Idioms in language are a characteristic means of expression with the help of words which do not convey a literal or deductible meaning, but rather an implied one. They are basically used to adorn a language and make it more interesting to read and speak. Idioms establish their meaning by usage.
|
Idioms |
Meaning |
Examples |
|
A hot potato
A penny for your thoughts
Actions speak louder than words
Add insult to injury
An arm and a leg
At the drop of a hat
Back to the drawing board
Ball is in your court
Barking up the wrong tree
Be glad to see the back of
Beat around the bush
Best of both the worlds
Best thing since sliced bread
Bite off more than you can chew
Blessing in disguise
Burn the midnight oil
Don’t judge a book by its cover
Caught between two stools.
Cross that bridge when you come to it
Cry over spilled milk
Curiosity killed the cat
. Cut corners
Cut the mustard
Devil’s advocate
Don’t count your chickens before the eggs have hatched
Don’t give up the day job
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Drastic times call for drastic measures
Elvis has left the building
Every cloud has a silver lining
Far cry from
Feel a bit under the weather
Give the benefit of doubt
Hear through the grapevine
Hit the nail on the head
Hit the sack/sheets/hay
In the heat of the moment
It takes two to tango
Jump on the bandwagon
Keep something at bay
. Kill two birds with one stone
Last straw
. Let sleeping dogs lie
Let the cat out of the bag
Make a long story short
Method in the madness
Miss the boat
Not a spark of decency
Not playing with the full deck
On the ball Meaning
Off the record
Oldest trick in the book
Off the cuff
Old habits die hard
Once in a blue moon
Open the floodgates
Out of the blue
Out on a limb
Over the top
Pen is mightier than the sword
Push one’s luck
. Raining cats and dogs
Reap the harvest
Roll up one’s sleeves
See eye to eye
Shot in the dark
Sink your teeth into
Skating on thin ice
Stand in a good stead
Strike while the iron is hot
Take a back seat
Take with a grain/pinch of salt
Take a nosedive
Take the plunge
Taste of one’s own medicine
Think the world of
Tight spot
Tongue in cheek
Turn a blind eye
Walk on eggshells
Want someone’s head on a platter
Watch (someone) like a hawk
Water under the bridge
Wave a dead chicken
Weak in the knees
Wear many hats
Weather the storm
Wet behind the ears
Whale of a time
Whistle in the dark
Why keep a dog and bark for yourself
Wide off the mark
Wild goose chase
Wipe the slate clean
Wolf in sheep’s clothing |
Something that is difficult or dangerous to deal with.
Way of asking what someone is thinking.
What you do is more significant than what you say
To make a bad situation worse.
A lot of money.
Immediately; without any hesitation
Start something all over again.
It is up to you to take the next step
Looking in the wrong place; accusing the wrong person.
Be glad to see someone leave.
Avoid answering a question; not speaking directly about the issue.
Situation wherein one can enjoy two different opportunities.
A good idea or plan; an excellent new invention
To take on a task that is way too big.
Something good that isn’t recognized at first.
To stay up working, especially studying, late at night.
not judge something primarily by its appearance.
When someone finds it difficult to choose between two alternatives
Deal with a problem if and when it becomes necessary.
To be unhappy about something that cannot be undone.
Being too curious can get you into trouble.
To take shortcuts; when something is done badly to save money.
Perform satisfactorily; to succeed.
To present a counter argument
Don’t make plans for something that might not happen.
You’re not very good at something
Don’t focus all of your attention on one thing or one area.
When you’re extremely desperate you need to take drastic actions.
The show has come to an end. It’s all over.
Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days.
A thing that is very different from something else.
Feeling sick or unhealthy.
Believe someone’s statement without proof.
To hear news from someone who heard that news from someone else
To do or say exactly the right thing.
To go to bed.
Overwhelmed by what’s happening at the moment.
Both people involved in a bad situation are responsible for it.
Join a popular trend or activity.
Keep something away
To solve two problems at a time with just one action
The final problem in a series of problems
Leave something alone if it might cause trouble.
To reveal a secret / To share information that was previously concealed.
Come to the point – leave out the details
A purpose in what one is doing, even though it seems to be crazy.
To miss out on something.
A person who has no manners
Someone who is mentally, psychologically or intellectually deficient.
When someone understands a situation well; attentive
Not made as an official or attributable statement; unofficial; confidential
A well known and much used trick/method
Without preparation; spontaneous
People find it difficult to change their accustomed behavior.
Very rarely
Release something that was previously under control
Happen unexpectedly
Do something risky or something that others do not support (leaving the doer in a difficult situation)
Totally excessive and not suitable for the occasion.
Words and communication have a greater effect than war
Trying to obtain more than what one has (risk spoiling the current situation)
Raining heavily
Benefit or suffer as a direct result of past actions.
Get ready for hard work
To be in agreement with
A complete guess (may or may not be close to the truth)
Do something with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.
Do or say something risky or something that could cause trouble.
To be useful or be of good service to someone.
To act at the right time
Choose to be less important in a role
To doubt the accuracy of information
Rapid drop or decrease in value
Venture into something of one’s interest despite the risks involved
Treat people the same (unpleasant) way they treated you
Admire someone very much
A difficult situation
(of a remark) Supposed to be taken in funny or ironic sense
Pretend not to notice
Be extremely cautious about one's words or actions
Want someone to be punished severely
Keep eyes on or watch carefully
Something bad that happened in the past but is no longer important
Do some useless, unhelpful thing in the hope that it will solve a problem
Barely able to stand because of emotion, fear or illness
Do many different types tasks
Succeed in surviving a difficult period of time
Inexperienced and immature
Enjoy a lot
Pretend to be brave in a scary situation
If someone or something can do a job for you, why do it yourself?
Incorrect; Inadequate; Not what is expected
Waste time looking for something that has little chance of being found
Make a fresh start
Dangerous person pretending to be harmless |
Terrorism is a political hot potato in Afghanistan.
After several minutes of silence, he finally looked at her and said, “A penny for your thoughts, Lily.”
If you want to be a good leader, then do something about it as actions speak louder than words.
Their basement was flooded, and then, to add insult to injury, a pipe burst in the kitchen.
It’s the best cruise in the world, but it will cost you an arm and a leg.
Ellie was always ready to go shopping at the drop of a hat.
I failed this semester, but now I am back to the drawing board.
I’ve made my decision, now the ball is in your court.
He did not commit the crime; you’re barking up the wrong tree.
I never liked her. I’ll be glad to see the back of her. Tell me what the problem is, stop beating around the bush.
She had the privilege of a professor and freedom of a student. She had the best of both worlds.
I love your idea. It’s the best thing since sliced bread.
Our boss bit off more than she could chew when she promised the client, we’d have the project ready by next week.
Ashok’s losing his job was a blessing in disguise; it gave him an opportunity to pursue higher studies.
She’s been burning the midnight oil for the last few months; her hard work will definitely pay off in the coming exams.
I know he does not look intelligent, but you should not judge a book by its cover
He had committed to both and now he’s caught between two stools.
I know you need a new lawyer but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.
It can’t he helped, don’t cry over spilled milk.
Don’t ask about his divorce-curiosity killed the cat!
They always put quality first; they won’t cut corners just to save money.
We need a better catcher; this one just doesn’t cut the mustard.
The teacher always played devil’s advocate to provoke discussion in the classroom.
You might not win the prize and you’ve already spent the money? Don’t count your chickens before the eggs have hatched.
Why did you invest in business even after failing in it in the past? Don’t give up the day job!
I know you love Harvard, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Apply to other colleges too.
Yes we had to let go of five of our workers! Drastic times call for drastic measures.
We waited for another performance by the band but it looked like Elvis had left the building.
I’m sorry your business is going badly, but remember every cloud has a silver lining.
What you did was a far cry from what you said you were going to do.
What you did was a far cry from what you said you were going to do.
I knew him since the past 5 years, so I gave him the benefit of doubt. I heard through the grapevine that she’s pregnant.
You’ve spotted the flaw, Robert. You’ve hit the nail on the head.
I’m exhausted. I think I’ll just hit the sack.
He doesn’t hate you. He just said that in the heat of the moment.
He blamed her for his lack of attention; well it takes two to tango.
So many people are playing that game that I might as well jump on the bandwagon and check it out.
A good way to keep your anxiety at bay is through meditation.
John practiced his words while peeling the potatoes. He was killing two birds with one stone.
This is the last straw. I’m calling the police.
I thought I would ask him if he wanted me to pay him back right away, but then I decided to let the sleeping dogs lie.
It’s our secret. Don’t let the cat out of the bag.
And – to make the long story short – I never got back the money I lent him.
What I’m doing might seem strange, but there is method in my madness. Pay attention, John, or you’ll miss the boat and never learn algebra.
Her brother has not a spark of decency. I don’t like the way he acts in public.
He’s an intelligent guy, but with all that crazy things he does, I wonder if he’s not playing with the full deck.
If you were on the ball, this wouldn’t have happened.
: He accepted his fault off the record and hence it could not be used by the prosecutor in the court.
Oldest trick in the book to treat cold and cough is drinking turmeric milk.
She has a reputation of handling off the cuff interviews very well.
She retired last month, but still gets up at the same time in the morning. Old habits die hard.
Jill has a very rocky relationship with her father. She speaks to him once in a blue moon Economists fear that relaxing price control will open the floodgates to inflation.
She had given up all hope when out of the blue she got a call from Harvard.
She was out on a limb with her project – nobody supported her idea.
Her sari was way over the top for a somber occasion like this.
A simple handwritten note put an end to their week long cold war – pen is mightier than the sword.
You have my permission to go to your friends’ place but don’t push your luck by planning a night out.
We’ll have to cancel the trip, it’s raining cats and dogs here.
When he cleared IIT-JEE, he reaped the harvest of all his hard work.
My brother said he would roll up his sleeves and do whatever it takes to support the family.
She was glad her roommate saw eye to eye on the choice of the flat.
He didn’t know too much about programming, so answering the interviewer’s question was merely a shot in the dark.
Robin immediately sank his teeth into his new job.
Don’t say anything that hurts her self-esteem or you could be skating on thin ice.
Being fluent in German will stand you in a good stead when applying for an MS in Germany.
The price of gold is at a 10 year low, strike while the iron is hot and invest in it right away.
He finally decided to take a back seat and let his son run the family business.
A lot is said about the celebrities in media, but that information should be taken with a grain of salt.
The share prices took a nosedive when there were rumors of the company’s CEO resigning.
Jack finally took the plunge and opened a restaurant.
People who often disregard others should be given a taste of their own medicine.
Emily is a wonderful teacher – children think the world of her
The recent lawsuit has put the firm in a tight spot.
Her comment was taken more seriously than intended. It was supposed to be tongue in cheek.
People tend to turn a blind eye to crime against women.
Celebrities are scrutinized by the media for all their actions so they’re required to walk on eggshells.
“I want that murderer’s head on a platter!”, said the Chief of police.
The examiner watched the test takers like a hawk.
The couple had a serious fight in the past but that water is under the bridge now.
Restarting the laptop once the motherboard has crashed is like waving a dead chicken.
The shock of being summoned by the Supreme Court made me go weak in the knees.
We have such a small number of employees that one is often supposed to wear many hats.
Given the current global market conditions, the Indian economy is weathering the storm pretty well.
Instead of a full-time job, she should be offered an internship as she is still wet behind the ears.
She had a whale of a time in Goa with her girl gang.
Upon being attacked, she blew a whistle in the dark which surprised her attackers
My sister has a printer, but she continues to write notes manually. Why keep a dog and bark for yourself?
Her answer was wide off the mark; it was impossible for me to give a better rating to it.
She tried to find out who the anonymous caller was, but it turned out to be a wild goose chase.
When Mike was leaving home, he decided to wipe the slate clean with his dad. He pretended to be my friend but turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. |
