Idioms and phrases Flashcards
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might risk losing everything.
A dime a dozen
Anything that is common and easy to get
A Doubting Thomas
A sceptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something
A gentleman at Large
An unreliable person
A mare’s Nest
A false invention
All and sundry
Without making any distinction
At sixes and seven
Persons who are having different opinions
Bakers dozen
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Between scylla and charibdis
Choice between two unpleasant alternatives
Between the cup and the lips
On the point of achievement
Call spade a spade
Straight talk
Can’t cut the mustard
Someone who isn’t adequate enough to compete or participate
Cast iron stomach
Someone who has no problems, complications or ill effects with eating anything
Chip On his shoulder
Angry today about something that occurred in the past
Close but no cigar
And almost accomplish a goal, but fall short
cock And bull story
An unbelievable tale, and untrue story
Come hell or high water
Any difficult situation or obstacle
Dark horse
Someone who was previously unknown but now prominent
Down to the wire
Something is at the last minute or last few seconds
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to throw out,” “to get rid of,” or “to refuse service t
Elvis has left the building
the show has come to an end its all over
Fabian policy
Policy of delaying decisions
Flash in the pan
Something that shows potential looks promising in the beginning but fails to deliver
Get your working papers
Get
Gird of the loin
To be ready
Hand a gloves
Very intimate friends
Hell in a hand basket
Deteriorating and headed for complete disaster
High on the hog
Living in luxury
Hit Below the belt
Contrary to Principles of fairness
In like flynn
To be easily successful specially when sexual or romantic
ivory tower
Imaginery world
Make no bones about
To state of fact so that there are no of doubts or objections
Method to my madness
Crazy actions that a beer meaningless but in the end are done for a good reason
Fiddling while Rome burns’
means to occupy oneself with unimportant matters and neglect priorities during a crisis.
Fly on the wall’
alludes to the position of being able to freely observe a situation without being noticed.
green horn
inexpirienced
A stalking horse (
pretence The demands of the trade union seem only a stalking horse to blackmail the management.
A mare’s nest
(a false invention) : The involvement of politicians in the developmental scheme proved to be a mare’s nest.
An eye wash
(a pretence) : He does nothing without self interest, all his excuses are, but an eye wash.
Between the cup and the lips (
on the point of achievement) : Until I got the appointment letter in hand, I was not sure of the posting as there were many slips between the cup and the lips.
Confusion worse confounded (
be in further worse position) : Such demonstrations and communal
speeches in present situation make confusion worse confounded.
Cut and dried (
readymade form) : There is no cut and dried method of English speaking.
Curtain lecture
(a reproof by wife to her husband) : My younger brother never pays any attention to his
wife’s curtain lecture.
Ever and anon
(now and then) : She goes to temple ever and anon.
Fair field and no favour (
equal opportunity to all) : All the staff want fair field and no favour in the
matter of transfer.
Fabian policy (
policy of delaying decisions) : Mr. Narsimha Rao always followed a Fabian policy in all
political issues.
Fire and brimstone (
fearful penalties) : The USA has threatened Iraq with fire and brimstone, if she
refuses to follow the resolutions of UNO.
Fire and fury (
extreme enthusiasm) : The speech of the leader was full of fire and fury.
Gall and wormwood (
source of irritation) : Her remarks about his father were gall and wormwood
to him.
Gird up the loin (
to be ready) : We should gird up the loin to fight the poverty and menace of dowery.
Hand and gloves (
very intimate friends) : Ram and Rahim are hand and gloves to each other.
Head and shoulder (
superior) : Shri Man Mohan Singh is head and shoulder above his counter parts.
Helter skelter (
here and there) : On arrival of the police the strikers ran helter skelter.
Hit below the belt (
contrary to principles of fairness) : By making his private secretes public he hit him
below the belt.
from stem to stern
from front to the back
over egg the pudding
try so hard to improve something that you spoil it,
with main and might
with ones all strength
Hole and corner policy (
a secret policy for an evil purpose) : The officer adopted hole and corner
policy to get his P.A. transferred.
Hush money (
a bribe) : He managed to escape punishment by paying hush money.
Ins and outs
(full detail) : Before starting any new business you must know all ins and outs of it.
Ivory tower (
imaginary world) : Those who talk of non-violence as a useful tool in tackling the
militants live in ivory tower.
Live-wire (
energetic) : India needs live-wire scientists who can put the country on the fast track of
progress.
Loaves and fish (
material interests) : Now-a-days Government servants are concerned with the loaves
and fish of the office than to solve the problems of common public.
Milk and water (
weak) : The foreign policy of India is nothing more than a milk and water policy.
Neck and crop (
with brisk dispatch and completeness: The Pak army ruined the border village neck and crop.
going dutch
pay for ur share
rain or shine
whatever the circumstances
play it by the ear
Play music by remembering the sound rather than reading notes
Dead in the water
failed and impossible that it will be impossible in the future
Red letter day
Pleasant and memorable occasion
chaise ones tail
Spend a lot of time in energy doing a lot of things but actually achieving too little
Waiting in the wings
Waiting for an opportunity to take action
