Idioms And Phrases - 2

23 IDIOMS AND PHRASES - 2

CHAPTER

'LET'S USE THEM IN SENTENCES'

1. Above board (honest and straightforward, bZekunkjh ,oa fu%Ny)&Gandhi ji was above board
and hence had nothing to hide.
2. Adam’s ale (pure water, 'kq¼ ty)& In the remotest parts of Rajasthan, people walk
miles for Adam’s ale.
3. 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 .
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. An eye wash (a pretence, fn[kkok)& The whole investigation was just an eye wash as
no one was held guilty.
7. 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.
8. An old flame (long time love, iqjkuk I;kj
)- He met his old flame in the market yesterday
but prudently avoided eye contact .
9. 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 .
10. As fit as a fiddle (strong and healthy, LoLFk)&He feigned illness but I knew that he
was as fit as a fiddle.
11. Assume airs (to pretend superiority, cM+Iiu fn[kkuk)&After becoming an IAS officer he
has assumed airs.
12. At a stone’s throw (at a little distance, FkksM+h nwjh Lalij)&
Quila is at a stone’s throw
from my house.
13. At large (absconding, dkuwu ds fxjÝr ls nwj)&Many terrorists are at large and posing
serious threat to the security of India.
14. 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
 Idioms And Phrases - 2
15. At naught (to disregard or treat as of no importance, vlEeku djuk)&Leaders today set
Gandhiji’s ideals at naught.
16. At odds (in disagreement, vlger gksuk)&Various political parties are at odds in the
matter of Women Reservation Bill.
17. At sea (to be confused, my>u esa)& He was at sea when he saw the question paper.
18. 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.
19. Back stairs influence (improper and private influence, ,slk izHkko tks vlkoZtfud gks ,oa lgh ugha
gks)&He tried to get a government job by back stair influence.
20. Bad egg (a worthless person, vokaNfu; O;fDr)& Often a prodigal son of a rich father
becomes a bad egg for the society.
21. Bandy words (to argue, tqcku yM+kuk)& The two neighbourers usually bandy words and
create a lot of nuisance.
22. Bank upon (depend on, count on, ij fuHkZj gksuk)& You can bank upon us at the time of
need.
23. 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.
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. Be in good books of (to be in kind favour, Ñik ik=k gksuk½& She is in good books of her
employer as she is very efficient and hardworking.
28. 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.
29. 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.
30. Bear the palm (to be victorious, fot;h gksuk½& Our school bore the palm in the dance
competition held at the district level.
31. Beat the air (to make useless efforts, O;FkZ iz;kl djuk)& Trying to reform a hard-core
criminal is like beating the air.
32. Bed of roses (an easy and comfortable situation, ljy vkSj vkjke dh fLFkfr)& The life of the
prince was a bed of roses.
33. Bee in one’s bonnet (go on talking about something which other people think is not
important, jkx vykiuk ml ckr dk tks nwljksa ds fy, egRoiw.kZ
)& She
ugha gksa bee in her bonnet
has
about recycling of waste material.
34. Behind the scene (secretly, fNis :i esa)&The minister is the mastermind behind the
scene and the police are arresting small fries.
35. 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.
382 English – from Plinth to Paramount
Idioms And Phrases - 2
36. Beside oneself (to feel extremely nervous or worried, cgqr vf/d fpUrhr ;k O;kdy gksuk)&
Before any exam I am beside myself.
37. Beside the mark (irrelevant, vizklafxd)& The judge did not hear any argument that
was beside the mark.
38. 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.
39. Bid defiance (to defy, voKk djuk)& The army is bidding defiance by going against the
government.
40. Bite the dust (to be defeated, gkj tkuk)& In every match , the Pakistani team bit
the dust.
41. 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.
42. Blessing in disguise (something intrinsically good but having a bad appearance, Åij ls
cqjh fn[kus okyh ij okLro esa vPNhHeckr)&
missed the train but it was a blessing in disguise
as the train met with an accident.
43. 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.
44. Blue stocking (an educated intellectual lady, i<+h fy[kh efgyk)& A blue stocking was
rarely found in Medieval India.
45. Book worm (a bibliophilic person, fdrkch dhM+k)& She is not a book worm but still
comes first.
46. 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.
47. Bring down the house (receive great applause, Hkjiwj rkjhiQ ikuk)& The performance of
Lata Mangeshkar brought the house down.
48. Bring home (to explain, le>kuk)&I was unable to bring my views home before
my parents.
49. Bring to book (to punish, ltk nsuk)&The guilty should be brought to book.
50. Bring to light (to disclose, irk yxkuk] fNih ckr dks’k
izdk
esa ykuk)&
The CBI has brought many
indiscripancies to light in many high profile cases.
51. Brow beat (to intimidate, Mjkuk)& The Government must not brow beat the social re-
formers if they protest against any unjust law.
52. 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.
53. By and by (gradually, /hjs&/hjs)& You will learn the norms of this organization by and by.
54. By and large (on the whole, laiw.kZ :i ls ns[kus ½&ij My friend is by and large an
honest person.
55. By dint of (by means of, ds cy ij)& You can succeed by dint of hard work only.

English – from Plinth to Paramount 383

 Idioms And Phrases - 2
56. 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.
57. 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.
58. 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.
59. Call names (to abuse, xkyh nsuk½& He has a bad habit of calling names.
60. Capital punishment (death penalty, ekSr dh ltk)& Capital punishment should be
abolished as it is the cruelest form of punishment.
61. 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.
62. Carry matters with a high hand (to deal with a person strictly, l[rh ls fuiVuk)&The
police carry matters with high hand.
63. Cast a slur (to bring disgrace, vi; ’k dk dkj.k cuuk½& Taking bribe could cast a slur on
the honour of your family.
64. Cave in (yield, >qd tkuk)& One must not cave in under pressure or temptation.
65. Chapter and verse (in full detail, iw.kZ fooj.k ds lkFk)&
I cannot narrate the whole inci-
dent in chapter and verse.
66. Cheek by jowl (close together, lkFk&lkFk)& Many poor people live cheek by jowl in a
small room.
67. Child’s play (a very easy task, cPpksa dk [ksy
½& It is not a child’s play to address a crowd.
68. Clinch the issue (to clear the controversy, fookn [kRe djuk)& The college administration
clinched the issue by accepting the demands of the students.
69. 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.
70. Close shave (a narrow escape, cky&cky cpuk ½& His family had a close shave in the bus
accident.
71. 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.
72. Cock a snook (to show impudent contempt, vlEeku izdV djuk)& He refused to accept the
award, cocking a snook at the Filmfare Award jury.
73. Cock sure (very sure and certain, lqfuf'pr gksuk)&I am cock sure, we will win the match.
74. Cold reception (not a hearty welcome, tks xeZtks ’kh ls Hkjk Lokxr ugha Wegks)&
were very
unhappy when we were given cold reception at his marriage party.
75. Come across (meet by chance, vpkud eqykdkr gksuk ½& I came across a problem when I was
solving the equation.
76. Come home to (to understand, le> esa vkuk)& At last, it came home and we got the
correct answer.
77. Come in handy (to be useful, dke dk gksuk)& This opener comes in handy when we
need to open this container.
78. Come to a pass (a difficult situation, fdlh ?kVuk dk gksuk)&
The accident came to pass due
to the negligence of the driver.
384 English – from Plinth to Paramount
Idioms And Phrases - 2
79. Come true (to prove true, lgh lkfcr gksuk)& My dreams have come true as I have got
selected.
80. 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.
81. Corporal punishment (bodily punishment, 'kkjhfjd n.M)& Corporal punishment is
banned in schools.
82. 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.
83. Cross one’s mind (to occur to oneself, vpkud fnekx esa vkuk)& I was resting when sud-
denly a new idea crossed my mind.
84. Curry favour (to win favour by flattery, [kq'kken djds ds Ñik dk ik=k cuuk)&
Many developing
countries curry favour with America.
85. 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.
86. 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.
87. Cut the Gordian knot (to solve a difficult problem, fdlh dfBu leL;k dk gy fudkyuk ½& The
national leaders cut the Gordian knot by making India a secular country.
88. Cut throat (tough, dBhu)&We face cut throat competition in every field.
89. 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.
90. Dance attendance upon (to be in servile attitude all the time, pkiywlh djuk@ gkftjh ½& cT+kkuk
The mother-in-law wanted the lady to dance attendance upon her.
91. Dark Horse (unexpected winner, vizR;kf'kr fotsrk)&An unknown independent candidate
came out as a dark horse after the election.
92. 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.
93. Dead broke (penniless, fnokfy;k)& Due to recession he has become a dead broke.
94. Die-hard (obstinately resistant to change, ifjorZu ds f[kykiQ n`<+rk ls He
gksuk)&
is a die-hard
fan of Devanand.
95. 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.
96. Dog’s life (very miserable life, d"Vnk;d thou)&Due to unchecked inflation, the poor
are living a dog’s life.
97. Double dealing (deceitful actions, /kks[ksckth ds dk;Z)&
The double dealing of the lawyer
was exposed by a sting operation.
98. 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
 Idioms And Phrases - 2
99. 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.
100. 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.
101. Draconian law (extremely severe law, vR;Ur Øwj dkuwu)& There are still many draconian
laws in under developed countries.
102. Draw the long bow (to tell large stories or to exaggerate, yEch dgkfu;k¡ cukuk ;k c<+k&p<+k dj
dqN crkuk)&Come to the point. Don’t draw a long bow.
103. 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.
104. Drop in the ocean (very insignificant amount, vR;Ur gh FkksM+hMy ek=kk)&
knowledge about
Archeology is only a drop in the ocean.
105. Ducks and drakes (to waste money, iSls cckZn djuk)& I cannot allow you to play ducks
and drakes with my hard earned money.
106. Dutch courage (bravery under alcoholic influence, 'kjkc ds u'ks esa fn[kk;s tkuk okykHis
lkgl)&
dutch courage will vanish when he will gain his sense.
107. Easy money (bribe, fj'or)& Many officers make easy money.
108. 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.
109. 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.
110. Eke out (to support (existence) with difficulty and effort or to add (something insuffi-
cient), especially with effort, cgqr eqf'dy ls dqN miyC/ djkuk)&
He is trying to eke out an
income by doing over time.
111. Elixir of life (nectar of life, thou dk ve`r)& Contentment is the elixir of life.
112. Enough and to spare (plentiful, izpqj ek=kk esa)&He earns enough and to spare.
113. Ever and Anon (now and then, tc&rc)& The night was dark and we could hear the
howling of dogs ever and anon.
114. 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.
115. Every Inch (Completely, iw.kZ :i ½& ls She is an honest person by every inch .
116. 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.
117. See eye-to-eye (showing agreement/ to agree, iw.kZr% lger gksuk)& The two competitiors
never see eye to eye.
118. Face the music (to face opposition, dfBukbZ ;k fojks/ dk lkeuk½& djuk
Every leader has to
face the music if he doesn’t fulfill promises made by him.
119. Fan the flame (to aggravate, cnrj cukuk ½& I don’t want to fan the flame of the tension
between the husband and the wife.
120. Few and far between (very rare, cgqr de)&The houses in this remote village are few
and far away.
386 English – from Plinth to Paramount
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 com-
mon 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
u gks)&Here he was, talking like a gentleman at large who was free to come and go
and roam about the world at pleasure,
138. Get down to brass tacks (discuss the basic facts or realities/ to deal with the matter
straight, fdlh eq[; fo"k;ij ppZk
djuk)&After avoiding the thorny question of tax reforms
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
 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
ns nsuk ;s tkurs gq, fd og vliQy gks tk,xkA)&
Don’t stop him.Give him enough rope to hang.
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,
cqjs vkneh dh Hkh mfpr iz'kalk ½&djuk
In spite of being so rude, he helped me in need. The
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.
149. Wool-gathering (to engage in fanciful daydreaming, euHkkou dYiuk esa [kks, Work jguk)&
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
deceived,vuqHkoghu O;fDr ftls csodwiQ cukuk vklku gks)& heavy loss because he
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

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 exami-
nation 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 blun-
der 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

 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.
182. In the jaws of (in the grip of, nkarksa ds chp] fdlh ds dCts esa boy was in the jaws of the
½& The
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
society, ,slk LFkku tgk¡ vizoklh yksx viuh&viuh lH;rk ds lkFk ,d lekt cukrs gS)&
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
ykHk mBkuk)& Many self-centred lawyers fish in troubled water.
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 ikuk)&
can barely keep body and soul
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
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 ex-
treme 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
esa ;k ekxZn'kZu djus gsrq fdlh dks jkLrk fn[kkuk)&
I had to lead him by the nose to the meeting.
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
ifj.kke gksus ij Hkh dksbZ dk;ZTodjuk)&
play lottery is to leap in the dark.
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.
212. Let by-gones be by-gones (to forget old things, iqjkuh ckrksa dks Hkwy tkuk)&
India and Paki-
stan 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
okLrfodrk ls nwj jgrs gSa)&
The queen lived in an ivory tower and did not know the mean-
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
 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 behav-
ior.
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,
xoka pqds le; dh {kfriwfrZ djds cqjs gkykr ls fudyuk)&
The Government will have to make up the
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 .
230. Meet half-way (to be prepared for compromise, le>kSrs ds fy, jkth gksuk
½& We were ready to
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 Sheugha)&
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
iQaluk] nks dfBu voLFkkvksa dsThechp demolition
esa)& drive has put many shops on the horns
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
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)& Petticoat-
government may adversaly influence your whole project.
247. Pick holes in (to find fault with, nwljksa esa nks"k½&fudkyuk
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
 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 sink-
ing 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.
281. Sow wild oats (indulgence in youthful follies, ;qokoLFkk dh csodwfiQ;ka djuk)& always
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
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,
dqN csodwiQh Hkjh gjdr djus dk vpkud fu.kZ;Itysuk)&
took into their heads to get married
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
okyk O;fDr vFkok oLrq)&
His uncle proved to be his sheet anchor after his father’s death.
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
 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 esa)&
Ever since the rumours of
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