Idioms 20

1. Dead Ringer:
100% identical. A duplicate.
Example: It was discovered that the winning horse was a ringer"

2. Devil’s Advocate:
Someone who takes a position for the sake of argument without believing in that
particular side of the argument. It can also mean one who presents a counter argument
for a position they do believe in, to another debater.
Example: I agree with your plan. I'm just playing the devil's advocate so you'll know
what the opposition will say. .

3. Dog Days of summer:

The hottest days of the summer season.
Example: At times, during the dog days of summer, the stream dries up completely.

4. Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket:

Do not put all your resources in one possibility.
Example: Don’t invest all your money in one company. Never put all your eggs in one
basket.

5. Doozy:
Something outstanding.
That footballer's form is a doozy!

6. Down To The Wire:

Something that ends at the last minute or last few seconds.
Example: If both teams are playing at their best, the game will go down to
the wire.

7. Drastic Times Call For Drastic Measures:

When you are extremely desperate you need to take extremely desperate
actions.
Example: Sales have been slow and we had to let go three of our
employees; drastic times call for drastic measures."

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8. Drink like a fish:
To drink very heavily.
Example: Jeff really drank like a fish at the party on Saturday.

9. Dropping like Flies:

A large number of people either falling ill or dying.
"I saw men and women rushing back and forth within the flames. They would run
along, and then came the choking smoke and they would drop like dead flies."

10. Dry Run:

Rehearsal.
Example: The president went through a dry run of his speech"

11. Eighty Six:

A certain item is no longer available. Or this idiom can also mean, to throw away
Example: He eighty-sixed my fake id at the bar.

12. Elvis has left the building:

The show has come to an end. It's all over.
Example: Elvis has left the building and yet captain of the defeated team just sat there in
shock.

13. Ethnic Cleansing:

Killing of a certain ethnic or religious group on a massive scale.

14. Everything but the Kitchen Sink:

Almost everything and anything has been included.
Example: When Sally went off to college, she took everything but the kitchen sink.

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15. Excuse my French:
Please forgive me for cussing.
Example: Pardon my French, but this is a hell of a day.

16. Feeding Frenzy:

An aggressive attack on someone by a group.
Example: One of the sharks was fatally bitten during a feeding frenzy
amongst his own kind.

17. Field Day:

An enjoyable day or circumstance.
Example: The boss was gone and we had a field day today. No one got anything
done.

18. Finding Your Feet:

To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing.
Example: She was lonely when she first left home, but she is finding her feet now.

19. Fixed In Your Ways:

Not willing or wanting to change from your normal way of doing something.
Example: "I tried many different things when I was young, but I'm older now and m
ore fixed in my ways."

20. Flash In The Pan:

Something that shows potential or looks promising in the beginning but fails to
deliver anything in the end.
Example: I’m afraid that my success as a painter was just a flash in the pan.

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Fill in the blank with the correct idiom to make a meaningful statement:-

1. Tom had hoped to be a major film star, but his career was only a ____________.
2. Mary offered to play -___________________ and argue against our case so that we would find out any flaws in it.
3. A ________________ will be held the day before the wedding.
4. It’s hard to get much work done during the _______________.
5. The air was fresh and clear and everyone had a ______________ in the park during the lunch hour.
6. I advise you to diversify and not _______________________.
7. It takes time to learn the office routine, but you will gradually _____________________.
8. They say the snowstorm tonight is going to be a __________________.
9. Let’s _______________ this stew and go out and get some decent pizza.
10. The Democrats struggled __________________________ to choose their candidate.
11. Sometimes it is hard to accept that your parents are _________________."
12. With pressing problems like this, ______________________________.
13. John orders _______________________ when he goes out to dinner, especially if someone else is paying for it.
14. I worry about Nancy; she __________________.
15. It wasn't an office argument, it was a ______________________ led by the head accountant!
16. If several staff working at a local store suddenly became bedridden with the flu, one might say they
were________.
17. He is a ______________ for his late papa

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