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IDIOMS - I

S. NO. IDIOM MEANING

1. a bit much More than necessary; unfair or unreasonable.
2. a bit part A minor and insignificant acting part in a film.
3. a bit previous Before the due time.
4. a buyer’s Situation in which supply of goods and shares is more than
market demand, and prices are low.
5. a clean break An end to a relationship; freeing oneself from a situation.
6. a clean Free from misbehaviour, mistakes made or a goal scored by
slate/sheet the rival team.
7. a clear head Being able to think clearly in a difficult situation.
8. a close mind Not willing to consider new ideas.
(have)
9. a close shave Narrow escape from an accident or danger.
10. a cool million Large amount that someone can easily earn.
11. a cruel blow A tragic event that is so unfair and occurs so suddenly.
12. a cut above Noticeably better than others.
13. a dog’s age A very long time.
14. a done deal An agreed proposal or a completed business deal.
15. a fast buck Money that is quickly and easily earned.
16. a going A business that is still operating and making a profit.
concern
17. a good many Quite a lot
18. a good read Something that people enjoy reading.
19. a good word Words in commendation of someone.
20. a great many A fairly large number of.
21. a hair’s breath A very small margin
22. a head for An ability to tolerate something.
23. a king’s A huge amount of money.
ransom
24. a long shot A poor guess or attempt at something

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S. NO. IDIOM MEANING

25. a lost cause Something that is not likely to be achieved.
26. a man’s man A man who moves around and engages with other men at
social functions and in manly activities.
27. a marked man Someone who is in danger of being harmed by his enemy.
28. a mirror of A clear idea of something
29. a mixed A situation that has both advantages and disadvantages
blessing
30. a mug’s game Something that is likely to be unsuccessful
31. a parting shot A remark that one makes before leaving.
32. a rough A person who is of good character but lacks good manners.
diamond
33. a seller’s Situation in which demand of goods and shares is more
market than supply, and prices are generally high.
34. A shady past A past that one had committed a criminal or immoral act
and is best kept secret.
35. a small fortune A large amount of money.
36. a sort of To not exactly describe someone or something.
37. a split second An extremely brief moment of time.
38. a stone’s throw A very short distance away
(away)
39. a strong Able to see or do unpleasant things without feeling sick or
stomach upset.
40. a trail Lay a path through unknown territory; to be the first to
develop something new.
41. across the Applicable to all.
board
42. act of faith An action demonstrating trust.
43. against the Not having much time left.
clock
44. ahead of time Happens sooner than expected or the scheduled time.
45. alive and Still existing and very active.

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S. NO. IDIOM MEANING

kicking
46. all and sundry Everyone.
47. all at once All done together at the same time.
48. all in all Take into account every part; on the whole
49. all manner of Many different kinds of.
50. all or nothing Either done completely or in the exact way, or nothing; no
compromise.
51. all the best An expression of good wishes.
52. all the same In spite of that.
53. along party line Acting in accordance to the party one belongs to.
54. an early grave Dying too soon.
55. an eye for an Retaliation in kind as appropriate to deal with a wrong.
eye
56. an old hand Someone who has a lot of experience of something.
57. an open East accessibility to people to visit, to steal, etc.
invitation
58. an open mind A mind accessible to new arguments or ideas.
59. an outside A small possibility of something happening.
chance
60. any minute Very soon.
now
61. appear in print Have one’s work published.
62. argue the toss To argue against a decision already made.
63. arm in arm With arms linked.
64. around the Very near; imminent; approaching.
corner
65. as a rule Usually the case; usually true.
66. as follows To present a list of something.
67. as of right It is one’s right.
68. as per usual As usual.
69. at a clip At once.

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S. NO. IDIOM MEANING

70. at a lick Very fast.
71. at a premium Not readily available; at a higher than usual price.
72. at a push With difficulty but can be done.
73. at a stretch Continuously without a pause or break.
74. at all costs Regardless of the obstacles that one has to overcome.
75. at any price Regardless of the risk involved or what may happen.
76. at cross Mutual misunderstanding due to each side referring to a
purposes different matter
77. at daggers With mutual hatred.
drawn
78. at death’s door So ill that one may die soon.
79. at every turn All the time; every time.
80. at first light Dawn; daybreak.
81. at first sight First impression conveyed by something; when first seen.
82. at full stretch Using everything that one has
83. at long last Finally; after a long time
84. at the latest No later than the time referred to.
85. at the outside At the most.
86. at the press In the process of printing.
87. at the ready Available to put into immediate service.
88. at the very least At the minimum; adopting the most negative stance.
89. at this rate If things continue to happen in this way
90. at/on the Very quickly.
double
91. bag and One’s personal possessions.
baggage
92. bag of bones Used to refer to a very thin person or an animal.
93. balance of The difference in total value between payments for import
payments of and earnings from export of goods and services.
94. balance of The difference in total value between a country’s import
trade and export of goods, excluding services.

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S. NO. IDIOM MEANING

95. baptism of fire One’s first experience in an activity which is often difficult
and painful.
96. bare one’s soul To make known one’s previously unknown facts or
feelings.
97. bat one’s To make rapid opening and closing of one’s eyes.
eyelashes
98. be a breeze To be something that can be done or dealt with ease.
99. be a sport Used when seeking favour of someone.
100. be all eyes Be watching eagerly and attentively
101. be all mouth Not doing what one boastfully says one can do.
102. be all talk Much talking, without action, about doing something.
103. be anybody’s Something that no one knows but only guess at.
guess
104. be as one To agree about something.
105. be cast away To be stranded on a shore or island after a shipwreck.
106. be cast down Feel depressed and discouraged.
107. be dead meat To be in serious trouble.
108. be found Discovered to be inadequate for a particular purpose.
wanting
109. be hard hit Adversely affected by something.
110. be hard on To be too strict or harsh on someone.
111. be hard put To have difficulty doing something.
112. be lost on Refuse to appreciate or accept.
113. be man enough be strong or brave enough
114. be my guest Used to express permission to someone to do what they
have asked to do.
115. be of service Be available to help if help is needed.
116. be open with Speak frankly to.
117. be poles apart Entirely different from each other.
118. be riding high Successful and popular.
119. be set on To be very determined about doing something.

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S. NO. IDIOM MEANING

120. be shitting To be in an extreme anxious and frightened state.
bricks
121. be someone’s A man who satisfies fully someone’s requirement.
man
122. be the end Be the limit of what one can tolerate.
123. be tickled pink To be extremely amused or pleased.
124. be up on To be well informed about something.
125. behind the In secret away from public view.
scenes
126. behind the Not aware of or using the latest ideas or techniques.
times
127. behind the driving a vehicle.
wheel
128. belabour the Discuss at length.
point
129. below the belt Unfair; breaking the rules.
130. bend over To be helpful with someone’s wishes or demands.
backwards
131. bend To talk at length with someone.
someone’s ear
132. bend the rules Do what normally is not allowed
133. beside the point Irrelevant; not important.
134. beyond one’s More than one can afford.
means
135. beyond the sea In a foreign country; abroad.
136. bit by bit Gradually.
137. bite the bullet Forced to perform an unpleasant or difficult task.
138. bite the dust To die, fail or be defeated.
139. bite your Refrain oneself from saying something.
tongue
140. black and white In writing so that it’s clearly stated, not doubtful.

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S. NO. IDIOM MEANING

(in)
141. blessing An initial misfortune that later produces good results.
indisguise
142. blow a fuse Lose one’s temper.
143. blow one’s To excite or impress someone very strongly.
mind
144. blow one’s To clean one’s nose by blowing through it into a cloth or
nose piece of tissue paper.
145. blow one’s top Lose one’s temper.
146. blow the To inform an authority or expose publicly someone’s
whistle (on) wrongful act or something that is wrong.
147. blue eyed boy Someone who is treated with special favour.
148. blue with cold Extremely cold.
149. body and soul Completely.
150. body of water A large area of water such as a lake.
151. bone of Cause of argument or disagreement.
contention
152. boys in blue The police.
153. breach of faith Betrayal of trust; insincerity.
154. break new Venture into new sphere of activity; uncover new
ground information.
155. break of day Dawn.
156. break one’s To not do what one has promised.
word
157. break To make someone feel very sad.
someone’s
heart
158. break the ice To initiate a conversation between strangers.
159. break the To change something completely by doing things
mould differently.
160. bridge the gap To narrow the difference between two things.

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S. NO. IDIOM MEANING

161. bright and early Very early in the morning.
162. bring into line To make to conform
163. bring/come to To make or become known.
light
164. brothers in Soldiers who have been in combat together in the same
arms war.
165. bumper to (Traffic) very close together and moving slowly.
bumper
166. bundle of A very tense or worried person.
nerves
167. burn one’s Do something that can’t be reversed.
boats/bridges
168. bury the End a quarrel or conflict and be reconciled.
hatchet
169. business is Used to mean making profit overrides everything else.
business
170. butterflies in An unpleasant sensation in one’s stomach when one is
one’s stomach nervous.
171. by all means Of course.
172. by and by Before long; soon.
173. by and large On the whole.
174. by any chance Possibly or as is true.
175. by any means At all.
176. by force of By means of.
177. by means of By using something
178. by no means Not at all.
179. by the book To observe exactly the rules and instructions.
(go)
180. by the by By the way; incidentally.
181. by the minute As time passes.
182. call attention to To divert people’s attention to something.

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S. NO. IDIOM MEANING

183. call into To express doubt about something.
question
184. call of nature A need to urinate or defecate.
185. call one’s shots To predict one’s course of action.
186. call someone To verbally insult someone.
names
187. call someone’s To challenge someone to carry out their threat, so as to
bluff expose it as an empty threat
188. call the shots In a position to decide or initiate action.
189. can of worms An awkward situation that is likely to give rise to many
problems and prove embarrassing.
190. cap in hand Seeking a favour in a humble way.
191. capture To be greatly attracted to someone.
someone’s
heart
192. carry oneself To move and behave in an appropriate manner.
well
193. carry the day To be triumphal.
194. case in point An example used to clarify the topic being discussed.
195. cash and carry A shop where goods are paid for in full and carried away by
the buyer
196. catch one’s To momentarily stop breathing in shock, surprise or fear.
breath
197. catch sight of To suddenly notice someone or something.
198. catch To attract someone’s attention.
someone’s eye
199. catch Attract someone’s attention through eye contact; to be
someone’s eye noticed by someone.
200. cause and An action and its effect.
effect

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