Download as pdf or txt
Download as pdf or txt
You are on page 1of 115

Ahmad Khan

IDIOMS & PHRASES LC1, DU


TO DO SOMETHING OR ANGER
TO BURN YOUR SOMEONE TO WHERE YOU CANNOT
BRIDGES GO BACK TO HOW THINGS WERE
(CUET LLB 22) AND CANNOT EXPECT HELP IN THE
FUTURE.

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.


A BLESSING IN A good thing that seemed bad
DISGUISE at first.
BEAT AROUND Avoid saying what you
mean, usually because it is
THE BUSH uncomfortable.
BITE THE To get something over with
BULLET because it is inevitable
BREAK A LEG Good luck
CALL IT A DAY Stop working on something
GIVE SOMEONE
THE BENEFIT OF Trust what someone says
THE DOUBT
THE BEST OF Means you can enjoy two
different opportunities at the
BOTH WORLDS same time.
SEE EYE TO This means agreeing with
EYE someone.
ONCE IN A An event that happens
BLUE MOON infrequently.
WHEN PIGS Something that will never
FLY happen.
TO COST AN
Something is very
ARM AND A expensive.
LEG
A PIECE OF Something is very easy.
CAKE
LET THE CAT
To accidentally reveal a
OUT OF THE secret.
BAG
TO FEEL
UNDER THE To not feel well.
WEATHER
TO CUT To do something badly or
CORNERS cheaply.
YOU CAN’T To not judge someone or
JUDGE A BOOK something based solely on
BY ITS COVER appearance.
TO ADD
INSULT TO To make a situation worse.
INJURY
TO HIT THE To describe exactly what is
NAIL ON THE causing a situation or
HEAD problem.
NO PAIN NO You have to work hard for
GAIN something you want.
GETTING A
TASTE OF Being treated the same
unpleasant way you have
YOUR OWN treated others.
MEDICINE
GIVING SOMEONE THE
COLD SHOULDER To ignore someone.
A matter or problem that is
THE ELEPHANT obvious of great importance
IN THE ROOM but that is not discussed
openly.
STEALING
Taking credit for someone
SOMEONES else achievements.
THUNDER
TWIST Convinced you to do
SOMEONE’S something you wouldn’t have
ARM otherwise.
STAB
Hurting someone who trusted
SOMEONE IN us by betraying them.
THE BACK
LOSE YOUR Lose an ability you once
TOUCH had.
To contribute (give) to
PITCH IN something or someone or to
join in.
Be confronted with the
FACE THE MUSIC unpleasant consequences of
one's actions.
LOOK LIKE A Take it as a huge
MILLION compliment, it means you
DOLLARS look absolutely fabulous!
BORN WITH A
SILVER To someone who comes
SPOON IN from a wealthy and
ONE’S successful family
MOUTH
TO HAVE
STICKY You probably steal a lot.
FINGERS
BREAK THE Something that is very
expensive that would take all
BANK of your money.
Not wanting to spend any
TO BE CLOSE- money (almost like you’re
FISTED physically gripping your
money).
LIVING
To have just enough money
HAND TO to live on and nothing extra
MOUTH
RULE OF A broadly accurate guide or
principle, based on practice
THUMB rather than theory.
KEEP ONE'S CHIN Remain cheerful in difficult circumstances.
UP
COOL AS A Someone who’s very calm
CUCUMBER and relaxed.
To get the conversation
BREAK THE ICE going. Provide a conversation
prompt.
WRAP ONE'S To understand something that
HEAD AROUND may take a bit of time and
SOMETHING effort.
A SNOWBALL Something that can continue
to get more and more out of
EFFECT control

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.


WE'LL CROSS
THAT BRIDGE Let's avoid addressing the
WHEN WE GET TO problem until later on.
IT
TO BE HARD ON To criticize or to manage
SOMEONE someone very strictly.
FISH OUT OF To be in an unfamiliar or
WATER uncomfortable place.
STEP UP ONE’S To work harder or perform
GAME better.
YOUR GUESS IS
AS GOOD AS I don't know either.
MINE
LEAVE OUT IN THE To be ignored or not
COLD considered.
KEEP AN EAR TO To listen for new
THE GROUND information.
RUN AROUND IN To put effort into something
while making little or no
CIRCLES progress.
SCRAPE THE To make choices you don't
BARREL want to or normally wouldn't.
HAVING AN ACE To have a hidden or untold
UP THE SLEEVE advantage.

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY.


BUY IT To believe something.
To risk something or have
ON THE LINE something at risk.
An easy way to make money
A QUICK BUCK quickly.
SIGHTS SET ON | To desire something or to
SET SIGHTS ON make a goal.
GO THE EXTRA To do extra work or put in
MILE extra effort.
HANG IN THERE To not give up.
REST ON YOUR To stop trying as hard
because of your past
LAUREL achievements.
IT'S NOT ROCKET It's not as difficult as you
SCIENCE might think.
SPILL THE BEANS To tell a secret.
SIT ON THE To be undecided.
FENCE
What has already happened
NO USE IN cannot be undone so you
CRYING OVER shouldn't cry but you should
SPILLED MILK think of what to do going
forward.
FAIR AND To do things in a fair way
with no advantages given to
SQUARE either side.
STRAIGHT FROM
To hear information directly
THE HORSE'S from the person involved.
MOUTH
BIGGER FISH There is something more
TO FRY important to take care of.
READ BETWEEN To look for the real meaning
THE LINES when something is said.
WILD GOOSE To waste time trying to do
CHASE something you cannot.
CHIP OFF THE To be similar to one's parents
OLD BLOCK in one way or overall.
THE APPLE Similar to one’s parents. This
DOESN’T FALL is used at the time when you
observe that someone is
FAR FROM THE doing something their parents
TREE. would.
BY THE SKIN OF To barely get something
ONE’S TEETH done.
PENNY WISE To worry about or obsess
over unimportant details
AND POUND while ignoring the important
FOOLISH ones.
To ask for help or attention by
CRY WOLF lying about a situation.
PLAY DEVIL'S To present the other side or
ADVOCATE both sides of an argument.
In a dangerous or risky
ON THIN ICE situation with much margin
for error.
TAKE IT WITH A Don’t believe it to be 100%
PINCH OF SALT true.
BITE OFF MORE To take on a task that is
THAN YOU CAN more difficult than you can
CHEW handle.
To improvise or wait for
PLAY IT BY EAR more information to come to
a decision.
PUT SOMETHING To stop progress on
ON ICE something or put it on hold.
SIT TIGHT Please wait patiently.
To study (more often used to
HIT THE BOOKS imply studying hard)
CUT TO THE To get directly to the point.
CHASE
Unavailable, the offer has
OFF THE TABLE been revoked.
It is too late for the
SHIP HAS SAILED opportunity.
COME RAIN OR No matter what.
(C0ME) SHINE
To agree, compromise or
SEE EYE TO EYE understand the other person's
perspective.
Sounds familiar or reminds
RINGS A BELL you of something.
DARKEST BEFORE Things will get better (Useful
for when several bad things
THE DAWN happen at once)
THROUGH THICK Throughout good times and
AND THIN bad times.
FORTUNE FAVORS Taking a risk can pay off.
THE BOLD
DON'T PUT ALL You're taking too big of a risk
or putting too much effort and
YOUR EGGS IN resources into one risky
ONE BASKET option.
To stop thinking about
THROW CAUTION something and take the risk.
TO THE WIND (My parents told me not to put all my eggs
in one basket but I decided to throw caution
to the wind and be a full-time artist.)
LOOK BEFORE To think before you do
YOU LEAP something.
JUMP ON THE To follow a trend or not to
do something until it's
BANDWAGON popular.
POUR ONE’S To tell or confess something
HEART OUT emotional.
There is nothing that can be
RIGHT AS RAIN improved.
TO BE ON CLOUD To be extremely happy
NINE
ONE-TRICK A person with only one
PONY talent or area of expertise
WOULDN’T HURT A person that is inoffensive
A FLY and harmless
FIT AS A Very healthy and strong
FIDDLE
Be concerned with relatively
FIDDLE WHILE trivial matters while
ignoring the serious or
ROME BURNS disastrous events going on
around one.
TO HAVE YOUR
To be daydreaming and/or
HEAD IN THE lacking concentration
CLOUDS
A person who is pursuing a
relationship with another for
GOLD DIGGER the sole purpose of
benefiting from their wealth
LIKE TWO PEAS Two people who are always
IN A POD together
Make a bad start at
TO GET OFF ON something, especially a task
THE WRONG or relationship.
FOOT
TO KEEP To keep your distance and not
SOMEONE AT get too involved with
ARM’S DISTANCE someone
TO RUB
To irritate or get on
SOMEONE THE someone’s nerves
WRONG WAY
TO GET WIND OF To hear a rumor about
SOMETHING something
A PENNY FOR Used to ask someone what
YOUR they are thinking about.
THOUGHTS
TO SEE WHICH To try to discover information
WAY THE WIND IS about a situation before taking
BLOWING action
COMPARING
Comparing two things that
APPLES TO cannot be compared
ORANGES
TO GET YOUR Have a misunderstanding.
WIRES CROSSED
When someone doesn’t
TO BE LEFT IN receive all the appropriate
THE DARK information that tells the
whole story
When you repeat the same
TO GO AROUND things over again in a
IN CIRCLES conversation without coming
to a conclusion or resolution
A PERFECT The worst possible situation
STORM

You might also like