, killing should be granted or not' has become a vexed question., 309. Wash dirty linen in public (to expose private affairs in public, O;fDrxr ckrksa dks ckgj, mNkyuk)&, There is nothing as bad as washing one’s dirty linen in public., 310. Wash one’s hand of (to be free from, fdlh ckr ls eqDr gks tkuk)&, Police have washed their, hands of the kidnapping case., 311. Wear a long face (to look gloomy, mnkl fn[kkbZ nsuk)&, Inspite of losing his job, he did not, wear a long face., 312. Wild goose chase (useless efforts, O;FkZ dk iz;Ru)&, Pakistan’s efforts to grab Kashmir, have proved to be a wild goose chase., 313. Win laurels (to win honours, ; ’k izkIr djuk)&, Sachin won laurels for India., 314. Without rhyme or reason (without any justification, vdkj.k)&Don’t shout at anyone, without rhyme or reason., , 396, , English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases, , 24, , IDIOMS AND PHRASES, , CHAPTER, , (PRACTICE SET), Directions : In questions 1 to 300, four alternatives are given for the idiom/ phrase, underlined in the sentence. Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning, of the idiom/phrase and mark it in the Answer Sheet., 7., She could never measure up to her, 1., To strain every nerve, parent’s expectation., (A) to make utmost efforts, (A) Reach the level, (B) to feel weak and tired, (B) Work as hard, (C) to be a diligent worker, (C) Assess the amount, (D) to be methodical in work, (D) Increase her height, 2., To flog a dead horse, (A) to whip a dead horse, (B) attempt to do the impossible, (C) waste one’s efforts, (D) to take advantage of a weakness, 3., , To show a clean pair of heels, (A) to hide, (B) to escape, (C) to pursue, (D) to follow, , 8., , The little girl with her flawless, performance stole the show., (A) Stole something from the show, (B) Crept into the show, (C) Won everybody’s praise, (D) Disappeared from the show, , 9., , The thief was on good terms with the, police., (A) Kept terms and conditions, (B) Was friendly, (C) Followed the rules, (D) Agreed with them, , 4., , To die in harness, (A) premeditated murder, (B) dying young in an accident, (C) to die while in service, (D) to be taken by surprise, , 5., , To feather one’s nest, (A) to make a residential house, (B) something that lasts for a short, time, (C) to profit in a dishonest way, (D) none of the above, , 10., , John’s offer of help was turned down, by the police., (A) Sent back, (B) Twisted around, (C) Refused, (D) Handed over, , 6., , To doctor the accounts, (A) to make changes in account books, (B) to clear the doctors’ bill, (C) to verify the accounts in detail, (D) to manipulate the accounts, , 11., , To be all at sea, (A) a family voyage, (B) lost and confused, (C) in the middle of the ocean, (D) a string of islands, , English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 397

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Idioms And Phrases, , 12., , To take to one’s heels, (A) to walk slowly, (B) to run away, (C) to march forward, (D) to hop and jump, , 13., , To bite the dust, (A) eat voraciously, (B) have nothing to eat, (C) eat roots, (D) to fail, , 14., , A bolt from the blue, (A) a delayed event, (B) an inexplicable event, (C) an unexpected event, (D) an unpleasant event, , 15., , 16., , 17., , 18., , 19., , 398, , Cold comfort, (A) absurdity, (B) deception, (C) slight satisfaction, (D)foolish proposal, The reputed company is in the red, due to the recession., (A) making money, (B) losing money, (C) in danger, (D) spending money, When the Principal was entering the, class, all my friends quietly, disappeared, leaving me alone to, face the music., (A) to listen to him, (B) to enter into the class, (C) to bear the criticism, (D) to listen to a favourable comment, The Kenyan team proved to be the, dark horse in the ICC World Cup, Cricket., (A) a strong intruder, (B) a skilled team, (C) the most powerful, (D) an unexpected winner, Having no arguments to defend his, point, the speaker began to beat, about the bush., , (A) wander across the words, (B) speak in a haphazard manner, (C) speak in a round-about manner, (D) make use of irrelevant reference, 20., , They were offered six months’ rent, in lieu of notice to vacate the, building., (A) in spite of, (B) in place of, (C) despite of, (D) in addition to, , 21., , We know that he is the one, responsible for the discord but as he, is well - connected all we can do is, send him to Coventry., (A) transfer him, (B) commend him, (C) boycott him, (D) dismiss him, , 22., , The noble man gave up the ghost., (A) left the ghost, (B) lived like a ghost, (C) invited ghost, (D) died, , 23., , A Prime Minister cannot ride, roughshod over his ministerial, colleagues for long., (A) deal unkindly with, (B) take for granted, (C) be high-handed with, (D) exploit wilfully, , 24., , He was down in the mouth as he was, defeated in the elections., (A) unable to speak, (B) very depressed, (C) very angry, (D) very confused, , 25., , They say, join the Army to drink life, to the lees., (A) to have the best of fun and fortune, (B) to enjoy a life of drinking and, dancing, (C) to have a life full of adventures, (D) to have the best of life, English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases, , 26., , The car in the backyard is proving, to be a white elephant., (A) very huge item, (B) costly and useless possession, (C) very expensive investment, (D) useful material, , 27., , He takes leave once in a blue moon., (A) regularly, (B) often, (C) rarely, (D) once a fortnight, , 28., , The meeting has been put off, indefinitely., (A) cancelled, (B) postponed, (C) advanced, (D) announced, , 29., , The rules of the deal are set forth in, the brochure., (A) stated, (B) accepted, (C) contradicted, (D) printed, , 30., , She bought her new house for a song., (A) very cheaply, (B) on loan, (C) at a loss, (D) very easily, , 31., , Raju had given up doing exercise after, surgery., (A) learned, (B) started, (C) continued, (D) stopped, , 32., , The chairman tried to get his point, across, but the members just, wouldn’t listen., (A) give them a lesson, (B) insist on, (C) make them understand, (D) motivate them, , 33., , Ashok had all fair-weather friends., (A) friends who face difficulties calmly., (B) favourable friends, (C) friends who desert you in difficulties, (D) reliable friends, , English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 34., , 35., , 36., , 37., , 38., , 39., , 40., , 41., , Since the company has lost a good, deal of time and money, you will, have to make good the loss., (A) make a good effort, (B) try to minimize the loss, (C) compensate for the loss, (D) ensure that there are no forth, losses, a damp squib, (A) rainy weather, (B) a disappointing result, (C) a skirt in a laundry, (D) none of the above, in cold blood, (A) angrily, (B) deliberately, (C) excitedly, (D) slowly, to take someone for a ride, (A) to give a ride to someone, (B) to deceive someone, (C) to be indifferent, (D) to disclose a secret, to move heaven and earth, (A) to cause an earthquake, (B) to try everything possible, (C) to pray to all Gods, (D) to travel in a rocket, to smell a rat, (A) to smell foul, (B) to see a rat, (C) to chase a rat, (D) to be suspicious, The possession of Jerusalem is a, bone of contention between Israel, and Palestine., (A) a subject of peace, (B) a subject of trade, (C) a subject of dispute, (D) a subject of exports, My friend turned a deaf ear to my, tale of loss and refused to help me., (A) paid no heed, (B) went far away, (C) listened carefully, (D) turned his ear away, 399

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Idioms And Phrases, , 42., , Helena was over head and ears in, love with Demetrius., (A) carefully, (B) completely, (C) brilliantly, (D) cautiously, , 43., , Gopi works by fits and starts., (A) consistently, (B) irregularly, (C) in high spirits, (D) enthusiastically, , 44., , 45., , 46., , 47., , 48., , 49., , 400, , Naresh Goyal had to stand on his, feet very early in his life., (A) to be physically strong, (B) to be independent, (C) to stand erect, (D) to be successful, It is high time he came out of his, shell., (A) appeared suddenly, (B) became more sociable, (C) became a loser, (D) removed his clothes, Every political party is at present, playing to the gallery., (A) adopting cheap tactics, (B) befooling the common man, (C) fighting for votes, (D) appeasing the masses, His blood ran cold when he heard his, uncle was murdered., (A) He was frightened, (B) He was horrified, (C) He was disgusted, (D) He was depressed, This is so simple that even a man in, the street can understand it., (A) an ordinary person, (B) an illiterate person, (C) an unknown person, (D) a stranger, When he went to claim insurance for, his car, the agent said he hadn’t a leg, to stand on., (A) had been injured in an accident, (B) was lame, (C) did not have much hope of getting it, (D) would have to wait for some time, , 50., , to cast aspersions, (A) to act as the pillar of support, (B) to raise aspirations, (C) to make unpleasant remarks, (D) to dissolve all the differences, , 51., , on the cards, (A) impossible, (B) shocking, (C) evident, (D) anticipated, , 52., , To turn over a new leaf, (A) to change for the better, (B) to start writing a new book, (C) to work on a novel idea, (D) to clear the garden, , 53., , To keep up one’s appearances, (A) to make public appearances now and, then., (B) to maintain one’s looks and, appearance., (C) to keep up an outward show of, prosperity., (D) to make it appear that one is not, concerned., , 54., , Off and on, (A) repeatedly, (B) always, (C) occasionally, (D) never, , 55., , To take with a grain of salt, (A) to make more palatable, (B) to take a small quantity of, (C) to make something meaningful, (D) to accept with misgiving, , 56., , To talk through one’s hat, (A) to talk carefully, (B) to talk softly, (C) to talk nonsense, (D) to talk secretively, , 57., , Ins and outs, (A) entrances and exits, (B) details and complexities, (C) passages and pathways, (D) rules and regulations, English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases, , 58., , The thief passed himself off as a, ticket examiner., (A) described himself, (B) deceived everyone, (C) disguised himself, (D) was regarded, , 65., , He looked blank when he was, informed about his dismissal., (A) was without any emotion, (B) was puzzled and surprised, (C) was uninterested, (D) was unhappy, , 59., , A brave soldier will never show the, white feather in the face of his, enemy., (A) show signs of cowardice, (B) act arrogantly, (C) show intimacy, (D) act impudently, , 66., , That fellow trumped up a story, (A) translated, (B) sang with the music of a trumpet, (C) concocted, (D) copied, , 67., , Though he is not a scholar, he wins, arguments because he has the gift of, the gab., (A) gifts from many people, (B) a lot of money, (C) talent for speaking, (D) a good memory, , 68., , The A.T.S. set the bait to arrest the, terrorists., (A) laid the trap, (B) announced the reward, (C) set the record, (D) put the bet, , 69., , I have decided to give it a shot., (A) click a picture, (B) try something, (C) pose for a picture, (D) injure someone, , 70., , He turned a blind eye to his son’s, pranks., (A) pretended not to notice, (B) paid special attention to, (C) covered up for, (D) punished severely, , 71., , All his schemes to murder the king, ended in smoke., (A) fructified gradually, (B) came to nothing, (C) were discarded, (D) were partially carried out, , 60., , The poor man moved from pillar to, post to get money., (A) went to pillars, (B) went to post, (C) went to money lender, (D) tried his best, , 61., , You have to be tactful in handling, the sensitive matters rather than, putting the cart before the horse., (A) treating these indifferently, (B) behaving thoughtlessly, (C) dealing with these in haste, (D) tackling things in the wrong way, , 62., , The boys cried with one voice that, the examination should be, postponed., (A) unanimously, (B) vehemently, (C) loudly, (D) strongly, , 63., , The scheme appears worthless at the, first blush., (A) first attempt, (B) first sight, (C) first step, (D) first phase, , 64., , His pronunciation was so bad and his, voice so low that the speech he made, was all Greek to me., (A) strange, (B) incomprehensible, (C) inaudible, (D) uninteresting, , English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 401

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Idioms And Phrases, , 79., , Even though the new clerk was, given a difficult task, he remained, cool as a cucumber., (A) not nervous or emotional, (B) caught cold, (C) was happy, (D) was scared, , 80., , Some people do not grease anybody’s, palm on any account., (A) bribe, (B) flatter, (C) cheat, (D) fight, , 81., , I had to pull strings to put up a good, show., (A) play music, (B) use personal influence, (C) use the instrument, (D) play a song, , 82., , You can easily overcome this, situation if you keep your head., (A) keep faith in, (B) remain calm, (C) believe in, (D) trust the others, , 83., , The car broke down just as it reached, the edge of a cliff. It was indeed a, close shave., (A) to share one’s brand, (B) very risky, (C) narrow escape from danger, (D) to be happy, , It is clear that the ideas of both, reformers ran in the same groove., (A) promoted each other, (B) clashed with each other, (C) moved in harmony, (D) moved in different directions, , 84., , The parents are in high spirits as, their son has got a decent job., (A) in good position, (B) drunk, (C) cheerful, (D) shocked, , This place affords a bird’s eye view, of the green valley below., (A) a beautiful view, (B) a narrow view, (C) an overview, (D) an ugly view, , 85., , To foam at one’s mouth, (A) to brush properly, (B) to get very angry, (C) to salivate on seeing food, (D) none of the above, , 86., , To feel like a fish out of water, (A) disgusted, (B) uncomfortable, (C) disappointed, (D) homeless, , 72., , This fashion of long flowing skirts, will run its course., (A) continue for a long time, (B) become very popular, (C) develop and then come to its usual, end, (D) end very soon, , 73., , The police caught the thief redhanded., (A) in a red uniform, (B) with blood in hands, (C) at the time of committing the crime, (D) after reading the rules, , 74., , 75., , 76., , 77., , 78., , 402, , I was so disappointed when my close, friend left me in the lurch., (A) went away without waiting for me, (B) helped me in difficult times, (C) abandoned me when I needed help, (D) stopped helping me in emergency, His position in the company was on, the brink of disaster., (A) at the top of, (B) at the point of, (C) on the side of, (D) on the back of, , When she realised that she had, bought a fake product, she knew that, her money had gone down the drain., (A) was lost forever, (B) dropped in the drain, (C) got washed away, (D) her money was safe, , English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases, , 87., , At the eleventh hour, (A) too late, (B) too early, (C) immediately, (D) at the last moment, , 96., , to explore every avenue, (A) to search all streets, (B) to scout the wilderness, (C) to find adventure, (D) to try every opportunity, , 88., , to burn one’s fingers, (A) to get hurt physically, (B) to suffer financial losses, (C) to find work, (D) to suffer nervous breakdown, , 97., , 89., , to add fuel to fire, (A) to investigate, (C) to initiate, , a red letter day, (A) a dangerous day in one’s life, (B) a sorrowful day in one’s life, (C) an important or joyful occasion in one’s, life, (D) both a dangerous and sorrowful day, in one’s life, , 98., , to have something up one’s sleeve, (A) to hide something in the sleeve, (B) to play a magician trick, (C) to have a secret plan, (D) to play hide and seek, on the spur of the moment, (A) to act at once, (B) to ride a horse in a race, (C) to act deliberately, (D) to act at the appointed time, , (B) to insulate, (D) to incite, , 90., , To bring to light, (A) to reveal, (B) to conceal, (C) to provide luminescence, (D) to appeal, , 91., , To hit the jackpot, (A) to gamble, (B) to get an unexpected victory, (C) to be wealthy, (D) to make money quickly, , 99., , 92., , To burn the candle at both ends, (A) to spend cautiously, (B) to be stingy, (C) to be extravagant, (D) to survive difficulty, , 93., , Status quo, (A) unchanged position, (B) excellent place, (C) unbreakable statue, (D) long queue, , 100. When my friend was in Kolkata, he, ra n in to an o l d f r i en d a t th e, theatre., (A) hit, (B) met accidentally, (C) planned to meet, (D) invited, , 94., , 95., , By fair means or foul, (A) without using common sense, (B) without difficulty, (C) in any way, honest or dishonest, (D) having been instigated, at one’s beck and call, (A) to attend a call, (B) to be helped by someone, (C) to be useful to someone, (D) to be dominated by someone, , English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 101. The news of the President’s death, spread like wild fire., (A) spread rapidly, (B) caused a major confusion, (C) was a wild rumour, (D) set the nation on fire, 102. Going abroad for a holiday was out, of the question., (A) undesirable, (B) impossible, (C) unpleasant, (D) irresistible, 403

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Idioms And Phrases, , 103. As a businessman, my father always, maintained that his transactions, constituted an open book., (A) an account book always open, (B) a book of open confessions, (C) an opening for new ventures, (D) straight forward and honest, dealings, 104. The project advanced by leaps and, bounds., (A) rapidly, (B) slowly, (C) sharply, (D) simply, 105. She is too fond of her own voice., (A) loves singing, (B) very selfish, (C) does not listen properly to anyone, else, (D) very talkative, 106. Indian police is, on the whole, high, handed in dealing with citizens., (A) kind, (B) overbearing, (C) prompt, (D) adept, 107. I take exception to your statement, that I am bad tempered., (A) do not agree, (B) feel unhappy, (C) object, (D) feel angry, 108. His speech fell short on the audience., (A) had no effect, (B) moved the audience, (C) impressed the audience, (D) was quite short, 109. The officer called for an explanation, from the cashier for the shortage of, cash., (A) asked, (B) begged, (C) served a notice, (D) demanded, 110. We wanted the gift to be a surprise, for my mother, but my sister gave the, game away., (A) lost the game, (B) gave out the secret, 404, , 111., , 112., , 113., , 114., , 115, , 116., , 117., , 118., , (C) gave away the gift, (D) withdrew from the plan, The actress took cue from her, brother and became successful., (A) some help, (B) a hint, (C) some money, (D) learnt acting, Let us have a heart to heart talk to, solve this problem., (A) good talk, (B) emotional talk, (C) frank talk, (D) loving talk, To miss the bus, (A) to miss the bus that one regularly, takes, (B) to miss an opportunity, (C) to have something to fall back upon, (D) to find fault with others, Birds of the same feather, (A) persons of same caste, (B) persons of same colour, (C) birds with same type of feather, (D) persons of same character, To fight tooth and nail, (A) to fight a losing battle, (B) to fight heroically, (C) to fight cowardly, (D) to make every possible effort, To call a spade a spade, (A) to be frank, (B) to be sly, (C) to be rude, (D) to be diplomatic, by putting two and two together, (A) to mix several things, (B) to make an arit hmetical, calculation, (C) to keep people in pairs, (D) to deduce from given facts, to look down one’s nose, (A) to show anger, (B) to retaliate, (C) to insult in the presence of others, (D) to regard with contempt, English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases, , 119. to shed crocodile tears, (A) to weep profusely, (B) to pretend grief, (C) to grieve seriously, (D) to mock something, , 128. on this side of the grave, (A) outside the grave, (B) by the side of the grave, (C) in this world, (D) before going to grave, , 120. To call it a day, (A) to conclude proceedings, (B) to initiate proceedings, (C) to work through the day, (D) None of the above, , 129. A man who, while pretending to be, your friend, sets a spy to watch your, activities is indeed a snake in the, grass., (A) secret enemy, (B) mean fellow, (C) dangerous man, (D) cunning fellow, , 121. To put up with, (A) to accommodate, (C) to understand, , (B) to adjust, (D) to tolerate, , 122. To take to heart, (A) to be encouraged, (B) to grieve over, (C) to like, (D) to hate, 123. Yeoman’s service, (A) medical help, (B) excellent work, (C) social work, (D) hard work, 124. to go scot-free, (A) to walk like a native of Scotland, (B) to get something free, (C) to escape without punishment, (D) to save tax, 125. to see red, (A) get broke, (B) get angry, (C) feel lucky, (D) become rich, 126. in the nick of time, (A) in an unexpected time, (B) after some time, (C) at a time when it was too late, (D) precisely in the right time, 127. the stage has been set, (A) the conditions are beyond control, (B) the platform for meeting is ready, (C) the situation is getting worse, (D) the situation is conducive, English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 130. The audience was greatly impressed, though I spoke off the cuff., (A) away from the mike, (B) without preparation, (C) off the subject, (D) about the cuff, 131. After listening to the student’s, statements, the teacher had to eat, her words., (A) withdraw her words, (B) stop speaking, (C) apologize, (D) quarrel, 132. to lose ground, (A) to become less powerful, (B) to become less popular, (C) to lose foundation, (D) to be without a leader, 133. to make both ends meet, (A) to buy costly articles, (B) live a luxurious life, (C) to live within one’s income, (D) to please all people, 134. to fall back on, (A) to oppose something important, (B) to suffer an injury on the back in an, accident, (C) to fail to do something important, in time, (D) to seek support out of necessity, 405

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Idioms And Phrases, , 135. to make one’s blood boil, (A) to make somebody furious, (B) to develop fever, (C) to get excited, (D) to make someone nervous, 136. She decided that she would get this, job by hook or by crook., (A) by compromising or other, responsi-bilities, (B) by impressing the interviewers, (C) by any means, right or wrong, (D) by becoming a specialist in the, field, 137. In a debate, no one is allowed to sit, on the fence., (A) to avoid taking sides, (B) to insult a speaker, (C) to relax while others speak, (D) to agree with everyone, 138. The matter has been sorted out., (A) revised, (B) supported, (C) resolved, (D) changed, , 143. When things go wrong, everyone, starts passing the buck., (A) analyses the problem, (B) prepares to resign, (C) pays a bribe, (D) blames someone else, 144. To keep the wolf away from the door., (A) to avoid a bad person, (B) to clean the house, (C) to avoid extreme poverty, (D) to visit the zoo, 145. To break the ice, (A) to clear the snow, (B) to start quarreling, (C) to commence an interaction, (D) to revive old enmity, 146. Spick and span, (A) neat and clean, (B) hard-working, (C) kitchen implements, (D) calm and quiet, , 139. The soldiers carried out the orders, of the General very effectively., (A) exited, (B) executed, (C) supported, (D) applied, , 147. The pros and cons, (A) good and evil, (B) first and last, (C) fair and foul, (D) for and against, , 140. They set off by car for Mumbai late in, the evening., (A) started, (B) travelled, (C) entered, (D) resonated, , 148. Build castles in the air, (A) waste time, (B) daydream, (C) build houses, (D) work hard, , 141. Once his crime was discovered, he, had no option but to come clean., (A) to deny the crime, (B) to confess to the crime, (C) to accuse someone else of the, crime, (D) to apologize for the cirme, 142. The employees were kept in the dark, about the latest developments., (A) were informed after office hours, (B) were informed when it was too late, (C) were given secret information, (D) were not informed at all, 406, , 149. Sought after, (A) highly paid, (B) pursued by, (C) in great demand, (D) with great talent, 150. All at sea, (A) very proud, (C) puzzled, , (B) overjoyed, (D) excited, , 151. To hit below the belt, (A) to punish, (B) to tie with a belt, (C) to hit with a belt, (D) to attack unfairly, English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases, , 152. Pot-luck dinner, (A) dinner where everybody brings, something to eat, (B) dinner where everybody brings his, food, (C) dinner where only soup is served, (D) dinner where people eat and play, games at the same time, 153. His friends beat the boy to pay off old, scores., (A) to refund old dues., (B) to take revenge., (C) to force him to be a scorer in a, match., (D) because he had not scored well, earlier., 154. Chintan is so innocent that he wears, his heart on his sleeve., (A) Wears dress that does not match., (B) Expresses his feelings openly., (C) Wears colourful dresses., (D) Expresses his feelings with the, shape of a heart printed on its sleeve., 155. Tagore was a man of letters., (A) of wide contacts., (B) an excellent letter dictator., (C) a great writer of letters., (D) proficient in literaterary art., 156. The poor subordinates are made, scapegoats by their superiors., (A) punished for others’ misdeeds., (B) developed poor relations., (C) treated humbly and respectfully., (D) scolded with arrogant reactions., 157. She was on the horns of a dilemma, as she had either to leave her job or, divorce her husband., (A) in nervous condition, (B) in terrible mood, (C) in difficult situation, (D) in suspense, 158. Brown study, (A) to study sincerely, (B) to study uselessly, English – from Plinth to Paramount, , (C) deep in thought, (D) practical advantage, 159. The young boy was kicking his heels, inspite of his mother’s stern, warnings., (A) playing happily, (B) kicking someone, (C) forced to wait, (D) passing a gesture of disrespect, 160. She denied point-blank, involvement in the crime., (A) directly, (B) desperately, (C) stubbornly, (D) rudely, , her, , 161. It is hard to strike a bargain with a, woman., (A) to finalize a deal, (B) to negotiate a deal, (C) to negotiate, (D) to deal, 162. He took his father’s advice to heart., (A) casually, (B) patiently, (C) seriously, (D) quietly, 163. Can you give me a hand with this, luggage?, (A) keep a watch on, (B) handle, (C) provide me with, (D) help me with, 164. Fling away, (A) to have an affair, (C) to throw violently, , (B) to flare up, (D) to swing, , 165. Stick by, (A) to adhere closely, (B) stand by someone, (C) to paste, (D) to pass by, 166. Wink at, (A) to tease somebody, (B) to like someone, (C) to pretend not to see, (D) to stare at, 407

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Idioms And Phrases, , 167. To be on the wane, (A) to complain, (B) to be sick, (C) to be on boat, (D) to be diminishing, 168. To give a person the cold shoulder, (A) to offer someone ice-cream, (B) to be humble, (C) to threaten, (D) to treat coldly, 169. To get one’s back up, (A) to become irritated or angry, (B) to sit straight, (C) to act proud, (D) to give support, 170. To strike oil, (A) to have found an oil well, (B) to have lucky success, (C) to have a close escape, (D) to be unsuccessful, 171. To talk shop, (A) to talk a lot, (B) to use phrases peculiar to one’s, employment, (C) to like to shop, (D) to lie, 172. To draw a line, (A) to fix a limit, (B) to caution someone, (C) to be stern, (D) to insult someone, 173. A swan song, (A) melodious song, (B) disharmonious display, (C) utterance/statement made just, before death or retirement, (D) concocted tale, 174. Knit one’s brows, (A) to disappoint somebody, (B) to frown, (C) to have a headache, (D) to express discontentment, 408, , 175. To plough the sands, (A) to be extremely accomplished, (B) to be resourceful, (C) to be dejected, (D) to busy oneself in an unprofitable, proposition, 176. To rip up old sores, (A) to destroy something, (B) to act cruelly, (C) to reopen a quarrel, (D) to inflict pain on someone, 177. To rate soundly, (A) to censure strongly, (B) to acquire heavy profits, (C) to be at peace, (D) to assure somebody, 178. To be no spring chicken, (A) to be brave, (B) to be honest, (C) to be no longer young, (D) to be childish, 179. To take to one’s bed, (A) to be very attached to one’s, belongings, (B) to lie in bed due to illness, (C) to fight with one’s husband, (D) to agree with someone, 180. To stand on ceremony, (A) to celebrate an occasion in a grand, way, (B) to be extravagant, (C) to get married, (D) to insist on excessive formality, 181. To be at sixes and sevens, (A) a state of total confusion and, disorder, (B) to be a great success, (C) to be certain, (D) to give away generously, 182. To break the ice, (A) a strong man, (B) to start a quarrel, (C) to break the awkward silence, (D) to become violent, English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases, , 183. Put one’s foot down, (A) to demand, (B) to take rest, (C) to be firm about something, (D) to do something stupid, 184. Backstairs influence, (A) one who is easily influenced, (B) influential person, (C) influence exerted secretly, (D) wife’s influence on her husband, 185. Long in the tooth, (A) distant journey, (B) rather old, (C) ailment, (D) young, 186. A brazen-faced fellow, (A) cruel person, (B) ugly person, (C) dark-complexioned person, (D) impudent fellow, 187. To see pink elephants, (A) to dream, (B) to anticipate luck, (C) to be afraid of, (D) to have hallucination due to, excessive alcoholic intake., 188. Elbow room, (A) opportunity for freedom of action, (B) special room for the guest, (C) to give enough space to move or, work in, (D) to add a new room to the house, 189. French leave, (A) a person who does not take leave, (B) leave without permission, (C) to take long leave, (D) to take a day off and have fun, 190. To commit to memory, (A) to learn by heart, (B) to tax one’s memory, (C) to be forgetful, (D) to commit oneself totally to a task, 191. To burn a hole in the pocket, (A) to steal from someone’s pocket, (B) to destroy other’s belongings, (C) to be very miserly, (D) money that is spent quickly, English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 192. To bury the hatchet, (A) to have found a treasure, (B) to make peace, (C) to purchase something without, discretion, (D) to act in a suspicious manner, 193. To beggar description, (A) something of least importance, (B) something beyond description, (C) to describe a beggar, (D) an accurate description, 194. To beat the air, (A) efforts that are vain or useless, (B) to be satisfied with one’s, performance, (C) to be extremely relieved, (D) to be very happy, 195. To provide against a rainy day, (A) to provide plentiful, (B) to provide for a possible future, in, time of difficulty or need, (C) to store for the family, (D) to store for the rainy season, 196. To be all eyes, (A) to be cautious, (B) watching closely and attentively, (C) to be amazed, (D) to be non-plussed, 197. Swollen headed, (A) to be suffering from illness, (B) to be conceited, (C) to be narrow-minded, (D) to be dumb, 198. To stir up a hornet’s nest, (A) to excite the hostility of people, (B) to do some social service, (C) to be totally at a loss in a situation, (D) to be bankrupt, 199. My hands are full, (A) I am having a lot of things to carry, (B) I am having lots of money, (C) I am very busy, (D) I am anxious, 409

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Idioms And Phrases, , 200. No love lost between them, (A) to have a fight, (B) to dislike each other, (C) to be as friendly as ever, (D) to be upset, 201. To be hand and glove with someone, (A) to be social, (B) to be playful, (C) to be annoyed, (D) to be intimate, 202. To play fast and loose, (A) to deceive someone, (B) to be agile, (C) say one thing and do another, (D) to be efficient, 203. To take stock of, (A) to imagine, (C) to survey, , (B) to supply, (D) to attract, , 204. A man of straw, (A) a man of no substance, (B) a man without means, (C) a man of character, (D) a generous man, 205. Wolf in sheep’s clothing, (A) to act on the sly, (B) to be a good actor, (C) to be a hypocrite, (D) to be money-minded or materialistic, 206. To cut someone short, (A) to oblige someone, (B) to assist someone, (C) to interrupt someone, (D) to insult someone, 207. To stick to one’s colours, (A) to refuse to yield, (B) to be patriotic, (C) to be notorious, (D) to be straightforward, 208. An old head on young shoulders, (A) to be old before one’s age, (B) to be wise beyond one’s age, (C) to be youthful in spite of one’s old, age, (D) to maintain good health, 410, , 209. To snap one’s fingers at, (A) to honour someone, (B) to greet someone, (C) to beckon someone, (D) to treat with contempt, 210. Falling foul of, (A) quarrelling with, (B) becoming friends with, (C) being dishonest with, (D) being scared of, 211. Harp on the same string, (A) to play music, (B) to dwell tediously on the same, subject, (C) to beat someone, (D) to acknowledge, 212. Keep a good table, (A) to have an artistic taste, (B) to throw a party, (C) to be a good host, (D) to be extravagant, 213. Take up the cudgels, (A) to take notice, (B) to accept a present, (C) to defend someone vigorously, (D) to accept a challenge, 214. Splitting hairs, (A) to be worried, (B) to be venturesome, (C) to trouble someone, (D) to dispute over petty points, 215. A great hand at, (A) to be a good artist, (B) to be an expert, (C) to be a good player, (D) to be generous, 216. To make a pile, (A) to make a fortune, (B) to make a mess, (C) to be absent-minded, (D) to be corrupt, 217. Under someone’s wing, (A) to work under someone, (B) to be under someone’s protection, (C) to be alert, (D) to be in the army, English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases, , 218. To sow one’s wild oats, (A) to swear, (B) to be at ease, (C) to engage in youthful excesses, (D) to till the land, 219. An olive branch, (A) an offer of peace, (B) an idea, (C) a lady, (D) a wicked person, 220. Not worth a rap, (A) worth nothing, (B) very expensive, (C) worth a lot, (D) modestly priced, 221. In merry pin, (A) perplexed, (B) merry making, (C) embarrassed, (D) in a cheerful mood, 222. To leap the pale, (A) to throw a bucket, (B) to get into debt, to spend more than, one’s income, (C) to have much of fear, (D) to become pale, 223. To cut the gordian knot, (A) to perform the opening ceremony, (B) to be present at the opening, ceremony, (C) to solve a difficult problem, (D) to get a sharp cut, 224. To sow the wind and reap the, whirlwind, (A) to enjoy the fruits of hard work, (B) to be deprived of one’ s reward, (C) to act wisely, (D) to suffer for one’s foolish conduct, 225. To play possum, (A) to play hide and seek, (B) to feign ignorance or pretend the, be sleeping or dead, (C) to cheat somebody, (D) to play seriously, English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 226. A grass widow, (A) a young widow, (B) widow who has illicit relations with, men, (C) a woman whose husband is, temporarily away from her, (D) a working old woman, 227. Mad as a March hare, (A) sane, (B) intoxicated, (C) as mad as a hare in spring, (D) slightly touched in the brain, 228. Halcyon days, (A) long days, (B) short days, (C) happy and peaceful days, (D) disturbed days, 229. Mother wit, (A) to have an intelligent mother, (B) university, (C) silly, (D) common sense, 230. A blind date, (A) a cloudy day, (B) unknown future, (C) meeting with someone you do not, know, (D) death-day, 231. Much ado about nothing, (A) to take something seriously, (B) to play false, (C) to make a fuss, (D) to add, 232. Judas’ kiss, (A) wooing, (B) a narrow escape, (C) hypocritical affection, (D) a religious person, 233. To have no truck with, (A) have no means of conveyance, (B) scientifically backward, (C) to have no trade with, (D) to have no dealings with, 411

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Idioms And Phrases, , 234. To clean the Augean stables, (A) to purge/ clean the administration, of its abuses, (B) to buy horses, (C) to sell horses, (D) to improve working conditions, 235. A fly in the ointment, (A) to clean a thing, (B) to sterilise, (C) Small annoyance that spoils a, pleasant experience., (D) an unsuccessful attempt, 236. Of the deepest dye, (A) of the worst/ extreme type, (B) of the best type, (C) of the most colourless type, (D) of the colourless type, 237. To throw up the sponge, (A) to accept the challenge, (B) to forget the past offences, (C) to admit defeat, (D) to send message, 238. To rule the roost, (A) to measure the height of something, (B) to measure the depth, (C) to strike with a stick, (D) to dominate, 239. Bats in the belfry, (A) to be mad, (B) something needed cleanliness, (C) an impending danger, (D) to be deceived, , 242. To egg on, (A) to egg on slowly, (B) to destroy slowly, (C) to give a walk over, (D) to instigate/ cause to proceed, further, 243. To haul over the coals, (A) to walk over the fire, (B) to burn, (C) to scold for something done wrong, (D) to throw into fire, 244. To draw a bead on, (A) to say prayers, (B) to count the beads, (C) to do one’s best, (D) to take careful aim at, 245. Fabian policy, (A) dictatorial policy, (B) democratic policy, (C) systematic policy, (D) policy of cautious persistence, 246. To play to the gallery, (A) to try to get the appreciation from, the least intelligent people, (B) to try to win appreciation of, intelligent people, (C) to play in the gallery, (D) to disturb people sitting in the, gallery, 247. Pyrrhic victory, (A) Permanent victory, (B) Defeat, (C) Easy victory, (D) Victory at high cost, , 240. To have a jaundice eye, (A) to have jaundice, (B) to have fever, (C) to be prejudiced, (D) to lose colour, , 248. Go the whole hog, (A) to do something thoroughly, (B) sleep, (C) to neglect duty, (D) to mishandle the case, , 241. Rank and file, (A) Common people, (B) Officers, (C) People of high rank, (D) Army personnel, , 249. To bite one’s lips, (A) to feel sorry, (B) to repress one's anger or other, emotions, (C) laugh at others, (D) to have doubt, , 412, , English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases, , 250. To hold someone in leash, (A) to restrain, (B) to be firm, (C) to be unsure, (D) to touch the exact point, , 258. With a string, (A) not to give any aid, (B) to give unconditional aid, (C) gift or aid with condition, (D) to accept aid, , 251. To cool one’s heels, (A) to give a cold treatment to somebody, (B) to be kept waiting for sometime, (C) a closed chapter, (D) a hot issue, , 259. To set stores by, (A) to value highly, (B) to hoard a large quantity of, something, (C) to set up store, (D) fix a price, , 252. Bag of bones, (A) a bag full of bones, (B) a dead person, (C) a person about to die, (D) an extremely weak person, , 260. To draw the long bow, (A) to shoot, (B) to exaggerate, (C) to criticize, (D) to admire, , 253. All moonshine, (A) show, (B) lighted only by moon, (C) false, (D) far from reality, , 261. To know the ropes, (A) to recognize the lost things, (B) to do rigging, (C) to know the procedure of doing a, job, (D) to flog, , 254. To shake the dust off one’s feet, (A) to wash feet, (B) to walk fast, (C) to leave a place with a sense of, resentment, (D) to rest after a long journey, 255. Off hand, (A) Without preparation, (B) Out of hand, (C) Rehearsed, (D) In hand, 256. A bird of passage, (A) a flying bird, (B) an unreliable person, (C) one who stays for a short time, (D) bad time, 257. Count on, (A) Depend on, (B) as a result of, (C) ceremonially, (D) to wait for the benefactor, English – from Plinth to Paramount, , 262. To give the devil his due, (A) to be just to a person even though, he does not deserve such treatment, (B) to surrender oneself willingly when, one’s mistake is detected, (C) to punish an innocent person, (D) to punish a guilty person, 263. In the swim, (A) knowing latest current things, (B) to cross a river by a boat, (C) to cross a river by swimming, (D) to be in the river, 264. To knuckle under, (A) to be in a crisis, (B) to submit, (C) to take rest, (D) to go to bed, 265. To have a dig at, (A) to criticise someone, (B) to sow seeds, (C) to weed out, (D) to praise someone, 413

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Idioms And Phrases, , 266. In vogue, (A) in fashion, (B) fair, (C) smooth, (D) total absence, 267. Three R’s, (A) radiogram, radiograph, radio, telescope, (B) rabble, rattle, razzle, (C) reading, writing, arithmetic, (D) rail, radar, raft, 268. A wild goose chase, (A) foolish and useless enterprise, (B) to hunt, (C) a violent chase, (D) to speak harshly, 269. To rest on one’s laurels, (A) to cease to strive for further glory, (B) to be lazy, (C) to be proud of one’s victory, (D) to die, 270. Raw deal, (A) unjust treatment, (B) unripe fruit, (C) early stage of business, (D) contract not yet finally decided, 271. A forlorn hope, (A) a plan which has remote chances of, success, (B) hope about unforeseeable future, (C) hope of a single person, (D) hope of a silly person, 272. Printer’s devil, (A) an apprentice in a printing office, (B) blunder, (C) low type of printed material, (D) delay in printing, 273. To call on the carpet, (A) subject to criticism, (B) to summon for a scolding, (C) a heartfelt welcome, (D) on the ground, 274. To bring the house down, (A) to appeal greatly to the audience, 414, , 275., , 276., , 277., , 278., , 279., , 280., , (B) to pull down a building, (C) to defame one’s family, (D) to pass a bill unanimously, To have an edge on, (A) to cut with a knife, (B) to threaten to wound, (C) to be slightly better than, (D) to be in a dangerous situation, In sackcloth and ashes, (A) to cremate, (B) in a state of great mourning, (C) dirty clothes, (D) cheap clothes, To put two and two together, (A) to progress steadily, (B) to compare the debit and credit, (C) to conclude keeping in view the, merits and demerits, (D) to oppose as a last resort, To weather the storm, (A) to face a crisis, (B) to survive a crisis, (C) to be the victim of a crisis, (D) to create crisis, Lump in the throat, (A) to be hoarse, (B) a highly emotional state, (C) food of low type, (D) wind-pipe, To fight shy of, (A) to keep aloof from, (B) to fight social evils, (C) to be bold, (D) to fight and win, , 281. Hobson’s choice, (A) lion’s share, (B) the best choice, (C) option of taking the one offered or, nothing, (D) the last chance, 282. To hit it off, (A) to quarrel, (B) to be hostile, (C) to agree or be congenial, (D) to threaten, English – from Plinth to Paramount

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Idioms And Phrases, , 283. To whitewash, (A) to clean a place, (B) to work hard, (C) to retrieve damaged reputation, (D) to use cosmetics, 284. Within an ace of, (A) very close, (B) within one’s means, (C) within a narrow circle, (D) near centre, 285. To keep an open mind, (A) to remember, (B) to forget, (C) to come to no decision on a subject, until one knowns all the facts, (D) to be clear-headed, 286. Open question, (A) a question put to all, (B) a question without any generally, agreed answer, (C) a permanent problem, (D) a clearly-wr itten/expressed, question, 287. On one’s mettle, (A) roused to do one’s best, (B) to put on an overcoat, (C) to safeguard against attack, (D) to use one’s own money properly, 288. To keep the pot boiling, (A) to maintain interest, (B) to heat, (C) to show anger, (D) to do experiments, 289. Grist to one’s mill, (A) grain to be ground, (B) useful for one’s purpose, (C) income from will, (D) to work one’s machine, 290. Kangaroo court, (A) a group of kangaroos, (B) the young kangaroo, (C) unofficial court, (D) unofficial estimate, 291. Wool gathering, (A) to become a shepherd, (B) to shear sheep, English – from Plinth to Paramount, , (C) to engage in idle or aimless day, dreaming, (D) to live in the countryside, 292. Between Scylla and Charybdis, (A) between two hills, (B) between two rivers, (C) between two enemies, (D) between two dangers, 293. Achilles’ heel, (A) bare-foot, (B) to run fast, (C) to wait on somebody, (D) one’s vulnerable or susceptible spot, 294. To know which side the bread is, buttered on, (A) to know where one’s interest lies, (B) to be a glutton, (C) to be fond of rich diet, (D) to know how to increase one’s, income, 295. To eke out, (A) to subtract, (B) to supplement, (C) to etch, (D) to oust, 296. To be in the doldrums, (A) to be in low spirits, (B) to be within doors, (C) to praise loudly, (D) to be in a crisis, 297. Wild cat strike, (A) a furious attack, (B) strike not approved by the trade, union, (C) a strike in which violence is, committed, (D) to face a strong enemy, 298. Blind alley, (A) blindness due to old age, (B) a dark room, (C) unprofitable action, (D) to continue to make efforts in spite, of confusion, 415

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Idioms And Phrases, , 299. Tied to the apron strings of, (A) be independent, (B) to be dominated by, (C) to live together, (D) to fall in love with, , 300. Our school is within a stone's throw, from the railway station, (A) Very far-off, (B) with a certain radius, (C) at a short distance, (D) within a definite circumference, , ANSWER KEY, 1., 2., 3., 4., 5., 6., 7., 8., 9., 10., 11., 12., 13., 14., 15., 16., 17., 18., 19., 20., 21., 22., 23., 24., 25., 26., 27., 28., 29., 30., , 416, , (A) 31., (B) 32., (B) 33., (C) 34., (C) 35., (D) 36., (A) 37., (C) 38., (B) 39., (C) 40., (B) 41., (B) 42., (D) 43., (D) 44., (C) 45., (C) 46., (C) 47., (D) 48., (C) 49., (B) 50., (C) 51., (D) 52., (C) 53., (B) 54., (C) 55., (B) 56., (C) 57., (B) 58., (A) 59., (A) 60., , (D) 61., (C) 62., (C) 63., (C) 64., (B) 65., (A) 66., (B) 67., (B) 68., (D) 69., (C) 70., (A) 71., (B) 72., (B) 73., (B) 74., (B) 75., (D) 76., (A) 77., (A) 78., (C) 79., (C) 80., (D) 81., (A) 82., (C) 83., (C) 84., (D) 85., (C) 86., (B) 87., (C) 88., (A) 89., (D) 90., , (D), (A), (B), (B), (A), (C), (C), (A), (B), (A), (B), (C), (C), (C), (B), (C), (C), (A), (A), (A), (B), (B), (C), (C), (C), (B), (D), (B), (D), (A), , 91., 92., 93., 94., 95., 96., 97., 98., 99., 100., 101., 102., 103., 104., 105., 106., 107., 108., 109., 110., 111., 112., 113., 114., 115., 116., 117., 118., 119., 120., , (D), (C), (A), (C), (D), (D), (C), (C), (A), (B), (A), (B), (D), (A), (D), (B), (C), (A), (D), (B), (B), (C), (B), (D), (D), (A), (D), (D), (B), (A), , 121., 122., 123., 124., 125., 126., 127., 128., 129., 130., 131., 132., 133., 134., 135., 136., 137., 138., 139., 140., 141., 142., 143., 144., 145., 146., 147., 148., 149., 150., , (B), (A), (B), (C), (B), (D), (D), (C), (A), (B), (A), (B), (C), (D), (A), (C), (A), (C), (B), (A), (B), (D), (D), (C), (C), (A), (D), (B), (C), (C), , 151., 152., 153., 154., 155., 156., 157., 158., 159., 160., 161., 162., 163., 164., 165., 166., 167., 168., 169., 170., 171., 172., 173., 174., 175., 176., 177., 178., 179., 180., , (D) 181., (B) 182., (B) 183., (B) 184., (D) 185., (A) 186., (C) 187., (C) 188., (C) 189., (A) 190., (A) 191., (C) 192., (D) 193., (C) 194., (A) 195., (C) 196., (D) 197., (D) 198., (A) 199., (B) 200., (B) 201., (A) 202., (C) 203., (B) 204., (D) 205., (C) 206., (A) 207., (C) 208., (B) 209., (D) 210., , (A), (C), (C), (C), (B), (D), (D), (C), (B), (A), (D), (B), (B), (A), (B), (B), (B), (A), (C), (C), (D), (C), (C), (A), (C), (C), (A), (B), (D), (A), , 211., 212., 213., 214., 215., 216., 217., 218., 219., 220., 221., 222., 223., 224., 225., 226., 227., 228., 229., 230., 231., 232., 233., 234., 235., 236., 237., 238., 239., 240., , (B), (C), (C), (D), (B), (A), (B), (C), (A), (A), (D), (B), (C), (D), (B), (C), (C), (C), (D), (C), (C), (C), (D), (A), (C), (A), (C), (D), (A), (C), , 241., 242., 243., 244., 245., 246., 247., 248., 249., 250., 251., 252., 253., 254., 255., 256., 257., 258., 259., 260., 261., 262., 263., 264., 265., 266., 267., 268., 269., 270., , (A), (D), (C), (D), (D), (A), (D), (A), (B), (A), (B), (D), (D), (C), (A), (C), (A), (C), (A), (B), (C), (A), (A), (B), (A), (A), (C), (A), (A), (A), , 271. (A), 272. (A), 273. (B), 274. (A), 275. (C), 276. (B), 277. (C), 278. (B), 279. (B), 280. (A), 281. (C), 282. (C), 283. (C), 284. (A), 285. (C), 286. (B), 287. (A), 288. (A), 289. (B), 290. (C), 291. (C), 292. (D), 293. (D), 294. (A), 295. (B), 296. (A), 297. (B), 298. (C), 299. (B), 300. (C), , English – from Plinth to Paramount