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ASAP La;wrM

Presents

ENGN,NSH T'OR
JIIIDNCIAN, SEMVIAES
EXAIVII

"Highly recommended for alliudicisry exoms"


-Rohul Sir from Rshul's IAS

Authored bY A FormerJud$e
aaaaiotoaaaaoaaaaaa'

www.asaplaw.in
R,o!TFli?[', ll [i.;n:iil,
Services Exam
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial

WORDS AND MEANINGS


\ntebellum Before war
Before birth
Antenatal
{ntenuPtial Before marrlage
g"fo.eJh; fl ood ; outAated
Ar-rtediiultan
Valetudharian H-lpochondriac
c The most uninformed mind'
with a healthY bodY' is
haPPier than the wisest
r e letudinarian. -- Thomas
.lefferson

AnthologY @ofvarious
Large 6xe€tiil;fibrks of various
Omnibus

Study of man
AnthroPologY
AnthroPocentnc
Belief that *in S i'.t rt" .entre of the
unlvefse

,A.nthroPomotpilic
Havinglhe shaPe of man
Anthropoid Hfi tu th.;t ar;td'tics of man

Hater of women

Hater of marriage

Misologist H-of knowledge


I Bigamy

PolygamY
Manv mar-nage

Po1-vg1nY
PolyandrY
Diiference benveen all?

Hagiocracl fcor;ffiffiv the church

EpiscopacY 6;mm;t bttt e church

Gorirnment bY fer'r
'->
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Services Exam
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial

PlutocracY G"".,r.."tTY t*h; Greek- Ploutos'


meaning weaith

StratocracY
ffi
KakistocracY ffiqualifiedor
most unprincipled

Regicide Killing. one ol ktng

Sototiaa"
ffi1iing of parents or relattves
Parricide I 'iLatinParricrda
I o Usage notes-tr
I rneans Parents
Killing ot'own son or trauBt.ttrr
Filicide
r Usage notes- in Latin filius
meaning "son"

Uxoricide Killing of wife


r Usage notes- in Latin uxor
mcans wile

Tyrannicide Killing of tlrants

Frugivore fruit-eater
Nectar catEl
Nectarivore
Graminivore
cr;@
is calied graminis

Granivore Grain eater

Mania Irreslstlble urge

ehilopatridomania
x **lo. o*n homel homesickness

M-phomania Mania to lie


Mania to shoP
-oni,omania
Oenomama Mania for wine
Mania for wine
-oinomania
Gamomarua
Mania for marnage

Gr,,necomanra
I Mania for women
Zoomanla I Mania for anttnals
Xenomama
I Mania for fbretgners
Phagomama I Mania lor cattng

a> Page 9 of248


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ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Dipsomania ' Itlania lor drinJ<ing: Greek - dipso


; rneanine to drink
Plutomania N{ania for wealth

I Puobia
- Thermphobia Phobia ofheat
I Pedophobia Phobia of chil<iren
tT*"pE"b,; Phobia ofheight
Agoraphobia Fear ofthe outside
i Ochlophobia Fear ofcrowds; in Greek okhlos rneani
crowd
Nvctonhobia Phobia of dark; in Greek nyktos meani
I
Chronophobia Phobia of tirne
Ergophobia Phobia of work; in Greek ergon means
i,vork; like exert
Gerontophobia Phobia ofold people
Trishkaidekapophobia Phobia of number I3

j Somnambulist sleep walker

Biblioklept Stealer ofbooks


Bibliopole Dealer ofrare books

Zoophilist Lover of animals


Anglophile Lover for England and things English
i.e. Anglo Saxons
Pantophagist Someone who eats all kinds of food

H}?o-
I Hrper- Above or over or extra

Hrpothenr.ric Belorv the normai temperature


Hrpodermic Below the skin
Hlpogastric Beior.r.the abdomen

Page 10 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

I-llperaesthesia/ Excessive sensory feeling


Hyperesthia
Hlperbaric Excessive pressure

-mancv Foreteliing
Bibliornancy Foretelling by books
AnthropomancY Foretelling b1' human entrails
Cubomancy Foretelling by dice
OsteomancY Foretelling by bones
Cheiromancy Foretelling by rereading palms; Itl
Greek cheir means hands
Graphomancy Foretelling by handwriting

Podiatrist A feet doctor


Paediatrician A child doctor
Obstetrician A baby deliverY doctor
Orthopedician .A bone doctor
Orthodontician A teeth doctor
Geriatrics Sn dyotls"b-specialty of intemal
medicine of elderlY PeoPle.
Prophylactic Preventive
o Aspirin is given as a prophylactic
drug against hearl disease

Philology St rdy c,f lat guages as a combinatron of


literary studies, history, and linguistics
o Usage notes- PhilologY is the
study of language in written
historical sources; it is a
combination of literarY
studies, historY, and
linguistics. It is more
commonlY deflned as the
studY ofiiterarY texts and
written records, the
establishment oftheir
authenticitY and their original
form, and the determination
of their meaning.

Page 11 of248
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ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Epigraphy Study of inscriptions


o Usage notes- Epigraphy (from
the Greek: epi-graPhe,
literally "on-writing",
"inscription"

Graphology Study of handwriting


Psephology Study of elections
o From Greek psephos -'pebble',
which the Greeks were used
as ballots

Gerontology Study ofthe aging process


e Usage notes--it is the study of
the social, psychological and
biological aspects of aging.
Geriatrics Study ofintemal medicine of eldery
' 'o Usage notes-It is the study of
sub-specialty of internal
medicine of elderly people.
Genealogy Study of tracing ancestors
o Itis the studyof families and
the tracing of their lineages
and history. Genealogists use
oral traditions, historical
records, genetic analysis, and
other records to obtain
infomation about a familY
and to demonstrate kinshiP
and pedigrees of its members.
The results are often
displayed in charts or written
as narratives.
Chromatics Study of colour
Agronomics The study of economic aspects of
agriculture

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ASAP Lawru English for Judicial Services Exam

. Agronomics - Agriculture +
Economics
. the branch of economics
dealing with the diskibution,
management, and productivity
ofland

Catcalls Disapproving whistles and comments at


a public performance
Brickbats Criticizing comments
. Like what selectors heard
when dropping Sehwag

Bugle call bugle call is that trumpet like


instrument that is used to sound off a
waming to the troops to come to
attention
Clarion Call a strong and clear request for people to
do something
: : r ,The,charitycommission's
=,
==4 =-=
. t," ,:clarion call,for more
l-
=.# . donations has produced an
immediate response. (often +
to)
Her unification speech was
seen as a clarion call

Facsimile Exact copy


Expatriate Someone who is living in another
country than home country like an NRI
Evince To show or demonstrate clearlY
r Evilrce distaste - He evinced
his distaste by grimacing
(grimace is a wry smile)
Grimace Make a sad face
.
Opposite of the grimace in
McDonalds
Make a wry face Grimace; make a upside down face in
disgust

Page 13 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Allude To imply something


r The candidate alluded to the
recent \ /ar by safng, "We've
all made sacrifices."
The prime minister made no
aliusion to the war in his
speech.
)
Impute attribute by impiying/indirectly accuse
o imputed the rocket failure to a
faulty gasket;
Kindlyimputed my
ii_!u$,$ing$s.,!oinexperience.
?.haigfdflfi""ss so often
imputed to cats.
I impute your iuccess to
nepotism
It is unfair to impute blame to
the employees.
Refute

hidecent; Hazardous; verging upon


improoriety
or assistance, especially in time of
difficulty
. Margaret Thatcher sought
succor from FDR regarding
ihe Falklands
____J_

ghted and not looking into the I -7


/2

Page 14 rf248
ASAP Lawffi English for Judicial Services Exam
./
-Tunnei vision Narrorv minded like the restricted
vision in a tunnel
Think again and doubt self

Payroll The list ofpeople rvhom one PaYs


. The cops are on the Pa1T o11 of
the mob
Bankroll Fund someone money
. Wro is bankrolling this
oPeration'/

Pavola Smal1 brihe


. The otficials got their Par,'ola
on time
P"yl"rd Th. p"t*rg.tt, ...g", or bo*irs
caried by an aircraft
A missile caff]"ing a 50-
megaton payload

To keep:cutting away at something


. he censors had whittled awaY
at the racY dialogue
. Deffen brown used a lblv
. mind techniques to whittle
dorvn the number of Potential
candidate for his exPeriment
of(a
de of
Sharpen the hlade 1a tool or or
tFh.t
I weapon).
, I

I or
I

I I Stimulate (someone's desire, interest,


I aPPerite).
I

I - I

Whet my ippetite i Stimulate


r

I ' the smeil of the frYing bacon

I Trick someone
I

II . he wheedled me out of mY
ll"l
mcneY
I--i

Page tr5 0f?4E


ASAP LaurM English ibr Jurlicial Services Exam

Pejorative Derogative

Seamstress A female tailor


Lopsided Victory One sided victory
To hick someone
l acetious
"ssutE.: Sarcastic
Kosher Judaism - Corrfo.mir.,g to dGtary laws-
Slang - Legitimate
o The researcher asked the
disgruntle employees about
how many no so kosher things
they put in their expense
reports. The employees
answered him bytaking him
out for dinner
Primer o Basic text on something;
primer on mathematics
Contagion Contagiousd-
o A harmful, comrpting
influence: feared that violence
on television was a contagion
affecting young viewers.
Stratagem Strategy; clever trick
. Stratagems used by the Army
o Business stratagems
-. t-, -

Hlpocorisms Pet name


. Sally'' is a hypocorism for
" Sarah
Incendiary
- ::l -.
Something thatiun be used to cuuse i
fire
o incendiary device used by
arsonists
Inflarnmatory in figurative sense
r incendiary speech
Trivial matters

Anodyre Pain relieving; rnrtge.ic

Page 16 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

r Usage notes- Greek all-


'without' + ocilne 'pain'
o Pharmacologr, - a drug that
rel rcr cs pain: analgesic

Ea:nacea ) An all in one cure

Aseptic Without infbction; anti septic


Ascetic A person who renounces materiai
comfofis and ieads a lifb of austere sclt:
discipline
o He lras a very uscetic taste
. He had become an ascetic and
went to live in the.jungle

4base fl${flliat..$r !;;r;,';


' .''' T,heyinvading army abased
the Queen by making her
walk in chains after the defeat
Debase To lower in standing

" He refused to debase hirnself


and kneel down before the
new King
Blas6 Snobbish/Act all cool
o Even though excited about the
Paris trip, she acted all blas6
in liont of her friends

alprrse- To give notice to; infbrm


r He apprised us of our rights
Aonraise To estimate the quality
o The jeweller appraised the
value of the jewellery before
buying it off the lady.

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ASAP LawIM English for Judicial Services Exam

Avow To aIfim; formally acknowledge;


opposite of disavow;
Aver To formally state
o He averred that he was
innocent.

Forslveat To give up; renounce; to deny under


oath
. He forswore any knowledge
of the crime
Abjure To give up; forswear
r Our fundamental duties say
. that we must abjure violence
in all its forms
r Aller giving up the
Presidency he abjured all
titles
Recant To go back on one's words

2rooch An ornamental clasp like on prom


dresses
'Broach
To bring up or touch upon a topic
Accost Approach and address (someone)
boldly or aggressively.
o Reporters accosted him in the
street

Cinch Something easy to accomplish


o It was so easy that the boy
exclaimed "In a cinch!"
Clinch Win at spmething
o He clinched the argument
. He clinched victory

Acclivity Steep uphill


Declivitv Steep dowmhill
Proclivity Penchant or preference

Page 18 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial ljervices Exam

Actuate Motivate
Addle Be troubled with something
. His drug addled cousin

Appepd to add as a supplernent


Owns will
o I went with him on my own
accord
To give someone a status
o He accorded me the status of
his wife
A peaceful settlement or agreement
. The anglo-french accord
brought peace in the land

Delineate To infer from a situation


o I could delineate that from our
talk
To make something clear
r a settlement to delineate the
border
To put in writing
o The relationship between
Church and State was
delineated in a formal
agreement.
Adumbrate To vaguely sketch out
r He adumbrated the plan to
fo1low

Amoral w hout moral, immoral


Achromatic w hout colour

Countenance Face or approval


Discountenance Disapproval
Approbation Approval

Page 19 of248
ASAP LawrM English :br Judicial Services Exam

She looked for her parents


approbation
Disapprobation i l.lisapproval
Continence Sel f-restraint or abstinence

Appeliation Identi$ring name or a title


. By what apPeliation do You
go by?

Appurtenance An extra right that comes with property


like easement or right to Passage
o As opposed to encumbrance
Accoutre Equipped with all sorts of stuff
o The fisherman was a
accoutred with ali sorts of
fishing gear

Aerie A nest on high altitude


. The aerie ofan eagle
Alcove Smali room
Hovel A hell hole. small uncomfortable house

Allegro A lively beat


Allegory A fable - a short story with animals for

Parable Short story for moral instruction

Maxim A pithy sayng


Epigram Maxim
Aphorisrn I Maxim
Apothegm Maxim
Truism Maxirn or "funda"
r Like marry in haste then
repent in leisure

Alloy Make less pure


r Our efforts were alloyed by
his constant worrYing

Page20 of248
Exam
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services

Ptu*t., ease, aileviate


A11ay
e Our fears were allaYed b-v the
good doctor

Array Draw LrP somethrng


of
I

r His actions anaycd a lot I

resentment towards him


I

Adom yotrrself rvith fancy clothes ctc


I
r I Lis mother alwaYs arrayed I

he.rself in the finest silk before j

_=_-the Parties ---,

coy il,.tyU.horlo* -
I Flinv sirl
Coquette --
Cioying Too sweet
o The cake had a very cloYing
taste due to the excess sugar

Saccharine Too srveet

Maudlin T"o 10r"Y - d*"Y; too sentimental


Mawkish *-@"v@W-=E@osennmenuu
. The little boY made faces at
the mawkish disPlaYof
aflection between his sister
and the boY friend
a

Saturnine Gloomy
r His satumine face made
everyofe feel bad for him
everyooe

St,vgian I)ark, gloomy


. Stygian alle,vs
Hiti. good effect on
c It had a salubrious effect on
his health
ff*irg g""d h""1tt; lr-ving bright,
cheeri,icott,l'lerion, healthy like as if
with tots of,blood

Page Ztr of24&


ASAP Lawrn English :r Judicial Services Exam

Abortive Unsuccessful
r Abortive attempts to look at
his answers
Furtive Surreptitious
e Surreptitious glance to look at
his answers
Restive Uneasy
o He was very restive sitting
outside and waitins for his
turn to go in
Surreptitious Stealthy; snealq,
o The thief moved
surreptitiously in the dark

Angular Sharpe angled


. Mr Spock had a very angular
featured face
Aquiline Hooked like a beak ofan eagle
o Usage notes- An Aquiline
nose is a human nose with a
prominenr bridge. giving it
the appearance ofbeing
curved or slightiybent. The
word aquiline comes from the
Latin word aquilinus ("eagle-
like"), a reference to the
curved beak ofan eagle.
r He had a very aquiline nose
like the beak ofan eagle

'-

" tJrti,qs
Al.ttncular Like
-- an uncle -.-
o :
The ar.uncular pride did not
stop him from noticing the
ncphew's shorrctlmin gs

Page 22 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Servi es Exam

Askance Sideways -
o He was looking askance at his
friend across the hall
Askew At an angle
r He placed his hat askew on
his head and everyone
laughed

Asunder Tea. 1n ple.es then throw all over


"nd
under the sun
o The flerce hatred torn the
partnershiP asunder

Oblique Sideways
r He gave her oblique looks

Ascendancy Domination
o His ascendancY over through
group was unchallenged

.To give rrp ter4tory .:


9ed"
.i ,'t Russia ceded Alaska to US

K"de To separate awaY Aom


r The South wanted to secede
u ith the American emPire
zAccede To agr.eeJo someo"e;s demands
. Professor acceded to mY
demands and gave me
extension on the deadline

Ascend To move up

-Cessatiori
Stoppage
-=:-- e Cessation of smoking
/Cession The process ofceding territorY
o USSR's cession of Alaska to
America
Secession fire pro.cst of seceding
o The secession oftlie South
from the t.lnion PromPted the
civii war

Page23 of248
ffi
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

J.- The process of agreeing


r Accession to a dernand.
To acquire something
r The empire did a tot of
accession o f new territories
Ascension The 9!3-!@e;aseent-:
The ascension to the thn-one
ln Christianity. the ascension
ofthe body ofJesus Christ
l}om earth to heaven is
celebrated as Ascension Day.
' \scendancv
'i , Domination

I i X,ffi'il31il'J,HJL**
Acquiesce To reluctantiy agree ':
c The old man acquiesced when
the younger employee showed -
him that his inventory was
faulty
a

Ablution Cleaning
. Sheldon asked Penny to use
tire bathroorn between 7 and 8
for her daily ablutions
Abstemious Characterized by abstinence
. The hermit led an abstemious
way of 1ife.
lt Incisiveness; sharpness of mind
A Usurp i Take without justification
. You must airocate
airogate beibre
be'ibrc
abrogate
The king arrogated the power
of senate ro declare war.
I To declare earnestly or solemnJy I

I .. He- always asseverated that


didnotknow
he I

I I

Fage 24 of?48
ASAP LawrM English for Judiciai Services Exam

Animadverl To criticise harshiy; to advert iike an


animal
o To animadvert at length upon
his faulty use of English.
Athwarl From sicie to side of; across; Iying
sideways
. a couflter athwart the
entranceway/lying athwarl the
ground

j}rr"", ll Complete
o What arrant nonsensei
Thrall Captivate; the base word tbr enthrai
r His amazing singing had the
, conrpletely in his thrall
Antiquary Experl on or student of antiquities

Anirnus Hatred
. The animus of the speaker
was apparent
Apol.grst Someone who for
institutions etc "pologires
. The young diplomat ratler
than being an apologist f,or
Beijing's current regime
I
defected to the west

Fage 25 of248
I

ASAP Lawrrl English for Judicial Services Eram

Automaton Robots resembling humans

Capricious Whimsical; arbitrary


Commodious Spacious
Capacious Spacious
Rapacious greedy

Connubial Relating to marriage


Filial Perlaining to son or daughter
Brre
r He had no respect for his filial
duties towards his father
Forebears Ancestors
. Our forebears helped build the
great Pyramid
Equine Relating to horses
Aquiline Hooked like a beak ofan eagle
o He had a very aquiline nose
like the beak ofan eagle
Artroretum Place to keep trees
Aviary Place to keep birds
Apiary Place to keep bees
Aerie A nest on high altitude
. The aerie ofan eagle
Bivouac Camping
r We slept in a bivouac while
on our camping trip into the
forests
Menagerie A place to keep various animals;
coliection of animals
Manger Trough; A trough or an open box in
which feed for livestock is placed.
'Irough The low part of a wave
CGst Prer,,: .
Cc,rr:
t"-
i\il
-r'.
"^<" \
Trdugh
**cd* *

Page 26 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Also a long, nalrow, generally shallow


receptacle for holding water or feed for
animals

Byre Cow shed/Bam

Bucolic Pastoral; rustic


Idyllic Pastoral; rustic; peaceful
Elysian Peaceful
o Ellaian fields
o Usage notes- Elysium in
Greek mYhology, the final
resting places ofthe souls of
the heroic and the virhrous
Viniculture Winemaking

Bestial Like a beast


r His bestial qualities came in
handy during fights in'ith the
neighbours
Feral Bestial like an animal

Prepossessing Beautiful; attractive


Comely Good in appearance
r The gentleman trrad a correly
appearance in the meeting.
Seemly Prirn ard properi confbnning to
standards ofconduct and good taste

PageZl of248
ASAP Lawrv English for Judicial Services Exam

n The gentleman had a seemly


behaviour in the mecting.
Gamelv A b-r* f-,ght
. David tbught gamely against
the giant

Slovenl-.2 Untidy appearance


Unprepossessing Not attractive
o She has veryunprepossessing
looks
Unsightly Bad in looking; unattractive
Unseemly Bad in appearance; not proper; obscene
Threadbare In which the threads are shown;
signiffing poverty
. Threadbareappearance
. Threadbare budget

Ragamutlin Dirtv child


Tatterdernalion A person in rags

Rabble Lower gentry


Rafflsh Vulgar
. The hooker was dressed up in
a raffish clothes
I{oi polloi The common people; the masses.
Slattem Untidy women

Baroque Highly omate


Bedizen ftrgiil}, or,nate

I Meretricious i Highly omate I

I Uansn I rugoly uflrate I

I Raffish I Hishlv omate I

lll
I I . The hooker was dressed up in I

| | clothes
a raffish
I

I Bawdy I FtrighJy omate I

i Gaudy I Highly omate I

ilage 28 0f 24tt
ASAP LawrM English for JLrdicial Senices Exan:

Tawdry Highly ornate

Virago Violent, unpleasant woman who sirouts


a lot
Termagant Violent, unpieasant woman who sltouts
a lot
Circe Violent, unpleasant woman who shouts
a iot
Shrew Violent, unpleasant woman who shouts
a lot
o Hence the tamins of the
shrew
Henpeck A wife who nags the husband ali day
Cuckold A man married to an unlaithful wife.

Kowtow To kneel and touch the forehead to the


ground in expression ofdeep respect
o Kowtow. which is borrowed
fi'om kdu t6u in Mandarin
Chinese, is the act ofdeep
: respect shown by kneeling
and bowing so low as to have
one's head touching the
ground

4t,)

Bow kaeel Same


Genuflect Same

Page 29 of248
ASAP Lawrrl :ngJish for Judicial Services Exam

Truckle Be servile
o Don't truckle to any woman
just because she wears French
boots and rides in a coupe
Uxorious Servile to wife

Spinster Usuaily derogatory - A woman r'vho has


remained single beyond the
conventional age flor marrying
r How dear Emily is flirting
with the strange gentleman,'
whispered the sPinster aunt
Shyster A unscrupulous person especially a

ffi_ffi; lawyer
r Usage notes-probablY based
on Scheuster, name of a
d isreputable I 9th-century
New York lawyer

Trousseau Bride's wedding dress


Banns Public announcement in a Christian
church of a marriage
o Usage notes- The purpose of
banns is to enable anyone to
raise any canonical or civil
legal impediment to the
marriage, so as to Prevent
marriages that are invalid.

Baneful Something that causes harm


Balefu1 Regarding harm; ominous

Page 30 of248
ASAP LawrNI English for Juciicial Sen'ices Exarn

. The forflrne teller made


baleful predictions about her
future
Doleful Dolorous; sad
o We could not stand his
doleful face
Dolorous Dejected; Very sad; in doldrums
r He was in a dolorous mood
e dolorous melody
Disconsolate Unable to be consoled
r He'"vas disconsoiate after his
friends died

Bode Foreshadow; portend


. That does not bode well for
the future
Forebode foreshadow
Loom To hover over

I Dar-kcluidof war loomed


over Europe
Oracular Like an oracle
r We must heed the Prophet's
oracular wamings
Baleful Regarding harm; ominous
. The forlune teller made
baleful predictions about her
future
Presentiment Premonition
. we had a presentiment that a
bad thing was about to haPPen
Prescience Knowledge before hand
Prestidigitation To say the future; magical skills;
sleight ofhand
Sibyl Prophet
Clairvoyant Someone who tells the future

Beget Engender; create

Page 31 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

.
-
Violence onlybegets vioience
Reset To close in all frorn all sides
c I rvas beset with troubies
Besotted To get drunk
Bedit.l To cause to become dim; to make
obscnre
. The clor-rd bedim the sky
c l)on'l bedirn the issue
Beseech To irnplore; entreaty
Belcaguered I Undcl pressure
Belabour
] . The debate coach told the
I ..t,,dents not to belabour the
| ,"ints and not bore the

en I
rrgnrry
| ' The tall cargo containers.
I hundreds ofships all
I -b.tokeng4
the importance of
I Oaklar{asaport

Bedragglc Slander; To heap calumny; Drag


through the mud
. Theybedraggled his
reputation
Bowdlerize Expurgate
o The film editors bowdlerized
the language of the movie to
get the rating reduced fiom R
to PG
Browbeat To bullv someone
Buffet To slap around/to knock around
o Was Miss Muffet, buffeted by
the crowd
To cow someone To bully someone
r You can't cow me into
signing
Bluster Blow heavy

Page 32 of248

L:+!t ,
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

. The wind was blustering very


hard
c Jack.iust blustered while Jill
listened
Bristling Teeming
o He was bristling with anger
Boondoggle Literal - is a plaiting and knottin-e crall,
originally aimed at children.
r Usage notes- The term arose from
a 1935 New York Times repor-t
that more than 53 million had been
spent on recreationai activities for
the jobless as parl of the Neu,
Deal. Among these activities were
crafts classes, where the
production of "boon doggles,
Bevy Group ofpeople
. Be\ry of people
Retinue Followers of some big shot
o The Queen's retinue
Cavalcade A large raarching band; .The cavalcade
along with the Minister
Craven Cowardly person
Daunt To intimidate
. It is a daunting task
Tremulous Fearfui; shaking in fbar
n he was tremulous in lear
when he came face to face
with a grizzly bear
Timorous Fearful
c He spoke in a timorous voice
to his bullies
Temerity The gali; nerve; pluck; audacity
o You had the tementy rrr
challenge me in front of the
board membels I
Gamely A brave fight
. David fought gamely against
the giant

Page 33 of248
ASAP LawrNI English for Judicial Seruices Exam

Dauntless Fear less; who cannot be daunted or


intimidated
o lhe dauntless arctic
conservator

Hardihood Flardiness; quality ofbeing hardy

Slapdash Haphazard
. The amateur chef worked in a
very slapdash manner in the
kitchen
Slipshod Haphazard
. Such slipshod work will not
cut it here
Threadbare In which the threads are shown;

:
. Threadbaxeaopearance
-.: :a : .: j "
Overused, clich6
. Threadbare arguments

Chequered Marked with good and bad periods


o He had a chequered career
Cormgated Ridged; wrinkled
. His comrgated eye brorv
Serrated With jagged edges
r He was killed by a serrated
knife

Ballast Weight added to the ship


Buh,l,ark A wall or embanlcnent raised as a
defensive forti fi cation
r The navy is our first bulwark
against sea enemies

Fage 34 of 24$i
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

D€iens !s tl€ wh"i


keu

!q Bre do.d?r g168€,


Bvil$ i i]({va.k/fst ess
fo. gftr ovn Sffii,

..;.-
sr6{$Fad.ffi

The last stand piace; fortress


. It was the baslion for
orthodox culture
A defensive barrier made of strong
posts or timbers driven through the
ground

Something that serves as an obstacle

Bejoined; contiguous
i
r Our estates abutted together
To stop
I
To lessen in degree but nct completely
I

stop
L
c We bated the children's
i curiosity
I

l
Remission To lessen in degree
c Doctor has good news that his
disease was in remission

To miss sorueone
To miss sofileone

Opiate Anesthetize

Fage 35 0f248
I
Services Exau
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial
rt_-.
oo*t.d her with
chlorolbrm before doing the
makeshift surgery

Palliate
To lGen the Pain
to
o In cancer more work needs
be done in Palliative care

Com

Palliative To tessen the Pain


. Terminal cancer Patients need
more Palliative care
Preventive
ProphYlactic
. Aspirin is given as a prophyiactic
drug against heafi disease

l-
i L)rd:. :
E"t*g ttt"r*d relations befween
"f

tr
nations
. The term is often used in
."f".""tt to the general easing
of geo-Political tens ions
;G'*n the Soviet ljnion and I
enoin
the United States bY the I
policies ofNixon
Under the rule of
I
SuzeraintY
a The suzerain and the subjects I cmse
a Islands are under the
Falkiand
suzeraintY of the UK
I V*q
J---
ojtu:1;d"r;i6esovereign
o The King issue many ,.
draconian edicts regarotng
taxatlon
Ie..:

ictum ,tniltho-*tativ"Jft enfotmal


pronouncement
? r Dictum of the ':hurch

Countermancl
ilftrcialty cancel i.-
: The Generai countetmanded
the ordet's issucd in hi"
absence

Page 36 of248
ASAP I awrM English for Judicial Sen'ices Exam

o I say- to counter bY a
command
Consign Deliver officiallY
e The court consigned the
custodY of ihe minor to the
rnnther ,

Commandeer To seize for public or militarY use


c Agent Burke comtnandeered
the Persons vehicie to Pursue
the susPect

Potentate A despot
c Usage notes- someone who
ate all the Potency and Power

0rdain Holy orders


. The BishoP ordained David as
a Deacon

Ordination fhercetemony of appointing someone


as a Priest

Anoint Officially apPoint


o 'trhe BishoP anointed him the
King
Consecrate Appoint officiallY
r The BishoP consecrated him
as the King

/esecrate Violote the sanctity of something


\€_ . By taking shoes inside he
desecrated the temPle's
sanctitY

..Desiccate To dry up something


r C)ur forefathers would
desiccate the food to Preserve
1t

S.griggJy School for nrtns


Sanatorium H"$161 fot th;ihronicallY ill
Sanctum Sanctorum An inviolably Private Piace

Page 31 of248
ASAP LawrNi English for Judicial Services Exam

The clubhouse was their


"sanctum sanctorum".
one is fi'ee from
$rtvate placffiCG
intrusion.
Preiate
r Usage notes-(ChristianitY) a
sacred or holY Place
ffituutvprivate place
r The clubhouse was their
"sanctum sanctorum".
r Usage notes-(Judaism) The
innemost shrine of a temPle

Monastery for nuns


Home of the he.mit
Reiating to monastery and monks
r He took Parl in monastic
rituals when he went to Tibet

Sacerdi
Ha"ln glh---t tty o f bl iss fu l nes s'

il14+bhssdig ,,:;.
. ft
Ueutitc smile on the
Ecumer
"
child's face
Havin[iire q,rrltty of blisstulness'
Giving blessing
r After PraYing in the Church, I
feel a calm sense ofbeatitude

Blessing
r the PoPe gave him a benison

Page 38 of248

Ll-i-, r -
ASAP LawrM English for Judrcial Sen'ices Exanl

Gu"clt of a church, usually convened


to decide an issue ofdoctrtne,
application etc
Church dignitary

A Ul.hop appointed to assist and often


to succeed a diocesan bishoP
War olthe Gods

Relating to Priests
-.
Usage notes-Latin - sacerdds
meaning Priest
Ecclesiastical, relating to the church
. Ecumenical council

Art of preaching
o It is a branch oftheologY

Offering, sacrifice ,

o Sacrifices and oblations to


their ancestors.
r Usage notes-Latin-obiatum to
offer

Page 39 of248
...

Exam
ASA? Lawrlr English for 'Iudicial Services
--; obl"tl"r. meaning an offbring
(Late Latin oblatio, from
otferre" oblatum, to offer), is a
tetm used, ParticularlY in
ecclesiastical usage, for a
solemn offering or
Presentation to
God'

imbue
. imbued with deeP PietY

Immanent I*"tA *b"ffid inherent; God


in inherent in ail material world
o God immanent in humans'
. Usagenotes-Immanence
refeis to PhrlosoPhicai and
metaphysical theories of
divine Presence, in which the
divine is seen to be
manifested in or
encomPassing the material
world.

Pantheist ;:it -'


'j '1;'r:: ffi
everylvhere and great
Someone who believes in all Gods

Morlician Underlaker
Proselr,'te ,-
New conren lo a rellglon
,dpostate S"*."dt- l".t h""ged their
religion/belief
Untlock @ritY:tirea
oriest
Pillion Additional rider
Carrion
N'[iasma ffiposingbodY;
unhealthy atmosPhere

R..t".t -*-.-."q R chain or shackle


Fetter
tbr the ankles or feet.

Page 40 of248
Services Exam
ASAP LawrM Engiish for Judicial

n..t.i-at *lo'e
,rot.,,,ant' T-o wing
feathers of a bird to prevent
flight; to

$ffict-rorement. To couf]ne or
Manacle
restrain with or as if with manacles

To hinder the activity or &ee movement


of.
. TheY trammelled the
morement of the trooPs bY

T" pruhlb,t "r Place under an


ecclesiasticalor legal sanctlon'
r An interdictory order of the
court in the Pateot

Page 4l of 248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

.- the role of the FBI in


intcrd icting sPies attemPting
to Pass US secrets to the
r
Soviet Union"
To stop:
. The horse balked at the jumP'
To refuse:
r She balked at the idea of
colnprolnlse.
To obstruct St.-:. -.

. Occlude the blood flow - The S l,.: .


blood clot occluded the florv Sr-:
of blood to the brain
Cafie Blanche Unfettered Power
Blanch Bleach: whiten
o Old age had btranched his hair
r,"'hite

Stanch To check the flow off


5I:. -
o Thev stanchedthe blood flow
ti'.#.r 'fu"t&i@t*_ Br
Stem Srop the flow off
o They stemmed the blood flow
Originate from
Stem from
r The Problem stemmed from
{.-'
his refusal to eat healthY food
C.*

Stl,rnie fo ctrect ttte flow off; to stoP


someone's Plans
.Batman tried to st)'mie the
Joker's evil Plans
c,,:
Stygian Dark, gloomY
r C-.-
Stygian alieYs
Stultifu Stunt; To embarrass someone : to
weaken; to stoP the Progress
. Menial work can stultifu the
mind.
. Law - to Prove someone to be
of unsound mind' U:.
- L:

Page 42 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

. tjsage notes- Latin stultus


stupid + facere to make
. These countries are trying to
ihake olf rhe stult ilying
effects ofseveral decades of
state control.
.- -She feit the repetitive
exercises stultified her
musical technique so she
stopped doing them.
Stilted bombastic
Stupefy To stun someone
Stupor In a state ofdaze
Strident Harsh
. The strident summer heat
Stolid Unfazed; unmoved expression
o He was stolid in front of ail
requests by the students
Staid Unfazed; unmoved exPression

Bilk To cheat, or swindle


. They made millions bilking
wealthy clients on art sales.
Gawk To stare like an idiot
Caulk To seal through
. The caulking agent was used
to close the drafts in the
u,indows

Contemporaneous Up to date with latest changes


Coterminous Contemporary
Coeval Conternporary
r Coeval manuscript, which can
be told bY the same tYPe of
ink and papyms used

l
Grouse Complain about trivialities
Carping Complain about trivialities

Page 43 of248
ASAF LawrNl English for Jud cial Services Exam Metamt-;

Co*ptatt trivialities
Querulous ^Uo"t
Captious C ornplain about trivialities
Cavil C. ompl ain about triviaiities
o
Don't cavii on smail details
Compiuin about trivialities
. Befia comPlained to Charlie
that who does she work for -
him or his lastidious git
brother?

Finical aomplatn trivialities


-i "bo"t I Euloer-
l--
Finicky Complain about triviaiities
I Eleer'
Pemickety C"*plai" abo-t trivialities !I Paner:
I ol1!_:..
Pettifogging Complain about trivialities
I Encc'-
Punctilious Complain about triviaiities
Pae::

frx"1t T- p"t-p A trtgh Pedestal in Praise


"
o Al1er the victorY theY exalted
hirn to God like status

Prffy
Ideiqe :, ,i; !i,;::
G: '. I
t d*'t iike wtren PeoPle deifr
Hitler
Educate
ffiitv
(L- rf-Rar
o the abilitY of comedY to edilY
as well as to entenain an
audience

Lionize Exalt
Transfigure C,trr*g.E; fig*. smeone in a verY
"f
positive and often sPiritual waY at. --'
i'>
o The assassination somehow f ':'
transfigured KennedY into a _:::/
rnodem American sairtt' -1_Ci,5:
C o:-..
Apotheosis fo .aite to a God like stature
a The apotheosis of the King
was done after he lost his life
in the battie to save the
kingdom R':'-'
I say - ape to God
transfotmation

Page 44 of248
Exam
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services

MetamorPhosis Aansformation lnto something else


r How cid the metamolphosis
from being a street raPPer to a
megastar haPPen?

Heap praise
r Don't extoi anY vimres on
him
@alinPraise
o After the victory theY exalted
him to God like status

a po-em
ror tlre'd?1eatti

Paean Enthusiastic Pratse


o The film received a Paean
from the critics
o A Paean to Pagarusm
Blandishment To o-emsive Praise
To criticise harshlY
To criticiie harshlY
To criticise harshlY
To criticise harshlY
To criticise harshlY
To criticise harshlY
o The move was panned by the critics

To scold a lot
To scold a iot
Get scolding
r He deserved his corneuppance for
the
shenanigans he Puiled

I*p."".*""t *.Aations between countnes or

Page 45 of248
ffi
Services Exam
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial
i .\:
riila.anit best to faciiitate mother
rapprochement bet'rveel his \.
ond^ th. estransed brother

To scold a 1ot
Reprove To scold
r
a 1ot
The principal reproved the students
in F
rT
front ofthe entire class
e The coach reProved the PlaYers

To criticise harshlY
ilntr;se t mock
^.shlY;
Fulminate F.otett vehemerrtly
r He was fulminating at the mouth
T" ttaso' eamestiy with
Expostuiate P."t"tt
""h.*.rt1f
,orn.on. in an effort to dissuade
or correct

o Expostulate with somebodY


r I say the opposite ofpostulate i'e'
critici ze someone' -q work

Remonstrate FroGil vehemently


c Remonstrate against the police
men
eone of
Recriminations
someone offence
just
o His rePlY to the charges were
wild ricriminations, Pointing to
finger on everyone but self

To postulate
o The bookPosits a new idea on
gravlty

/Lnd Dry
,a The acrid climate of the desert I

@ T-,ri.;ai.
a The acrirJ odour of the gunPowder
was
til1ed the room after the pistol
fircd

His acidulous comments were of no


good in the meeting

Page 46 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Acerbic Acidic
a His acerbic comments
Asperity A;ltty ofb.*g *d giving asPersions
o His asperity sent people away from
him
Aspersions to t eap calurnnY; slander

Animadvert To criticise harshly


o To animadvert at length uPon his
faulty use of English.
Traduce fo criticise trarshly: to expose to calutnny
. we have been traduced bY the Press
c I say introduce to shit i.e. really
slander and malign
Tirade Slander; harsh criticism
Diatribe Slander; harsh criticism
Upbraid To criticise severelY
Bilious netating to bile; vitriolic
r His bilious comments won him no
- ?trs
Bedraggle @ragthroughthe
mud
o They bedraggled his rePutation
Scurrilous Evoking disgust
Excoriate To flay; to criticise severel-v
. The film got excoriating remarks
invidious Vitriolic
r The invidious remarks
Invective Stanaer; harsh criticism
Vitriol Slander;harsh criticism
Vituperalive S1an,.ler; harsh criticism
Viiily slancier
Obloquy I Abusively detractive language
I . "I have had enough obloquy for one
I tif.dme" (AnthonY Eden).
------
0pprotrnutn I Harsh criticism or censure
I . I had to face oPPr:obrium after mY
Lr."*t

Pag* 47 of248
ffi
G-=-

Epithets
ASAP LawrM English

@'a"a
e
for udicial Senrices

@forsomeone
. He heard the choicest
the fired emPioYee
Exam

That was a very ignoble


act of taking

epithets from
It,

m;1,,Iffitlons on a grave
Tffii"is"G'ereiY

To weaken
7
-l-dttenul

To==--w".tceo maniiness
ailY bY r..
i -'Er--::
starvation; emagiate,
i@aculateor
6rml99Jate---
Enertlate
To weaken _',;r..:. -
c the lurury which enervatgs'atro
destroYs natlons
. The surgely.,r.ryut"dglig "tkt
@ffectiveness;
" --:'
exhausted
r-\:
tlthtt't"q"9-tl:
Effete period
tvtate t mininq not manlY
fun of his
. The boY was made

to mitigate
=..
Extenuate
.' There were extenuating -:-
."""*""nces tbr the crime and
h"n"e lesser Punishment

Page 48 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

1.1j! l-ili: l l lii

?.!""9e* Toweaken-
r The drought attenuated the river to a
naffow channel.
r Medicine attenuated the fever's
effect.
Exigency L,mergency
,4xigent b
I o The croohed cop called himself as
"Exigent circumstances,,
Expedient
;-
E' Exiguous sg+tr;velti,q,q+]l q rlt
.i : :.,:
. The farmers got a exiguous=:
compensation for the crop
Convivial Friendly relurid happy
=--
o The con'n,ivial atmosphere at the
reunion.
-Yewe \
r She approached her studied with such
verve that it was almost impossible
for her to do poorly
Veer- To go ar.vay fton tG-E pat[_--
r The train veered offits oath
Viscid v rscous

o The rubber tapper made an incision


in the tree and got out the viscid sar
Vicissitudes
r-J i flanges ot lofiune, irfe's ups and downs
. Sheldon always appreciated the
vicissitudes oflifb
Veritable That which An bG;fi"d

Page 49 of249
ASAP LawrM Servtces Exam
Englis for Judicial Serv

ffl"t wtro stloutd be revered or venerate


!ercrabp
Erroneous Faulty L,A:
o Eroneous assumPtion

,.9 @..y
o Venal politicians
Venial 1
Pardonable offence . De:'.-
:r--'/ r Like stealing a restaurant menu card H:;,
is a venial offence Pi'. -

'Snide
Snicker Laugh with contempt-
Sneer Laugh with contempt
Scoff Laugh with contempt
Denigrate Mock
.Indisnation )
*,--r--l_
r He could hardlY contain his
I inaignation after the insults
Sardonic Sarcastic; mocking
Facetious Sarcastic
Affront Takc oflense - I

o I took affront to his comments


I

Ribald Offensive
o The ribald songs offended the prudish
listeners in the gallerY
o The ribald comments

Plaintive Sad; longing; Pining


Plangent
. we heard the plangent sounds ofhis
guitar through the door
Pine Sad; longing
Repine Sad; longing
Wisttul
Yen Pine for something
Lugubrious Sad: longing: Ptnmg

Page 50 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judiciai Services Exam

o The lugublious atmosphere at the


funeral
Lachr;rmose Sad; longing; pining;
. The lachrynose atmosphere at the
funerai
. I say - evoking crying

-Derivative Clich6 ; Copied work; lacking originality


Hackneyed Clich6; everyday; commonplace; boring
Plebian Clich6; everyday; commonplace; boring
. Mozzy told Neal he was aware of the
plebeian interpretat ion

FH@ :ru
a''
rB
Platitudes Ciich6; everyday; commonplace; boring
r The company gave the usual platitude
of compliments to him on retirement
Bromides Clich6; everyday; commonplace; boring
. Vivia Chen of Careerist commented
that the firms usually give bromides
in the Annual employee C-'hristmas
letter
Quotidian Clich6; everyday; commonplace; boring
Banal C1ich6; everyday; commonplace; boring
. Sita Smitten said that the viewers
lived a banal existence

Vapid Clich6; everyday; commonplace; boring


. Vapid conversation
Prosaic Clich6; everyday; commonplace; boring
Humdrum Boring, monotonous
o He was tired of his humdrum
existence

Gasconade Boastful talk; lemonade full of gas

Page 51 of248
ASAP Lawru English
br ludicial Sen'ices Exam
r-
l_
L-
I care

ShowY but worthless


. trumpery jewellery
ComPlete
r What arrant nonsensel

C:.:
HaughtY
: i did not like his overweening

HaughtY
rG
Supercilious doesn't
o Her supercilious behaviour
win anY friends
{-.
I

all cool
PT,:
frirritlo"gt' exdited about the
.
tr", ri. ffiu all blas6 in front
of her
I
vIC
S*ill g*"P of armed men
ffiarng Pt"ce for the ioot
CompUAaa"t trivialities
. Oon't cavil on smal1 details

Frffi ltess ;operlness ; candid


-
the
o He candor oPinion regarding

Frank
Aishwarya
r A candid interview with

ir.;<pftilt"; Pttternatural

Page 52 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exarr

. He had an uncanny ability to always


griess the winner of the match

Careen To sway side to side


. The car careened awav after the
accident
Veer To go ail.ay &om the set path
. The train veered offits path
Hurtle To crash towards
n The uncontrolled train hurtled
tornards the barricades, meant to stop
it
Cataclysm A major epochal event
o The French revolution was a major
cataclysm
Cavalcade A iarge marching band
o The cavalcade along rvith the
Minister
Catechism Instruction based on questions and answers
Cataract
. The Niagara falls is an example of
one of the world largest cataracts

Callous Crude
e His callous approach towards the
patients suffering
Callow Inexperienced
===- . He made a lot of mistakes in his
callow youth

Clime Climate r

Credo creed
Ctimacttc Pertaining to tle climax
e Once the book reached the climactic
_i portion, she just couldn,t put it down.

Censodcus Critical attitude

Page 53 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

His censorious attitude about


everyahing
Rigid and inflexible
r His doctrinaire attitude on even the
tiniest of issues irked his classmates

Swiftness
r We were surPrised at the celeritY
with which she remarried
In equality proPortions
' o Your reward will be commensurate to
you effort
Servile
r He followed the King's orders
complaisantlY
Friendly; relaxed; haPPY
. The convivial atmosPhere at the
reunion.
GAf"r .qa! to foqn one whole;
Sheldon was very uncomfortable
when his theory just wouldn't
coalesce
To solidifr by or as ifbY freezing
o When Sheldon worked in the
Cheesecake factorY he offered
someone a Plate of old left over
congealed tacos
Emergency meeting;
.
The meeting rvas convoked to discuss
the emergencY
A meEh"E t";t""uha leader of a grouP
To contradict
o
He controverted the testimony with
his alibi
Sornmilgth iiarnot be contradicted

Page 54 of248
- ASAP La*rM English lbr Judicial Seruices Exam

o I have incontrovertible proofof


match fixing in the form of a sting
operation footage and Phone taPs
Congruence In agreement
. They were in congmence about the
way of execution of the business
In maths - the state of two things being similar
or identical
. Congruent triangles
Credulous Some who gives credence easily; gullible
. She was normal incredulous but this
time she made an excePtion and Paid
for it
Concomitant Occuring at the same time
r jealousy is concomitant with iove
Accompanying
o As land became a more attractivc
investment the concomitant Price
rises lollowed
Noncommittal Refusing tb commit
Continence Control over self; especiallyin sexual
connotation; celibacy
. She vowed to live a life of continence
Compunction Misgivings

Casuistry Sophistry
o Critics of casuistry focus on its
specious argumentation as
intentionally misleading.
Crotchety Weird, whimsical
o Crotcl.rety idea
o Usage notes- Old French crochet,
literally: little hook
Chicanery Deception by trickery or sophistry.
Stodgy Conservative
. His old {bshioned stodgy views

Cynoswe Center of attention

Page 55 of248
ASAP LavyrNl English tbr Judicial Services Exam

r She was the cynosure of ail the eyes


in the party
Consofi Escort; hobnob with someone
. He was consorting with the wrong
crowd

Truckle To be servile to wife


Chorlle Small laughter; chuckle
. She chorlled with joy knowing that
her rival was jailed for ernbezzlement
Hurtle To crash towards
e The uncontrolled train hurtled
towards the barricades, meant to stop
it

Piffle Talk nonsense


Frattle Talk nonsense
Prate Talk nonsense
Rabble Lower gentry
Babble Talk nonsense
Bauble Worlhless trinkets
Waffle Talk nonsense
Warble Talk nonsense
Twaddle Talk nonsense
Garble To mix up, confused
o The messages that were incoming
were all garbled up

Namby pamby Childish


. He irritated everyone with his Namby
- pamby behaviour ' l-i
Shilly Sha11y
t-
Waste time, procrastinate
II
L_
Dilly daliy Waste time, procrastinate
Ir
Temporize Dilatory tactics; procrastinate; to temporarily
agree to gain time
. Oh, JC, you temporise too much, you
risk being seen as a cowardr.

Fa-ee 56 t;i'248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Eram

o Usage notes- Temporize comes fiom


the Middle French word tempodser.
meaning "to pass one's time, wait
one's time."

Grate To get on someone's nerves


. The children were gl'ating my nerves
Prate Talk nonsense
Rankie Rother someone

Arurotation Comments
Connotation Secondary meaning; sub text
Denotation Definition

Magniloquent Mag'nifi cent eloquence i.e. Bombastic, stiited


Colloquial ln common parlance or inlbrmal way of
speaking
Colloquium Academic conference: informal conference
Ailocution A fomal and authoritative speech
Fllocution 'lhe art of clear public speaking
Circun.rlocution Beating around the bush when doing eiocution

Rostrum The platfonn where one stands and does public


speaking
Rotund Fortly
Rotunda A circular building, especially one u,ith a dome

Slnoptic Like a synopsis; i.e. Summarising


r F{is slmoptic notes were very much in
demand
S,.rpposrticn An assumption; act of supposiag
Ramiiy tr'o sLrhject divide into bratches
R.atiocination Come to a conclusion by deduction
r Sherlock Holmes was famous for
solving crimes byhis amazing
ratiocination skills
Racr;nteur Story teller

Page 57 of248
Exam
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services

;-htt **"1"* tk lls were very much


in demand in the book reading
sessions in the local children's library
t'
ne-ng to aialogue and debate
o he had mad dialectical skills
iltingtodebatebutvery'.hetoricand
bombastic
o he was an ardent debater who had
"bom to be Polemical T shirt"
@artofthe
rhetoric
o In the exordium the speaker ought to
laY out the manner in which he is
going to proceed e'g', light-heartedly

Exaggerated wnttng ot ttr_._-

M-onol,ogue by dqlay charagLer

f-Gt m.* in a drama


"ttG "ttaracters
+{co, Chc llo5ol 6,*btt+

-bombasric

E6mty totafid may shaPes and tYPes;


versatile
o He was a Protean actor
rffifremo,v"rvslnoilartorealitY
o She vowed the critics bY the
verisimilitude of her perfonnance as

T" e-Pre.s extra emotions


"ct=o
r The actress emoted for aii she was
wofih.

Page 58 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Indite To note down


. Indite a joumal entry
. RTM is based on ubiquitous
inditation

Pithy Brief
Terse Brief
Laconic Brief
Sententious Brief
. he had a very sententious writing
Mordant Tncisive
o His mordant writing
. An inquisitor's mordant questioning.
Trenchant Incisive
r he was famous for his trenchant
writing
Acuity Incisiveness; sharpness of mind
Alacrity Speed; quickness; briskness

Cursive Flowing
. Cursive handwriting
Discursive Beating about the bush; rambling
. Tom always made very discursive
remarks in the lecture
Desultory Disconnected, rambling
o Desultoryconversation
o Now also women largely onlY do the
desultory tasks ofdrafting and
researching on law Points.
Voluble Verbose
Erratum Corrigendum
Emend Edit; Make scholarly correction
. Emend the manuscript
o Emend a faulty text.
Excise To censor
Exscind Edit; Excise

Page 59 of248
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e The exscinded portions of the


testimony
Recension Edit; N,{ake scholarly correction
. Usage notes- The term is derived
lrom Latin recensio "review.
analysis".
7&xpiate N{ake amends
. He tried to expiate for his sins
Frontispiece tr)ecorative illustration facin-e a book's title
page

;Prologue The starling text in a novel


lpilogue The ending text in a novel
/relude @!
o It served as a prelude for bigger
things to come
lrterlude Intermission in a play
. "We w-ill begin after a short music
interlude!"

Anti-ciimax A disappointing end


r Anti-climax ola brilliant career.
Climactic Pertaining to the climax
r Once the book reached the climactic
portion, she just couldn't put it down.
Subscript for example CeHrz0r
Suirerscript yo
N,larrrscript Draft of a document submitted before
publication
Archetype Protofype

Fage 6{} of248


ASAP LarvrM English for Judicial Services Exam

the book is a perfect archetlpe ofthe

Reply
neUuttat to a rebuttal
Proposals or making move on sotneone
o She did not respond to iris overtures
of f iendshiP
Hints: Additional meaning
o There were overtones ofdiscontent in
his sPeech
o Usage notes- In physics, an overtone
is anY lrequencY higher than the
fundamental fiequencY of a sound'

Indertones
Her speech had slightlY sinister
undertones.
Usage notes- trn PhYsics, an
unclertone is anY fiequencY lower
than the fundamental llequency of a
sound.

Ar"c*r@toryline n'h11 a character


suddenly understands something
o One of the finest occurs tn
SoPhocles' OediPus Rex when a
messenger reveals to Oedipus his true
birth, and OediPus recognizes his
wife Jocasta as his mother, the man
he slew at the crossroads as his
father, and himself as the unnatural
sinner
Redundancy
e black dartness
Omission of words from a text
r Due to serial ellipsis. his writing
su flered greatl5
o I say - basically mistakes in writing
A comic misuse of words

Page 6l of248
ASAP LalraM English for Judicial Services Exam

. U" like an "allegory'' from the Nile


(used allegory instead ofan alligator)

Solecism Vertbaa;.a;m"t1c"1 mistakes in sentence


construction
Taut Tight; on schedule
o The caPtain alwaYs ran a taut shiP
Tautology Repetitive
o Black darkness
Tautological Repetitive
Black darkness
W Basic tenets ofsocietY
Ihe senttment"l Part of a novel
fthos
o The quiet tone of pathos sometimes
degenerated into maudlin
Pensive A very emotional work
o The pensive letters bY Romeo
showed how much he longed Juliet
Vtry emotion evoking
/oignant
.. A poigRant story of overcoming the
: odds duringtheaPartheid era
Picaresque Relat*g fitlffia1n novels

Argot Slang or dialect


o thieves'argot
Patois Dialect
o Jamaican Patois
Fresco @ngtooutsidelikeal
ftesco dining or al fresco photography
Mural A wall painting
Pastiche A cut copy Pastejob
Circumlocution Beati-ng
arouncl the bush when doing elocution'

Circumscribe fo timit narrowlY; restrict


. The Professor told the student to
circumscribe the scope of his thesis
Circumvent Find a way around; overcome
o How do we circumvent these
provisions

Page 62 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Defray Reimburse
. The firm defrayed his student loans
Disburse To pay out the funds
r His job was to disburse the NHRM
funds
: e When you disburse the company
money do get a recciPt.
i Deign Stoop to lower lever
l
. The fashion designer would not deign
down and talk to the seamstress
o Don't deign to his 1evel
Dint Hard work
r By the dint of his hard work he was
able to overcome the hardshiPs

Feign Pretend
: o He was feigning injury
Feint A trick; decoy; A feigned attack calculated to
divert attention from one's real purpose.
Pretext Excuse
Pretense Excuse; a pretext
. under false pretenses
Precept General rules for action and thought
o a rule or principle for action
. Gandhi's precepts about Satygrahas

Purport Ostensibly appear


o the legislation was purported to be
for the masses but the true end was
something else
Putative Kehne ke iiye; ostensible; just for show
o the putative father
o putative reasons for the biackout

Au Fait A person cognizant ofthe latest fashion


Faddish Relating to a fad; fashionable

Page 63 of248
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a. ASAP LawrM English fbr Judicial Services Exam

Fop Particuiar person obsessed with the latest


r
,. fashion
Natty Sharp dresser
Preen Make oneself priru and proper
. She preened in liont of the mirror for
hours on end
Primp Make oneself prim and prooer
. She primped in Aont of the mirror for
hours on end
Rainrenl. Clothes
r His raiment were always very fancy
Aray Draw up something
. His actions arrayed a 1ot of
resentment towards him
Adorn yourself with fancy clothes etc
r I-Iis mother always arrayed herself in
the finest silk before the parlies
Lascivious Having sex in rnin<l
Salaciotis Having sex in mind
Tempestuous Passiotate'
Prurient Having sex in mind
Bacchanalian Drunk
r Bacchanalian orgies
Wanton Licentious
Licentious Opposite of celibate
Liberline Licentious person
Incontinence Lack of control over self; especially in sexual
connotation; licentious behaviour
r She vowed to give up the life of
incontinence.
Lecliery Debauchery
. He lived a life of iechery and
debauchery
Dissoiute Lacking moral restraint; indulging in sensual
pieasures or vices
r Dissolute tendencies
Reprobate Morally conupt

Page 64 of248
ASAP LawrNI English for.ludicial Sen'ices Exam

. i* **
known for his reProbate
sonality
pe1

Hedonist Someone interested only m Pleas


Epicure Person concemed wlth the nner mlngs
like food and wine
Sybarite Someone who in interested only m lrxury
Gourmand Lover offood
Gourmet Lover offood
Connoisseur Expert in something

Subterfuge A trick
Artifice A trick
Inveigle To trick someone
r the salesman used to inveigled
customers into sPending more

Wheedle Trick someone


. he wheedled me out of mY moneY

Muleta A trick
o The short red caPe susPended from
a

t otlo* staff' used bY a matador to


maneuver a bull

Casuistry S.plrttt y
ai Critics of casuistry focus on its
specious argumentation as
intentionaliY misleading.
Chicanery Decepttd by trickery or sophistry'
Cozerr
c The consent rnan cozened him out of
his jewels

cutt d--
Crcdutous-
c I am incredulous but made an
,,riunlrllil/lil/lllil

exercise this time, and got duPed'


l*t"d"Lt* Some who doesn't gives creciencc easily" not
gullible
e Sire was normal incredulous but this
time she made an exception and paid
uil|l

Page 65 of248
Judicral Services Exam
ASAP LarvtNI English for

Ingenious Brilliant

r He was a clean hearted ingenuous


boy
r Usage notes-from ingenuity
Disingenuous 6ffi; lacking ingenuttY
o That disingenuous wretchl
o He ahvaYs had this Disingenuous
aura around him
o Usage notes-flom ingenuity'

Th-_--e
qualiry ofbeing artless
IngenuitY
Ing6nue An afiless Person

PecuniarY Reiating to money


Foilpetso"; not having money

Quifry ofUeing fiugut


o A thrift store
<'rrasterul tnrgz
QualitY of not berng
o 1 saY - someonelho lacks thrift
W astef.rt
Spendthrift and
o Mac said her father worid thelk
everl'thing in the
Ptl.. of of
"rtifr. if she was some sort
;;;il"t

NiggardlY=- StingY

Skrnfrrrt I Stingy
Tightwad StingY

Parsimonious I Stingy
Scared

,ot oti. drink taken to sttmulare


urc
I
,+o hefnre a meal I

t drunk

Page 66 of248

t'
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Sen'ices Exam

I Sot Drunkard

.l __.1

'l I

I Toper
Dipsomaniac
Drunkard
Obsessed with drinking

j Nouveau rich

Parvenu
Someone recently rich but still lacking
sophistication
Someone recently rich but still lacking
I sophistication
l Posew A pretend sophisticated person
Malingerer Someone who feigns illness to escape work
. He u,as a known malingered in office
Mendacious Lying; not truthful
= ...-... He,was-a m9.Ir&cio1r5ehap, so stay
-.-,.-
- rpprav fom him
i .--
meadaciouspropaganda

,l
__l
=
politicians issuing mendacious claims
and counter-claitns

,.l
.l
,. .O_]
Mendicant

riR
beggar, , tramp, vagrant, vagabond, cadger;

_@*ft_
E !F"
rry .t ;?
ll ErE. -FP
.,'..*
f
---l '#^t tr#-
l Mountebank
e

@*edi.i,.'es
tJsage notes-frorn meadicalrc)'

---i l . Italian montambanco a climber on a

'i--l
bench, standing a bit higlier than the
cro*,d enabled people to hear his
__ sales pitcli and see the potions and _

-
Page 67 af248
ASAP LauilrI Englistr for Judicial Services Exam

@dweremedical
cures that never failed

Wiseacre
wisdom or knowledge, regarded with scorn or
irritation by others
r Sheldon PlaYed a wiseacre in BBT

Obscurant so*-*o"oppqsed to intellectual progress

Vulgarian A vulgar person; Parvenu


Gadfly In irritating person
o He initated everyone bY being a
gadflY

Knave Untrustwoilhy Person


. He was a knave Politician

Lout A clumsy Person


c The new deliverY boY in one clumsY
lout
Lummox Clumsy person
Flummox To confusel PerPlex.
c That riddle flummoxed mel
Earthy u^"pmt."ta, coarse. unrefined
o His eafihy remarks about Jack's wife
shows his lack of soPhistication

c*ff-@unrefined
I ' t{e was a hillY billY with gruff
' *unnt"
Gaucherie @ed;thequalitY
ofbeing gauche
Boor mo
Surly Unsophisticated; Coarse, unreilneo
Burly Hairy, manlY
Guffaw Boisterous iaughter
Jaunty Light manner
o Jaunty comments were taken wrongly
b-v the PeoPle

Jocose Relating to hr.rnour, *'rokiJ'q ]rBI h'*!q


Jocund Jocular

Page 68 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam
.--::l
Waggish Jocular; jovial humour; mischievous
im of Faddish Relating to a fad; fashionable
DIN OT

Badinage Friendly banter/ Talk to irritate someone


BBT o He got iritated at the badinage about
his wife
Bandy Friendly banter

I-aggard A person who lags behind, procrastinator


Sluggard Lazy person
Haggard Tired; thin; rvasted arvay;
r His haggard appearance after the
illness
. Rubal said that I looked like a
: - . _111SY haggard salesman after the MUN

Gaunt Thin
r He was surprisingly gaunt in
ap?earance after leing a lot of
ureighrdue to fuer.

,,,. . $ ife Hoarv Go white with age


o His head became hoary with age

Thickset Wide in shoulders and chest but overall short


r A thickset young man appeareci in
- ;.rality the doorway
Por1ly Short and fat
Girth The measurement around the middle of
something, esp. a fat person's waist.
Corpulent Fat

Discreet Handled tacttully


Discrete Disparate; separate from each other
o The process seen as a sequence of
discrete phases
Disparate Loosely connected

Page 69 of248
:]

t
it'.
i ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Sen'ices Exam

{ o Scientists are trying to pull together


::
disparate ideas.
o The course wasjust a disParate
collection of a few joumal articles
:
. The board ofthe companywas very
l disparate - no two members &om the
same social or economic background.
Descant Discuss in full detail
l
o He was willing to descant any topic
under the sun
Descry To catch sight of something
o We were able to descrY enemY shiPs
on the horizon
Espy To catch sight of something
r To catch sight of
o Usage notes-it is the base word for
espionage
Decry To deny
.;=.:-.
c _=;.: TbSv dgnp_hlg tltgories
Eddy Wht$so! liquid movingin a circular way
. The blood eddied arormd when he
was murdered

Gouge Tear eyes out


. The eagle gouged the eyes ofthe prey
out
. The gouging interest rates almost
brought us to bankruPtcY
Gorge Eat a lot
Disgorge Vomit out
Divestiture Disinvestment
. The divestiture of the comPanY
brought a lot of moneY
o As opposed to investirure

Demur Object
o He filed a demur against the civil suit

Page 70 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Serviccs Exam

Demurrer Motion for objections


o The case against PG&E was met with
88 dernur:rers
Demure Shy person
Tacitum Shy person
Reticent Shy person
Diffidence Shy person

Disabuse To remove the wrong impression from


someone's mind
.Let me disabuse you olanY ideas of
entitlement if You have anY.
Disavowal -o deny any existence of and leave hung out to
dry
. Agent Ethan hunt was disavowed bY
the IMF after the Kremiin bombing

Disaffected Disloyal
r The anny became disaffected under
the ner.t Ceneral
'in
Discombobulated @t$$*,"e I;r.i!,:!
" . He was discombobulated after being
hit in the head
Discount To ignore
r Don't discount his oPinion
Despoil Plunder
o Mohd. Ghazni's armY desPoiled our
temples

l Depredation To plunder
r After the dePredation there was
nothing left in the village
:
Decrepit Run down old place
. The decrepit house
Trepidation Fearfulness

Dilettante An Amateur; dabbler


r He was a dilettante PhotograPher
Tyro A neophyte

PageTl of248
,:,

Exam
ASAP LalrirM English for Judic:ial Senices

@e;brilliant;
@ance;brilliant;
Iridescent

Sweet sounding
TransParent
o We could see through the diaphanous

Nice sounding
Mellifluous ffice sounding
o Italian is a very mellifluous language

D6*t.d; V*Y sad; in doldrums


r:'',' t{e'wai.ilr t doitirous mood
Foul Smelling
Foul smelling
iltn nt" of frolic
Adventurous
. Nancy Drelv had a very venturesome
spirit, always going out in the woods

Full ofpure character


Attractive Personalltyl a \

A[hony/APhonia Loss ofvoice

Flocculent fiarrirrg a woollY appearance


o A flocculent PreciPitate
o I say like a flocculent sheep

-ersonaiiry
Page72 of248
Services Exam
ASAP Law{M English for Judicial

.- ,q bulmY breeze in a cool summer

f -storm-;emotionaloutburst
on
o The shiP had to face a maelstrom
the waY back from fishing

o The wind was blustering verY


hard

Inclement Stormy unkind


o The inclement weather stoPPed us

willtul
o He had it with his wilful wife!

Wisttu1

Sink
. g".urte of *t" strucrural defects' the
't-itunic fourtderid to the bottom of

T" fast
-06"l""g."allY
To sink
o The boat scuttled in Pond
T" *"r. reallY fast
"1""g
o The rabbit scurried in the Park
Evoking disgust
o A scurvY ofPaPatazzi

Scurrilous Offensive
. The scurrilous remarks

l I
@mannequiflsin
lnuseums to show natural historY
I
o
the famous dioramas of the
I

L
Smithsonian museum in Washington
I

D..ttoY tt . trees, leaves


I

Page73 of248
ASAP LawrM English tbr Judicial Services Exam

r ln Vietnam the Amryused many


chemical agents to defoliate tlie
woodlands

Dirge The sombre music at a funeral or procession


Requiem The son.rbre music at a funeral or procession
o Requiem for a dream

Certitude Quality of being certain


r Do you know that for certifude
Quiefude Quality of being calm and quiet
Disquietude Quality of not being cairn and quite;
uneasiness
Plenitude Quality of being plenty
o 'lhe plenitr"rde of food
surprised us

In cognito In disguise
Dissuade To persuade not to do something
o The partner in Boston legal asked
that was the other parlner able to
dissuade the clienr lrom hiring a
private detective
Dissemble Disguise
o He tried to dissemble his motives but
we all knew the truth
Dissimulate In disguise
. He tried his best to dissimulate his
true lbelings but they were apparent
Dissimulation To disguise
. In war, practice dissimulation, and
you will succeed.

Hubbub Clamonr
o The hubbub ofthe pub
Blithe Merriment
Mirth Merriment; laughter
Reverie Merrirnent

Page 74 of248
I
ASAP Lawrlr English for Judicial Services Exam

I We all made reverie in the Pubiic


after the match
Gaiety Merriment; cel ebration
Guffaw BotstetoN la
---l
r--.
Bedlam Chaos; pandemonium
Obstreperous Noisy
r Obstreperous children, would make a

--l lot of noise and disturb the whole

I
____l
Convivial

Clamber
-Fri

Crawl
endl
o
y;
restaurant
re I axed , haPPY

The convivial atmosPhere at the


reunion.

l o Private HuxleY clambered uP the

_il Clamour
obstacle wall
Loud, Noise of a Pub etc
Clangour Clamour
- I Raucous Very loud
Vacuous "'
.7= ff==2=.ffitta@S@@e mockery of
herself in the interview bY her
-gig4=vaq.ur4@E vacuous comments on the Iraq War

Jaunt Short triP


Saunter Stroll
Sojourn Brref t"p
Gambol @rethere
o They were gambolling in the Park

Insouciant Carefree
r He worked u'ith insouciant disregard
for convention'
Flippant Jolly, informal, carefiee
Peripatetic
Peregrination A trip around somer.l'here
Perambulate ffi

Page 75 of248
t,'
al

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ASAI'] Lawra{ English for Judicial Sen'ices Exam

If you are done with Your


perambulations maybe we can get to
work
Usage notes- perambulator, a mainly
Britislt term lor a baby carriage or
stroller. which is shortened to the
more familiar Pram.

Illicit Illegal
r He used to sel1 illicit liquor
Elicit Get a response
o He elicited a response from the
witness

Effectual HrFg effect on something


o He had very effectual lectures the
audience
Emollient Balm
a He applied emollient to his wounds

Salve MA to soothe the head or


bodv

Engender Beget
r He engendered 2 kids in his first
marriage

Epicure ffingsinlife
like food and u'ine
Episodic Sporadic

Obviate Remove the need


. This donation will obviate any nccd
for further contributions

Page 76 of248
Exam
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Sen'ices

Anesthetize
o He oPiated her with chloroform
befoie doing the makeshift surgery
go.-*dletir", temove the bad Parts
e He exPurgated the book ofall the

-apable of being eaten


r The food was so bad that it was not

Capable ofbeing felt


Palpitate Beat reallY fast
r His heart was PalPitating
Palliate ilolessenthepain
o ln cancer more work needs to be
done in Palliative care

To msh into somethhg


. I jumped headlong into oncomlng
traffia just to get his autograPh
Feckless @outanYthing;
o The young man was feckless and
irresponsible.

eillff or a bad situation

Precipitous Steep
a It was a preciPitous climb
Rash
a I did not want to resign in a
nrecioitous manner

Preeipitate 1b cause ot'cotle out to be


c The increased taxes finallY
precipitated the downfall of the
regime
Rash
o I did not want to resign in a

i| PrcciPttate nlanner

--
Page77 of248
,l ,

ASAP LarvrM English for Judicial


Sen ices Exam

t'"r.ept@
r He is a percipient inspector, nothing
escapes his eyes

lercipient@
r To exhibit perspicacious judgment.
easity ui,ierstood
o Perspicuous prose.
o Perspicuous lecture
tuciains@
EE=to@=:rffi
e-==@!u@.r13
pretemahual ability to remember
all
the words in a dictionary

o in his youth he had to face many


_hardships and privation
Anorganized,p@
. The Sikhpogrom of19g4

r A lot ofeffort. was recuired to


extrude thcse elements out ofthe
,

society

. Sl" did not to obtrude so she dicl


not
---'
give any advice to Jill about
parenting skills
h;.
_
To obstruil

Fage 78 of24t
Exan.t
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services

- . Xr. bl""d.lot occluded the flow of


blood to the brain
Occident
o I have seen most of the occident
countries

Obt r.. Stupid


r He is the most obtuse person and has
no iclea what he is doing in office
Abtt** Very tough text
. Some random abstluse and esoteric
journal article
Obstreperous Noisy
o What do You do when a grouP of
obstreperous policemen go through
your hotel crashing into potted plants
and singing wlgar songs

Obtrusive
I . The mother in lau was being
I ofrtrusive giving unsolicited adrice
I on babY raising to Jill

Obsequious I Glib; fawning: servrle


.[
Odium ffot .a; base word lor odious
I

i . His odium towards him was manifest

Omnificient I t lnlimited in creatire Power


Officious Meddlesome
o The officious salesman kept pestering
her with "he1pful" tips and just drove
her out ofthe store

Sol,c,to.s i Concemed
I ' The emPloYer was genuinclY
I emPloYee heaith
,hftrrt the emnlovee
solicitoris about
"^ti.ii^;rc
as replacements were hard to get

Very tougii io understand


Some random abstntsc and esoteric
letstruse
I I aJtlurtr
Journal I

Page79 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Sen ices Exam

. Philology (study oflanguage) is a


very recondite subject
Esoteric From very obscure sources
Arcane Archaic: tough to understand text

Fastidious Unnecessarily be into details


Faciie Easily accomplishable; superficiil
'-----
o A facile ans\\,,er for a very cornplex
questioll
Fatuos Stupid; inane
. Thank you for the fafuous rernarks
Fractious Belligerent
Feckless Rash;Notgiu"a@
r The young man was feckless and
irresponsible.

Fealty Allegiance
Filial 3lufi"g to son or daughter

Judas Traitor
o Usage notes- He is inlamouslv
known for his kiss and betrayal of
Jesus to the hands ofthe chief
Sanhedrin priests in exchange for a
pa)4nent of thirty silver coins.
Perfidy Treachery

Disaffection Disloyalty
Foment Instigate
Fennent Chaos; strike; mr.rtily
. During the revolutions, Europe was
in a state of ferment
Insubordination Mutinv
tnsuffectl0n Mutinv
P..nOious Treacherous. disloval

Quell o iessen rn tlegrec; extinguished

Page 8S of248
ASAP Lawr\{ English tbr Judicial Services Eran-t

. The), quelled the revolt u'ith a heary


hand
Scotch To stop in its tracks
. The.v were able to scotch the revolt

Fervent Passionate: ardent


Fervid Passionate; ardent

il
:1.1
=
Fervor

Ephemeral

Ethereal
Evanescent
Passionatel ardent

Lasting for a verY shorl time:


o tashions are ePhemeral
Highly refined; delicate.
Vanishing like vapour

I I
Intenlinabie
Sempitemal
Endless
Endless

Gentility Noble people


Genteel Noble people tyPe charac.ter
=
I

Gentry Noble people


Patrician Noble people qualitY
. The people were verY imPressed bY
his patrician qualities qualifications

Seminal Relating to semen; begetttng many more


r His work in radiation field was
seminal
Germinal nelatirA to gemination; spreading fast
o His work on monopoles was geminal
and it caught manY interested
researchers

Hibernal Relating to hibemation


. The bears tcxlk their hibemai sleep in
the rnonth of October

\{nemonic e aeli." ut.a to leam up n'ords byusing first


alphabets

Page 81 of248
ASAP Lau'rM English for Judicial Sen'ices Exam
:L
Pneumonic Relating to lungs and Pneumonia
l-tr . -
. pneumonic plague
Phonetics Relating to speech of sound
o phonetic spelling

-1.

Alimentary netuti,.,g to the aiimentaly canal i'e. Digestive


system
Pulmonary Relating to lungs
o pulmonarytuberculosis
Ocular Relating to the eYe
Oracular Relating to an oracle
Gustatory Relating to taste
Olfactory Relating to nose and smeil
o a wine taster must have keen
olfactorY sense
Tactile Relating to touch
Refractory Stubborn
Hilarity Relating to laughter

Proietariat Working class


o This is a fascinating list because it's
one of the few places where elite law
school students mingle with their far
rtore Proletariat counterpafis.
Bourgeois Capitalist who exploits the Proletariat

Pugnacious Fighting; Like a pugilist


Fractious Beliigerent
Bellicose Belligerent
Truculent Belligerent
Tendentious Partisan
o Tendentious account ofthe recent
elections.

Prodigy Genius
Prodigal Wasteful: careless
o The prodigal son retums

Page 82 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Prodigality Wastefulness
Profligacy Wastefulness
o Mani Shankar Aiyer always warned
about the profligacy ofthe
Commonwealth games.
Profligate Wasteful
Proselyte New convert to a religion
Proliferate To spread
o Nuclearproliferation

Contrite Repentant
Penitent Repentant

Pert Impudent
. The professor demanded an apology
from the student for the pert
behaviour in class
Pertinacious Stubborn
Impenitent Unrepentant
Impertinent Insolence

it's Martinet Strict disciplinarian


: law Impudent Insolent
r far Diffidence Shy person
Ef&ontery Impudent behaviour
Affront Take offense
o I took affront to his comments
Peccadillo Take offense
o Jack committed a peccadillo by
criticizing Jill's new house in front of
guests

Recalcitrance Stubborn
Refractory Stubborn
Intransigence Stubborn
wi11tu1 Stubborn
o He had it with his willtul wife!
Pertinacious Stubbom

Page 83 of248
-{SAP La'*r\r English lbr.ludicial Sen'ices Exam

lntractable Stubbom:
r An intractable disposition.
Hard to treat, relieve, or cure:
o Intractable pain in his leg.
. The econorny still faces intractable
problen.rs.
Etynology - Latin from in- ("not") + tracto
("take in hand, handle, manage
Inexorable Stubbom
. Cynthia was inexorable; she rvould
just not listen to her husband
Etynology - Latin inexorabilis, fi-om in-
("not") + exorare ("to move by entreaty

Lnpolitic Unwise; not prudent


Pontificate Trying to give experl opinion as ifbetter than
others
. Once the pundits were through
pontificating, the players proved
them wrong and won the league
Sanctimonious Hypocritical bull shit
o Since he was a known phiianderer, no
one listened to his sanctimonious
scrrnons aboul rnarriage
Perfunctorv Superficial
Punctilious Unnecessary attention to detail
Quintessential The perfect example of something
o The quintessential tough guy

Philander Promiscuous man


Philistine Idiot; uncuitured

Personable A friendly likable person


. This position requires a personable
guy as he wiil represent us before the
public
Winsome Attractive personality

Page 84 of248
ASAP Lau{M English lbt.Iudicial Sen'ices Exam

Pliant Amenable to reasonrng


Pliable A manageable situation

Pan To criticise harshly


o The move was panned bythe critics I

Pander Cater to the crowds


o the
After the failure of the last film, I

the
director decided to pander to I

crowds and rnake a masaia flick


Jr( II

Pore To go through books thoroughlY


o Lle pored over books for hours on enci

Paroxysm Fit of rage I

When he heard about his son's deeds,,1

Peccadillo
.
he went into a paroxysm
Take oflense
.lack comrnitted a peccadilio by
I
of
criticizing Jitr1's new house in front

Percussic'rtr That which requires beatrng


. Dnr-ms are an example of percussion
insffuments
Prehensile Capable of grasping
o I\.'lonkeys and chameleons have a
prehensile tale
I

impel Drive
a He rryas impeileei to act by his

Not treing piolrs L)r reverential


Rash
Fersistent, demanding
. Imporhmatecreditors.
inoppofiune
o It rvas inoppornme moment to talk to
I trim so I decided not to. I

rt
Proffact I Unnecessariiy lengthy I

Fage E5 of248

ry
ASAP LawrM Engtish for Judicial Services Exam

o Protracted arguments
Inordinate Too much time
o Ladies take inordinate amount of
time to dress uP

Inextricable Not capable of berng freed or solved


. The problem with the economy was
inextricable
Execrable Er.e*etyEffior; very bad
o An execrable meal.
Excoriate to nay; to criticise severelY
o
The film got excoriating remarks
Inexplicable Somethtnfihlcl, c"nnot be explicated or
explained

Inscrutable Som cannot be scrutinised or


understood
o JM LYngdoh is a very inscrutable
@4
. m. .*t"ott ofdre Package were as
inscrutable as ever.
Insensible llrat rhict, cmnot be sensed
r Sherry was insensible to any sort of
public embarrassment'
Insuperable lnsurmountable
o Ln GeneralZod, supennan finally met
an insuPerable obstacle
Unctuous Oily; sly: glib; insincerelY suave
Ftertemporal B"t g"nerattons; Describing any
^,e€r,
relationship between past, present and future
events or conditions.
Iniquitous Not doing equity, unfair
o The iniquitous intention to steal
money from the Poor ln the Ponzi
scheme
lnquisitor S otae on-e-tro does i"que-tiinves ti ga tor

Interloper Intruder

Page 86 of248
Exam
ASAP LawtM English for Judicial Services
--- . nt. -taloper camethrough the back
wa11

Inviolable
o The inviolable oath of marriage
Invidious Vitriolic
r The invidious remarks
Entrenched
o The father entrenched good habits in
he children
. Japan's entrenched business practices

Inveterate H"bit .t; r"g**.d; deeP-seated


o An inveterate drinker
o An invetcrate liar
Inure To get accustomed to sometnlng espeorally
undesirable
o Because of the TV, the children were
inured to violence
lnterlocutor Kind of arbitrator; mlddleman, a person wlL
takes part in a conversation
o An interlocutor is someone who
informallY exPlains the views of a
govemment and also can relaY
messages back to a govemment

Malleab1e coffi-oaule
of being made into sheets
Ductile Caoable ofbeing made into wires
Tensile G-pable of being stretched
Friable

Equable Steadv
. fquabl" behaviour in fiont of
adversitY

unflAp"H;
Peffous Like stonc. esp. in hardness; storl)
r Usage notes- Petrous portion of the
temPoral bone
I

Page 87 of248
ASAP Larvrll English ibr Judicial Sen'ices Exarn

Ineffable Th"t r.,hi.l, c"nnot be exprcssed in words, so

abstract that it cannot be put in lvords


r lne flable crilnes auainsl women
o InelTablejoy

Discombobulated Conflrsed state


o He',virs discombobulated after being
hit in the l-read
Nonplussed Confused
r David's erudite rematts 1eft JulY
nonPlussed
F'lummox
r That riddle flummoxed me!
--
Unexceptional Commonplace
U"e..eptio*b1. T That fot
which exception cannot be taken
I .
Unexceptionable standards ofthe
IL .
i'o*'
Usase notes- The confusion between
I u"eiceptionable andunexceptional is
i un.terstandable' since both derive
I f.om the noun excePtion'
I U"exceptionable takes its meaning
i ftom excePtion in the sense
I "objection," as in "take exception to""
I fiius unexceptionable is

| .o*n''endatorv, meaning "not open tc


i ,nY objection or criticisnt
I t Unexceptional, by contrast' is related
I to the adjective exccPtional
("outstanding, above average); thus
unexceptional generaliY has a
I I meanlng
negatlve meamng
somevrhat negative I

It Unversed
tlllvtllgu It Not
rrvr versed
lvrJvv I
I

I Unwary
Unwary | Not wary
l- o the tmwary travellers diC not knou'
I
I

the probleros coming their waY-

I Cleave fficleaver I

Page 88 of248
ASAP Las,lNr English for.ludicial Selvices Eram

Leaven To rise above


. The bread mix had leaven and was
ready in the oven
o Usage notes-rise to'"l.ards the heaven

Chary Cautious; suspicious


wary Cautious; suspicious
Leery Cautious; suspicious
o T was leery about having the juice
fi'om the street hau,ker
Bleary Unlbcused or filmy from slecp or tiredness.
r Bleary eyed man u'alking out of the
bar

Limber Flexibie; supple


o The ballet dancer had a very limber
physique
Lissome Flexible; suppie
Lithe Flexible; supple
. The baflet dancer had a verv lithe
::
phlsiqu6t"" ' :t ': ' '':

Indolent lazy
Languor Languid; lassitude; lazinessl lying aror-rnd here
and there
o His triends tried to shake him out of
his languor by taking him to parties
and movies
l-assitude I lalncss -
T'i"+l^c"
l'" y.'j'::"i,':T:::::::-:';*':.*'
Listiess I

List To be just lying somewhere


o Shejust list overhis shoulders
Loli To just lie around here and there
n The tourists were just iolling around
here and there in the waiting lounge
Luil A briefpause

Page 89 ot 248
ASAP Lauf,M English for Judicial Services Exam

r After the lull in the proceedings, we


got back to business
Torpor Lassitude, languor
Quiescent Lazy;lying around
. The quiescent tourists

Lackadaisical Superficial
o We were initated by his lackadaisical
approach
Perfunctory Superficial
Facile Eusiiy ac"o*plishable; superfi cial
o A facile answer for a very comPlex
question
Labile Constantly changing; unstable
r Children and their labile tastes
o A labile comPound

(Bruce Banner - we are not a team, we are a


labile chemical)
Largesse Large generous gift
. The famous cook insisted that the
feast must have the characteristics of
a largesse

Pedagogue Formal way of teaching; uPtight


Pedantic format way of tcaching: uPtight
Didactic Fr-rmalwayof teaching;uptight

Martinet Strict disciplinarian


Remiss Ivfistake; careless
Mischance Bad Luck

Page 90 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

o It was his mischance that he ran into


his boss's wife the daY he skiPPed
office
Missive Letter
r Romeo wrote beautiful missives to
his love Juliet
Repast Meai
r Usage notes- Latin rePdscere - re
means again a1d + Pascere to feed
like in Pasture (of animals)
Riposte Rejoinder
. He gave a clever riPoste.
o Usage notes- Fencing. a quick thrust
given
Jibe A taunt
Quip A taunting rePlY
Recast Cast again
r Let me recast my sentence in simpler
=:?=_--e..lgs*ag.9sq+?gy=gl.r,oanunderstand
il
Recant fo go back on one's words

Reparable C"pt61. b"Ct.p"Gd; oPPosite of


irreparable
"f
Reprise To play again
o RDJ reprised his role of the
I
billionaire PlaYboY in Iron Man 3

--! ri I

Rife Full of something


--
_] r The spofi was rifc with danger
Runic A cryptic symbol, Puzzie etc
I

Recompense Compensate
r Recotnpensed the victims of the

l
=
I

I
Redound
accident.
To add to a Person's rePutatlol.l
r iris latest achievement wiil redound
rePutation
-
Page 91 of248
Services Exam
ASAP LarvrM English for Judicial

Tu ti".rffice on ground
o Chaudhary reflised to Prostate
in
front of the Dean

To lie with ba"k ott g'ou'ltl


r Lie in such a waY that You are most
prone to attack i.e' Face uP
To ii. iruck on ground
Supine "'itt-t ke bal
o Lie on ground i'vhen failing sar

[*dl'ril i Lotler]
Pitfall Obstacies

Go"f t'"l,-'r*, good luck


r C)ur adventitious meeting in the
metro Provcd most uscful

Propitious Go.ffo.tune; good luck


. our propitious meeting in the
mal1

G""ff".t t*; g"od luck


€;:= €6* f6fu"ifu;'#"arked w alden
after meetingrthe PrettY ladY
To apPease
o the PeoPle olltred an oblation
to
p.opitiut. the Gods

He got the lob due to the propinqulty


rvitf, the o\\ners ol'thc firm

Be"ut),Gixfrtto aankry ktpa]l:


Purchase Get a good griP
c I was not able to get a good purchase
on the mountain crevice

He was a Purveyor of fine wines

e He outstriPPed me in the tace

Fage 92 of248

I
AS,AP LarvrM for Judicial Sen ices

o She was overwrought with u'ories

Cantankerous Irritable: stubborn


Choleric Irritable: stubbom
Curmudgeon Irritable: stubbom
Churlish Irritable; stubbont
Chagrin Disappointment
o The team lost much to the chagrin of
the fans

Irascible Irritable
Crabbed Irritable
Peevish lffitable

Neonate New born child


Neologism Newly coined term, u'ord, or phrase. thal niay
be in the process of entering common use, bu1
has not yet been accepted into mainstream
language
Nescient I-uekfoC knowledge
. "I Ventured into the new Korean
restaurant with some equally nescient
companions".
Nasccnt lnchoate; rudimentarY
Nugatory Trifling or useiess
r The amendment made the law
nugatorY
r Usage notes-relating to nougat i.e.
The candY
Nonpareii Having no equal
. Nonpareil skiil

Masochist Someone w'ho likes pain


Sadism The deriving ofpleasure, or the tendency to
derive pleasure, from crueltY.
r Usage notes-noun form of sadistic

Page 93 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Schism a gap between something


o There were schisms in their marriage
Squeamish Very easily nauseated
Squalid Place ofsqualor
o the squalid atmosphere of the beer
bar

Supemal Relating to heavens; Celestial; heavenly; great


. Supernal folly
o Usage notes- Latin -supernus that is
on high
Astral Relating to stars
Singular Exceptional; amazttg; one of a kind
o He put in a singular performance in
the opera the other night

Supernumerary Exceeding a fixed, prescribed, or standard


number; exha.
e7= @el:@m@5@'@ibdi otthe
== organimtion
Sesquicentennial Relating to 150 years
a

Sedulous Assiduous
o He was famous for his sedulous
research
Sinew Tough characteristics
o He was famous for his moral sinews
o Usage notes- Tough fibrous tissue
uniting muscle to bone
Stile A structure to help cross a fence

Page 94 of248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Subsume To include something as part of a larger group;


to take under the iarger group
o The proposed NCHER would
subsume the responsibility of the
present regulatory bodies like UGC
and AICTE.
o Soldiers from many different
countries have been subsumed into
the United Nations peace-keeping
force.
. All the statistics have been
subsumed under the general heading
'Facts and Figures'
Surreal Like a dream
o Driving through the total darkness
was a slightly surreal experience.
Sinecure Getting money for a job that had nothing to do
o He was lucky to get a sinecure
position in MTNL
Skimp Live very tugally
Slapdash
W@rq;':: .i= El:r=",i:'E-
o The amateur chef wor*ed in a very
slapdash maffler in the kitchen
Sleeper A latent thing that can come into iife when
required
o Hangover was a sleeper hit
o The city had many sleeper cells just
waiting to spread terror
Spite A desire to hurt, annoy, or offend someone, to
take revenge
. I just said ir to spite you

Supplant To usurp
Supplicate To implore; beseech; entreaty
Subversive Rebellious
Subservient Servile

Entreaty To implore

Page 95 of248
ASAP Lar{M English for Judicial Senrces Exam

. Despite my entreaties he just did


listen to me can be
Beseech To irnplore
Supplicate To implore
Imporlune To implore
Cadge To beg
o As soon as I got out ofthe bus. I rvas
cadged by the beggars at the station

.':d
':,
k#' t' -,*{ -*
HT
rr
aa-.1 ',x
rf, - j?'{,#.
Titular Nominal
o The President is the nominal head of
the govemment
Tome s .,ji!- :,
Weff#Iffi :ji+,,
o "
Tomes ofbooks
Annals Record
r In the annals ofhistory, there has
been no captain like him

Totter To move uneasily


o The boxer was tottering dor.vn the
stairs after the rnatch
Tonsure To shave the head off
o Usage notes-Tonsure is the
traditional practice oflndia and
Christian churches of cutting or
shaving the hair lrom the scalp (while
leaving some pafis uncut) of clerics
and monastics

Page 96 of248
ASAP LawlNl English for Judrcial Services Exam

Transliteration Conversion ofa text iiom one script to another


. Like Google translate
o like transliteration of Bhaswad Gita
to English
Transcribe Convert from oral thing to written thing
Transfix To hold in a fix by making someone very
interested

I Transfigure
o The confbrence delegates were
transfixed by her speech.
Change the figure of someone in a very
positive and often spiritual way
. The assassination somehow
transfigured Kennedy into a modem
American saint.
Transmute Mutate into something else; mtjtamorphosis

Ebb When the waves are receding


Flow When ttre waves are rising
Crescent The high part ofa wave
Trough The low part of a wave
Crest
|t
f

t
TroL,gh

{ycle
Also a long, narrow, generally shallow
receptacle for holding $/-ater or fecd for
animals

Page97 af248
\SAP Lar'vrNI English for Judicral Services Exam

e.,%
ffi

untriatea Without any restraint


I " Ijnbridled passion
Unmitigated Not mitigated or something not lessened in
degree
o Unmitigated force
I noblrusrrc ] Not ohtrusire: not rntcrlering with anyhing I

o Many aclolescents get this false Ii

notion about their unprepossessing I

looks
tr"uClrtly Bad in looking; unattractive

I Unseemly Bad in appearance; not proper; obscene


I-rngainly Awkward
o He handled the axe in an ungainly
manner
Uni,vieidv LA.rvkward

] . He handled the axe in an unwieldy

Unconscionable I Can do something affbcting the


CONSClCNCC

Untenable
. His gaffes atrways put us in a
untenable position
Tenuous I Weak
| . The link bewveen pomography and
I ,upe incidences is tenuous at besl.

Llnderbid I To bid lower than someone


Undergird I To orovide a strons basis: lortifli

Fage 98 a{248

I
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exarn

Soporific Sleep inducing


c T1.re medicine has soporific effects
Honorific Honour inducing; Giving honour
o Honorific salutations

Geiid Chilled/Very coldrlcy


- . Gelid ocean waters
Heady Intoxicating
. headymixture ofspeed and alcohol
Headlong To rush
a l jumped headlong into oncoming
u5 l
traffic just to get his autograph
Hardihood Hardiness; quality of being hardy
Hinterland Away from the shoreline; region remote from
urban areas, backcountry
o Hinterland was iiom Geman, where
it means literailv "the land hrehind
Entrails
I

W@;@v*p@)Wintestines
. Fttlman ertruitt
Intemal parts

_ r.. l I
o sidewalk repair shops, where the
entrails ofbicycles and cars and
motorcycles are spread

.l
I

I
Centrist A middle path vlew
I
Dinkrrm Honesl
I
o He was a fair dinkum bloke with no
I

rt I Dretenslons
IT I

I I Delectation j Pleasure; delight I

n abox ofchocolates fortheir


deiectation
J . She cooks pastries and cakes for the
,tt
delectation of visitors.

l j Desiderarum I Something
| | c
wanled
that is really
HonestY is desiderarum
I

Page 99 of 248
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Pantropic Found across the tropics like pandemic


Toponytl Name derived from a particular place like
badminton the game is derived from a UK
town of Badminton where it was invented
Quadraphonic four-channel sound system in which speakers
are positioned at all four comers
Stfupling Painting with dots

Ululate To howl, wail, or lament loudly.

+L
*f*,,
,-#
4 *
fr'
€,i, ffi
Alopecia Loss ofhair
Aeon Eon

Glib Smooth talker


Uncfuous Glib; fawning; servile
Obsequious Glib; fawning; servile
Complaisance Servile
o He foilowed the King's orders
complaisantly
Fulsome Complimentary or flattering to an excessive
degree;
o The Ministers heaped fulsome praise
on the l)rctator
. I say - full ol shit
Toady Sycophant; servile
o The u'hoie office knew' of his toadv
ways
c I:le is the office toadv

Page 100 of248


ASAP Law'rM English for Judicial Sen'ices Exam

Silver tongue Smooth talker; Glib; fawning; servile


Smooth tongue Smooth talker; Glib; fawning; servile
Oilytongue Smooth talker; G b; fawning; sewile
Soft soap Smooth talker; Glib; fawning; servile
: ::-taIS r Don't try to soft-soap her
Brown nose Smooth talker; Glib; fawning; servile
. Whoa, didya see jimmy washing the
principal's car?? He's such a brown
noser..."
Apple polisher Smooth talker; Glib; fawning; servile
Whoa, didya see jimmy washing the principal's
car?? He's such an apple polisher..."

Waif Thin figure like a homeless child


r It is deplorable that supermodels
want a waif like figure
Wastrel A wasted person who can amount to no good
in life
Wry Dry sense ofhumour like with irony
r with a wry Scottish wit
Wisttul Plaintive
Welter Confused mass
r his room was a welter of papers and
magazines
r We are reducing the company's
welter of development projects and
will streamline sales and marketing.
Waylay Ambush
r Our team was waylaid on our way
back from to the base camp
Wax and wane To grow stronger and weaker
Wilt To wither away
- i :i3lSe

Yen Pine for something


Yoke To splice together
Yore Olden times
.-.:..rJv

Page 101 of248

I
ASAP LawrM llnglish for Judicial Services Exam

Usurp To take over power


Arrogate Usurp r' Take without justification
o You must affogate before abrogate
. The king arrogated the power of
senate to declare war.
Usury The practice ofgiving loans at very higir
interest to expioit the debtor

Vouchsafe To give rvith condescension


c He vouchsafed a reply to a question
To grant a favour
. They vouchsafed his retum to his
own country.
Guarantee;
. They vouchsafed his retum to his
own country.
Keepsake Souvenir
Sensrbilta Ihat which can be sensed
Touchstone @ffi ffiai&.ise,&€^@standard
. Efficidiicy caniiot relilacejustice as a
touchstone by which how a law is
measured

Bedizen Highly ornate; garish


Denizen Inhabitants ofa particular place
Cozen To cheat, or swindie
o The consent man cozened him out of
his jewels

Now a few words that are same as above just put again in another
batching method. You can ignore them as you already done them
above:
Congruence I In agreement
r Theywere in congruence about the
way ofexecution ofthe busincss
In maths - the state of two things being
similar or identical

Page 102 of248


ASAP [-au,aN{ Enslish for.lr-rdicial Scn,ices Eram

. Congruent triangles
Inconsruous Not fltting; not having congruency
.His story was incongruous with the
timeline
Continence Control over self; especially in sexual
connotation; celibacy
. She vowed to live a life of
continence
Tncontinence Luck nl.unt"rl n, *-lt espe.lotty lni.ooT-
"t
cornotation; licer.rtious behaviour
o She vowed to give up the lifb of

Controvel1 To contradict
r He controrrerled the testimont, u,'ith
his alibi
Incontrovertible Something that cannot be contradicted
. t have incontrovertible proofof
match flxing in ti.re form of a sting
operation footage and phonc taPs
Concomitant 6cr.uf4*.,iif$e.,iarfitii6e,,'
''-"
';' '': iialovsi{d'L6hiomitantwith love
Accompanying
As land became a more attractive investment
the concomitant price rises followed
Nor.rcommittal Refusing to commit

Sentient Conscious and capable of lbcling


. a boy was sentient of his
suroundings
Sententious
llrf he had a very sententious wliting
E lll Tendentious
Tendentious account ofthe recent
elections.
.':
Prctcxt Excuse
Pretense Excuse; a pretext
. under tirlse pretenses

Page 103 of248


ASAP La\r'r}l English for Judicial Serv'ices Exam

Precept General rules for action and thought


. a rule or principle for action

Predilection Penchant; preference for something


Penchant Proclivity; preference for something
Proclivitv Penchant; preference for something

Fatuos Stupid; inane


o Thank you for the fatuous remarks
Obtuse Stupid
. He is the most obtuse person and
has no idea what he is doins in
office
Vacuous Stupid; as is vacuum in head
. Brittany Spears made mockery of
herseifin the interview by her
vacuous comments on the Iraq War

Gambit Opening move in a Chess garne


Gambol Playfully more aro,.nd hEe there--
. They were gambolling in the park
Gamely A brave fight
e David fought gamely against the
giant
Gaunt Thin
o He was surprisingiy gaunt in
appearance after losing a lot of
weight due to fever.
Gratifli Become pleased
o Her SAT results gratified her
parents
Ratify Officially approvc
o The treaty was ratified by the senate
Ramifi To subject divide into branc.hes

Hubbub Clamor
r Thehubbub ofrhepub

Page 104 of248


ASA? LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Humdrum Boring, monotonous


o He was tired of his humdrum
existence
Hobnob To socialise

Incongruous Not fitting; not having congruency


. His story was incongruous with the
timeline
_ Incontinence Lack ofcontrol over self; especialiy in sexual
i-[:-t-_
connotation I licentious behaviour
. She vowed to give up the life of
rl incontinence.
:_
lnanimate Showing no signs of animation; lifeless
r The dead bodyjust iaythere
completely inanimate
lncorporeal Not relating to bodily existence
o Casper was a incorporeal entity
Incrustation Hard growth on something; the curst of
somethlng
.', . t. , The incrustation ofrust on the ship
Incontrovertible Something that cannot be contradicted
o I have incontrovertible proofof
match fixing in the form of a sting
operation footage and phone taPs
Indignation Anger; disgust
r He could not contain his indignation
at the party
Indefatigable Indomitable: that which cannot be defeated
o Winston Churchill was known for
his indefatigable spirit
Ingrate A thankless person
Ingratiate To make friends with for favours; to gain
someone's confidence
Gratify Become pleased
r Her SAT results gratified her
parents
Ratifu Officialiy approve
o The treaty was ratified by the senate

Page 105 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam
I

Traduce
l
. \\.e I'iave been traduced by the press

A shackle used to teach a horse to arnble:

To hinder tire activity or tee rnovement of.


o 'fhey trammelled
the movement of
the troops by making obstacles

I
Temerity The gali; ne*e; pluck;irdacity
o You had the temerity to challenge
rne in liont of the board membcrsl
I Tremulous Trembling; Fearful; shaking in feal.
o He lr,as tremulous,in 1lont of the

o He spoke in a timorous voice to his


bullies

Truculent
Trenchant Incisive
. he was famous for his trenchant
writing

Tendentious account of 1.hc reccnt


elections.
Temporize Diiatory tactics; procrastinate; tt re,nttorariiv I
agree to gam time
I
I I . Oh, JC, you temporise too much,
I i you risk being seen as a coward,.
_l
Page 106 of248

rqtl
ASAP Lawru English for Judicial Services Exam

r Usage notes- Temporize comes


from the Middle French word
temporiser, meaning "to pass one,s
time, wait one's time."

Dint
. By the dinl 6151r hard work he was
able to overcome the hardships
Doff Take offa hat
o Gentlemen always dofftheir hats in
front of ladies
Dolt iAsrup,dperson
j
I
r He is a complete dolt
Dregs [Sediments
I

| . Afler he opened lhe wine boftle. there


I *"re dregs ofthe cork beneath the

Dross Impurities; waste matter


.'- =Marly+ir *&i'S15n6:kq evolved to
remove the dross from metals
Roil i

Dredge To dig up
o Don't unnecessarilydredge up the
past
r Usage notes-An implement
consisting of a net on a frame. used
for gathering shellfish.
Droil | A-Cing
. He was a hit with the guests because
ofhis droli anecdotes
Drawl 'lalk nonsense
Dawdle Dilly dally

Fell Deadly; dangerous

Page 107 of248

--
ASAP LawrM English for Judiciai Ser.rices Exam

r The town was ravaged by the fell


disease
Foil Contrast
o Luke Skyr,valker is the perfect foil for
the Darrh Vader
Flick Light stroke of the something
r A flick of the hand and she was
standing there
Flit Move from one to another casuallv and
nonchalantly
r The bee flitted from flower to florver
Floe A mass of moving ice
Florid Excessively intricate or complicated or
colourful
Glower To shine in anger
o He was glowering at the insults

Flit Move from one to another cusrully and-


nolglralantly,, ,, ::
r The bee flitted &om flower ro flower
Scurry To move along really fast
r The rabbit scurried in the park
Scuttle To move along really fast
To sint
. The boat scuttled in pond
Scuny Evoking disgust
. A scurvy olpaparazzi
Scurrilous Offensive
o The scurrilous remarks

Knit Grow or tum into


o When he got worried his eyelrrows
knit into wrinkles
o After the accident I waited for mv
bones to knit together
Kroll Small hill
o His grave in on that knoll

Page 108 of248

I
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Ser"ices Exam

Knave UntrustworthY Person


o He was a knave politician
Knotty Tangled
r Sherlock Holmes's novels are famous
for their knottY storY lines
Natty Sharp dresser
Nettle To irritate someone
o Like the nettle Plant with Pricks

Hubbub Clamor
o The hubbub ofthe Pub
Humdrum Boring, monotonous
o He was tired of his humdrum
existence
Welter Confused mass
o his room was a welter of PaPers and
magazines
r We are reducing the comPany's
welter of develoFmsnt projects and
will streamline sales and marketing'

Brindled Lined with colour


. The breeders were disappointed as
the puPPies were not of unifoml
colour but brindled
Dappled Spotted
o The sunlight got through the curtains
and created a daPPled etTect on the
wal1
Maaulate Spotted. stained; opposite of immaculate or
flawiess
Daub To smear with Pain
. The way he daubed the Paint of the
canvas shorved that he knew nothing
of painting
Flecked Spoited
. Her cheeks were flecked rvith tears
Mottled Spotted

Page 109 of248


ASAP Lawru English forJudicial Services Exam

Piebald -Tsp"tt"d
Ribald
-TOff.^*.
. The ribald songs offended the prudish
i
I listeners in the gallery

healthy like as if with lots of biood; ,u"gor";


I
Pied Multi coloured
Protean Ability to take on may shapes ,ad typiq
versatile
He was a protean actor
Paean Enthusiastic praise
o The film received apaean from the
critics
Spangled

r Star spangled banner

o The skink had white striations all


over the body

Pallid Paie; weak


Pallor Fale: weak
Pail Pale: weak
Ashen Pale: weak
Wan lpale *eak
Sallow Pale: weak

Larder Pantry
o Check what food we have in the
larder

" The cat lapped up the milk


List fo Ue rihed towarOs **- srae
. The flagpole should be perfecrly
i
vertical and nol. list over one side I

I . List on ,o**"', shoulder


Loath Reluctant

Page 110 of249


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam
I
him to go
Lope The slow gallop ofa horse
Lirrpid Clear
. A limpid stream ran through his
proPertY
Lumber Clumsy
. The bear lumbered through the
woods

Milien Comfortable space


. he felt out his milieu in the fancy
school
r he milieu was oilpainting
MCleee A fiacas; commotion
Mincing Dainty
a Yum Yutlt walked across the stage in
mincing steps
\,lite Sgell geqat+res or;insri€ts?.:,:,,:,

z .3 !:1;*#t' ;A.,df;i4li#rft te mites

Mote Small speck


o He was very bothered by the mote
that entered in his e.ve

1\4uggy
New York is ver-v muggy
tronth ofAugust
\lusty Dinghy
I'
l. The attic room

Pall
I . Study of word lists can eventually
I pull andputyouto sleep
Pefi I Impudent
I " The prolessor demanded an apology
I tom the student for the Pert
I U.taviow in class

Fage 111 of248


ASA? LawrM for Judicial Services Exam

Purse Pout the lips


. She pursed her lips to kiss him

Quaff Drink very fast


o He quaffed down his drink
To cower in front of adversity
Quail : >:
o He simply quailed when faced with
danger and ran away

Quarry The victim of a hunt


. The police closed in on their quarry
after the massive nationwide
manhunt

Raspy Harsh voice


o Metallica used the raspy voice of the
British vocalist Marianne Faithfull in
their song memory remains
Wispy Light
r Ttrere was ndrnuch left but a few
*ispv fiS! ,*fhair oo his head

Ravel Unravel
r One loose string was pulled and the
entire scarfravelled before our eyes
Rend Tear apart
. The widow started to rend her clothes
in her paroxysm ofgrief

Simper An affected smile


. After complimenting her on her looks
she simpered in a rvrymamer
Skulk Move secretly

Scamp Ruffian
Spat A fight
Spate Outburst of anger
r I{e did that in a spate ofanger

Page ttz of248

.*!
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Serviccs Exam

Spum To bum someone


o He was a spurned lover
Spry Lithe
Steep Soaked in something
. His clothes werc steeped in blood
after the accident
Stodgy Conserl'ative
. His old fashioned stodgy vicws
Sunder To tear apart
Swill Drink very fast
Slake To quench one's thirst
Sutures Stitches

Quaff Drink very fast


o He quaffed down his drink
Su,ill Drink very fast

Tarry Dilly dally; waste time


i

l
I
Toady
?WW:'r#-$,,rE
. ffi
The,wholeoffice'knew of his toady
ways
o He is the office toady
Taut Tight; on schedule
. The captain ah.vays ran a taut ship

Tepid Lukewarm
r The much hlped Facebook home
operating system opened to a tepid
response
Turbid Muddy
Turpid Evil
Torpid Torpor; iazy
Torpor Lassitude, languor
Turgid Swollen; distended
Tumid Swollen; distended
r Tumid belly

Page 113 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Senices Exan.r

Fetid
o The fetid swamp

Wrath
o Wrath of the titans
\\ ruirh I A ghosr: rpparition
Wreath A ring or circlet of t'lowers, boughs, or leaves
worn on the head. piaced on a memorial, or
hung as a decoration.

Wreathe
ffi
To contorl
r Thc snake dancer wreathed around
her body
Swathe
r .,
'
He was swathed in bandages in the
hospital

Avanta garde Leader in the industry


Agcnt French for "inciting agent(s)") is an agent
provocateur employed by the police etc to act undercover to
entice or provoke another person lo commit an
iilegal act.
r N,lore generally, the term may refer to
a persou or group that seeks to
discredit or harm another by
provoking them to commit a wrong
or rash action.
Pakistan has been playing agenl
provocateur in Kashmir tbr a long
time.
B6te noire Arch encmy
o Like joker to batman, azam khan to

Page ll4 of248

I
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Carte blanche Unfettered powers


Carpe diem seize the day
o Carpe Diem more ollen or you will
r"riss out on 1ilb and never tnrelv be
happy.
r After that talk with coach Consbruck,
made me reaiize that we have to just
carpe diem and go all out with
whatever I do
Coups de grdce Death blow but with grace so as to kill the
enemy with dignity
Coup d'6tat Military coup
Chef d'Oeure Masterpiece
Charg6 d'affaires Charge of the affairs; usually the ambassador
who is the head of an embassy
Communiqu6 An official press release; bulletin or
communication, usu. to the press or public
Cul-de-sac Dead end passage
o Usage notes-French for arse ofthe
bag

Esprit de corps
Tour de force
Raison D'etre
\on Sequitur
ffi
Spirit of the core i.e. Moral of the team
Great accomplishment of skill
Reason for existence
To go offon a tangent
r We were talking abcut the new
restaurant when she threw in some
non sequifur about hcr dog.
Je Ne Sais Quoi A certain oomph

Page 115 of248


ASAP LawrN{ English for Judicial Services Exam

r "Fishing has lacked a certainje ne


Stac;
sais quoi in tetms of its public image, Li'.=
as all activities must that involve \ 1.c,
beer, u,orms and one-size-fits-a1l Can
gimme caps" (Charles Leerhsen)'
Tout De Suite Right alva1,
. Get going tout de suite!
'l'ete-a{ete One on one conversation
---=-- a TCte-)-tCte talk a'-.
Joie de vivre Joy of living
I

Lingua Franca Language used for communication among


-- -:'
1-

people of different languages 1- ::'


r lingua franca originated fiom its
meaning in Arabic and Greek, dating
from before the Crusades and during
the Ivliddle Ages, wherebY all
Western EuroPeans were called
I

"Franks" or Faranji in Arabic


Mot juste Exactly the right word
. . , For this particular show, however' it

' g61not be denied that 'spectacular' is


indeed le mot juste

Molt Shed off feathers


. The parrots usuallY molt their
feathers this time of the Ycar
Slough Stred offthe extemal skin
. The snakes sloughcd otTtheir skin
every season
Plumage fhe f.athers of a bird
. The Macaow Parrot had amazing
plumage

Allegro A lively beat


Canto Division of a poem
Carfiata Story set to rnusic
Cadence Rhl.thm; tempo
Doggerel Poor poem

Page 1.16 of 248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Eram

. It $,as a bad doggerel


Staccato A badly done pen or speech
Libretto Text ofan opcra
Madrigal Pastoral song
Cant trnsincere expression of piety
o After the extra marital affairs of the
priest came out, his sermons on
marriage were dismissed as mere
cant.
Canter The gallop ofa horse

Copywriter Someone who makes advertisements


Compositor Someone r.vho irakes the finai arlicies in a
newspaper a{ter taking all liom the clifferent
reporters; Compositing is the cornbining of
visual elemenls from separate sources intcr
single images
Draughtsman Pe-
plans under thc direction of an architect or
engineer.

,. ;1.. :-lt e Usage notes- variant spelling of


l\ drailsman.

ffi
#pe.rson i.e the practice
moving iivestock over large distances
of

Fage 11? 0f24S

r"
ASAP LawrM English lbr Judicial Services Exam

Dustman Garbage collector


Forester Someone who looks after forests
Roaster
Fruiterer
Rubber-tapper
Coffee srower
Fruit dealer
Someone who takes out rubber from trees
I
leu
Draper Drapes dealer; drapes are basically long
curtains or loose cloths
Clothier Cloth dealer E
Furrier Fur dealer
Tanner A person who works in a tannery and makes
-:
L
leather
Outfitter Outfit dealer; outfits are basically uniforms
Haberdasher Person who sells srnall articles for sewing,
such as buttons, ribbons, zips, etc
Milliner Designer and seller of hats
o Usage notes- millinery is the
designing and manufacture of hats.

t+:*

:ffi
:f-4
i. ;

.&,
{
.1;--:.+h
{!-r.:ag1**1 u,
Mason Bricklayer; Onc who builds or works with
stone or brick.
Glazier Someone who installs glass like windows etc
.Ioiner Someone who fixes the wooden parts of a
building
Steeplejack Someone who fixes tall structures like
chimneys and steeples
Di
Fl"utrst S"*""re *h" plr),t tt* tlrt.
sk
Coxswain Servant of ship :
. literal meaning of "boat servalt"
LEJ

since it comes from cox. a coxboat or


other small vessel kept aboard a ship.

Page 1I8 of248


ASAP LawrM English lor Judicial Services Exam

and swain, an Old English term


i derived frotn the Old Norsc sveinrr
meaning boy or servant.

Bursar Account keeper especiallyat school or cottege

I
. bursar (derived from "bursa". Latin
I for purse)
Purser Account keeper; person in-charge ofthe purse
of a ship
r -: I
Croupier Person in charge of taking bets at a gamblmg
table; deals cards
:- ---J
l

ii

Aroyo Culvert; a small gully for a stream of woter to


go by
Culvert A smali passage for water to pass
Conduit A small passage fbr water or any other tiring
Rilulet A small stream
Ford A point in the river when it can be crossed by
foot
Thoroughlbre A main road or pubiic highway o. ih*uilv
trarelled passage. such as a \^.atcr-way. stra;t.
or channel.

Dinghy Small boat


SKiIT Small boat
Gallecm Large ship
a.r.s\^,arn =Servant of shrp
r literal meaning of "boat servant,,
since it comes from cox. a coxboat

Page 119 of248

h
ASAP LawrM English for Juclicial Services Exam

or other small vessel keptiboard i


ship, and swain, an Old English term
derived flrom the Olcl Norse sveinn
meaning boy or servant.
Promontorv theheadtand@
isiand
. they put up a lighthouse on the
promontory to wam to ships
Moat Th.trate.@
enemy incursion
Cistern Large reservoir of wute.
Caldron Large kettle
Ullage

Ballast Weight added to a sn$ to Uatunce ,t

Jettison Throw goods over u Uoat


Jetsam Goodsthatareffi
sink or are washed ashore
Flotsam Goods that ure thro*, overiboat and luGion
found floating in water

Flolster 'lhe case for


a gun
Sheathe lhe case for a sivorri
Scabbard I he case for a srvord
John Buil Na ti ona I pers on i fi ca ti oiriil----
on oFthE U Inited

Fage 12$ 0f248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services F.xam
' :lJ,lfd O

English term . T{HOS ABSENT?


xse sveinn

- -:
.:i

ffi**
-- -:., t- _

l.-,

,74tt*fui?

V
Chevron A shape like a V used on tlre sleeve ofa police
or militaryuniform to show the wearer's rank

Bayonet Knife attached at the ends ofa gun

seat at the back ofan elephant

; Stanchion

Page X21 af248


ASA? LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

----?-
.-.j
I
,
fB=
7E
;#E
f€
:g
fl*"'^***
.&55
=€=: --

Fermle A Kind a rnetal clarnp to reinforce stuff

Viaduct Kind of a bridge

.t.,.
t,
- #
Valise Kind of a suitcase

Ir
I

Parasol An ladies umbrclla: brol[5

L
I ep'"t
Page 122 of248
ASAP LawrM English lbr Judicial Scrvices Exam

Felloe Part of the rims of wheel

TOUGHER WORDS F'OR RE\IISION

Appurtenance
#FE:@"F49@,.@+ropertyrike
easementor right to passage
o As opposed to encumbrance
Accoutre Equipped with all sorts of stuff
o The fisherman was a accoutred with
ail sorts offishing gear

Bedim To cause to become dim; to rnake obsiure


o The cloud bedim the sky
o Don't bedim the issuc
Bowdlerize I Expurgate
t' o
I The film editors bowdlerized the
i language of the movie to get the rating
I

I re,Ju."d fro- R to pG

obloqu@tiverung"age____.-,--
I

I . "I have had enough obloquy tbr one


lifetime" (Anthony Eden)
Harsh criticism or censure

Page 123 of248


ASAP LawrNr English 1br Judicial Sen'ices Exam

I had to face oPProbrium after mY

A poem tbr the deceased


Panegyric I Eulogv
Encomium j EulogY
Putatir,e KA* k. lrre; ostersible; just for show
o the putative father
o putative reasons for the blackout
Platitudes
. The company gave the usual platitude
of compliments to him on retirement
Bromides Clich6; cornmonplace; boring
"veryday;
o Yrvia Chen of Careerist commented
that the firms usually give bromides in
the Annual employee Christmas letter

Quotidian Cticne; everyday; commonplace; bonng


Paean Enthusiastic praise
. The film received a Pae?n from the
,:
_.ritig .
. n Eeun b.FEanirg_---
Plebian Cliche; everyday; comrnonplace; bonng
e ly'rozzy told Neal he was aware of the
plebeian interPretation

d ryPes;
I versatile
i

I r actor
I

I I He was a Protean ]
i-Rtbald I Offensive
t

I I . The ribald songs offended the prudish


listeners in the gallery
o The ribald comments

Fage 124 of248


ASAP LasaM En.-elish lor Judicial Services Exam

. The piebald pigeon


Labile Constantly changing; unstable
o Children and their labile tastes
. A labile compound

(Bruce Banner we are not a team. we are a


labile chemicai)
Fatuos Stupid; inane
o Thank you for the fatuous remarks
Lugubrious Sad; longing: pining
r The lugubrious atmosphere at the
funeral
Sententious Brief
r he had a very sententirous writing
Mordant #.@#Ef,{:"[t*,,?r.F*',F:?i
o His mordant writing
o An inquisitor's mordant questioning.
Moribund Approaching death; about to die: obsolete
. Moribund customs
Obstreperous Noisy
r Obstreperouschildren,disturbing
everyone in thc restaurant

Words having similar sounds: (Homonyms)


Expiate Make amends
o He tried to expiate for his sins
Execrable Extremely inferior; very bad
o An execrable meal.
Extenuate To mitigate
r There were extenuating
circumstances for the crirne and
hence lcsser punishment

Page 125 of248


ASAP Lawrrr English for Judicial Services Exam

Exordium The beginning pafi ofspeech; it's part ofthe


rhetoric
o In the exordium the speaker ought
to lay out the manner in which he is
going to proceed e.g., light-
heartcdly or serious...
Exiguous Scanty; very small quantity
r The larmers got a exiguotts
coilpensation for the crop
Vacuous Stupid; as is vacuum in head
. Brittany Spears made.r,nockery of
herself in fte iflewiew by her

Sententious Concise
. he had a very sententious writing
Tendentious Pafiisan
r Tendentious account ofthc recent
elections.

Trammel A shackle used to teach a horse to amblc;

To hinder the activity or liee movement of.

Page 126 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Jutlicial Services Exam

a They trammelled the movement of


the troops bv making obstacles

Refractory Stubbom
Pertinacious Stubborn
Impenitent Unrepentant
Impertinent Insolence
Impudent Insolent
Impiety respect
o "he blamcd the fall of the citv on
the impiety of the people,'
. slinonyrns: godlessness,
ungodliness, urholiness. ireligion,
sinfulness. sin, vice, imrnorality,
unrighteousness, sacrilege,
profaneness, irrevercnce.
disrespect; More
Impefuous Rash
Importune To implore
Importunate Persistent, demandfr
n Importunatecreditors.
Interloper --Tlrt."d*
o The interloper came through the
back wall
Interdict Toprohibito.pffi
or legal sanction.
. An interdictory order of the court in
the patent infringernent case
. the role of the FBI in interdictins
spies aftempting to pass US seciets
to the Soviet Union',
Intransigence Stubborn
lntractable Stubborn:
o An intractabie disposition.
Hard to treat. relieve, or cure:
o Intractable pain in his ieg.
o The economy still faces intractable
problems.

Page 127 of249


ASAP LawrM English lbr Judicial Service-q Exam

I
Etltloiogy - Latin from in- ("not") + tracto
("take in hand. handle. manage
nexorable
. Cyrthia was inexorabie; she would
just not listen to her husband
Etymoiogy - Latin inexorabilis, fiom in-
("not") + exorare ("to move by entreaty
a

Quiescent Lazy; lying around


. The quiescent tourists

Satumine Gloomy
o His satumine face made everyone
feel bad for him everyone I
lne
Stygian Dark, gloomy
. Stygian aileys
Propinquity Relations
.
E
He got the job due to the
pnopir4uity'with-the owners of the

Unctuous Oily; sly; glib; insincerelY suave


lnsouciant Careliee
o He worked with insouciant
disregard for convention.
Flippant Jolly, informal, carefree

Beseech To implore
Supplicate To mplore
Imporhrne To implore

Malingerer Sorneone who feigns illness to escape work


r He was a known malingered in
office
Mendacious Lying; not truthful
r He was a mendacious chaP. so staY
awaY from him

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ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

mendacious propaganda
politicians issuing mendacious
claims and counter-claims

Usage notes-fr om mendicancy

Discuss in full detail


. He was willing to descant any topic
under the sun
To catch sight of somethiog
e We were able to descry enemy
ships on the horizon
To catch sight of something
o To catch sight of
o Usage notes-it is the base word for
espionage

Complimenta@
degree;
o The Ministers heaped fulsomc
praise on thc Dictator
. I say - lull of shit
To give with condescension
e He vouchsafed a reply to a
question.
To grant a favour
. They vouchsafed his retum to iris
own country.
Guarantee:

Page 129 of248

-
ASAP Lawrr{ Engltsh for.}udicial Seruices Exam

. They vouchsafed his retum to his


own country.

Dissemble Disguise
o He tried to dissemble his motives
but we all knew the truth
Dissirnuiate

] . He tried his best to dissimulate his


true ieelings but they were apparent

Perceptive; someone rvho perceives a lot


r He is a pcrcipient inspector.
nothing escapes his eyes

i Percipient : Having very keen insights; smafi


t'Persoicacious
o To exhibit perspicacious judgment.
Perspicuous -tlasily understood
r Perspicuous prose.
. Perspicuous lecture

Paroxysm rit ofrase


I
| . When he heard about his son's
I Aeeds, he wcni inl.o a paroxysrn
Peccariillo I Take offense

| . Jack committed a peccadillo by


I criticizing Jill's new house in &ont
I ofguests
I
I

T;;nexcenfional
I Commonplace I

Page 130 of248


ASAP Lau,rNl English for.ludic:ial Services Exam

Unexceptionable That for which exception cannot be taken


r Unexceptionable standards ofthe
judge
o Usage notes- The confusion
betvveen unexcePtionable and
unexceptionai is understandable,
since both derive from the noun
exception. Unexceptionable takes
its meaning from excePtion in the
sense "objection." as in "take
excePtion to". Thus
unexceptionable is commendatory.
meaning "ncrt open to any objection
rir criticism
Unexceptional, bY contrast, is
related to the adjective exceptional
{"outstanding, above average); thus
unexceptional generallY l'ras a
r1m"" lr"t r.grtt.. *
I

Glib Smooth talker


Gelid Chilted/Very cold,{cy
. Celid ocean waters.

Fage 131 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

TDIOMS
fake up the cudgels @ofiofsomeone
or something
o Usage notes: A cudgel is a short,
hear,ry stick which is used as a
v/eapon.
r Relatives have taken uP the
cudgels for two British women
accused ofmurder
o AjaY Devgan sPoke about taking
up the cudgels when bothered'

Death Knell The bell that announces tnat u


come

P9'6nything fora fo do anYthing for moneY


consideration
Reinvent the wheel To **t--.
tit r. ttyi"g to develoP
something that is already in existence
r Why reinvent the wheel when
there are drugs alreadY on the
market that are effective?

Bill of fare The menu in a rsstaurant

"-liFsareoff Anyhing can haPPen now!


e No idca what will haPPen in the
future
Learning curve e g*ptl titut depicts rate of leaming,
especially a graph ofprogress in the
mastery of a skill against the time
requirecl for such mastcrY.
r It was a steep leaming curve
meaning I learned a lot very fbst
imitating life A work based on a true story llKe
based on a real life Person'

Page 132 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

a The movie fair game with


Naomi Watts and Sean Pem is
an example of art imitating life
a The vice versa also applies
Plumb the depth To check out
r Usage notes-a plumb line is used
by masons and carpenters to see
if the wall or structure they are
building is perfectly
perpendicular to the floor ('
Cut bbth wavs To affect both sides
+r- o Censorship cuts both ways; it
prevents people from being
comrpted, but it olten also
prevents them liom knowing
what is really going on.
figure To make a poor impression.
r He cut a sony figure on the
stage.
Advocate Someone who argues against the his
Y beliefto.show that the opposite side is
actually wrong
o Given a certain argument, takes
a position he or she does not
necessarily agree with, for the
sake of argument.
r In taking such position, the
individual taking on the devil's
advocate role seeks to engage
others in an argumentative
discussion process. The purpose
ofsuch process is typically to
test the quality ofthe original
argument and identiflz
weaknesses in its structure, and
to use such information to either
improve or abandon the original,
opposing position. It can also
refer to someone who takes a
stance that is seen as unpopular
or unconventional, but is

Page 133 of248


ASAP LawtM English 1br Judicial Services Exam

actlrally another way of arguing


a much more conventional
stance"
Dyed-In-The-Wool p.,,na,rcn'. * e*tt.,r-re. srtong opiniont tc
I

and r,vili not change lr"


c He is a dyed-in-the-woo1 RSS
gu)..
He is a <lyed-in-the-u'ooi
traditionaiist where cooking is
a
concemed - he won't have anY 1,:
modem gadgets in the kitchen. iil

Keep an eye on To keep a look out lbr opportunities


main chance o He always had an eye out on the

To take the occasion

He took to the occaslon and


networked with everyone in thc
roorn
t-- ,-_/--
I To t/ake ill at To get offended at somcthing
sdmething

p16_o,1greas. idiom for working hard at manual labour


Gqplthe familyway To be pt"gnart
r Jane is now on the firmily way te.
fqleapcoats of!5: To do good for someone
gfsomeone's head Usagc notes- This has been
described as a refbrence to an
Oriental custom. A fire had to be a

kept on in the houses in a


viilage. Every moming a village
yor.rth u'ouid put a container on
his head. and hot coals wottld be
heaped into it. He would then go
from house to house distributing
the hot coals so that tl.re villagers

11
could start tl.reir fires. On cold
days this was an enviablc iob,
since the heat from the coals of
fire kept the head and hands of
the youth warmed. To heap I

Page 134 of248


ASAP Lawl\r English for Judiciai Serviccs Erat.n

coals of fire on someone's head,


then, means to wann him, and,
by extension, to bless him.
Law of the l1'nch T-aw olmob
Latchkey kid Child r,i,ith no parental supervision
A child who retums fiom schcol
to an emptlz irome because his or
her parent or parents arc ara,ay a1

work
Take something Listen to something witit
pinch of salt scepticism
You must take anything she saYs
with a grain of sali. She doesn't
always tell the truth. They took
my explailation wilh a pinch of
salt. I was sure they didn't
beiieve me.
Worth one's
Yorthl_glg1ry
r Usage notes-salt, is essential for
. ., huuanlife and until the

refrigerarion, was the primary


method of preservation of food.
Not surprisingly, it has long
been considered valuable.
Sangfroid A very composed person face of
trouble
c Usage notes- French fbr Strong
blood
o scale up To make something larger, esp. a design
or modei
r Scaie up the model

. John alu'ays has his hcart on his


sleeve so that everyone knows
how he feels
Usage notes-it's liom a
Shakespeare play wherc Iago
says "But I u,i1i r.vcar my'heart

Page 135 of248


r-
ASAP Lau{M English for Judicial Services Exam

upon my sleeve, for daws to


peck at: I am not what I am."
The Wodd-LsYe+lr- a You can do whatever you want
byster a If the world is your oyster, you
have the ability and the freedom
to do anything or go anywhere.

E,arn your chops Gain experience or skill


o Usage notes-refers to a
particular jazz skill regarding
singing
Earn your stripes Gain experience or skill
Cut your teeth To master a skill

Cas-t a.'long shadow o Something or someone that casts


a long shadow has co,_nsiderable
juftucaEe,on orherPeoPle-or
*Ile!LS'
r Prov. Signilicant events are
olten precededby signs that they
are about to happen. (F'rom
Thomas Campbell's pocm,
"Lochiel's Waming.") If you pay
attention to thc news, you can
generaliy tell when something
momentous is about to happen.
Coming events cast their
shadows befbrc.
Living in the shadows . receiving little attention because
someone else is better
o Tom was a good lawyer, but he
was always in the shadow ofhis
famous father.

St-orm in a te4glp Big fliss over a trivial matter


-----,F
o I think it's all a stomr in a teacup
- there's probably no danger to
public hcalth at all.
Flash in the pgn Someone or something that draws a lot of
attention for a very brief time

Page 136 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

..t . Tom had hoped to be a major


IILl frlm star, but his career was only
R'ant I a flash in the pan.

:YOU I
5":p-tb"+"rU"i+-C= Keep the matter alive
*o* | . Keep the pot boiling, I will be
trere. I
back in a minute

I
)K::::-*r"*u- When you take absence liom u,ork
without permission
ins I . ls Ray really ill again, or is he
___l just taking French leave?
I o Usage notes - In the 18th
century in France, it was the
custom to leavc an ofllcial
=
t..rt.
I

I
event or party without saf ng
goodbye to the person who had
rable
rl I

6e out on the tiles Party a lot


invited you.

o When the navy officers came on


: i\
shore they went out on thc tiles

HeltfofJsather Go really fast


- ir) r Thejourneyback he made along
:i'
the coast road. traveling hell-for-
.-: leather
a:
Like the glapaers Very fast
. They ran like the clappers when
the policeman came
-: -:i
r Usage notes-reference to the
clappers ofbells
;: -.j l
r Bells were rung more vigorously
as the time remaining to get to
class/chapel etc. was about to
l run out.

-; r. GYat it hammer and To do something, especially to argue,


.-D
tonss with a 1ot of energy or violence
. They went at the problem
hammer and tongs

Page 137 af248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

. Tom had hoped to be a malor


film star, but his career was onlY
a flash in the pan.
.SerLthe+et#mg- Keep the matter alive
. Keep the pot boiling, I will be
hack in a minute

yX::!r"t"n'Ws When you take absence lrom work


without permission
o Is Ray really ill again, or is he
.just taking French leave?
o Usage notes - In the 18th
century in France, it was the
custom to leave an official
event or party without saYing
goodbye to the Person who had
invited you.
de out on the tiles Party a lot
. When the navy officers came orl
shore theY went out on the tiles

H.ll!rlc*no- Go really fast


. Thejourneyback he made along
the coast road. traveling hell-fbr-
leather
Like the clappers Very fast
r They ran like the clappers when
the policeman came
o Usage notes-reference to the
clappers ofbells
o Bells were rung more vigorouslY
as the time remaining to get to
class/chapel etc. was about to
run out.
GYgU hu.lgg,d To do something, especially to argue,
tonss with a lot of energy or violence
-3-'-
. They went at the problem
hammer and tongs

Page 137 of248

I
ASAP Lau,rM English lor Judicial Services Exam

-----I ' uttc'


II II .htr"" r.o #nm
phrase are hlacksmithino
from blacksmithing, I
I

I I where tongs are used during I

lbrging to hold the hot iron as it


rs hammered into shape
Fight tooth and naii especially to argue,
with a iot of energy or violence
. We witl fight the oppression
tooth and nail
With might and main Witn great force and valour
. They fought the war with rnight
anri main
Make the dust fly Work in a very vigorous manner
r We furncd them loose on the
work, and they made the dust
fly.
Get down to brass Get down to the main point
tacks e Let's get down to brass tacks.
We've wasted too much time
chafling r. l ,

Ciear the decks


@p-€Ft@ffi==?==
r Clear the decks! Here comes the
captain.

Back inio the hamess back doing one's job


r I don't iook forward to getting
back into the hamess ncxt
Monday
o Lsage notcs- This exprcssion
allurles to horscs harnessed to
perform work
ln double lramess
Usage notc-harness hrr a pair of
horses.
To givc someone an opportunity to do
CTACK something
of the whip . Will you makc surc all tlie
speakers are given a tair crack ol
the whip in the debate?

Page 138 of248


ASA? Lalvrr{ English lbr Judicial Services .Lxatrt

r Usage notes- The Pirrase ]

originates Aom the daYs of


horse-drawn coaches and
carriages, when there rnaY have
been 2, 4 or 6 horses harnessed
to the fl'ont ofthe coach Thc
coach driver would carrY a long
whiP to cajole the anirnals'
However. if tire driver tended to
be harder on one oltiie horses it
could be said that it was not
given'a tiiir crack of the whiP''
Kick over the traces c
o Allthesc Young ki<ls seem to
want to kick over the traces'
I o Usage notes- Ihe Phrase
originated in the animal world'
A trace is eithcr of the twcr
straPs. chains' ropes, or other
iines of a hamess for attaching a
draft animal to soinething (suci::
as a caidage or a wagon) to be
drawn. Such a line is also krrown
as a tug.

t<ick against the Pricks To rebei against authorit.v


c PeoPie in this countrY tend to
follow rather than lead lt takes
couiage ttl kick against the
Pricks.
c Usage notes- A Prick is a stick
with a Pointed Piecc of iron on
its tiP used to Prod the oxen
rvhen Plowing. The tairler
would Prick the anirnal to steer it
in the right direction' Sotnetimcs
the animal would rebel bY
kicking out at the Prick

Keen as mustard To be very eager

Page 139 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

. Why don't we ask Tom to


captain the cricket team? He's as
keen as mustard.
t-
Not for all the tea in Not agree for whatever reward
China r No I won't do it-not for all the
tea in China.
Pick something up for To buy cheaply
a song . I could buy this house for a
song, because it's so ugly.
Lock, stock, and barrel Everything H,.

o We lost everything-lock, stock,


and barrel in the fire.
Be no oil painting Not attractive
. She has an interesting face but
she's no oil painting.
Wheels within wheels Complex inter-related processes
No sooner said than Done immediately
done
Boon in disguise Blessing in disguise l-

Move the goalposts Change the target unfairly usually in order


to make it more difftcult for someone to
achieve something
. My boss is never satisfiecl.
Whenever I think I've done what
he wants, he moves the
goalposts.
Have two strings to Have backups
one's bow o Samantha has two strings to her
bow; if her career in politics
falls through. she can lall back
on her law practice.
r Usage notes - Anciently, the
bowman who went forth to
battle was ill prepared unless he
carried two or more bowstnngs.
Otherwise he would be utterly
useless ifthe one on his bow
were to snap.
Pav offold scores To take revenge

Page 140 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Cut tle Gordian knot To solve a very complex problem in a


simple way.
o Usage notes- An intricate knot
tied by King Gordius of PhrYgia
., . rhe
and cut by Alexander the Great
with his sword after hearing an
oracle promise that whoever
could undo it would be the next
ruler of Asia.
Hobson's choice Take it or leave it
o Usage notes- The phrase is said
to originate with Thomas
Hobson (1544-1631), a stable
owner in England. To rotate the
use ofhis horses, he offered
customers the choice of either
taking the horse in the stall
nearest the door or taking nonc
at all.
Occam's razor The simplest answer is usually the right

i-:: iO ,=
To talk shop fo tatt aUou*usiness especially at social
events where such talk is out ofplace
:: ,f hat . All right, everyone, we're not
here to talk shop
To talk through one's To talk nonsense
hat e Usage notes-to the ernptiness of
- ,her
the hat atoP one's head, as ifone
were speaking with an emPtY
i,'k head
. Also there's the idea that it came
a: from what is known as
filibustering. This is because in
:.;:: he the United Kingdorn, men who
filibustered had to be wearing
; i:,tr- top hats while doing this
:" .\
To beggar description Usage notes- This term, alluding to the
idea that words are insutlicient to do
something justice

Page 141 of248


ASAP Larvrrt L,nglish for Judicial Services Exam

.
The stage set was so elaborate,
beggared description
The house was such a mess that
it r
it beggared description
I)oes one nLrts Anser someone
Get a rise out of In-itate/Aager someone
someone . Ignore him - he's iust trying to
get a rise out ofyou.
Make one's gorge dse Anger someone
Make one's dander Anger someone
rise
Make one's back rise Anger someone
Make one's Irish rise Anger someone
Make one's heckles Anger someone
rise
With one's heckles up In anger
In high dudgeon In anger
Huff and puff in anger
Hopping mad I To crazy mad
r He went hopping mad on the
children's mischief
Go into alather In anser
Go spare Become very angry L-

i
I

o She'd go spare ifshe found out


he was spending all that money.
Have kittens To get extremeiy upset.
. My mothcr prctty near hatl

Fiy cff the hanrile

" This is an American phrase and


it alludes to the unconh'olled
way a ioose axe-head flies off
I lrom
U tltll its
llb handie
ili:Iul(i
I

Grasp the netlle i ake the nroblenr iread orr

Page 142 of248

I
ASAP L"".r* English for Judicial Sen ices Exam

i :-::,rtc. it I've been putting off t*ttine th;-l


problem for too long and I think
.;:: Ihttt it's time to grasp the nettlc.
: Usage notes- The figurative
advice to be bold and'grasp the
nettle' derives liorrr thc properly
--- JtL) olthe plarrt to inlect rorins into
the skin of any person or animal
who brushes against its stifl
lrollow hairs. Ilrhe planr is
grasped firmly, especiaily if that
is done in the direction the hairs
are growing, the hairs tend to be
pr-rshed flat and avoid
penetrating the skin.

tr

Take the bit in the Take the problem head otr


mouth . .lane took the
bit between hcr
teeth and now therc's no
stopping her
r Usage notes - This idiom alhides
to the bit, the metai mouthpiece
of a bridle wherebv a rider
controls a horse-

-'- ' tu
:

?iz::{#

Fage 143 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Throw down the To issue a challenge.


gauntlet . A gauntlet-wearing knight
would challenge a fellow knight
or enemy to a duel by throwing
one ofhis gauntlets on the
ground.
Take up the gauntlet To accept a challenge.
Running the gauntlet A form of punishment
o Form of physical punishment
wherein the defaulter is to run
between two rows-a gauntlet-
of soldiers who repeatedly strike
him.
Endure criticism:
o After the play, the director tbund
himself running the gauntlet of
questions and doubts about his
ability.

Carrythe can Take the blame or responsibility for somc


mistake
o She suspected that she'd bc lcft
to carry the can for her boss's
mistakes.
Wear sackcloth and To show that you are very sorry for
ashes something you did wrong
o Usage notes: In thc past, clothcs
made of sackcloth (: a rough
cioth) were wom by the Jews in
religious activities to show that
they wcre sari or sorry for the
things theyhad done lvrong.

Page 144 of248


-l
ASAP Lawrr{ English for.ludicial Scn,ices Exarn

o I've already apoiogized. How


long must I wear sackcloth and
ashes before you'll forgive rre?
To take one's To accept punishment
medicine
To pocket one's pride To give up one's dignity or pride and
accept mistake
Laughing on the other To experience a humbling reversal of
side ofyour face fofiunes
. After not studying and just
pafying, I was laughing out of
the other side of your face when
I found out that I lailed nry
exa111s

Chickens come home Face the consequences ofyour mistakes


to roost or bad deeds.
o Jill: Ernily found out that I said
she was incompetent, and now
she w'on't recommend mc lbr
thatjob. Janc: Thc chickcns
have come home to roost. I see.

Be for the high jump Be read lor rnajor penalty


o She'li bc lbr the high jump when
her motlrer finds out she's been
smoking.
To be in the wrong To make a n.ristake
. I fully accept that I rvas in the
wrong and I think I ought to
apologize.

Haul someone over the To reprimand


coals . My mother hauled me over the
coals fbr coming in late last
night
Rake someone over To reprimand
the coals
Haui someone on the To reprimand
carpet

Page 145 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

r One more error like that and the


big boss will call You on the
carpet
Give son,eone their To fire solneone from their job A
cards 11e

Take a hard line with To be firm with someone


someone c The manager takes a hard line
with people who show uP iate'
Throw the book at To reprimand
sorneone
To read the riot act To reprimand
To give a curlain A private reprimand given to a husband
lecture by his wife.
Usage notes-So called because it
" was originallY given in a
curtained bed.
Pull someone to pieces Criticize very harshly
. The book was puiled to picces
by the crrtics
Pick holes 1n To criticise something
. He picked holes in mY theory

Fall to my lot Succumb to destiny


. it fal1s to my lot to be poor
take responsibiiitY:
r After the death of mY brothcr it
le1l to my 1ot to take case of his
children
Throw in lot with To join someone
someone r He's understandabiY reluctant to
throw in his 1ot with a stmggling
young companY who might not
exist in a year's tirne.
A millstone around A problem or responsibility that you have
your neck all the tirne which prevents you &ot
doing what you want
. I'd rather not be in debt - I don't
want that nTillstone around mY
ncck.

Page 146 of248


ASAP LawrNr English for Judicial Services Exam

--n;-l e Usage notes: A millstone is a


large stone that is very heary.

.Albatross around one's A burden which some unforlunate person


neck signif, a worry or
has to carry to
i repentance for a past misdeed
-: e The company that he founded in
.: .;li, l
1983 is now an aibatross around
his neck, rnaking iosses of
severai hundreds ofthousands a
year.
-. ----- i
r
.: rlla Usage notes-This phrase refers
to lines from the poern The
Rime of the Ancient Mariner by
Samuel Tayior Coleridge, in
which rhe epon) nous rnariner,
who shoots an albatross, is
obliged to cai-ry the burden of
the bird hung around his neck as
a punishment for and reminder
ofhis ill deed.
To take the rap To take the blame for (doing) something.
e I won't take the rap for the
crime. I wasn't even in town.
Who'll take the rap for it? Who
did ir?
Rap on the knuckles Receive a minor punishment.
rtl o
isl The lawyer got his kluckles
rapped for talking back to the
judge.
--1 Slap on the wrist To get a light punishment (1br doing
tto I something wrong).

dl
tine I
o He created quite a disturbance,
but he only got a slap on the
wrist frorn the judge. I thought
I'd get a slap on the wrist for
: speeding, but I got fined $500.

Game not worth the Useless effort


candle r Usage notes- This phrase relates
to occupations, games etc. that

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were thought so lacking in merit


that it wasn't worth the expense
ofa candle to create enough
light to partake in them
I
(
Mugs game Useless effort
Amount to hill of Useiess work
beans o Usage notes-something of
trifling value
Fool's gold Looking valuable but worthless
. Stop chasing a{ter fooi's god ,

o Usage notes-The name given to


iron pyrites, which looks a little
like gold but is worthless.
Fool's Errand Useless joumey or task.
. Billions of dollars have been
spent on long-range weathcr
forecasting, but it's a fbol's
errand.
Mare's nest Sornething looking good but worthiess
. You fbund a marc's nest
r Usage flotes-mare is a female
horse and does not make a nest.
So if someone lbund a mare's
nest it means something
mythical and of no value
A confused state
. The situation was a veritable
mare's nest
r Usage notes- referring to like a
rats nest with lots of entanglcd
items strewn together

Fools for one's pain Thankless job


r I was a fool for my pain to host
my ungrateful relatives of the
night
Not get a sausage Thankless work

Give the game away To reveal a plan or strategy.

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r Ifyou keep giving out hints,


you'll give the game away.
Keep one's own To keep one's thoughts and plans to
counsel oneself
r Jane is very quiet. She tends to
keep her own counsei
. Usage notes-to not talk and take
anyone's advice and just be to
self
Closed book Something that you cannot understand
o I'm afraid physics will always be
a closed book to me.
Hide one's light under To conceal one's good ideas or talents.
a bushel r Don't hide your light under a
bushel. Share your thoughts with
other people.
o Usage notes- A bushel is bowl.
To "hide your light under a
bushel" simply means that you
have hidden away your talent,
gifts, abilities and are not using
them in any way for the
improvement of yourself or
anyone else.
Give up the ghost To die.
o The oid man gave up the ghost
To stop putting effofis
. She'd been trying to break into
acting lbr ten years without
success and was just about to
give up the ghost.

They came to blows To start fighting


. They carne to blorvs right in the
college corridor
He came to grief To end badly
r His career as a lawyer came to
grief after he became involved
with gamblers.

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To put one across To trick someone


To put one over To trick sorneone
To lead someone up To trick someone
the garden path
To prt wool o\,er To trick someone
someone's eyes r Usage notes- the idiom traces
the phrase to the wigs
commonly wom by judges in the
l Sth century. A judge fooled by
a clever lawyer, it is said, would k
be said to have the "wool" (slang
for a wig) pulled over his eyes,
blinding him to the facts of the
case
To throw dust in To kick someone
someone's eye
To buy a pig in a poke T'o get tricked
o Usage notes- this ref-ers to a trick
in the Middle Ages, when meat
was scarce. but other kinds of
meat were available. The
scheme entailed the sale of a
suckling pig or pup in a poke
(bag). The bag would acfually
contain some other meat which
was sold to lhe victim in arr
unopened bag.

To be on the fiddle To be involved in illegal activities


o Ifhe's not on the fiddle, how fid
he afford that huge car?
r Usage notes- The expression is
said by some to derive from the
Emperor Nero, who famously
'fiddled while Rome burned' and
was a bylvord for rrmrption and
dishonesry.
A likelystory Doubtful story

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. He claims he thought he was


drinking low alcohol lager. A
likely story.
Cock and bull story BulI shit story
r She told me some cock-and-bul1
story about her car breaking
down.
Pie in the sky Not realistic
r Get rid of your pic-in-the-sky
ideas!
Castles in the air Unrealistic plans
o Before you staft building castles
in the air, just think how much
ali this is likely to cost"
A11 moonshire All false promises without any substance

Hand in hand In close association


Hand in glove In ciose association; conspiring together
o publishing and teaching go hand
in glove
To run in the same To be in good relations
groove . They always ran in tlre same
groove

Hand to hand Travel from hand to hand.


. The book travelled &om hand to
hand until it got back to its
owner.
Hands down Undisputedly

\1i hands to the pump Everyone get to work


Tum a haud Help out
\ert do a hands turn Not help out
Sen,es one turn To help out tully and tulfit duty

To come with cap in To beg fbr raoney


hand

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ASAP LawrN{ English for Judicial Services Exam

o I had to go cap in hand to my


parents again to ask for some
money.
Pass the hat around To collect money from a group of people
o We're passing the hat round for
Simon's leaving present.

Live hand to mouth Live in money crunch


. My father earned very little and
there were four of us kids so we
iived liom hand to uouth.
Keep body and soul Live in money crunch
togeti.rer . We hardly had enough to keep
body and soul together. I don't
eam enough money to kecp
body and soul together.
Keep the wolf from To eam enough to keep povefiy away
the door r I don,t makea lot of rnoney, just
enough to kecp the wolf from
the door
liavrng a thin tirne To experience a difficult pcriod
. Rob lost hisjob last year and
they've been having a thin time
of it.
Be on the breadline lo be verypoor
r Most fbmilies of the
unernployed are on the breadlinc
o Usage notes: In America, during
the great depression breadlines
were very poor peoplc standing
standins j

in a line waiting for free food I

provided by thp
"r -".- government.
Dv'v'rq4rv'r!r I

Stony broke
Out at the elbows Broke
r Usage notes-tiris idiorn refers to
the clothes that are u,om out or
tom

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ASA? Lat," English for Judicial Services Exam

. I say also refers to the patches to


the tom elbows of the clothes of
poor people.
Hard up Be in shorlage of money
o Ann was hard up for cash to pay
the biils.
Cut coat according to To live according one's means
cloth r We would like a bigger house,
but we must cut our coat
according to our cloth
Scrimp and save Be very frugal
Tf it comes to the pinch A critical situation; emergency
. If it comes to the pinch we'l1
have to managL-.

Draw a blank Not get a response;


. I asked him about Tom's
financial problems, and I just
drew a blank
Not about an eyelid Not react
Not turn a hair Not react
r I '*'as expecting her to be furious
but she didn't tum a hair.
Cut no ice Have no effect
e I've heard her excuses and they
cut no ice with me.
Not give currency to Not give credence to something
sorr-rething r I can't give any currency to
anything Ralph sa.vs

Water off duck's back Criticism that has no effect


. He's aiwa.vs heing told he's lazy
alrd incompetent, but it's just
water off a duck's back to him.
Make hav Turn to one's advantage
r The environmentalist lobby
made hay of the nuclear plant
I

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Make hay while the fo tute advantage ofa briefopporlunity


sun shines while it is still there

Hang onto someone's Gain success by assoctahon than ettort


coattaiis . The senator rode into office on
the President's coattails.
o Usage note - coattail is the back
of the skirt on a man's coat or
jacket.
Hanker after To want someone or something
r I hanker after a nice big
beefsteak for dinner.

Hot on someone's In close pursuit


heels
To tread someone's To follow someone closelY
heels
To tread on someone's To offend someone
toes
7:
Under someone's To be under the control of someone
heels
Under someone's To be under the control of someone
thumb
He is putty in Someone wno is easilY influenced
someone's hands

Sit at the feet of To pay someone worshiP


someone n The graduate student sat at the
feet of the famous Professor tbr
ysars.
+
ffiA greut person but with some flau
I . Even Lincoln had feet ofclaY
o
I

I Usage notes-The Phrase was


coined in the Bible when
Nebuchednezzar dreamt of a
beautifirl metal statue with a
head ofgold, breast and arms of
silver, belly and thighs of brass,

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legs of iron but with feet of clay.


Daniel interpreted the dream to
mean that his kingdom of
Babylon was generally sfrong
but had a fatal flaw.

On the sauce Drunk


On the wagon Teetotaller
o Usage notes-Evangeline Booth,
the US Salvation Amy National
Commander, toured the Bowery
slums in a wagon picking up
drunks and delivering them to
sobriety.
Wet one's whistle To have a drink
Have one over the have too much to drink
eight o Usage notes-the presurnptiorr
being that an average man can
safely drink eight glasses of
beer.

Can't hack it Unable to do the job.


. I thought delivering papers
wouid be an easyjob, but Ijust
can't hack it.
Can't tell hawk from Unable to distinguish between things or
handsaw people
. I should not have given him the
ioan. I can't tell hawk from
handsaw
Can't see the wood Can't undersiand the main point
&om the trees o Sornetimes when you
concentrate on the minute details
of a problem, you iose sight of
the overali picture; You rniss the
big picture

Bread and butter letter Thank you letter especially for hospitality

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o I got a bread-and-butter letter


from my nephew, who visited
me last summer.
Poison pen letter Ar.ron).mous letter with abuses

Keep an open house To enterlain friends at all times, to be


hospitable.
Kiil somebodv with To be too kind to someone I
kindness o Rob's killing me.r,l,ith kinclness - 1,

he phones me all the time to see


if I'm alright :

In the same breath Very simiiar


r Ben is a relatively new director
but his name iras been
mentioned in the same breath as
Hitchcock.
Paint with the same To treat everyolle as same
brush o To say that everyone has the
same bad qualitics
r When one swimmer uses banned
substances, all the othcrs also
get painted with the same brush.
o You can't paint all French men
with the same brush and sav all
are licentious
Tarred with the same Having the same characteristic
brush o Jack and his brother are tarred
L]
with the sarne bmsh. Thcy're
:,,
both crooks.
o run in the same To be in good relations
roove . They always ran ia the same
gr0ove

Uo out l&e a tight To sleep very quickly


o I was out like a light afier all
that fresh air.
lccorolng to own uehave as per own rvishcs
ights
I

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. John mayhave been wrong, but


he did what he did according to
his own iights.
Make light of Not to take something seriously
somcthing r You should not make light of the
problem. It I server.

Foratune/forasong To get something very cheap


Can't carry a tune i Lacking musicai abiliry.
can't carry a tune in a o I don't know why Mary's in the
bushel basket choir. She can't caffv a tune in a
bushel basket
r Usage notes-Cany has many
figurative senses, and carry a
tune is one of thern. The various
add-ons you cite are simply
humorous variants. invcnted
later, r.vhich treat the word carry
as ifbeing used in a literal sense,
so that one could carry a tune in
something. Also the person is scr
bad in singhg that they can't
carry a weightless like a tune in
a basket
Have a frog in your Have a cough
throat r Excuse me, I've got a bit of a
liog in my throat

Dance to the tune of Bc under the conhol of someone


someone o He danced to the tunes of his
wife
Be under someone's Be under the control of someone
thumb r He was under my thumb the
entire time
In tow Following or going along under
someone's control
r She usually goes shopping with
her three children in tow.
r Usage notes-Et)rynology: based
on the literal meaning of a

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ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

vehicle or ship in tow (being


pulled with a rope or chain)

One jump ahead One move ahead


. Try to stay onejump ahead of
ihe competition
Steal a March on To get an advantage over someone by
someone acting before they do
o Our rivai company managed to
steal a march on us by bringing
out their soltware ahead of ours.
o Usage notes- This phrase derives
fiom the military manoeuvre of
rroving troops secretly, in order
to gain an advantage

Knock someone To shock someone


sideways r The news of her brother's cleath
knocked her sideways.
Knock them dead To win over audience
Knock him in the aisle To win over audience by making them
latrgh wildly
To make someone ro11 To win over audience by making them
in the aisles laugh wildly

Run rings around To have much more skill, ability


someone . Why does he talk to Alison as if
she's stupid, when we all know
she could run rings around him?
Can't hold a candle to Not be able to measure up tu somcone.
someone . Mary can't hold a candle to Ann
when it comes to athletics
. Apprentices used to hold candles
to iight the work that a master
aftist or craftsman was doing.
The person who held the candle
was at a lower levei in his or her
career than the master. What is
implicit in thc sayine is that the

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ASAP LawrM English JudiciaI Services Exam

person is not worthy even to


hold the iight for you.

To carry the torch To lead and be successful


o He carried the torch throughout
the event
T'o carry the torch for To be in love with someone who is not in
someone love with you
o Usage notes-To carry a torch for
may refer to the Greek and
Roman custom of the wedding
torch. In the wedding procession
the bride carried a torch made of
Hawthorne lit by the fire in her
own house and to light the
hearth of her new home.

Put the kibosh on To veto someone or someone's plans


someone or something r The rain put the kibosh on our
plans lor a ptcnic.
Put the mockers on To prevent it happening
something o Carol's parents decided to stay in
on Saturday night, which put the
mockers on her plans for a par1y.
o Usage notes- mockers an eariy
20th century Australian slang
term meaning jinx or bad luck
To Blackball To veto
someone/something o He blackballed my idea
. Usage notes--Biackballing is a
rejection in a traditionai form of
secret ballot, where a white ball
or ballot constitutes a v()lc in
.- .l suppofi and a black ball signifies
opposition

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ASAI'} LawrM English flcr Judicial Services Exam

To put a spoke in To spoil someone's plans


wheel . Tell him you're using the car that
weekend - that should put a
spoke in his wheel.
r Usage notes- The cxpression
goes back to the sixteenth
cenhlry and alluded to thc use,
by carters, ofan extra spoke or
bar which could be thrust
between the spokcs or whecl so
that that wheel would drag and
serve as a brake in descending a
hiil
To put a spoke in To thwart someone's plans
someone's guns o Our competitors plamcd a
surprise reduction in thcir rates,
but we discovered it and were
able ro spike rheir guns.
o Usage notes- [n the l Tth century
and later, if you wanted to
disable a cannon or simiiar gun,
you would drivc a spike, or large
nail, into the touchhole, or iili
the touchhole with a spikc. (You
might do this to your own guns,
if you thought tlicy would fall
into the hands of an enerny.)

To kick up a fuss Unnecessarily create dranra


To kick up a dust Unnecessariiy create drama
Make a song and Unnecessarily create drallra
dance about it
Upset the apple cart Don't create a confusiorr

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.:.jg
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Serviccs Exam

o Don't want to upset the applecart


now by asking you to change the
date for the meeting.

Argue the toss Refuse to accept a decision and argue


about it.
To split hair To quibble
o Don't waste time splitting hairs.
Accept it the way it is.
Wrangle over an ass's To quibble
shadow o I am not that tlpe ofperson to
wrangle over an ass for each and
every issue.
r Usage noles- Thc crpressiolt
was made popular by a story
told by the famous Greek orator,
Demosthenes. In the story, a
traveller hires an ass to get 1o his
destination. The traveller, the
ass- and the animal's owner set
off on the long joumey. Around
noon, it becomes unbearably
hot. Sincc there are no trees or
bushes around to provide shade,
the traveller gets offthc donkey
and sits in the shadow cast by
the animal. The owner teils the
traveller that the amount he has
paid allows him to sit on the
donkey, but not in its shadow.
The angry travellcr contends that
he has paid tbr bc,th the anirnal
and its shadow. The trvo men
have a big argument and soott
come to blows. The scarcd ass
runs away. leaving the two men
without any shade whatsoever.

Tu scream bloody T'o create a huge hue and cry about


murder something

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ASAP LarvrNt English for Judicial Services Exam

Readers screamed bloody


murder when the price of their
daily paper went up.
F
To scream blue murder To create a huge hue and cry about
something
r Readers screamed blue murder
when the price of their daily
paper went up.
Usage notes- French use of
"bleu" in an exclamation of
terror or astonishment is "sacre
bleu." which seems to have been
another tone-down-a-curse-word
phenomenon, as "sacre Dicu" Let
(hoiy Godl) became "sacre Iie
b1eu."
Sangfroid A very conrposed person in lace of
trouble
o Usage notes- French for Strong I Ior
bloocl doe
I

Rake over the ashes/ To talk about unpleasant events liom the
R.ake up the ashes past
. There is no point in raking over
the ashes now, you did what you
thought was right at the tin.re.
r Usage notes: Ashes are what is
1eft of something after it has
been destroyed by hre.
Open up o1d wounds To talk about unpleasant events l1om the
past
r Don't open up old wounds and
.,:
talk about his troubled
childhood.

IIelp a itrme dog over a Help people u,ho are in difflculty or


stile trouble.
r You can trust him. He always
lrelps a lame dog
I-ielps tJog over siilc.
ovcr a stile.
r

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ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Dog in the manger Someone rvho keeps something not


because they need it but just to prevent
others from having it
Stop being such a dog in the
manger and let your sister ride
your bike ifyou're nor using ir
Usage notes- from Aesop's
f,ables -The inlarnous 'dog in a
manger', who occupied the
manger not because he wmted
to eat the hay there but to
prevent the other animals from
doing so.
Let the sleeping dogs Don't crcate d.umu ana j,.it l"t tlrings G
lie o We decided rot t0 teil the boss
about coming in iate today
morning and just let the
sleeping's dog lie
You can't teach an old Can't teach new stuff to outdated grq,
dog nerv tricks.
".._=_.
Yo11're never going to teach your
-V;"*-fF @ffu@ otTe ro use a
:_:?.=' cuB#ffi;.Y55fr*an't teach an old
dog new trieh, fou'know.
In the doghouse To be in trouble
I forgot rny rl.etiding anniversary
and norv I arn in the dog irouse
with rny u,ife

Make a pig's ear of To mess up


something o Tirn made a pig's ear of that jobl
Pig headed Stubbom
e She was being unnecessarilypig I
headed I
I

Save somebody's )ave someone's 1ob; Save someone from I

bacon dif8culties I

. You saved my bacon therc. I'd


probably have lost myjotr if you
hadn't been ready with ar
explanation

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ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Bring home the bacon To eam money, parlicularly for one's


family
. Go out and get ajob so you can
bring home the bacon.
o Usage notes-bacon was the
staple meat of the working class
hence the allusion
Eam your chops Learn a skill
o Usage notes- chops apart from
the facial hair also refers to
particular or expefi technique on
the part ofjazz musicians.
Bust my chop Take someone's trip
. Stop busting my chop
o Usage notes-Bust mean to hit
and chop refers to meat choPs
that were the fashionable side
bums in 60s and 70s. So bust mY
chops means hit mY face.

White elephant Something that is a nuisance or expensive


to keep up.
r Bob's father-in-law has given
him a Rolls Royce, bu1 it's a
r,r'hite elephant. He has no place
to park it and can't afford the gas
for it,
White horse Brave and heroic person like
. Narendra Modi is touted as the
whitc horse for India
r Usage notes-White horse would
ret'er to braverY, or hcroi-sm.
Like "riding out on a *'hitc
irorse" would represcnt a
character who is looked uP to. lt
can also mean, however that the
white horsc represelil soineone
rvtro thinks they are better than
all the rest. in a more Pnvileged
position.

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ASAP LarvrM English for Judicial Services Exam

White whale A goal that is your life obsession


r Every fisherman's white whale
is a 10 foot fish
o It's a reference to MobY Dick.
The main character in MobY
Dick chased the white whale
(Moby Dick) for a reallY long
tin.re and never caught him.

White as a ghost Very scared


White as a sheet Very scared
o Marilyn tumed as white as a
sheet wl"ren the Policeman told
her that her son had been in a car
wreck.
White as snow Very fair

Cock ofthe walk A person who acts as if he is more


important than other PeoPle
o He acts like the cock of the walk
around the olhce.
.t ;
Cuckoo in the nesf Someone who don't belong in the group
o For Peter, his steP father was a
cuckoo in the nest.
. I think this refers to the fact that
cuckoo is a different bird who
lays along with other birds
Rule the roost Be the one in charge
r Jimmy might be the boss at
work, but at home it's his
daughters who rule the roost.
Chickens come home Face the consequences ofyour mistakes
to roost or bad deeds.
. Ji1l: Emily found out that I said
she rvas incomPetent, aud now
she won't recommend me for
thatjob. Jane: The chickens
have come home to roost, I see.
Foul one's own nest To harm onets own interests

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ASA? Lawrn English for Judicial Services Exam

She cerlainly fouled her own


nest when she spread those
rumours about her boss
To feather one's (own) To decorate and fumish one's home in
nest style and comfort.
o Usage notes- Alludes to birds
lining their nests with feathers to
make them warm and
comfortable.
. With the new family room and
expanded kitchen. they seem to
have feathered their nest quitc
comfortably with the two new
rooms
To use power and pre-stige to provide for
oneself selfishly.
r The congressmen feathered his
nest through his connection with
big business.
Empty nest sl,ridrome The sad feelings which parents have when
their children grow up and leave home
r The last ofherchildren had
recently moved out and she was
suffering liom empty nest
syndrome.

Home Bird Someone who likes to stay at home


always
. he's a bit of a home birtl and
might want to take you to his
mum's every night
The bird has flown When sornething occurs
r lt's no use searching any more.
The bird has flown.
As the crow flies In a straight line
. The allusion in this expression is
obviously to the abilitY of crows
to fly directly from A to B,
without the encumbrances of
roads and landscape features that

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Exam
AS,\P Lat{N' Engtish for 'Iudicial Services

ffisarePerhaPs
an odd choice as, unlike manY
birds that migrate over long
distances' their flight isn't
esPeciallY straight

Bad egg
o He's a bad egg - don't believe
any,lhing he saYs'

To bring one's eggs to To go to the wrong Peoptc 1or nerP


tlre bad market r You made a mistake bY brining
vour egcs to thc bad market'

Flave bats in the beltrY Crazy


o the olci man LearY had bats in
the be11rY
-
Blind as a bat
o Alter the accident he was blind
as a bat

ffiducLs and drakes Idly tffiC'=way something I

with something . Usage nores- Ducks and drakes


I

i, thc old English natnc lol the I

pastime of skirnming flal stUtres I

on the surf,ace uf \ aler to makc


thern bottnce as lllony lintesas I

1o just
I

Possible. Now it rel'ers I

wcste away somclhiltg like You I

I rnrow awav rocks nhile PlaYing I

i d,r.ks and drakcs I

Take to something like I

duck takes to water I . She took to singing just as a


I auck takcs to watcr'

Tn break the duck


I . tjsase notes--based on the
I cri.k'.,,.* duck rneaning 0
*ns. So to break the duck rneatls
II to starl scorlng

e nne aaY for ducks I Bad weather daY

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ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

. Usage notes-as ducks due to the


coating on the feathers are
imperuious to rain
A duck in a Person who thinks he is fine but is
thunderstorm actually in a bad position
o Usage notes- ducks due to the
coating on the feathers are
impervious to rain but not to the
lightening
Lrke a deari duck To be a goner
. IfI fail that tcst, I'm a dead
duck.
Swan Song Last arnazing performance befbre cleath
r Usage notes- This tcrm derived
from the legend that, while they
are mule during the rest of their
lives, swans sing beautifully and
mournfullyjust before they die.
around one's A burden which some unforlunate pe.son
I ft,T"*. has to cany to signily a worr), or
repentance for a past nfsdeed
o The company that he foundecl in
I 983 is now an albatross around
his neck, making losscs of
several hundreds ofthousancls a
year.
. Usage notes-This phrase refers
to iines f'om 1he poem The
Rime of the Ancient Mariner by
Samuel Taylor Coleridgc, in
which the eponylnous mariner,
who shoots an albatross, is
obliged to carry the burdcn of
the bird hung around his neck as
a punishment for and reminder
ofhis ill dced.

Old trout olci iritable person-


. Ignore him. He is an old trout.
Neither fish nor fowl So:nerhing that can- beiGffiz"d

Page 168 of248


ASA? LawrM English for.ludicial Services Exam

o The hovercraft has always


suflered from the fact that it is
neither fish nor low[.
Give a sprat to catch a A small price to pay in the short-term tr-r
mackerel obtain a iong-term gain.
r Usage notes- a sprat is a small
edible fish of the herring family
and not much compared b the
mackerel in size
Cut offyour nose to This is expression ussd ao clescribe a -
spite your face needlessIy selttlestnrcti vc o\ er-reaction
to a problem
o .Tane: Next time he treats me like
that, I'm just going to quit my
job.'Mary: But isn't that a bit
like cutting off your nose to
spite your face?'
r Usage notes- The phrasc is
known to have been uscd in the
12th century. It may be
associated with the numerous
legends ofpious wolren
disfiguring themselves in order
to protecr their virginiti,.
Tum h.rtle Tum upside down especially in water
o We lost al1 our diving gear when
the boat tumed turtle just otTthc
shore.

Change horses in To make major changes in middle of the


midstream task
o Thc house is hali:built" It's too
late to hire a ditferent architcct.
You can't change horses in
midstream.
Lock the stable down Take care after the loss occurred
when the horse bolted
Eat like a horse To eat large amounts of food.
. No wonder John is so fat. He
eats like a horse.

Page 169 of248


ASAP Lau,r\l English for Juciicial Services liram

Look a gift horse in To be clitical of a gifl


the mouth r I know the car's not in greal
condition, but You shoLrldn't look
a gift horse in the mouth.

Horses for courses Something that you say which means that
it is important to choose suitable people
for particular activities because everyone
has different skills.
. Ah well. horses for courses. Just
because a plumber can mcnd
your washing n'rachine, it doesn't
follow that ire can mend your car
as weil
o Bishen Bedi trn'eets: Reckon Ind
cud'r e played 2 spinrrers in
Durban"horses fr courses?lAs i1
I
lDiea

is Indns didn't give'emselves


much time 2 asserli
r Usage notes- It's a racing term.
Certain horses run better on
l*-
certain courses. A mostlY British
expression urging someone to
stick to the thing he knows best, l'*'
'horses for coursesr comes liom I

the horse racing world, where it


ICatr
is widely assumed that some
horscs race hetter on cenain
courses than on others. L
I t'too
I cat
(irin Have to bear with something iritating

t-
and bear
Bear Garden Noisy place
r Never was a quiet and ordcrlY
household transformed so
suddeniy into a bear garden
F
o Usage notes- a place whcre
t ears were exhibited and where
bear-baiting took place
L
Run with the hare and
hunt with the hounds
To supporl both sides of a disPute
. Sal1y always tries to run with the
hare and hunt with thc hounds,
r
Page 170 of248
ASA? LawrM English tbr Judicial Scn'ices Exam

telling both the clerical workers


and the management that she
thinks they should prevail
Fight like cat and dog To argue violently all the time
o We get on very well as adults
but as kids we fought like cat
and dog
To have a cat and dog Unhappy married life.
iife
Lead a dog litb Lead a tough and hard labour filled life
o I've been working so hard. I'm
tired of living a dog's lif-e.
Die a dogs death Die in a bad way and not heralded

Have kittens To get extremely upset.


. My mother pretty near had
kittens when she found out I got
fired
Cat on a hot tin roof Nervous, uncomfortable ..

o What's the q4trer with her?


Sheb liFe a eat on a hot tin roof
this morning
Cat on hot bricks Nervous, uncomfortabie
o Neryous about thc iccture hc had
to give, David was like a cat on
hot bricks.
No room to swing a No room to move
cat r Usage notes-cat w'as a whip used
in the Rritish Navv

Act the goat To behave in a silly way in order to make


people laugh
r He resorted to acting thc goat to
get pcople's attcntion.
To be as sick as a To be very sad
parrot . Tim was sick as a parrot when
he heard Manchester had lost the
match

Page t7t of248


ASAP LarvrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Usage notes - it is a corruption


of "sick as a pielrotrt and refers
to the typically pale and
miserable face of that French
pantomime character

Mutton dressed (up) as Woman is dressed in a young women's


lamb attire
. Do you think this skirl is too
shorl? I don't want to look like
mutton dressed as larnb.
Keep the wolf fiom To eam enough to keep poverty away
the door r I don't make a lot of money, iust
enough to keep the wolf frorn
the door

Donkey's years Very long time


. We have not in cionkev's ears
Talk the hind leg off a Very taikative person
donkey o That girl can talk the hind lcg off
a donkey
r Usage notes- because donkey's
are regarded as strong, sturdy,
faith ful and extraordinarily
reliable animals that tolerate so
much, good or bad, that one
can't talk their leg olf

Bee in the bonnet To think a lot about something.

Page 172 of248


ASAP LawrM English ibr Judicial Senices Exam

. The problem was like a bee in


my bonnet
or to talk a lot about something
o Marlin has a bee in his bonnet
about recycling.
ln a brown study To be depressed
. Lack of company will soon lead
a man into a brown study
r Usage notes- in old times brown
referred to gloorny and study
means thought
To be in deep thought
o He took the problem and went in
the brown study

The blind leading the Incapable leading the incapable


blind o Nathan offered to be my guide
through Philadelphia, but since
he'd never been there before
either. it was a casc olthe blintl
leading the blind.
Lead up a blind alley Lead up to a dead end
. The research ended in a blind
al1ey
To be led by one's To force someone to go somewhere
nose r She led him by the nose to the
opera
o Usage notes-Etynology: based
on the way that a cow is
sometimes led by rope attached
to a ring in its nose

Make a pig's ear of To mess up


something . Tim made a right pig's ear of
putting those shelves up.
Muck something up To ruin something
r I should never have trusted Jirn
with the repair work. He was
bound to nruck it up

Page 173 of248


ASAP La\r'rM English for.Iudicial Services Exam

Run something to seed To mess up something

Be like a bull in a Be very clurrsy


china shop r Rob's like a bull in a china shop
- don't let hinr near those plant
To be ham handed or Clumsy, inept
ham fisted . government'sharr-handed
efforts to fix the problem

AIive and kickins In good hearty condition


Sound as a bell In perfect condition
r The oid rnan's heart wa^s sound
as a bell
Be bright-eyed and To be fulI of energy and eager to do
bushy-tailed thin;s
r She was bright-eyed and bushy-
tailed the next morning, despite
having been up halfthe night.
Be fuli of beans To have.a
.l:: lotof elersv
, Y:and enthusiasm
'
e _ Eva @oEr'#eep he is so full
beani " '

It's an ill rvind that Something bad that r-esuits in good for
blows nobody any someone
good. . The tremendous hailstorm left
gaping holes in most of the rool!
in town, so many families were
homeless. The rooting
companics, ho*'ever, maile
plenty of money fixing those
holes. It's an ill wind that blows
nobcrly any gooil.
In the rvind lr, ru,
^"ay
. The prisoner escaped and now is
in the wind
Rumours ofevents about to happen.
r 'Ihere are som€ major changes in
the u,iml.

Page 174 of248

I
ASAP LawIM English for Judicial Sen ices Exam

Straws in the wind Something that shorn s what might happcn


in the future
. There were straws in the wind
that suggested a strike was
iikely.
To clutch at straws I Hope for help in something unlikely
o He's hoping that this new
treatment wili help him but I
think he's clutching at straws.
To scatter to the four Scatler in all directions
winds r Homes were destroyed and
lbmilies were scattered to the
lour rvinds.
In the eye of the wind in a direction opposed to the wind
o We were having troubles
navigating as the ship was
sailing in the eye of the wind.
Cet a second wind To get energy again after getting tired
. After the drop in the oii prices
the automobile industry seems to
have gotten a second wind
Throw caution to the To become very careless
wind r We decided to throrv caution to
the rvind and just go lbr the trip
Get wind of something To get an idea ofrvhat is about to happen
. The police got rvind of the
' -) illegal drug dc-al.
!:, :

I-abour of Hercules Sornething that requires imrnense efIbrl


o {Jsage notes - The twelve
labours ofLlercules or docathlon
are a series ofepisodes
concerning a pc-nance carried out
by I'Iercules
Labour oflove An activity that is hard u,ork but that you
do because you enjoy it
r He prefers to paint the house
hirnself - it's a real labour of
love.

Page 175 of248


ASA? LawrM English fbr Services Exam

Plough a lonely furrow To work without help Irom others


r He'd always been happier
working in isolation, ploughing Par
a lone furrow
a

Dead heat Stalemates: A race in which two or more


contestants compete evenly or flnish at P.
the same time.
Dead letter A law that is in effect but no longer
enforced
Dead loss A loss that cannot be salvaged/sunk costs
. My investment was a dead loss

Lr:
Not an earthly chance Not possible chance
Salt ofthe earth Honourable people
To be under a cloud To be under suspicion
r Someone stoie some money at
work. and now everyone is
under a cloud ofsuspicion.

To work on the laiid Work as a farmer


Live offthe land To live by eating only the food that onc
produces from the iand
r We lived off the land for a few
H
years when we first started out
fanning.
Live offthe fat of the Live abundantly
land r The has won a million doilars
:l
and is now living offthe fat of
the land
Laylhe of the land Tire general state or condition ofaffairs
. I drove past the Villa Nova, just (i.
to get the lie of the 1and. S"
r Usage notcs- It depends on
where you live. In Arnerican D

English. the idiomatic norrn


phrase used to descdbe
topography or the state of affairs

Page 176 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

is "lay of the land." In British


English, it's "lie of the land.
Parish Pump Locai politics
o Gover-nrnent must realise its
strategy on cycling is being
stifled by parish PunrP InYoPIa.
Pride ofthe place The top position
. London had taken over the pride
of the place fiom BabYlon as thc
world's top bttsittcss ccttter
o They placed tl're Vase at the
pride ofthe place i.e. at the top
olthe r intage Piano.
Lie doggo To hide
r Where's Mike'?' 'Probably lying
doggo till the washing uP's
done.'
o Usage notes- It is probablY from
dog plus the suffix -o, which is
roguishly used in British slang.
for example in boyo. The
rationale would then be'to lie
low. like a <1og in hiding.' "

Chicken feed A small arnount of anfhing, especially of


money
o That's just chicken feed to rnel It
may be chicken fccd to you. but
that's a month's rcnt to me
Shoe string A very small amount of moncy
. Shoe string budget

Great and small Persons ofall ranks or degrees


Salt of the earth Honourable people

Ragtag and bobtail The lowest social class


Rabble Lower gentry
As cornmon as muck Lowly person

PagelTT of248
ASAP LarvrM English tbr Judiciai Services Exam

Rank and file Ordinary members of a group, not tlie


leaders.
r The rows and eolumns of
soldiers, drawn up for drill and
not incir.rding o1ficers, were
cailed 'ranl<s' and 'files'.
Every man jack Every person
r lf you sack me the others will
waik out too, every man jack of
thent
n on tne street Everyday man T
r Politicians rarely care rvhat the i
man in the street thinks

Pire and sword The killings in a war


Go through Fire and Go through a severe trial to prove
water
!
something
Set the Tharaes on flre Do something remarkable
. l"
ttT
By his dancing he sst lhe
Thames on fire

Flesh and blood A 1,","g hr.lln""


_- t.
-*- ]
e T}ci: he rr rs in flcsh:rnd h1.>o.1 |

My own flesh and Own's biood lelatio:,


blood
Stir the blood Cause interest
r Fabir: iJapello has stirreci the ll
blood by itcluding Owen in the 1

sta,riing line,up against Brazil.

High dal,s and Festi',.ities davs


hoiidays
C-'akes and a1e Th" g"",1 lif,

Goocl and chattels Someote's stuff ---_


Colnmon-tx€arden ^- ---
Lommonplt .e: Urdinary
. I just want a common-or-garden
bike

Page L78 of248


ASAP LarvTM English for Judicial Services Exam

Cut the cackle Cut the bull shit and come to point
o Cut the cackle and come to the
point
Fire and sword The killings irr a war
Kill or cure Either cornpletely soive the problem or
completely fail
. Having a baby can be kill or
cure for a troubled maffiage.
\{ake or mar To fix or soii completely
Peak and pine To long for something a lot
\leek and mild Non-corifr ontational people
o No piace in the world for meek
and rnild people
a

\\ itli might and main


. They fought the war with might
and main
il.origh and ready Crude, unpolished, or hastily prepared,
but s'rfficient lol tlre purpose
I Straight cnd ncmovl Totally Iegitimate
6 Agent Burke prornised that Neal
would live his life on the straight
ancl narrow al1er coming back to
th$ bureau

Bits and bobs Trinkt;ts


Udds and ends Trrnkr..
scnmp and save -1_q_=ft-,,lgli --]
n'rsro.s prm. A;r.'J; ;i'' l',;1.-lob frotl'r soua6l
",rd -f "arious
| " ''r' 'cc.rncl chapter oLrt to bea I

I ..,;c,r^rr-onrl-aoala n^*-il.*i^-
r r s :iors-and-paste compilation I

',r:lr"rCing parts of an unverified


heory fi"orrr an obscure
I
l*adernic in C alifornia
t_t
I Ways and means ind devices
I VarioL;c :uethods and devi

Page 179 of-?4E


ASAP LaurM Ilnglish for Juclicial Scn'ices Exarn

which don't involve spending


tsr
quite so much money.
Wit and wisdom Combination of brains and smartness
. Wit and wisdom are likc the
seven stars. seldom seen t_
together
-Thonias
Fuller L-
lrh
I au-
In small nutnbers
In twos and threes
. Peoplc are coming to see the
lE
lin
cxhibition in twos and threes.
I

At sixes and sevens Very confused


o Jane was also at sixcs and
!:
sevens when it came to taxes.
Have one over the have too rnuch to drink
eight r Usage notes-thc presun-rPtion
being that an average 'moderate'
man can safely drink eight
glasscs ofbeer. :
i
Dressed to the nines Dressed up completely
'' .. . ': ,.Tho childreu were dressed to the
i l' nines butitheirteeth were
completely romen
Do one's daily dozen Do one's daily routine tasks
Raker's dozen 13
Usage notes- This has its origins
in the hct that rttany societies
throughout history have had L'
extremcly strict laws conceming ln
I
baker's wares. lt's widelY lc
believed that this phrase
originated from the practice of
medieval bakers giving an extra
loaf when sellirtg a dozen in
ordcr to avoid being Penalized
for selling short wcight
At the 11th hour At the last possible moment.
o She always tumed her tcrm
papers in at the eleventh hour.
e Usage notes- Just before the last
clock hour

Page 180 of248


-1
ASAP La${}r English tbr Judicial Services Exam

Reat the clock To be on time


o Sam beat the clock, arriving a
f-ew minutes before the doors
were locked.

The matter is on the To be in a state of discussion, formation,


anvil or preparation.
Have too many irons To be doing too many things at once.
in the fire r Totn had too manY irons in the
fire and missed soine irnportant
deadlines.
Srck o"eb o- i,, -
. I'ur sorry. I shouldn't have stu;k
my oar tn when You were
arguing rvith Your wilb

Shanks's pony / -
Shank's mare .
I rnissed the last bus and had to
get home on. Shanks's PonY
-- _
W"l6ndGs off Walk a lot

T"k. t[. *.tght To take rest


ones feet
"f r Come in and get some weight
offyour feet.

Trk" th" load of'f o"* To t"ke te.tt"


feet
Rest *.s I o take rest
""elt
Catchfortywinks- To gefiome sleep. -
r I'lljust foty lvinks before
catch
getting readY for the PartY.

To cool one's heels Wait for something and waste ttme


r I spent an hour cooling mY heels
- in the waiting room while the
doctor saw other Patients.
r Jack to cool his heels in the
wl ted

f'age 181 of 248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

To kick one's heels Wait for something and waste time


o Usage notes-The kicking of
heels alludes to the toe shuffling
and foot tapping that people
resofi to when thcy are impatient
at having to wait for something.
I
L-
lco

Tread on someone's To offend someone


co1lIS . Usage notes-to walk and trample
someone's cotns
'fread on sorreone's To offend somoone
toes
Tread on someone's To follow someone closely
heels
Tread the water Bide your time
r [{e's just treading water here
until he can find anotherjob.

Adam's ale Water


r 'Adam's ale' is a jokey reference
', to the only drink available to
Adam in the biblical traditions.
It alludcs to the simplicify and
purity of iife in the biblical Eden
betbre the fhll.
Not kflow s01rleb0.$ T.*ct Lr.'rcquainted *ith someone
liorn Adam . Why should I lcnd him mt.rney? I
don't know hirn from Adanr.

Play fast and loose Manipulate something I- tt


with something o Amrageddon movie by Michaei i*
t-
Bay was very entertaining even iT,
though it plays fast and loose 1.,
with the scientifia facts.
Blow hot and cold Moody, unpredictable, uncertain
o Ii* keeps blowing,Lot and crcld
o* the questior of morring to the
coufttry.
Blink the fact Ignore something

Page 182 af248


ASAP LautrM English for Judicial Services Exam

You can't just blink the fact that


he had 50 kilos ofcocaine in his
possession

Counsel ofdespair An action to be taken when all else fails


o It was a counsel of despair to
deciare bankruptcy and prevent
the foreclosure ofthe house
Counsel ofperfection Ideal but uruealistic advice
n While it may be a counsel of
perfection, it must be advisable
for the insurer to attempt to
investigate each claim
Keep one's own To keep one's thoughts and plans to
cor-urse1 oneself
Jane is veryquiet. She tends to
keep her own counsei
Usage notes-to not talk and take
anyone's advice andjust be to
self
Take counsel Diseuss a problem .

o In times of difficulty the party


member took counsel in the
chairman

Cast/run your/an eye To quickly look at sornething


over something c Would you rnind casting an eye
over my essay and giving me
your commentsl)
To see something at To see somettring bv a quick glanee
the corner of the e1,e
To keep hatfan eye on lo *;tcil(,rxeth,,ffiror*'o,* - irfr*t I
sometiring giving thern all your 3ttcntion
r I had halfan eyc on thc TV I

lrl,il: I was w111ryrry_tq. ]

Iichl,feet Wanderiust
Itchy pahn I Aiweys watlling nlouc)'

Page 183 of248


ASAP LawrM English lor Judicial Services Eram

. All the waiters at that restaurant


havc itchy palms.
o The cabdriver was troubled by
an itching palm.

Dab hand To have dexteritv

I
Light fingers Nirnble lingers espccially with a tendency
to steal
o Electronic goods are most often
targeted by light-fi ngerecl
customcrs
Sticky fingers Someone with a tendency to stcal
Pull your finger out Get ready for action
o Usage notes-It's a nautical
saying. When cannon lvere E
lr
loaded a small amount of
powder was poured into the h
lr
I

ignition hole near thc base ofthe


weapon. In order to keep the
porvder secure before fiting. a
crew member pushed one of
thcir fingers into the hole. Wlren
the time came for ignition, the
crewman was told to pull his

To kecp your powder


finger out.
To be rcady to take action
rL
dry o ,All you have to do is keep, your lr
powder dry and await orders.
o Usage notes - from the idea that
gunpor.vder (an explosive
substance in the fbrm ofa
poivder) wili not explode ilit is
wet
Bum your fingers To sulf'cr a bad rcsult
. Matry investors bum their
fingers in tlre stock market when
they are tcmpted by get-nch-
quick schemes.
To$rap ffi;fi"gers tl" t *n"iti-li"nt.-lpt-
at --

Page 184 01'248


ASAP LawrM English for Judiciai Services Exam

o Peterjust snapped his fingers at


the speed limit and drovc as fast
he liked
o Usagc notes-Tilis exPression
alludes to the gesture of striking
one's tinger against one's thumb,
thereby makilrg a shalp noise

Cross palm w.ith silver To tip someone


. You will find that things haPPen
much faster in hotels if You
cross the stafTs Palms with
siiver fairlY often.
To bear thc palm To win reward at something

To bear the palm To win reward at something


To wln spurs To eum the skili and recognition
To carry the daY To win
o Our team PlaYed well and
carried the daY
To cany the torch To lead and be successful
o He carried the torch throughout
the event
To win the daY To win
o He won the daY for us
To bell the cat To do a very tough task
o Usage notes- This exPression
ultimatelY derives from the
fable, often attributed to Aesop,
The Mice in Council. This storY
tells the tale ola grouP of mice
who were tcrrolised bY the
house cat. One ofthem suggests
that a bell be Placed around the
cat's neck to'*'aLn of his arrival'
Volunteers for the iob are asked
tbr but no mouse stePs tbtrvard'
I Uncrowncd king or rt iiurro fn c*[r e"d.t,,i t 1,.=,*
tS."."-_-
I qu".tt

Fage 185 oi?48


ASAP LawrNr English for Services Exam

Pr"rt the flags out Sarcastically say something when


sr.rrprised at victory -
b
r John's done the washing up. put
the flags outl

To pip someone at the To narrowly win


post . He was piped at the post as Sam
filed the patent 1 hour before
him
To give someone fhe To iritate so[1eone or make depressed
pip r Usage notes- earlier"it used to
mean to give someone a disease
as pip also refbrs to a diseasc in
poultry. Now it means just to
irritate someone or. make
someone dcpressed

Narrow squeak Close caii


Near Miss (
Close call
By a nose Close call
By tire skin of the teeth Close call

Easy meat Easy victory


Cake walk Easlz task
Easy canter Easy victory
Cushy number Easy task I
Act the goat To behave in a silly way in order to make
people iaugh
o Llc resorted io acling rhe goat to
gr:t People'i attelttton.
Iocutacaper To play a prank
r usdge notes - capermeans a
I
prank or a crirne plan
Male A exlnbitiorl of Makc a lbol out of orrc sclll s(nnelilnes tr.l
<.urcsell get attention
o Whenever Rudy clrinks, he I
makes an exhibirion of himselfl I
-_.-_L
Page 186 of248

{t
ASAP LawrNt English for Judicial Services Exam

Shot in the arm To get encouragement and help


r The retum of Ronaldo was a
shot in the arm for the Club's
title hope
o Usage notes- This expression
derives lrorn the invigorating
effect of injecting drugs. A shot
is ofcourse US slang for an
injection. either ofa narcotic or
medicinal drug.
Shoot your bolt To make one last ditch effort
. By the end of the third lap it was
obvious that she had shot her
bolt
Shoot the works Put in all efforts into something
. lhey shot the works on their
daughter's wedding.
Shoot a line To exaggerate as in to shoot an extra like
of wolds to describe something
r He used to shoot a line about his
house in the country
Shoot the breeze lalk informally and just have a fun chat
as in enjoythe breeze andjust chill
o Ttre men were sitting in the caf'e
and shooting the breeze
Chew the fat Talk informally and just have a fun chat
o Usage note - derived lrom a
practice by North American
Indians or Inuit of cheiving
animal hides during their spare
tirne. anti even of British ihmrers
cirewing on suroked pork,
Chew the cud Io rummate over somethlng
o He sat chewing the cud all
morning.

Run a rnile liom .Avoicl scmething


somethirrg

Fage 187 of248


ASAP Lawrr{ English for.ludrcial Senices Exam

. He flirts the rvhole tirre but it's


not serious - he'd run a miie
. The 'mile' isn't especially
signihcant butjust denotes an 'I
arbitrarily long distance, i.e. 'run ir
a long way away {rom'.
Runamileaminute Run really fast
I
. He was running mile a minute to
catch the bus
Run circles around Ifyou can run circies around sofileonet
someone you are smarler and intellectually quicker
than they arc.

Near the knuckle Bordering on obscene


o His jokes were always near thc
knuckle and could not be heard
with famiiy around
I
Beyond the pale Unacceptable
o Because of Tom's rudeness. he's
considered beyond the pale and
is never asked to parlies
an).rnore.
o Usage notes- This 'pale' is the
noun 'paling' (as irr paling fence)
The paling fence is signiiicant as
the term 'pale' came to mean thc
area enciosed by such a lbnce
and laterjust figuratively 'tire
area that is enclosed and satb'.
So to be 'beyond thc pale' was kr
bc outside the area accepted as
'home'.

I''IfrffiT?il??I
t11111il il il ilil
At the back of brelrond
ffiffi
n",rroffice
She refused to g0 to back of iire
beyond fbr her honelmoon

Page 188 of248


English fot Judicial Services Exant

Lunatic fringe The fanatical, extremist, or in'ational


members of a society / crazy right wing
groups

Tum sornething over To think about something.


in one's mind o Please take some tirne to tum
over this matter in Your mind.
To come to grief To end badly
o His career as a lawyer came to
grief after he became involved
with gamblers.
To be down in the To be sad
mouth o Jake looks a bit down in the
mouth. Shall we try to fincl otrt
what's wrong?
Have one's heart in To be really scared
one's mouth
Have one's hearl in To be depressed or down-hearted
one's boots . The Youngman had his hearl in
his boots as he could not get a
job even six Years after his
education
Laughing on the other To experience a hurnbling reversal of
side ofyour face fortunes
. After not studyng and just
partying, I was laughing out of
the other side of Your face u'hen
I found out that I failed mY
exams

Play it by the ear To improvise:


. If we go into the meeting
unprepared, we'll have to PlaY
everlthing by ear
o Usage notes- To be able to play
a piece of music after just
listening to it a few times,
without looking at the notes
Heads will ro11 o something that you say which
means people wiil lose their -tobs

Page 189 of248

I
ASAP Lawr\I Engiish tbr Judicial Services Exarn

il.
as punishment fur making
serious mistakes

lt t**" in cheek
:
If the accident was caused by
company negligence, then heads
will roll.
said sarcasticallv
The college dctained the
I | national shooting charnpion fbr
attenciance and she said tongue
in cheek that her father always
wanted her to go to a great
college.
Cheek By.towl
'l
-f i.
o
@Usage notes: Jowl is a word for
the Ioose flesh by rhc iowcr jaw.
which is very close to the cheek.
The pedestrians had to walk
cheek by jowl along the narow
streets.
The two fbrdiies lived cheek bv
iowl in one house.
Grincl the faces of the Exploit the poor 'l
poor o The cruel landiord used to grind
the faces oftlie poor by hiking
the rents every
Make a w-ty lace Grimace; make a upilae down ta"e ,.."
disgust

"s
To have one's nose out To be irritated or get offended -
ofjoint e Her nose is out of thc loint
the joint I

because Martit
rtin reflrsecl hcr
refllseci to let her
:eting
I

chair the meetinu


I

Page 190 of248


ASAP LawrN{ English lor Judtcial Scrvices Exatn

Usage notes- Although a nose


cannot actually be "out of joint",
the way a finger or an arrn
comes out of.joint, a pcrson who
is upset may have a strange look
on their face until they normalise
-f't^

Turn up one's nose To act in contempt


-r )f
. She tlnned her nose up at the
: l\1. l'ood
; - :ih. Rub someone's nose in r to remind one of something one
.: t- it has done wrong
: 't -\\\' . 'W'hen Bob failed iris exarn, his
brother rubbed his nose in it.
. Mary knows she shouldn't have
broken off her engagement.
Don't rub her nose in it.

See the back of Be glad to get rid oisomeone


somebody o was an absolute pain when
Str-re
with us and we were
stre stayed
both really pleased to see thc:
back of irer
Scratch someone's Do someone a favout'in return of a thvour
hack

the boot is on the The situation has reversed


other foot o In the past, we had grcat
inthience over thcir econotu.Y'
but thc boot is oti the other fbot
II Ii :-""'
n0\\'
now" I

;- rn,r--*"rV f" fistl'rlhan;ilrr')i1u


ISnu* so,""Uuoy "r,-r
clcan pair olireels tlie pclirc a
i i " Thc rhiel sSorvcd
of'llecis an(l t iL\\ r'
I i _:!."fU "t

Page 191 of248


ASAP La\t'r\I English for Judicial Services Exam

Tough as boots Very tough


r f)o you think Grandad will evcr
recover?' 'Of course, he's as
tough as old boots.
Tough as nails Very tough
o He's as tough as nails, and if
anyone can cotrle back it's him'

Hard nut to crack Orfnc"tt problem to solve


o The EuroPean market was a hard
nut to crack.
Have a job at it Tough task
o I:[e had a job at it while cleaning
the gutters

His nibs Someone acting like roYaltY


To act like a stuffed To act haughty
shirt
Get off your high A req.rest to someone to stop behaving in
horse a haughry lranncr
o Usage notes- Mediaeval soldiers
and political lcaders bolstered
their ciaims to suPremacY bY
appearing in Public in the full
regalia of Power and mounted on
large and exPensive horses.

Queen it To act haugirtY


To take siik To be appointed as roYal advisor

Blue Blooded Bom in royalty


Bom in the purple Bom irrto llneage
To takc to purple Recomc a roval advisor
Hit a purpie Patch Relating to royaltY
r Usage notes-It was the colour
reserved for emPerors and other
distinguishcd statesrnen in
imperial Rome.

Page 192 of248

i.--
ASAP LawrM English lor Judicial Sen'ices Exam

:ffi
;ff,'
Coming into luik or success
. The friend of MSD came into a
purple patch when he made a
realty firm with Dhoni and his
witb
r I've been working as hard as I
ever have. lf you Push me to
scrutinize my PurPle Patch, I
wouid say at that time I was no1
desperate to get big runs. I was
not even thinking of becoming
the No. I Test cricketer
Gautam Gambhir
o Usage notes-The term'purple
patch' wasn't much used again
untii the 1Sth centurY, at which
time literary critics valued
evenness ofPace and stYlc in
literary works. UnevenlY written
texts were singled out fbr
censure and'purPle Patch' was
the ideal label for a Passage that
stood out as overly florid.
Excessively fancv i.vriting
Usage notes- In 18th century, at
which time literary critics valued
evenness oipace and stylc in
literary works. Unevcnly writtcn
tr-XtS \\€tc singled out for
censure anci'purple palch' u,'as
the ideai label for a passage ihai
st.,od out as or"crly flcr!d.

Page 193 of248


Exam
ASAP LarvrN! English for Judicial Sen'ices

fo treat as beneath To treat with contemPt


one's nohce
To snap one's fingers To treat with contempt
at Peter just snaPPed his fingers at
the speed limit and drove as fast
he liked
Usase notes-Th is exPression
alluies 10 the gesrure olslrlking
oners finger against one's thumb,
thereby' making a shalP noise

Tum up one's nose To act in contemPt


o She turrred her nose uP at the
food

Cock a snook To show contempt


r He refused to accept his award'
cocking a snook at the fllm
hdustry for which he had such
contemPt.
o Usage notes- It is sometlmes
rePorted io be dedved flom
:ii :'!:' ':.'
'::: , ,*;[,,65'iil,thirnbing one's nose.

Lay down ones office To resign


Effi-meone's helP
Through someone's
kind office

I Operative word th; *o-*t i*Pufiant word


fo t" g"t advantages iiom ir
Overplay Your hand ", "rore
situation than you are likely to get
tr'rn going to ask fcr Pronrotion
but I think it might be
overpiaying mY hand to-ask to

F-
t-
I
t:
Fatter of tinY feet lXle noffif children rurning about in the
I I

house I

I Co in the familY waY T-Preenant I

[saadanm;a_ I SeniliN I

Fage tr94 CIf248


ASAP LawrM English for judicial Services Exam

. mental infirnrity as a
oonsequence ofold age
I-atchkev kid Child with no parental supen ision.
. A child who retuills ilom school
to an empty home because his or
her parent or parents are away at
il'ork
ln rloublc hamess Married
r Usage note-hamess for a pair of
horses.
On the nod To be accepted (without discussion)
r Theproposals were accepted on
the nod.
Un the nose Exactl;u right; as if so accurate that hit
exactl;,, on tlie nose to inflict maximu*r
damage
. His estimate that they would
consume 23 boxes was oo the
nose
On tlie beanr Eryt@ZeW as'$9ry.q$y n$:i on the
b@@ar@-ry@..@$unug
o His theory on the light diffrrsion
was completely on the beam I

On the ball
in a basketball or l-ool"ball game
I

Despite less sleep the driver was I

I On the button Right on time


L]n the double

I I . The general has ordered the


the i

II II work to be finished on
douhle I

I To a nicety I With $eat exactness or accuracy. I

! The
The penny dropped jI Finally
nennrr drnnnerl rrnrlerctnnr! c^m.
Finallw uuderstood something
I I o [t was only when I saw Ron's car I

I I outside Penny's house that the I

i I penny finallydropped and I I

Page 195 cf 2i8S

r
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

realised they were having an


affair.
Tum up like a bad To arrive when uawanted
penny o She'll turn uP again, iike a bad
pennY, just You sec'
The scales fall from To suddenly realise the truth
somebody's eyes. o When I saw his PhotograPh in
\
the PaPer, the scales fell from
my eyes and I realized I'd been
conned.
o Usage notes- In Acts 9:18 in the
New King James Version of the
Bible, it records how a man
Saul, is blinded due to cataract
or something like scales (littlc
plates on the skin offish). A
Christian rnan (Ananias) was
sent by God to visit him and
restore his sight. It records that
rvhen Ananias touchcd hirn,
:
scales fell from his eYes. This
maY bave been cataracts or some
other growth. UP until this Point,
Saul had been a Persecutor of
the Christians. but at the timc
that the scales fell ltorn his eyes'
I
he convefted to ChristianitY.

I Mores the pity i something haPPens that


i I

lncreases tne solTow


Iir I r Jack can't come, more's the PitY.
c lviro is alreaclY doi,g it
ffione
l;il;;;
' I_
who is alreaciY doing it

totl much of something into a


r pot I small sPacc

I I o I'nt tr)'ing to get tli: ' htrge pile ol


I clothes crlmmcd into these tu'o
I i dlawers Talk about trying to gct
I i a quarl into a Pint Poil

Page 196 of248


ASAP LawrL English tbr Judicial Serviccs Exam

o Usage notes: A quaft is a unit for


measuring liquids. lt is equal to
two pints
Plumb the depth To understand something in detail
. ln hypnosis we plumb the depths
ofthe unconscious
Not be the onlypebble Not irreplaceable
on the beach r Laura always expects to get her
olvn way. It's time she leamed
that she's not the only pebble on
the beach.

:
Turn ofphrase The abiiity to express yourself well
r Lois has a nice turn ofphrase
rvhich should serve her well in
joumalism.
Tum a hand Help out
Not do a hands tum Not help out
Serves one tum To help out tully and tulfiI duty
Tum turtle Turn upside down especiaiiy in water
r We lost all our diving gear when
the boat tumed turtle just offthe
j
shore.
Turn a comer To pass a critical point in a process and
then the situation starts to improve
. The patient turned the comer last
-.i night. She should begin to show
improvement now
r The toughest exam is over and
he has now tumed the comer
o Usage notes-like how a train
tums a corner and that is the
r-:,t,A toughest part of the journcy

, :.,tI

..

Page 197 of248


ASAP Lawru English for Judicial Services Exam

H-
ilcl.,,'.,:f E:::-.-
i1:;;;\:;.t ,; .
'.,.:::ir,,:,:
ii.;-1,'::' ,.:'i ,."#t,ffi

Put someone
the wringer I
L

=w
through I Give a tough test to prove the mettle

Put somcone tlrough i Give a tough test to prove the mcttlc


the mil1

Rettirn to the fold j Come back to a group after an absence


I
I

r After teaching for number ol


years. Matthcw rctumcd ttr the
fbld as vice-president olthe
I

L
iim.
I Revert t< Refurn to nonnai

To be on the side of Be on the right side oian issue whcn thcrc


the angeis are two sides and one is good and one is
bad.
r In this conflict the aid agencies
are on the side ofthe angeis.
A ministering angel Do gooder
r A ministering angel shall my
sister be

ls to serve, or act as a
subordinate agent. So a
rninistering angel is a kind-
hearted person, providing hclp
and comfort.

Make a bundle Make lcts of money


Make a pile Make lots of monev

Page 198 of}48

:4
a
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Serwices Exam

Make money for old Easy way of eaming money


I
rope Babysitting is money for old
rope ifthe children go to sleeP
early
Usage notes-Rope made from
hemp had a limited lifetime.
When it wore out it was picked
apart and recycled. It was used
for caulking. Rope fibres
(known as oakum) were
hammered into the seams
befween planks ofa ship and hot
pitch was poured over it. This
was done to waterproof the shiP.
Hence by selling old used rope
that is rvorthless in itself one
could make easy money.
I vtake money for jam Easy way of earring money
o Most people think being a
professional footballer is moneY
lor jam-
Usage notes-- his derives lrom
Lewis Car:roll's Through the
Looking Glass and What Alice
Found There, 187 1, in rvhicir the
White Queen offers Aiice'jam
to-morrou,':'I'm sure I'li take you
u,ith pleasure!' thc Queen saici.
'Tin,opence a week, and jam
every other da-v.' Aliee cottlc'ln't
help iar.rghing, as she said, 'l
don't want you to hire ME - and
I don't care fbr jam. The phrasc
caught on quickly anci 1am
tomolrow becarne a slmonlm
for a'pie in the sky' promise o1'
good things in the future.
Anything cusliy or rewarding
might have been described as
jam on it'. Socialists ol1en
"'l,ith
used to ridicule the capitalist

Page 199 of248


ASAP LawrNI English for Judicial Servioes Exam

system as offering the empty


promise of 'Jam tomorrow'.
Make money hand Make lots of rnoney
over fist . making money hand ovcr fist'
figurative use is a clear allusion
to grabbing handfuls of money
and pocketing it
Filthy lucre Easy monev
o She was in pursuit of famc, not
filthy lucre, and her literary
dreams were as yet untainted by
monetary considerations.
Coin money Make money by cheating
Rich as Croesus Very rich
o Usage notes-Croesus was a
Persian king
Embarrassment of Overabundance of something
riches o All four of them have their own
cars but there's no room in the
drivcway-an embarrassment of
riches
Quid's in To be making a profit
o If this deal goes ahead we'll be
quads in.
A11 agog Surprised and amazed.
r He sat there, all agog, as judgc
read his name as the winner of
first prize.

Until the cows come For a very long time


home r We could talk about this
problem until thc cows come
homc, but it wouldn't solve
anlthing.
o Usage notes- Cows are
notoriously languid creatures
and make thcir way home at
their own unhurried pace.
Manymoons ago A long time ago

Page 200 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

. I only have the laintest memory


of that tirne. It all happened
many moons ago.
From the year dot For a very long time; as if liom the year 0.
o Children have been fascinated
Lryghost stories since the year
dot.
ln a month of Sundays Soqething not likeiy to happen;
o Usage notes-as if something that
is as iikely to happen as a month
full ofjust Sundays and no
working days
o Sure, he'll run a marathon_..
oniy in the month of Sundays.
Put something in To put something into storage or reselve.
mothballs r The navyput the old cruiser in
mothballs

Below the mast Seaman


Go to sea Tg-becormeasaiG. -
. I weritto sea at an early age.
Nail your colours to To publicly stare your opinions
the mast . - way he's
Nobody knows which
going to vote because he has so
far refused to nail his colours to
the mast.
Run something up the Tell people opinion to get feedback
flagpole r -
Run your suggestion up the
flagpole and see what the others
say.
Ride at anchor To be stationary by anchoring at a placc
Go to Daly Jones's Go to the bottom of the sea
locker . They were going to sail around
the world, but ended up in Daly
Jones's locker.

Dry as dust Very boring


Lose out

Page 201 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Serwices Exam

@teunnecessarilYdrama
vtakerhedustfly l@eL i
We turned them loose on the l--
tq
t-
work, and theY made the dust
fly.

have somet[ang in the mind but not act on


i I it rieht now I

I I something for them I

I I ' He tried his best to curry


"
llra;;.1 I ravout'
o.9"1o*"1*l9Y9
become familiar with
I

o
beneilt
-. I

]"q,i^LL.. *irr,
acquaintance with I uo*.o'",
someone' especially for one's own beneflt
i
someone | . He scraped up an acqualntance
in
I

I *ith the college President


I t"roPes of getting his son I

admitted. I

Fay courl to someone To woo someone. I

e The lobblst Paid courr ro all the


influential members of
I

Congress. _ .. I

Put on a Pedestal To put someone on a very hlgh posltlon as


others
I

if more imPortant lhan I

r They Put the local doctor on a. . I


pedestal. seldom queslionlng h1s I

word or his authoriu--- l


Fridc ofthe piace The top position I

o London had taken over the Pride I

of the Place from BabYion as the I

world's toP business center I

Pu11 out ail the stoPs Usc ful1 inlluer.rce

I{orne Bird Su.*,r* who likes ltl stav at home


always

Page 2fi7 of248


ASAP LawrM Engiish for Judicial Services Exam

he's a bit of a home bird and -_l


might want to take you to his
mum's every night
Shrinking violet retlflng person
Usage notes- origin has to do
with the presumed shyness of
the violet, since although
beautiful it grows in secluded
spots, as if wanting to hide
Meek and rnild A shv person
Siient majorit;, Any group ofpeopie who are not
outspoken and who are considered to
constitute a majority.

Silver tongue Srnooth talker; Glib: tbu,ning: servile


Smooth lorgue talker; Glib; fawning; servile
f)ily tongue Smooth talker: Glib; falvning; serviie
Soft soap Sn-rooth talker; Glib; fawning; servile
a Don't try to soft-soap her
Brown nose SriiEotli
-a Whoa. didya see.jimmy washing
fhe principal's car?? Ile's such a
brown noser..."
Apple polisher Srnooth talker; Glib: faw.ning; servile
Whoa, didya see jimmy washing the
principal's car?? He's such an apple
po1isher..."

Siiver buliet Magic pill


r There is no single silver bullct or
panacea that will solve all thc
problems of Bay Area schools
Face value Tire superficial value of something
o Don't ever take any.thing on facc
value. Always probe furthcr
o Usage notes- in share market the
face value be indicated on tire
share certifi cate. Generally
Indian shares has a face value of

Page 203 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Rs. 10/-. But a face value has no


relation with the market value of
the share. Market value of the
share wili always change
,lepcnding uPon the market
conditions.
To pay a fancy price To pay exotbitant:
o I paid a fancy Price for the car.

Yellow sffeak Tendency toward cowarclice.


o Tim's got a yellow streak
Yellorv belly Coward
r The US usage initially aPPlied
specificallY to Mexicans, who
were soon to be at war with the
USA. Whether the 'Yellow'
reference was a racist allusion to
skin colour. ill-health, or to a
iikening to snakes, lizards etc'
isn't clear.

Show the white fl69 To surender


To show white To be a coward
feathers o Usage notes- From the belief
that a gamecock with a white
feather in its tail was a Poor
fighter
Turn taiV Turned tail To *r, away from a fight
o He just turned tail and ran!

Red letter day A special day


o It was a red-letter daY for our
club.
o Usage notes- This comes from
the practise of marking thr: dates
ofchurch festivals on calendars
in red.
Scarlett day A special day especiaily in academia

Page 204 of248


Services Exam
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial

l" tfinir*tfts of the UK' red


letter daYs are called scarlet
days. On such daYs, doctors
of
the universitY may wear their
scarlet'festal' or full dress
gowns instead oftheir undress
('black') gowtls

e";maaPaP.r of the government


6;mA;iT""k of the government
Bom in roYaltY

ilobebominthe Bom to roYaltY

irr_tt
anittwindttrat @ingoodfor
someone
blows nobodY anY
good. o The tremendous hailstorm left
gaPing holes in most of the roofs
in town, so many families were
homeless' The roofing
comPanies, however' made
Pl#Y of moneY fixing those
'hol"..
It't an ii1 wind that blows

then
Devil's luck If rc;ahrffiooalhaPpens to You
something bad is coming
next'
. vou have iust won a million
follars Your husbarrd or wife
leaves You for another man

D-evil'schildren have @odluck


the devii's luck o The Police thought theYhad
traPPed the murderer' but
ile
escaped.

Go to ttre devil Go to hell


o go to the
Just leave me alonet at-rd

yrlu
Ci"e tl* ae"-ii his due Ci.,e s."rlreon"qedii e"cn tliough
don't want to

Page 205 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

I I bur I have to give rhe devil her


Irr I due as she tnakes great pies I

Put the cart before the I in reverse order


horse o John has the cart betbrc the
horse in rlosl of hrs projects
B^.'k to froirt In reverse orcier
I
l-Dor&o t" rp Iu rerrerse orcier
f Tr*r*1.-- Tum upside down especially in water
, We lost all our cliving gear when
the boat rumed turtle jr-rst olf the

I-{ave a bash at
something
i r I thought I'd have a bash at
I fi"iog the washing machine
I tonight. I

I Toa fnr tn rln


F{ave a smack at
lJ W _!.9= do scnmoihi
omg1.hil] g nerr I

something
llave ajob at it Tough task
I . Hc had job ar rt rvhile cleaning
I the guners
a
-
tt |

lry a hand at it I To try to do something new I

Try one's luck I fo t r- to do somethffi


Fire and sworC---iTlrc killilgs of war
Fortunes of war
__l
i The vagaries of u.ar
You lose people but gain
territory in the fortunes ofwar
Soldier of fixlun* Mercenary

Apple cf discorci

| . The right to host the Olprpic


i G*es is an apple of discord
I between the two ccunffies
I Apple pie order i In perfect order

Fage 206 0f248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

ll
I I
pie order every

, .t
evening I

ffie start of a harmful develoPment


\,vedgc They fear it is the thin end of the
wedge with ministers
streamlining the service readY
for privatisation.
Usage notes-When You begin to
drive a wooden wedge under an
object you are trYing to lift, the
major problem is getting it
started: in other words, getting
the'thin end of the wedge'under
the object. Once You have the
thin end in place, the rest is
inevitable and much easier - You
keep driving the wedge until it's
all the way in Place. So the'thin
end of the wedge'is the difEcult
,.stag ofa.precess which will
inevitably lead to something
much uitife sitilifi carlt
happening. i

Period
erience a dif,ficult
I

o Rob tost his job last Year and I

they've been having a thin time I

II
I the stick
iffiistick l

I the I i

tand the situation' i


the stick I ' I saicl how nice he was and Julie
I got the wrong end ofthe stick
I uod thought I wanted to go our
I ovith hirn'

Fag* 2&7 0f?48


ASAP LarfM English for Judicial Services Exam

Think aloud
Think nothing of it
Just say what is in your mind
Don't apply mind on it and just ignore it
I
I ctmt

Throw the spanner in Monkey u,rench


the works
Gum up the works To prevent a machine or system fi'om
operating correctly T

o ln bad weather. twice as many


people use their cars on thc road,
which really gums up the works.

Spare somebody's To do something to prevent someone


blushes feeling embarrassed
o Granger saved the team's
blushcs by scoring the only goal
F;
I bond
in the last five minutes of the
game. l_
I reet
Spare someone's
feelings
Don't make the other person upset
o If you hate a frie4{ls outfit you L-
s*i
canspam their feelin gs bY I Y- g I

Go spare
and say{dg (haf,you li-ke their
outfit.
Become very angry
L
I

r She'd go spare ifshe found out I Itmi


he was spending all that money. I *o*,

Stir the blood Cause interest


. Fabio Capello has stirred the
blood by inciuding Owen in thc
starting line-up against Brazil.
Stir one's stumps To becorne active
r After lolling around lcnking for
empty positions nearby he :l
stirred his stumps and posted his
CV on the intemet

I Move like a thief in Moye secrell-i'to avoki detection


1 the night
fHrrl"-ard crlmer 5"Cr".trrc

Page 208 of248


ASAP LarvrM English for Judicial Sen'ices Exam

. Hole and comer Policy


Cloak and dagger Secretive
o A lot ofcloak-and-dagger
activity was involved in the
apPointment of the director.

Thick as thieves Reaily close

A man of straw A weak and unreliable man


o Winston Churchiil remarked that
on India's indePendence the
government lvould be takcn over
by men trlstraw
A man's word rvas his RetiaUte man u''ho honours his word
bond

Keep on a short leash To have lots ofcontroi ovet someone


o He kept his wife on a shorl leash
Straining at the leash f".kinst" set fre€
. The resfless dog was straining at
the leash

Time hangs hea'"y on T#seem. to go slowlY when one has


someone's hands. nothing to do.
o I am so bored. I don't like it
when time hangs so heavilY on
myhands.
Watch the clock T"I..p l""tr"g t" see what the tin.re is
because you are eager to stop working
. Jim did not like his job' He jr"rst
kePt watching the clock when hc
went to lvork.
Play the waiting game nia. yo". tl-e and wait for the better
opportunity
o The crocodile PiaYs the waiting
garne and then when the gazelle
aPProaches the water, he attacks
it

Page 209 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Tread the watet Bide your tirne and waii fur the better
oppoftunity
r He's just treading watcr here
untii he can firrd anotherjob.

Wet one's whistle To have a drink


Wet behind one's ears Inexperienced.
r John's too young to take on ajob
like this! He's stiil wet behirid
the ears
Wet blanket Spoilsporl
r Jack's li-rn at parlies. but his
brother's a wet blanket.
Whet my appetite To stimuiate appetite
o The sme1l of ficsh cookies in the
oven whet rny appetitc

Give someone or To give someone space or keep distance


sornething a wide from them.
berlh r She's in a verybad mood. Give
Mary a wide ber1h.
. I say like give them a wide berth
means a wide or gig big bed to
sleep in as in a give sonrconc
space.
Keep at arm's length To keep a slight distance but not big
cnough to say you ignonng it
. Al Gore says politicians keep the
environmental issues at aun's
length
Give the cold shoulder To ignore someone
. He gave me the cold shouider
the whole evening at the party.
Back-handed Insult; double rleaning complirnent
compliment . He gavc me that classic back,
handed compliment. Ile said I
playcd football very well 'ibr a
w'oman'.
Short handed Have less staff

Page 210 of248


ASAP LawrM English Judicial Services Exam

. We are running short handed!

e badly off Be in bad shape


o The animals we e not badlY off
throughout that summer, in sPite
of the hardness of their work.
None the worse Not damaged or hurt despite something
bad happening
o Ijle seems to be none the worse
for wear after his car wreck-
Make a virtue of a To make best of something not good
necessity o It's a long way to drive so I
thought I'd make a virtue of
necessity and stoP off at some
interesting places aiong the waY.

For what it's worth To say something whether or not this is of


value
e For what ifs worth5l think You
ca6 tn# tEa-aar.
For all one's worth To the full extent of one's powers or
ability
. The athlete may have lost the
first position but he ran tbr all he
was worth
Worth the weight in Extremeiy useful or vaiuable
gold e Experienced singers are worth
their weight in gold because tireY
;: .:e bring strength to the choir.

Hot and bothered To get worried


o John is hot and bothered about
the tax increase.
Wring Your Hands To worry about something but not do
anlthing about it
. Don't just stand there and wring
your hands! Do something!

Wring someone's neck Very angry with someone

Page ztt of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

. I'11 wring his neck if he does it


I
again.
The wrong side of the The poor area of a city or town
tracks o She was brought up on the
wrong side of the tracks in a
srtrall southern town.
o Usage notes- based on the idea
that a poor area is often divided
&om the rest of a town bv
railroad tracks
Back the wrong horse To support tire losing party
. We backed the wrong horse in
the election and our candidate
lost badly.

Uaught on the wrong To be caught unexpectedly


foot . I hadn't expected the question
and it caught me on the wrong
foot.
Catch somebody on To bc caught unexpecledly
the hop r I'm afraid you've caught me on
the hop - I wasn't expecting your
call until this afternoon
e Usage notes- The hop is a flower
used to brcw beer. In old times
hop-picking was an activity that
men often had to ttnd an excuse
to do. Occasionally. their
employers would discover thcir
lies and catch them picking
hops, Iiteraily.

Wrap somebody up in To protect someone too much without


cotton wool ailowing them to be independent enough
o She wraps that child up in cotton
wool as ilhe's somc precious
jewel.
r Usage notes- allusion to the
biography by Grace Foakes
called Four Meals for

Page 212 of248


-ASAP La',vrM English tbr Judicial Services Exam

Fourpence. In this she states that


babies rvould be rvrapped up and
sewn into layers of cotton wool
to see thent through rhc uinter
Babe in arms A very voung babythat is canied by
_l
mother
e I have knowr that since I r.vas a
babe in arms!
A novice person
o He's a babe in arms ttlren it
comes to talking to girls
Tied to your mother's Too attached to your mother that you now
apron strings enough independent
r l-le's 30 but he's still tied to his
mother's apron strings.
To cut the apron Becoming independent liom one's mother
strings or other protector/authority figure and
going out on onets own
o Usage notes- In past cenfuries,
toddlers wore aprons or
pinafores to keep their ciothes
clean. These aprons had apair
ribbons or tapes ("strings") sewn
to the shoulders or back, which
the mother u.ould hold onio.
rather like a leash. V,,hen the
child was old enough to be
aiiou.ed some independence, the
tapes would be cut off

\rmed to the teeth Heavily arinod ll,ilh deadly v,,eapons.


r The bank robber was armed tir
the teeth
Usage notes-pirates in earlier
century for extra power would
also hold a knife between their
teeth. So to be'armed to the
teeth' means to carry the
maxirnum number of weapons

Up to one's ears Flooded

Fage ?13 crf 248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

a
I'm up to my ears in work
This hyperbolic and slangy
t
idiom impiies one is flooded
with something up to those
organs
Up to one's eyes Flooded
r He's in up to his eyes with the
in-1aws.
. This hlperbolic and slangy
idiom irnplies one is flooded
with something up to those
organs

Armchair theory A theory based on just sitting in a room


and without doing actual field research; a
defective theory
. The armchair theory suggested
by the new filanager was
unacceptable to the staff.
Article of faith Somethi"ug deeply believedin that may or
may not be backed up by science
o The importance of a balanced
budget had become an article of
faith among conservatives.

Fall between two I Neither here neither there. To come


stoois I somewhere between two possibilities and
] so fail to meet the requirements of either
I i.e. f'att betwecn the cracks...
I
I
. Tom Hanks fell between the
I stools in the movie terminal
I
I
o He tries to be both teacher an<i
I mend. but falls between two
_l
| ,,o.,".
Be on the horns rlf a I To hc in a dilemma
dilemma i . F{orv can wc dcciii, which hotc!
to ciose'l We are on
a dilemrna.
Come down on one Take a stand
side ofthe fence

Page2l4 of248
ASAP La*trM English for Judicial Ser''ices Exam

. The election is next week, so


you'Il have to come down on one
side ofthe fence or other bY
then.

In a flat spin A confused state


r Usage notes - an aircraft sPin in
rvhich the longitudinal axis is
more nearlY horizontal than
vertical
A kettle of fish A confused state; a mess
o The tnatter is a quitc a different
kettle of fish
r Usage notes-allusion to the
confusion ofbones, head and
skin that is ieft after the fish has
been eaten
Mare's nest A confused state
o The situation was a vcritable
lnare's nest
o Usage notes- referring to iike a
rats nest with lots of entangled
items strewn together
Something looking good but worthless
oYou found a mare's nest
o Usage notes-mare is a fernale
horse and does not make a nest
So if someone found a mare's
nest it means sornething
mythical and of nc value

When the balloon goes Situation becomes critical


up a Thc bailoon went uP last Frida,,'
when tirc scandal becatre Public
a Usage notes- he Phrase comes
frorrr World War I; Britisir
artiliery sent uP a balioon
advancing io open lire.
have come to a crisis; ffouble is
j about to start

Page 215 af248


ASAI La\r'rNI English lbr Judicial Sen'ices Exan.r

r Uh-oh. The fat's in the fire now!


r Usage notes-- When cooking
took place over open fires, the
ftrt fiom spit-roasted meat was
collected for basting or
subsequent use. The loss offat
by accident etc rvould lead to a
waste and also start a
conflagration.
If it comes to the pinch A critical situation; emergency
r If it comes to the pinch we'll
have to managc.
Come to a pretty pass Come to a tricky point
. This project has come to il pretty
pass.
Flashpoint A point when a serious probiem starts
. The flashpoint in their
relationship came early
In a c1eft stick To be in tough situation
o Because ofnew empioyment
laws, these companies are
caught in a cleft stick.
r Usage notes-Cleft sticks are
those rvhich are split at one end.
And cleft sticks u,ere used to
capturc snakes, pinning them to
the ground so that they were
unable to move.

Hot potato A tough sifuation


r The abortion issue is a political
hot potato in ihe Uniteri States.
Drop sonreone or To disassociate oneself i,vith someone
somcthing iike a hct instar.rtly.
potato c When we leamed of the
conviction, we dropped hirn trihe
a hot potato.

Be in the Be stuck in a tough situation like in a


"iire quagmire

Page 2i6 of248


AS.{P Lawrv English for Judicial Services Exarn

Drag name through the Drag someone's name through the mud
- mire together

Break the baxk To go all in


- i.- . United are ready to break the
: bank to get Ronaldo to Old
Trafford
Go the whole hog Get completely into something
. I went whole hog and had a huge
steak and French liies.
Shoot the works Put in ail eiforts into somethirlg
l . They shot the works on their
t::i\ daughtcr's wedding.
Shoot your bolt To make one last ditch effort
. By the end ofthe third iap it was
obvious that she had shot her
bolt
-_l I
In tun cry To criticize in very eager way
in full cry
. =..,'":,,.k9.,.opp!sig-94-was
edncation bi'll.
Quid's in To be making a profit
. If this deal goes ahead we'll be
quads in.
:/ A11 agog Surprised and amazed.
o He sat there, all agog, asjudge
read his name as the lvinner of
first prize.

Get to flrst base Make advancement


-l
r I wish I could get to first base
with this business deal.
Draw a hearl iln Take ainr
something . The hunter tlrerv a bcad on the
target and pulied the trigger.
Be broad i;r the bean:r have a fat ass

L
Page 217 of248
Exam
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services

f..* t ot alwaYs been rather :E:


broad in the beam, desPite all
those diets.
S"methffithrfitlt amount to nothing
[rrorr.tt to a hill of
r You are making Yourself t=
miserable over something that lcz
amounts to a hill of beans' lro
To know how manY T" ha"eiildly knowledge
beans make five
Be full ofbeans ffienthusiasm
o Even without sleeP he is so full
i-r
beans

Get blood out of stone G"6;eth1"g o"t of a very tough Person


r Collecting the rent moneY from
him each month is like getting
blood out ofa stone

Mude no bones about To;learly tafiEat is in mind


it r He made no bones, about his
.*,-atri@tiifu@t@iththeservice
t
=::il[fuW&l.i+
ThoroughlY
o When the wind whiPs around the
house, even with the heat tumed
uP I get chilled to the bone'
o Usage notes- based on the idea
of cutting all the meat tiom a
bone, which leaves nothing that
can be eaten
L"t som"thtngEAunder the skin;
Close to the bone
personal and offensive
r DB tokl Catherine that the letter
\,vas too close to the bone and

Ciritt to the bone


Feel it in the bones
Something terribie is going to
happen. I {tel it in m.v bones

Page 218 of248


ASAP LayrNt English for Judicial Serv'ices Exam

Bunch ofmalarkey Bunch ofbull shit excuses


r When he goofed up, he gave his
dad a bunch of malarkey
Caviar to the general Like "pearls before swine," it refers to
quality unbefitting those who partake in it
Cast pearls before To waste something good on someone
swine who doesn't appreciate it
o To serve Bihari's, French
cuisine is like casting one's
pearls belore swine

Don't cross mypath Don't come in my way


Not give a tinker's cuss Don't give a fl; Not care about something
o I don't give a tinker's cuss what
she thinks, I'11 do what I wantl
Not suf[er fools gladly Not to tolerate irritating peoPle
o Jim's boss is a nice guy but he
doesn't suffer fools gladlY.

Cross palm with silver \@Sg*r"g_t.Fr-=."=,F===Z


'=-'=1-.,V,o-i-i,*1ffr
@,#*+,thtlrg"happen
much faster in hotels if You
cross the staffs palrns with
silver fairly often.
Oil the knocker To tip someone
o Usage notes- The expression is
from Racine, "On n'entre Point
chez lui sans graisser le
madeau" ("No one enters his
house without oiling the
knooker"). (Les Plaideurs.)

Wax and rvane To grow stronger and then weaker again


Ebb and fiow The ups and downs
. The ebb and flow oflife
On the ebb To be on tirc decline

Page219 of248
ASAP LarvrM English for Judicial Sen'ices Exarr

Tum states evidence Pt., b.tg"**g-i". *idence for the


state in response to a offer fi'om the
prosecution such as a reduced sentence
Tum king's/queen's Fle,, barg"-nmg; give evidence for the
evidence state in response to an oiler from the
prosecution such as a reduced sentellce
r She was given a lenient sentence
in exchange for tuming king's
evidence' \
Touch your forelock Show .espect to someone higher than you
r Usage notes-A lock of hair that
grows from or falls on the
forehead

Lend colour to To make something more interesttng


:
something ,r, The excellent master of
ceremonies rvill iend colour tr:
an otherwise drY Panel
discussion.
Hang on like the grim fo notA something very tightlY
death r Darren alwaYs drives the bike

tike grim death.


Fair-lveather friend A frienci only in good times
o A fair-weather friend isn't much
help in an emergency.

Stink a lot
-
Stink to high heaven
r Because of the rotten meat the
place stinks to high heaven'

Go up in smoke End in disaster


o After the recession the business
went uP in srnoke -
Eye of the storm
tornado, hurricane, or cYcione.
The temporarypeaceful time amidst more
houble and strife Yet to come.
c Don't relax. This is the eYe of

Fage 220 Lrf 248


ASAP LarvrM English for Judrcial Services Exam

Be in the eye of the Be in the middle of the problem


stolm o Intemational aid agencies were
in the eye of the stom when war
broke out in the countrY.
I" the;f;f the wrrd
r We were having troubles
navigating as the shiP was
sailing in the eye of the r.vind.

Somebody's eyes are When someone has taken rnore food than
bigger than their they can eat
stomach o I can't finish this piece of cake'
I'm afiaid my eyes were bigger
than rny stomach as usual
To have hollow legs To have a great capacity or need for food
or drink.
. Bobby can drink more beer than
I can afford. I think he has
ho11ow legs.
Eat like a horse To eat {mse :amounts of food.
t" :,i' ':'-.:
. No wonder John is so fat. He
eats like a horse.

Stir up a hornet's nest To cause troubie


o There is no need to stir uP a
homet's nest.
Let the sleeping dogs Don't create problem by telling about an
lie incident
r We decided not to tell the boss
about coming in iate todaY
lnorning and just let the
sleeping's dog lie
Flutter the dovecotes To cause a commotion
. The flamboyant manner of the
tourists fluttered the dovecotes
of the sleepyNew England
town.
o Usage notes- dovecote is the the
cage lor domestic Pigeons

Page 221 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

To set the sat among To create unnecessary trouble


the pigeons
Open up a can of To create a complicated situat:ion
wolans r The investigation into how these
expensive triPs were Paid for
certainly opened a can of
wonns.
Wake the dead Make a lot of noise enough to wake the I
I

dead I

Pour oil on troubled Attempt to calm a problematic situation.


\ .aters r usage notes- In earlier times, the
pouring of modest quantities of
oil into the sea was done
deliberately in order to forestall
rough seas. This phrase alludes
to the calming effect of that oil
has on wave action as it spreads
over the surface ofthe sea. The
surface tension ofthe oil layer
has an effect sin.rilar to that of a
thin skin and is highly effective
at cahning'troubled' water.

A sting in the tail I An unpleasant end to sorlething that


began pleasantiy
o At the stad. it's humorous and
light but iike most of her short
stories, there's a sting in the tail.
Fr"m tha sublimelo I Go lrom great to bad
the ridiculous I . The evening went from the
sublime to the ridiculous, an
hour-long piano recital follorved
by two hours ofkaraoke.
Flv in the ointment An unpleasant end to something that
began pleasantly
r We had a fun day at the park but
the fly in the ointment was when
we were rrotable to find the car
in the parking

Page 222 of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Sen-ices Exam

Gild the 1ily To unnecessariiy decorate


. Your house has lovely
brickwork. Don't paint it. That
would be gilding the lily.
r Usage notes- Gild meaning: 'to
gild' is to cover with a thin layer
of
.---l -Io
-eo1d
Gild the truth sugar coat; To rnake hard facts more
palatable
:----
Glad rags Special occasion clothes
o Put your glad rags on, we're
going lo a party.

Gird up your loins To get ready for a tough task


r Both sides are presently girding
their loins for the legal battles
that lie ahead.
r Literallyrefen'ed to the need to
strap a belt around one's waist
u hen gening up in order to
avoid the cloak falling off.

Put someone out to Cause to retire


grass r Please don't put me out to
pasture. I have lots ofgood years
left.
. These idioms refer to fann
animals sent to graze when they
are no longer useful for other
work.

.l Not let the grass grow


under your feet
Not waste time
. We can't let the grass grow
under our feet - we've really got
to get going with this project.
rtrl
*l Hare-brained Stupid

:l
_l
. You and your hare-brained
ideasl
Scatter-brained Disorganised

Page 223 of248

I
ASAP LarvrM English for Judicial Services Exam

. The scatter-brained professor

Make one's hair curl Scare somcone


o The hon'or fiLn made mv hair
curl.
Make someone's flesh To canse disgust or unpleasanl feeling
crarn,l o The horror movie made our skin
T
crawl. t
Half and haif In equal proportions
r A half-and-half mixture of
linseed oii and rur-pentine.
Don't knou.the half You know that a situation is bad but
offit unaware ofhow sever it is
r Buddy you don't know the half
off it!
To have half the mind Be on rhe verge of telling
to r I irave half the mind to report his
behaviour to the bossl
Take a hard line with To be firm with someone
someone o The manager takes a hard line
with people who show up iate.

To come out clean Confess


To make a clean breast Confess; to come with a clean heart and
of tell the truth
r After months of lying about the
money, I decided to make a
clean breast ofit and tell the
truth.
r Usage notes- The'breast'there is
the seat of the one's emotions
and secrets; one's 'heafi'. To
disclose this openly was to clean
one's heaft olimpurity

To be above the board be completely legitimate

Page 224 of248

I
ASAP LawDt English for Judrcial Services Eram

My business is fully abo\e the


board
i

To sw-eep the board To win all the prizes or votes in a


competition
r Her latest fi1m swept the boards

trt
I To marry above
| ,h';;;;Ji
'
I To marry someone in a higher social class j

To catch a tafiar To deal with sorneone tough to deal with l

. We caught a tartar as the


prisoner was very tough to
handle.
Usage notes-tarlar is sticky
chemical and aiso can be used
to refer to a member of the
Turkic and Mongolian peopies
of central Asia who invaded
westem Asia
ttl
I

I Took the cake! I Worst example of a series of things I

I I ' She's opening your letters now? I

I I Oh. that really takes the biscuit! I

. Jellhas aiways been anfloying.


the
I

but his latest stunt takes I

biscuit. I

F{ave a problem with you I

I withvou e Have a bone to pick with you. I

Did you eat that chocolate


I mousse tr was saving for my tea

I ttave an axe to grhd I Uave a problem with something


Vou I . you
with Tom I have an axe ro grind with
I
I
I
__l
On the seventh heaven Veryhappy
Pleased as punch Very happ1,

Page 725 of24S

rc
Exam
ASAP Lar.vIM English for Judicial Sewices
as
-he couple looked Pleased

Wai[o" r't I VerY haPPY


o Ann was walking on air when
she got thejob.

Open up the Purse To give money


strings . Akhilesh Yadav oPened uP the
and
Purse strings for Noida
Greater Noida
Plffi;"rd,.rrre satisfaction and not
Flay to the galleries
theiechnical briiliance; to spend time
doing or saying things that wili make
peopie admire or support you, instead of
dealing with more importaut matters
. Politicians these daYs are more
interested in PlaYing to the
gallerY than exercising real
intluence on worid events'

i-oru-anA it e shorl of The main Point, SummarY


o The long and short of it is that
he is guilty

Alpha and omega fG befi*ng "nd the end


o I-Ie was forced to leam the alPha
and omega of corPorate law in
order to even talk to the lawYers'

Meet the case Fit the requirement


r Although this person technically
ln(jcts the case definition' \vc
camot recommend him for the
position
PerfectlY suiting
a The bride's dress suited to the
ground

Mc.ct point Point ofdebate

Page 226 ol24E


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

The matter is now The matter i1 n1u. on.ly academic and has
I
moot lost ail practical significance
+I
To do a handsome To be generous
. handsome sum of money
To be adept at something
. Handsome is as handsome does.

Leave someone high To leave someone without help


and dry . They all just left me high and
dry
o Usage notes- This (etm
oiginally referred to ships that
rvere beached.
Leave someone T" 1e"* rr**;. to be guilty
"pp.-trg
hoiding the bag / To . They all ran offand left me
leave someone holding irolding the bag.
the baby

The smoking gun


L*.". @@wtt
"'''-'...Tb-d-Aiiid'e{6i ri',a+.,found
holding the smoking gun
Strck to your guns To keep your position even though people
attack or criticise you.
r Despite harsh criticism, she's
sticking to her guns on this
issue.
Give the gun Speed up
r We gave the motor the gun and
drove off. I

Under the gun Re under pressure


nre\\tl1-u
We're ail under the gun with i

these new sales quotas.

To throw up the towel To give


G Lisage notes- the person
einployed 1o sponge a pugilist
i:etq'een rounc!s throwing his
qp"!s9s-qqtggl&!-9i----r
Page 227 of248
ASAP LarvrM Engiish for Judicial Senices Exam

defeat; - now, throw in thc tcrrel


is more cornmon, and has the
I same origix and meaning.
To throw up the Tr" gt*
'. - rp
-
sponge
| Lru*" notes- lhe person
employed to sponge a pugilist
between rounds tirroi,vitg itis
sponge in the air in tokcn of
detbat; - now, tirrow in the towel
is more common, and has the I

same origin and meaning. I

Move up in the world To gain social status


I r The harder I work, the rnore I
move up in the worlci.
t_ __
iI Move i the
down in To go down in social status
I world r After the scam he moved down
in the world

Man olthe rvorld r-wn


Man of letters -li;5fua.Edrly{iwi

Drue on the market Excess supply in the market; Soniething


I I
that is <in the market in great abundance.
Ttight now, small computers are
a drug ou the market.
Giut on the market Excess supply in the market: Soniething
that is on the market in g'eat abundancc

Dyed-In-The-Woo1
and .,vili not changc
He is a dyed-in-the-wool RSS
cuv.
I

Page 22E of24S


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Senrices Exam

concemed - he won't have any


modem gadgets in the kitchen.
I To put wool over
soroeone's eves LTsage notes- the idiom traces
I the phrase to the wigs
commonlv wom by judges in the
I 8th centur;,. Ajudge fooled by
a clever lawyer, it is said. would I

be said to have the "wool" (slang I

for a wig) pulled over his eyes, I


blinding him to the facts of the I

case
Wrap somebody up in
cotton rvool allowing them to be independent enough I

o She wraps that child up in cotton I

wool as if he's some precious


iewel.
I

o Usage notes- allusion to the


I

I
biography by Grace Foakes I

called Four Meals for I

- -Fourpery hlis she states that I

baEiesworrHle wrapped up and I


sewn into layers of cotton wool I

to sec rhem ihrougn the winrer I

In a brown study To be depressed


r Lack of company will soon iead
a man into a brown study
r Usage notes- in old times brown
referred to gloomy and study
rneans thought
To be in deep thought
o He took the problem and went in
the brown study
Brown nose Smooth talker; Glib; fawning; servile
. Whoa, didya see jimmy washing
the principal's car?? He's such a
brown noser..."

- *-. tarl Tumed tail To run away liom a fight

Page 229 af248


English fbr Services Exam

. He just tumed tail and run!


Turn turtle Tum upside down especially in water
. We lost all our diving gear when
the boat tumed turtle just off the
shore.

To be down in the Tcl be sad


mouth c Jake looks a bit down in the
mouth. Shall w'e trv to find out
what's wrong?
Have one's heart in To be really scared
one's mouth
Have one's hearl in To be depressed or down-hearted
one's boots o The Youngnran had his heari in
his boots as he could not get a
job even six years after his
eclucation
Speaking with a forked The pirrase "speaks with a tbrked tongue"
tongue means to deliberately say one thing and
mean aaother or, to be hl,pocritical. or act
in a duplicitous manner. In the
longstanding tradition of many Native
American tribes, "speaking with a forked
tongue" has meant lying, and a person was
no longer considered worthy of trust, once
he had been shown to "speak with a forked
tongue". This phrase was aiso adopted by
Arnericans around the time of the
Revolution, and may be found in abundant
relbrences from the early l9th century
often reporting on American officers rvho
sought to convince the tribal leaders with
whom they negotiated that they "spoke
rvith a straight and not rvith a forked
tongue" (as for example, President Andrew
Jackson told the Creek Nation in 1829).
According to one 1859 account, the native
proverb that the "white man spoke with a
lbrked tongue" originated as a result of the
French tactic of the 1690s, in their war with
the lroquois. of invitins their enemies to

Page 230 of248


ASAP Lau{M English for iudicial Scrvices Exam

attefld a Peace Conference. only to be


slaughtered or caPtured.
at windmills To ttght b"ttles *1th imaginary enenlies; to
lrght again:t unittrporlaltt enclnies or
issues. (As
with the fictional character,
Don Quixote, who attacked rvindmiils')
Aren't you too smafi to go around tilting at
winrimills'l I'm not going to tight this issue'
I've wasted too much of my lif-e tilting at
windmills.
Tilting at wincLnilis is an English idiom
which means attacking imaginary enemies'
The word "ti1t", in this context, comes from
jousting.
The phrase is sometimes r-rsed to describe
confrontations where adrteisaries are
incorrectly petceived' or courses of action
that are based on misinterpreted or
misapplied hcroic, romantic, or idealistic
justifications. lt may also connote an
importune, unfounded, and vain ellort
against contbbulated adversaries for a vain
goal

The ptrase derives Aom an episode in the


,ror.l Don Quixote bY Miguel de
Cervantes. Ivherein protagonisl Don
he imagines
Quixote fights rvindmills tirat
to be giants.

Silver bullet a ri-pt" *a seerninglY n-ragical


ro a complicated Problcnt.
Bullet rnacie of silver' supposedly the onl-v
weapoll that conld kili a werervolf-'
o "There is no single silr'er bullet
ot panacea that rvill solve all the
problems of BaY Area schools"
(San Francisco Clrronicle)

to hell is paved F-r-P."p1.-{ten ,rean rvel1 but do bad


good intentions things. (Can be a strong rebuke, implying
that the person you are addressing did
somethins bad and his or her

Page 23L of248


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

I intentions do not matter.) Jane: I'm sorqr.


I I didn't mean to hurt your feelings; I only
I wanted to help you. Jane: Oh, yeah? The
I road to heil is paved with good intentions.

lyrical) (wax eloquent) | interest and excirement.

| . I recall Roz waxing tyrical about


I the flatness olhis stomach.

I . My mother always used to wax


I ly"cal about the lemon trees in
I the family garden.
tr.- brook no dissent If someone in a position of authority will
brook no interference or opposition, they
will not accept any interference or
opposition from others.
o But coming as it did from a man
with a reputation ofbrooking no
dissent and riding roughshod
over opposition during his
tweive years at the helm in
, -a.a;,..Gvfurat;..It @jg,-$-g wblcome

: fi= 11;;sut$4sF= &aFhi rharoor on


Narendra Modi
To ride roughshod to treat someone or something with
over disdain or scom; ignoring rules, traditions,
or other peopie's wishes
r You shouidn't have conre into
our town to ride roughshod over
our laws and our traditions.
. hey accused the govemrnent of
riding roughshod over
parliamentary procedure
r But coming as it did {iom a man
with a reputation of brooking no
dissent and riding roughshod
over opposition ctr.rring his
twelve years at the hekn in
Gujarat. it w.as a welcome
surprise. - Shashi Tharoor on
Narendra Modi

Page 232 of248


ASAP La\t{}I English ibr Judicial Serviccs Exam

In the red/in the black In the red means that you are in debt and
in the black means that you are solvent.
e Usage notes-refers to the old
system ofbookkeeping where in
the ledger the left hand side was
debt and right hand side was
credit. For the left side debt (as
ilr you are in debt) entries were
made in red ink and in the right
side the entries were made in
black ink
To treat something To deal with someone too gently
with kids gloves Etymoiogy: based on the literal
"
rteaning of kid gloves (gloves
madc olvery solt, smooth
leather)
r When critics oia siiuation
belierre that it is being handled
too deiicateiy, they may suggest
that the kid gloves need to come
olL l his is of'len rhe case rvitlr
compiex political situations
which are not being handled
directlv arrd appropriately. A
critic o{'such a situation might
suggest that it is being treated
with kid gloves because of
political concems like a desire to
retain irading rights, to save
face, or to hold a position in
office.
Pu1l no punches To hold back in one's criticisrn.
r Mulayam Singh Yadav and
Narendra Modi pulled no
punches in their UP election
rally
. This is a boxing term. When you
pul1 a punch, you pull back or
hold back, so that your punch
doesn't land with ail possible
force. The transferred meaning
of the phrase is similar. If you

Page 233 of248


Exam
ASAP La$'IM English for Judicial Services

.nti"ir", Uri PolitelY and as


painlesslY as You can. watering
your criticism down, You are
pullnig your Punch or Punches'

Pooh-pooh @rnfor:
Bul ilyou reallY blast someone,
you're puliing no Puncher
tlismissor
I
belittle
The medical Profession tends to tcc(
I

pooh-pooh colonic irrigation' Inri


I
that
]:lorses for courses Som"tLl,rg tkat yor-, say which means lx.,
i, choose suitable people
it irrrpoiu,lt to I I;rr
for particular activities because everyone
I

has different skills.


I tnr
Ah weli' horses for courses' Jusl
LF-
lRe
because a Plumber can mend
your washing machine' it doesn't
follorn' that he can mend Your car
tr
as r'vell
r Bishen Bedi tweets: Reckon 1nd
cud'r,e PlaYed 2 sPinners in
Durban,horses ff courses?lAs it
is lndns didn't give'emselves .\]
much time 2 assertl
r Usage notes- It's a raciug term'
Cerlain horses run better on
cerlain cotirses. A mostly British
exPression urging someone to
stick to the thing he knows best'
'horses lor coufses' comes ilom
the horse racing world, where it
is rvidelY assunted that some
horsc: race betlet'on certain
courses than on others'
-
State down the barrei tfffiarrelofa very
ofa gun gun, there's a high risk of sornething
bad happenlng.
Example - ExamPle: 'New
York CitY is staring down the
banel of a 54 billion budget
detlcit next Year. MaYor Michael
Bioor has called on his cit

Page234 of248
ASAP Lawrrr English for Judicial Services Exam

commissioners to look at their


departments and slash a
combined $800 miilion from the
current budget and $ 1 .2 billion
from the next budget."

LEGALMA)ilMS:
Coram Non Judice Court has no jurisdiction
rbi Jus Ibi Remedium Where there is right there is remedy
Nemo Debet Bis \rexari Pro No-one shall be tried or punished
Una Et Eadem Causa twice in regards to the same event.
Interest Reipublicae Ut Sit in the interest of society as a u.hole,
Finis Litium litigation illust come to an end
Res Judicata Pro Veritate A thing adjudged must be taken for
Accipitur. truth.
Mobilia Sequntur Personam Movable properly foliows the
person
Ex Debito Justitae To act as justice demands
Ex Dolo Malo Non Oritur W,.+aEf e offu€64an aris e fr om
Actio -
ffiud Z-==:--=.'j+==
Nemo moriturus No one rviil meet the maker with lie
praesumitur mentre on their iips
Omnia praesumuntur rite All things are presumed to be done
esse acta. in due form
Res inter aliaacta Facts proving or disproving expert
opinion
Semper praesumitur pro The presumption is in favour of the
legitimatione puerooum iegitimacy of a child
Presumption juris ei de jure Presumption of law that is law i.e.
Irrebutable presumption of law
Onus probandi Onus of proof i.e. Tlie burden for
proving evidence
,\llegans contraria non est One making contradictory
audiendus statements to himself is not to be
heard.
De minimis non curat lex Law does not take account of trivial
matters
Funosi nulla l,oluntas est Mad man has no voluntarv actions

Page 235 of248


Exam
ASAP LawrM Engiish for Judicial Services

lft;law does not compel a man to


L"iNon Cogit Ad
lmpossibiiia

shall Prejudice no
Actus curtiie nemlnem
grarabit
I{artne*
Actus tlei nemini

Actio personalis miontur G;ghfif;Aor dies with the

cum persofla person

Actus non facit reum nisr Crime is botn guiity ac{ anu Burtt}
eit rea ilind
-.ns
whA t6;tionalitY stoPs, so does
Cessante ratione iegrs cessat
ipsa lex the law

Deiegatus non Potest Line to wnom Powct l) \rsrLS.Lvu


delegare cannot himself further delegate that
power

rx-pactonon
D rruuv oritur $ rrg[ttf ttion arises-from a

II contrict entered into without


action ..

Falsus in uno, falsqryin' Fuise in purtlc.tlutmeans iaise in


omnibus ??.'2,, @er@=='{,4-.=€F==
7,. n11:,4{iiii*:usedto throw out
slightlY doubtfirl witness
testimonY. But is now
ovemrled.
Specrat lav deroggtes general 1aw
Cureraliu sPecjalibris non

Nen; dat qt od non habet No orre c"n P*ss a better title than

Qui facit Per alium facit Per


He*h" *tt th*"gh anothe does
the act himself i.e. The principie of

D
^"-nnrlcqf Srrnenor LJtt e master be liable

Res lpsa Loquitor il1s .peuk for themselves

Vieilantibus Et Non LailCCts thos" that are vigilant


with their rights, and not those that

Reductio ad absurdum is the tech"tq"e ofreducing an


arsument or hlpothesis to absurdity'
bi pushins th. qgg11g49_plg!''!9t

Page236 of248

I
ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

or conclusions to their logical limits


and showing how ridiculous the
consequences would be, thus
disproving or discrediting the
argument.
ffiLtq*t In absence oflaw
- . As in section 482 CRPC IP
of HC come in where there
is absence oflaw

LEGAL PHRASES
Ah Initio From the very beginning
Ab Antique From antiquity
Ab Intra From within

Ad infinilum For infinity


Ad arbitiiium From arbitrarv will
Ad referendurn For fuither consideration
Ad interir:r Fql,thg=-dme=beiqg
Adhoc oenod - ad hoc
a{..F@+Z@Q.@
measures
For a particular purpose - ad
hoc professor of toxicology
Ad idem To the same effect

" Example - consensus ad idea


Ad raiorem As per value
Ad verbum Verbatim
o Repeat the words ad verbum
after the giver the oath
Ad nauserlrn 'I'o tlisgusting extett
Ad largtun At large
. Title is ad lalgum i.e. Against
all

= Ad rcm Relevant; to the point


r Ad rem argument to butfress his
case
-l

liage 237 of ?48


ASAP LawrM English for Judicial Services Exam

Adhominem Nolrelating to iogic or reason but making


personal attacks
r Debaters should avoid ad
hominem arguments that
question their oPPonents'
motives
A fortiori For a still stronger reason
r If you ask me how she managed
it, I can't tell You; it's no
business of mine, and, a fortiori
none ofyours.

n postcriorr I from eflect to cause


r Where do you want to go - a
posteriori- meaning going to ass
i.e. cun'entlY at ltont
A priori From cause to effect

Ad quem Referring to a parlicular time or Cistance


Terminus Ad Quem t@@p@t.7=-;+=sE
:
?-i=-E1t@ affi@+u*or's death
. ::''wrs theteiiiiinu-S'ad quem for
the manuscriPt.
Pro tem For the time being
o Like a pro tem speaker

aua I ln particular caPacitY


. The President resolved the
dispute qua chiefofthe Party

QVD - that which was to tre shown has


Quod VidelQ\rD
ncrlv been shorvlr
Nota BeneNB T'ake notice

Ad hominem Not relating to Iogic or reason but making


personal attacks
. Debaters should avoid ad
hominem argumenls thai
questio:1 iheir oPPonents'
motlves

Ilage 238 of 248


ASAP Lawrlr Engtish forJudicial Services Exam

Eo nomine ----.---.-'--'-
By that na*ionty
" The United States Supreme
Coufi uses it in the context of
sovereign immunity. In Alden v.
Maine Justice Souter, for the
dissent" wrote that according to
natural law a sovereign, like a
state, could not be sued in its
o."vn courl based on a right it
created, ,'A state would be
subject to a suit eo nomine in its
own courts on a federal claim.',
Pacitum nominatum uay appointed tor accused to appear

In re
In.e-
ffi
In personam Proceedings against u pu,tr.ulu, p.rr*
Aide-de-camp Helper in miiitary
Annus mirabilis Year ofttti miractat
Au Fait full1r informed; in touch oiexpert
o I am au fait with fashion

Animus Attestandi Intention to attest


Animus Deserendi Ilrte"tion to d"s"rt
Admus Possidendi
Animtis/Jus
--rnrenrron to possess i.e. To exclude others
intention, Right ro dispoG-
Disponendi

Arnbi_e,uitas patent Pattrr.mb,dr),


o lhe will had ri: mention of i
man1, properties i
Ambiguitas latent
o A leeves house to nice Jane. The i
ambigr.rity lies in the laci that l

tliere alc tn,o nieces Jane.

Page }?G of248

J
ASAF LawrM Engtish fbr.Tudiciai Ser-v'ices Exarn

II I|
1:i::rr,Til'1n agenr who
viotares i;s Rauciury auty and
I I benefits selfl
I l'eio de se I Felon as to self i.e. Someone who has

Feme sole Soie femaie i.e. Unmarried women

Corpus Delicit Body olthc crirne


Flagrante Delicito Flagrant crirne
Particeps Criminis Accomplicc
Socius Crirniris Accomplice

Itt
| causans
(.ausa
I The last cause in the chain ofcausation I

I
rtt
Causa sine qua non I The initial cause in the chain ofcausation I

I Cause celehre - "'--


--"J that atlracts great public
I Any controversy
Irit I unJnt"n. I
I

I Cauus Omissus I Marter which should have been dealt with I

I { in a statute not dealt with for some reason I

I Honons Causa I Cause of honour i.e. Mark of esteem I

I Mortis LCausa
vrortts ausa I t'ause of death
Cause ot I

I l.urpis ('ausa I Cause based on illegality i.e. A cause I

I illegali!
Dasecl on fltegaIry
I based ooes rise
does nol nse I

rr
ttt
| ('aveatemptor I Buyer beware I

I Caveat vendilor I Seller beware I


I

Caveat viator
J I Travellerbeware I

I De hors
'= I Against rhe provisions I

Dei gratia By grace of God


I

I Durante Absentia I During the absence


I Durante Vita I During rhe life
Page 240 of24E

I
ASAP Lawry Eaglish fs judicial Stxnic€s Exam

En Banc Full court bench


En Bloc As a r+'hole unit
En Masse As a whotre mass
i Carte Blanche Full control over something
Eo nomine By that narre only
r Thc United States
Sta Supreme
Court uses it in the context of
sovereign immunit-v. In Alden v.
Maine Justice Souter, for the
dissent, wiote that according tc
natural iaw a sovereign, like a
state, could not be sued in its
orYn court based on a right it
creatd "A state would be
subject to a suit eo nomine in its
orYo courts on a Heral claim."

Ex Abundanti Cautela In abundant caution


Ex Officio Flor.icg Aoer office
Ex Cathedra Flonring ftorc the Church
Ex Contractu Flowing out of cortract
Ex Curia Flowing out of court
En Banc i Full court
Ex Delicito Flowing out of crirne
Ex Done Flowing out gr{t
Ens Legis Flowing out of lara,i.e. Legal fiction
Functus Officio Having performed its official function
r The crffer N'as fr.uctus officio as
$oon as it became accepted

En Eauc Full courr bench


ftr coram in presence of
In curia ln open court
In camera Ift pri tswith ajudge rather thm i* opm
s0urt
In pais Outside court
Lx crina Flovring eut ofcourt

Pagc 24I of248


Services Exam
ASAP LawrM English fcr Judicial

Per cunam As per coutt


1'er incuriarn Mistake of the coutl
Res Integra Untouched matter.
. This term is aPPlied to those
noints oflaw rvhich have not
tecn dccided, which are
"untouched bY dictum or
decision."

Vexed question Om" A.b-tA t"P* but not Yet finallY


settled
o The vexed question of'not outs'
in calculation ofaverages in
'Iest Cricket

Force majeure Foice outbfcontrol


Vis major Forcc out ofcontrol

in pari delicito in equal tault


In pari materia 1@e"ffircfua@$,, ffi-j
In Limine fr thJ[hreshold
e The Plea ofjurisdiction was
disrnissed in limine
Irr the form of a P^"Per i'e' Suit
as
In forma Paupence
indigent
In terrorem toCrr"tisetii.e tt e penalty in a contract
In pais Outside cout't
Passim m;ough-out, helr the're and everyvrhere
r No rnatter how manY safetY
features it is irnPossibie to be
satb passirn ihe rar-:e

Pari Passu @utPreibrence


r After declaring bankr-uPtcY the
coutt ordered liquidation and

tr.'toalrs vivendi
; th; rvay of living
o ComProntisc benvcen Purlics

Page 742 of248


I_l ASAP Lawl M English fbr Jutlicial Services Exam

-l P-e. an"ur"
P.lll*ny,
Per year
Per month

I" *terr* - In extensive length-


fn futuro - In future
ln m"m*ium ln memory of
1, nubibut
In ioco parentis
ffi
In pla; of the parertt
c For example grrardians are
appointed by the courl in loco
parentis
In situ In original place
c In archaeology, in sifu refurs to
an artifact that has not been
- moved fiom its original place of
deposilion. An artifbct being in
situ is critical to the
interpretation of that arteiact

Ipse Dixit e l,atin for "he himself said it,',


. meaning the only proof we have
ofthe fact is that this person
said it.
o An unsupported statement that
rests solely on the authority of
the individual ."vho makes it.
Ipso facto By the fact itself

Intra Vires Within power


Ultra Vires Outside power
Inter Vivos Among living persons

Nuilius bonis Belonging to no one


N"f Uw f-iii* No one's relation
@ No arhitratron award

Nudut P"ct"m ffi


Page 243 of248
ASAP Lawil Eaglish fsrJudicial Servioes Exam

Illicitum Pactum i lllegal pact

.lus Righi
Jus in rern Right in rern
Jus Terrii I rugirt of a 3d panY
Jus in re aliena Right in another's Propert)'
IEght in own's proPerry
Jus in re proPia
Jus Gentiual l-au,'ofthe natioils
Jus Naturale Nahral i-aq'
-!ure Divino i Divine Law

Legalis homo Legal mao


Novus homo New rnan

I*- F"t't | law of forum


G- l-ci- I Law ofthe land
tr-ocatio Rei - Letr"g a thing for hire

Mare Clausurn Ser tt*i;. iloder a cla*se i-e under

Mare Litrerium S* tt.ut is oPen to ali


nece'ssary changes

Pari Passu I"ECI ptoportLo"t without preference


r After declaring bankruPtcY the
court ordered iiquidation and
payment to the creditors Pari

Parens Patriae Father of a nation


Praepositus Fe*rx, i" ,"tho"ty like praepositus sacri
cubiculi - the guardian of the sleeping
chamber ofthe PoPe
Pi"".- D"*r*"* TF,ll ownershiP

Ad Valorern As per value

Quantum menrit es * a.served or done

Page 244 of248

%
ASAP tr-awu English forJudicial Services Exam

Quantrun valebant i As much as the value of the things


Factum vaiet Thing which shouldnothave been done,
now done so give it status
Utres magis vatreat Eietter to give effect than void something
quasp€red

Modus operandi I S[ayofcperating


Modus vivendi e The way of living
I r Conrpromisebetweaparties

Flenum Dorninium Full oxnrership


Resperit Demino I Let the loss &ll m the owner
Res lntegra {-trndecided question
Res Nuliius I eelmging to no one
Nuiius Bonis I Noflre's

Bona mobilia I Movable goods; ctranel


tsona vamatia I lr{o one's goods
Bona sestura (iood gesture
Magnum Bonum iiffi=<ifgood

Comp'os mentis Ia srrund mind


Contrea tronrx mor* Against good morals
Conka pacern Against peace
Pro et contra Forand against
Pro lanto Tothe extent
l

r Example-partialpayrnent
madeonaclaim

Stricto Sensu In strict st-'nse


;il
Sua Sponte 0n orn.n motion doing something
spontaneously
Sub Rcsa Seue! not yet published;
r
l

Usagenotes-asinDaVincai
Code where the serr€t li6
trelow tJle rose
i Sub Silento Under silence

Page.245 01248
Juclicial Services Exam
ASAP LawrNt English lbr

Frorn day to day


De aie rn di"m
b--uy ror accused ta appear
Pacitum norninatum "pffiea
festitnony in court lauding someone.s

f.r *t tLing on hire


Letter ofrequest
a[-piicrtton lor staY of cxccutton
Applrcutrc,n lor executlon
Fieri Facias not
Scire Facias
fo-t.ff a"fenaunt tt' sHow cause lvhy
grant execution

Getffito tterede Bffiiour as heir


s""ck oittrcCsto"l; a tnere chance to
Spes successronrs property
,i... on interest or right in the
and it is non transferable'

Non assumPit
ffiassumed<lid not nrom]1e the
i*,'.rLc-"tlqq-pe.gr- 9=n
;;il;; tJ",G io tt" *ntt*t and hence

no damages lie as no bttry!------


Gratis dictum @ersonisnot
obligated to do so
Dixit Not proved
Ipse
e The filatter was iPse dixit as the
its
cases Provided did not Prove

Fperit Demino L"t ttr" toss fa1l on the owner


R..pon*u Prudentitum
Tl.,Eking neuer dies
Rei Nuquam mofltur
ilkind h h"low thc law
Supressa Veri S,pp*tt*" "tt"'Yg
Vexed question @YetfinallY

Page246 of248
ASAP LawlM English lor Judicial Services Exarr

. The \,exed question of 'not

j Ad verbum Verbatim
outs' in calculation ofaverages
in Test Cricket

e Repeat the words ad verbunt


l after the giver the oath
l
Annus mirabilis Year of the rairacles

i Persona non grata Someone is ostracized and shunned


. In non-diplonratic usagc.
referring to someone as
.

persona non grata is to saY that


': he or she is ostracized. Such a
person is for ali inteats and
purposes culturally shunned, so
as to be figuratively
nonexistent.
o [n diplomacy, the term persona
non grata literally means "an
unweicome Person" and refers

: .
,. , ,r to a foreign person whose stay
' is prohibited in the cor'intry in
which he is currentlY in. It is
the most serious fonn of
censure which one country can
apply to foreign diPiomats,
who are othei"w'ise protected bY
diplomatic immunity ftorn
r. lli I
arrest and other normal kinds
I

'..lts l
ofprosecution.
I Dramatis perscne List of the main characters in a drama
I
+{e, G*eliog.rl {*bet+

l &ataeiie ?eE Ee-

I
*,..-.,^
*i.-; -- : .-..-r*--,..I4r!E

-
----l
-r1 i

Page 747 of248


ASAI) htirx E*glish for irdiciat Servicee Exaa

Summrm S66rm -fHlghesr


good
I r Usage notes- Summit-+ Boormr
l-atin summum means highe t
and bonum me"aris god
Tabula rasa slate
-TCIean
Child's mind is a tabula rasa in
the beginning

Reductic ad absurdum i is the rechnique of .eoucmgio@enr


or hypothesis to absurdiryi bypushing
]
the argument's prernises or conclusions
to their logicai limits and shou,ing how
ridiculous the corsequen.o *,orrid b.,
thus disproving or disueditiag the
argument.
fra
lrimem
r Talkinginoonteffofsection
2,3y' ofIPC
Id certum est guod Agreemert ternes must Ue certain or
certum reddi potest '@tffiflaA@.ffiSse$im29
TCA.
That is certain which may be rwrered
certafu-
Impossibilium nulla Nobody has any obligation to the

Quod oecessitas
habet legemn .
I Basis ofsectim g1

Actus me inr"ito factus. An act done by ;e ,l}, w-ril, 1s


non esl meus acfus" not inv aci. "g"lnst
Basis ofsectien 94 ipc thar
acts doneld€rcompulsim of I
mstant dearh i
De minimis non .u.rt The lau.'does nct notice or ca.e fo,
1ex triflingmattsrs
. Basis ofsesisr 95 IK -

-?:
2 Page 248 ol2.l8
{ll--- ---

erept
- " : - -. ;:1'''',:: j''t,,,ili;l'l'li
*#"o" .-

avense , ""1 I

irl;,:l::'t.'):,,:,ii:,'t':i:::;:;.-r;.lriilrl1Ii t,:ti:lt*l*ll" ri'fi;i. if t:i*


advice Csiu"d -
adviseL.,rrrlr) ',.{.} i {::t l:i*lw l"il rirl f
"1
ttr li,# ltl * i ; i, i'. i; e,N,geo.-,

Ii* *hmn6m *r rnm4* ffi qJ{ffm{-*r1*m t* Ut$,,t1-l,at4-


affect
-i6. +^ [- " "*.. *L ^, ,& e r^P , "I$ '
effect iI t's)${"}:trt; t#
ffir$ffi$:} &psilr ffi {-#s{.{r{7 ^ CgWyf^U_
ffi wffiffiffiffiffi* **tw**r'l {:#v$* *{ s#ffit.$
\-/ Asle
isle ^ -.-I :iSi.#*
c{l ^ l -- ...-lt",:l
-."t

*lt ;*., ,,, ".",.lrnn ,si{


-..t #? {}{}t-:c}

,dr*r-G}-il
\-z
maving er exteniiing h*rizon'rally on
rh#wrlntn

a long r*fmrrir:g ?"* **rm*t*ircg *{ {#rw#t {*r:gt}t

*r"*t }*xej
uK""o nr:rr rn it4*rJ
allowed

m smflr*d table rq m *l"rr.llei'


Jaltar
alter tn r'fr*rrrurx

Ao,,t nct **ncerned wiih right or wrong

r:*t followiilg accepted moral standards

appraise
t* assess /ZrUIv-*lL
apprise
ffi S r"ff sr'!"i*r"lt, mpp rmwml
assent
ascent the m*t**n uf rising cr *$irnhing n;16:

rmlatlng tm the ffiffirs CIr hemring

relatimg t* th* mor.lth, spmken

pl*mmmntly w#rm
,Aalmy
barmy {m*iish, {:rffiry

naked; tm un*slvmr
,r(^r"
t_/
bear to carry; vd
Ag$jg
in 1:hrasm'rryith bmtqfiilc$ breath', i.e. in great $L*$pffin$*
v Tba6d
baited with hmit m{tmched *r ir"lserted

* Middie [ast*rn n-larkefr


u,{^.^ ,
bizarre *+-^*^^
;)1"I fi{i :tlJU

a hNnk in m ship, treain, etc.


,fte*n (
birth th* mmerg#ffifi* of m heihy {rorx th* wmrnh

Jborn f:mving stmrted lite

borne

.6
E:mrnige*

m hrnnch mf m tree

bow tm bend the h*me*; ttre fr*nt of a si:i6:

a dmurce fmr utopping a vehicie; to stop a vehicNe


-,,p/rn"
break to sep;xrate intm piece*; ffi peu$e

,/r"^"h to brmmk through, or bremk m rule; i* Sap

th* bmtk part etf ffi Sun bmrnxi

to rmism a suhject for dis*r.lssion

b
a pimcm mf jmuveliwry

a type of strnr"'rg a*rott'r

tc **ek pe*ple'* vctes

t* *niti*ix* mtrmr:gpfy
t* ban parts CI{ a b**k cr fi[m; a per$*n wh* d#*ru t$"ri*s

ffi ffirffiss pr"m*uair:g arc ed[bfim gnmfln, a furmmkfm*nt fq]m{* m"lim*e frmnr grminm
cereal
serial happeninp in m mexries

chord
* gr*r,B *f rvrN*i*ml nmtms

cord a lwrsgt* *{ *tr[n6; ru **nd-]ikm b*dy pmrt

furming m cfim:exx
e,limactic
"climatic r*{mtiu'lg tm *[irnmte

.coarse rough

course m dirmutimn; a *cl'rool subject; part of a meal

serisatisfier;
L complacent fl|u
oeu0
1

!.xry*"
complaisant

complement
bddultet W
compliment tm pr"aaimm fir #xpre$$ xppr*:vmi; mn *dnriring r*nrark

i* ffrffi{J$:} cf people wi'rq: rnc*nms# #r adrriue


council
counsel mqiwi*m; t* advisc*

a signalfor aciion; a wmmdmr: nmd


cue
queue a l[n:* of people or vehicles

curb ,.']1, i.i : ,t :

.,'.:; :: :,ii;
1{'B
Sca't
dtu,*o.t
\*'
{in Sritish ffimglish} thm stCIne *dg* of m pavenrent (
m dri*cl grmp#

current hxppening m#w; a fimw *f waler, mir, CIr electnicity


(
,*-A to mmkm m situmtimm $erss tense

k9
desert
t* mpremd *vsr ffi wide area

a waterless, empty arei); to aband*n someone

dessert the swmqnt cCIur"$* clf m rneal

-/ffi,\
\di="r"t"
*mreful n*t tm mttract attention

sepmrate mnei dlstinct


\-/
disinterested i
uninterested {

draught :
draft
rt
\
/,
\

l
(
elicit
illicit
4
ensure
tCI make certain that something will happen I
insure to prmvide compensation if a person dies or properg is Camaged t
tm ecver sr $urrfrund
a paper c*ntelr]sr fmr *iti trmtter

phymicai activity; tc do physi*al activity

w
tm drivm *Nt an ev[! spinit

ift y#iln# d**s; tight ha"*wn

m rvwfika*.ml heing, part nrmr:, part gumt

t* dirpfxy omtwntmtiously
flaunt
flout tu disrr*Emrd m rNle

rfiffiv# *{r*nnm[]y; t* hmv* difff*r",rity **ing **m*th]np


.t .,i i,

tm r*frmim

an mr"r*mgtmr

an intr-oductrr:r, tm m hs:*{s

Ireeze
mi*ng * wwl\

t ){ |t {:,tfl tll){'llt{i,t, r t*E t:l'i.i ftil 4,ntSX *t


ti:l \t. !4t
l"t \:;:; I 1t ,1t \..,,: t::x I
ry
",..t

S ;}I"I"JItr
hoard

@ m lmrg* *r*wd a{ pemp}e

ffi\ tm m**ggest

't:: t ;i{ ;r\;d


indirecily

';4 {'.{\!\r',1! \y.!|.':'i''!


\,
loath -"-
1,, ,. ] l

loathe
to hate
/ to unf*xst*n; to m*t fr***
-1/o"'
lose to be deprived mf; ter *:e unmblm t* find

a measuring device

unit; rul in ver*m

" tl ,,., : 1. , ,t't,,tlii:-t! l';ilt. ' I" ,i;ir:,:t li ttt,,


militate
mitigate I :',:1ii ,. :i"lirl-,. rril'' :.

"@
Ialate
: : it:r i.'

1* ll,':l! fii,;irds,

pole a long, slender piece qf wsmd


I

poll voting in an election i

to fiow or cause to flow


pour
pore a tiny opening;to study something closely

practicd
rt- l"r* use of an idea or method; the work or business of a doctor, .-lfifi,iiit.

practisg
d* mt:r::mt$:in6 r*pmmt*d$y to gain skill; tm d* something regularly
\_r*
{* auth*niae us* of medi*ine; to order authuritatively
a,-PGscribe
proscribe t* mtfliciml$y forbid something

fi*" ipal
princ iple
m*st irnpqrtant; the head of a school

a fi*r:San"lental rule or beli*f

ffi pers$n in*llrrmqi to d*ubt


septic infected witfr'r hacterla

the m*:i|ity tu mmm


sight
site a iscmtimn

nCIt m:mving
stationary
-stationery wrltlng n'rateriafn

a imvel of a huilding
"g(rt
story w t^mtm *r a**mrs*t

t* arr,u*w ir:tr*rest

titivate ta rruakm rmmre attractive

torturous

a wooden crosspiece for harnessinE m pair $f qlxem

yolk the yellow *enten *t mn *gg

wl/ 0X
Y[ --Ftwtolfrc;'{</-
':entici
K COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS

\\-ords that sound alike or look alike (moral/morale) often confuse students, especially
those using spell checkers. This lengthylist of commonly confused words with simple
def,nitions will help you decide which spelling fits your sentence.
accept to receive
ercept with the exclusion of
a irice recommendation (noun)
- l- -:I:U
1,J\ -^
to recommend (verb)

: -\ eISe unfavorable
: r.-: ISe opposed to

.*eCt to influence (verb); emotional response (noun)


i---
:--:-L -r
-
result (noun); to cause (verb)

:,:-[ space between rows


-: -; island
--'.. j -
-1- ..uc to make indirect reference to
.-'"::l to avoid

''-:Si,ln indirect reference


--'---t^.^
false idea, misleading appearance
--_--l-- by this time
:'- reach' fu11r'prepared

=-:.: sacred Plattorm or Place


. ::: to change
: - a:--:er
-- thoroughly
'-- ::.ether everyone/every,'thing in one place

a quantity; many of something


:.-, _,. to divide or portion out
- _ - ^t supernatural being, good Person
-----iL I
. - -lo
:--lr! shape made by joining z straight lines

a:e plural form of "to be"


plural form of "my"
pronunciation common to a region
the act of rising or climbing
consent, agreement

:-.sistance help
.s sistants helpers
bare nude, unadorned
bear to carry; an animal

ffi
beside close to; next to
except for; in addition

w
board
bored
a wild male pig
to drill a hole through
piece of wood
uninterested

born brought into life


borne past participle of "to bear" (carn't

breath air taken in [noun] /


breathe to take in air t.,, erb',

brake deriit
l-----
f r .t --^-:p.: .
l'.r, *:^ -
break Lr:-^ _ --------.: ---- _ -.tr,::

trl, p *:a:a.-<a
nexl to; through the agens-ot
heavy cloth
to take a survev: a survev

ryiqryiB-
governmeatfqilding
ehoose to pick
chose past tense of 'to choose'
rclothes garments
cloths oieces of fabric

coarse roug!
series of Iectures
?Dath;
complement something that completes
compliment -praise, flattery
conscience sense of moraliS-
conscious

corps Iesulalsd{reaf
corpse dead body

council governing body


counsel advice; to give advice
I
I

1l
l:i

daiqr place where milk products are processed


diary personaljournal
descent downward movement
dissent disagreement
dessert final, sweet course in a meal
desert to abandon; dry, sandy area
.-f f
- -

ffi,oolorutensit
.-
---
, - s ! L modest, prudent behavior
a separate thing, distinct

f.]r a verb indicating performance or execution


water droplets condensed from air
of a task
as a result of

commanding, controlling
Igggol
to lose life; one of a pair of dice
to change or add color

changing or adding color


losing life

to draw out
il1egC. forbidden

prominent
about to happen

to surround (verb)
container for a letter (noun)

-ptEjffremmonplace, ordinary (adj . )


each day, succession (adj. + noun)
light skinned;just, honest; a carnival
money for transportation; food

at a great€,{p,ejsrrable) distance
in greater(non ineasurable) depth
- ::na111. conventionally, with ceremony
:-:rerlv previously
-. ith forvrrard
, :::h number four in a list
gorilla animal in ape family
guerrilla soldier specializing in surprise attacks
hear to sense sound by ear
here in this place
heard past tense of "to hear"
h group of animals

a hidden fund or supply, a cache


alarge group or crowd, swarn
hole' opening
complete; an entire thing

relating to the species homo sapiens


humane compassionate
:r-
(
.L r-\ possessive form of "it"
:r'-
-t: contraetion for "it is"
- p
past tense of "know" p
^-:14',','
ne\\ fresh, notyet old
p
know to comprehend pf
no negative

{g-+P'
seffid one of" two things

hear.y metal substance; to guide


past tense of "to lead"
r--:---
Itr-\:c-- to decrease
les-.,- n something learned and/or taught
. snriir:r'= storm-related electricity
l:rr i1:
-1- +t !- --:r,1L- i- makinglighter
unbound, not tightly fastened :_
to misplace

,@ perhaps (adv.)
mightbe (verb)
t
,[:

meat anirnal flesh 2


to enounter
@ to measure; to dishibute -

6
metal a hard organic substance
aflat disk stamped with a design
conrage, spirit, energy
mlner aworkerin amine
minor underage person (noun); less important (adj.)

onorarabreorstory
fu
pjya
ff,','#ff :'l:11,;f ll',Tf,;';il?;1"ff
past tense of "to pass"
.Pg!I at a pret.ious time
patience i g u_ulgilhAnnqyances
Iutt
patients Jr
people under medical care
peace
piece part of a whole; musical arrangement
peak point, pinnacle, maximum
peek peer through or look furtively
piqrfe:. lo
fit of resentment, feeling of wounded vanity
^^\ I I
/pedal
f petai /
wv
personal
ilf,{frsffibicvcreorcar
intimate; owned by a person
personnel employees
plain simple, unadorned
plane to shave wood; aircraft (noun)
precede lo-rnne b-ferg
proceed te continue
presence ---
attendance; being at hand
presents grfts

ffiilt'i# f ::fr H'"9-$.1J,i@--T or a schoor (noun)

quiet silent, calm


quite very
rain water drops falling; to fall like rain
:eign to rule
strap to control an animal (noun); to guide
or control (verb)
to lift up
to tear doram

having reason or understanding


principles of opinion, beliefs
that order

title given to clergi; deserving respect


worshipfirl
right correct; opposite of left
rite ritual or ceremony
write to put words on paper
road path
rode past tense of "to ride"
scene place of an action;lggglggpfallay
seen t

perception, understanding
@e;because
soene, view, picture
plaoe,location
to docnment or quote (verb)
stationary standing stiil
stationery writing paper
,.rr1,-ending
. :_. . :, _:t::-nl: a,,r-atenv
past tem-se of
ri&t
beddes
attrat time:

confuaction for "they are"

finished: into and orrl sg


t tense of "to throw"

:- toward
also; very (used to show emphasis)
numberfollowing one
track course, road
tract pamphlet; plot of ground
rvaist midsection of the body
waste discarded material; to squand.er
::;t "rurgnounce
Iorgo, )
flutter.@
-#
l\'eek
not strong
seven days

climatic condition
if
a neutered male sheep

where in rvhich place


were past tense of "to be"

which one of a group


witch female sorcerer

whose possessive for "of who"


who's contraction for "who is"
your possessive for "of you"
contraction for "you are"
time long past

Revised 2oo4

(rttrlgr; $riting (r:ntur


at MerameG

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