Idioms & Phrases

At the spur of the moment

1. At the spur of the moment - ( suddenly and
spontaneously) - Without planning
क्षण भर मे

• I had to leave town on the spur of the

moment.
• In an interview we must reply at the spur of
the moment.
All in all
2. All in all - on the whole, all things
considered , कुल ममलाकर

• All in all it's been a good year.

• All in all, it was a very good party.
• All in all, the criticism seemed fair.
Apple - pie order
3. Apple - pie order - ( in perfect order)
सुव्यवस्थित

• Please put everything in apple pie order

before you leave.
• Their house is always in apple pie order.
At close quarters
4. At close quarters - close examinations, from
a short distance away बहुत ही नज़दीक से

• Many of my friends proved selfish at close

quarters.
• When you see famous people at close
quarters, they always appear much smaller
than you imagined them.
Above board
5. Above board - (honest and straightforward
and legal) ईमानदार

• The deal was completely open and above

board.
• He is known for his above board conduct.
As fit as a fiddle
6. As fit as a fiddle - strong and healthy
मबल्कुल स्वथि, तन्दुरुस्त

• My nana is 82, but he is as fit as a fiddle.

• I feel as fit as a fiddle.
At a loose end
7. At a loose end - ( unoccupied, unemployed,
idle) मबना कुछ काम के

• If you find yourself at a loose end, you could

always clean the bathroom.
• He has been at a loose end ever since he
lost his job.
At logger heads
8. At logger heads - in conflict with someone,
strongly disagreeing
मकसी के साि संघर्ष या असम्मत होना

• Kejriwal is at loggerheads with the Prime

Minister over public spending.
• We are at loggerheads with each other.
At odds
9. At odds - in opposition to someone, to
disagree - in dispute अनबन होना

• They are at odds over the funding of the

project.
• Gautam and his brother are always at odds
over what to watch on T.V.
• The members of the group were at odds
over the selection procedure.
At cross purposes
10. At cross purposes - with opposing
viewpoint मवरोधी दृमिकोण

• I think we have been talking at cross

purposes- I meant next year, not this year.
• We are arguing at cross purposes. We are
not even discussing the same thing.
• I think we are talking at cross purposes
here. You mean the old building, but I am
talking about the new one.
After one's own heart
11. After one's own heart - someone who is similar to
you (having the same opinions or interests as you)
समान राय या रुमि रखने वाला व्यस्ि

• She's a woman after my own heart.

• When she met a man after her own heart. She got
married to him.
• I was delighted by your comments about
spirituality, you are clearly a man after my own
heart.
At the bottom of
12. At the bottom of - to be the real reason for
something unpleasant (mainly responsible for
something) कुछ अमिय का असली कारण

• The desire for the money is at the bottom of

much of the world's violence.
• I don't know for certain why she dislikes
you, but I suspect jealousy is at the bottom
of it.
At loss
13. At loss - ( not know what to do or say)
समझ में नही ं आना

• I was so surprised that I was at a loss for

words.
• I was terribly confused- really at a loss.
At daggers drawn
14. At daggers drawn - to have bitter enmity
जानी दुश्मन

• The quarrel between the two brothers has

grown more bitter now and they are at
daggers drawn.
At large
 15. At large - uncaptured and to keep
unchained (If someone dangerous is at large,
that person is free when they should not be)
बंधन मुि रखना

• Twelve prisoners are at large following a

series of escapes.
• People keep their dogs at large, at night.
Assume airs
16. Assume airs - to pretend superiority
श्रेष्ठता का मदखावा

• Pay no attention to her. She is just putting

on airs.
• The rich are in the habit of assuming airs in
the presence of in their poor relatives.
Argus eyed
17. Argus eyed - (extremely observant, vigilant
or careful. Keen-sighted) अत्यंत िौकस, सतकष

• As a politician, he is Argus eyed.

Bear the brunt of
18. Bear the brunt of - (to bear the main shock
of) मुख्य आघात सहना

• The poor have to bear the brunt of

increasing prices.
• Ordinary citizens will bear the brunt of
higher taxes.
Bell the cat
19. Bell the cat - to agree to perform a risky,
dangerous, or impossible job, or task
खतरनाक या असंभव काम करने के मलए सहमत
होना

• Who's going to bell the cat and tell mom we

wrecked the car?
Bid defiance
20. Bid defiance - (to ignore, to refuse to
submit) नज़रअंदाज करना, मना करना

• Parth bade defiance to his father's wish of

becoming a doctor and instead became an
engineer.
Beside oneself
21. Beside oneself - in an extreme state of some
emotion (If you are beside yourself with a particular
feeling or emotion, it is so strong that it makes you
almost out of the control)
मकसी भावना की िरम स्थिमत में होना

• He was beside himself with grief when his wife

died.
• I was beside myself with joy.
• She couldn't speak. She was beside herself with
anger.
Bring to book
22. Bring to book - to punish someone and
make that person explain their behaviour.
दस्ित करना

• The manager was brought to book for his

negligence.
• A crime has been committed and whoever is
responsible must be brought to book.
Back stairs influence
23. Back stairs influence - by unfair means
अनुमित तरीके से

• These days many persons are given good

posts through back stairs influence
Bird's eye view
24. Bird's eye view - (a view seen from high
above, a concise view)
ऊपर से दे खा गया संमक्षप्त दृश्य

• Climb to the top of the Eiffel tower if you

want a bird's eye view of the Paris.
• We had a bird's eye view of the whole fair
from the top of a giant wheel.
Burn your boats/bridges
25. Burn your boats/bridges - point of no
return (If you are in situation and you burn
your boats/bridges, you destroy all possible
ways of going back to that situation)
फीछे लौटने के सभी रास्ते बंद कर दे ना

• She didn't want to burn her boats by asking

for a divorce.
By the by
26. By the by - (by the way) वैसे

• By the by, what is your age?

By and by – (after a short period)
िोडे समय के बाद
• You will get used to it by and by.
• The weather is sure to clear up by and by.
• You will feel better by and by.

By and by - (gradually) धीरे - धीरे

• He is recovering by and by after long illness.
Bated breath
27. Bated breath - nervously waiting, in
anxiety, expectancy
सांस रोक कर ितीक्षा करना

• The fate of the match hung in balance and

everybody waited for the result with bated
breath.
Bandy words
28. Bandy words - to argue pointlessly or
rudely बेवजह या बेरहमी से बहस करना

• I haven't come here to bandy words with

you.
• Obedient children don't bandy words with
their parents when they are advised.
Bee in one's bonnet
29. Bee in one's bonnet - ( to talk a lot about
something you think is important)
मकसी िीज़ का भूत सवार होना

• He has bee in his bonnet about spirituality.

• She never stops talking about dieting- she's
got a real bee in her bonnet about it.
(to be fussy), fastidious- hard to please
खुश करना मुस्िल है

• She seems to have a bee in her bonnet

because she is always finding faults with
others.
• He is very fussy about what he eats.

Syno - over-particular, selective

Bluestocking
30. Bluestocking - a scholarly and intellectual
woman मवदुर्ी

• Educated but pedantic lady.

• Nobody likes to mix with her because she is
a blue stocking.
Browbeat
 31. Browbeat - to bully or intimidate someone
into sth , मकसी को धमकाना या डराना

• The president of the college always tries to

brow beat the students opposed to him.
• I was browbeaten into doing it once. I refuse
to do it again.
Bad egg
32. Bad egg - dishonest or ill-behaved person, a
worthless
बेईमान या बुरा व्यवहार करने वाला व्यस्ि

• He is a bad egg- don't believe anything he

says.
• He comes of a noble family but he himself is
a bad egg.
Beside the mark
 33. Beside the mark - beside the point-
irrelevant अिासंमगक

• Nobody agreed with him because his

arguments were beside the mark.
Brown study
34. Brown study - a state of deep, serious
absorption in thoughts Day dream
गहरी मविारों में होने की स्थिमत

• Is he lost in a brown study?

• He could not follow the significance of my
offer. Because he was in brown study
Blaze the trail
35. Blaze the trail - to start a movement
(to do something that has never been done
before.) आं दोलन शुरू करना

• Gandhi blazed the trail of indian national

movement.
• Professor William blazed a trail in the study
of physics.
By the rule of thumb
36. By the rule of thumb - according to
practical experience
व्यावहाररक अनुभव के अनुसार
(a general principal developed through
experiential rather than scientific means)

• Going by a rule of thumb, we stop for gas

every 200 miles when we travel.
• In older times, business was run by the rule
of thumb.
Big draw
37. Big draw - a huge attraction
बहुत बडा आकर्षण

• The match btw India and Pakistan is always

a big draw
Broken reed
38. Broken reed - a weak or unreliable support
or person
कमजोर या अमवश्वसनीय व्यस्ि

• You can't rely on her support. She is a

broken reed.
• I'd counted on her to help, but she turned
out to be a broken reed.
Bit/piece of one's mind
39. Bit/piece of one's mind - ( to scold)
(to speak angrily to someone about something
they have done wrong.) डांटना, गुस्से में बोलना

• I have had enough from john. I'm going to

give him a piece of my mind.
• I'm going to give that mechanic a piece of
my mind if the car's not fixed this time.
Carry matters with high
hand
40. Carry matters with high hand - to deal with
a person or thing strictly सख्ती से मनपटना

• The owner carried matters with high hand

and expelled two workers who were caught
doing mischief in the office.
Come home to
41. Come home to - (to understand clearly)
स्पि रूप से समझना

• She wanted to be the teacher in the college

but soon it came home to her that she was
not fit for the job.
Call a spade a spade
42. Call a spade a spade - (to speak frankly or
say the truth about something- even if it is not
polite or pleasant)
मकसी बात के बारे में सि बोलना

• People often get angry when one calls a

spade a spade.
• Let's call a spade a spade. The man is a liar.
Cut a sorry figure
43. Cut a sorry figure - to give a poor show
खराब िदशषन करना

• The speaker cut a sorry figure in the

meeting.
• She cut a sorry figure in his maiden speech.
Call names
 44. Call names - to call someone by an abusive
and insulting name
मकसी को अपमानजनक नाम से बुलाना

• I was afraid that if I wore glasses to school,

the other kids would call me names.
Curtain lecture
45. Curtain lecture - wife's tough talk
पत्नी की कडवी बात

• A reprimand that a wife gives her husband.

• The husband seemed to have a curtain
lecture at home.
Cave in
46. Cave in - to collapse - for a roof or ceiling
छत का धसना

• Because of the explosion, the roof of the

building caved in, trapping several people.
to give in to someone or something – yield
दबाव में आत्मसमपषण करना

• Finally the manager caved in to the

customer's demand.
• I refuse to cave in under pressure from my
opponent.
Cloven hoof
47. Cloven hoof - evil intention/ The sign of
devilish character. बुरा इरादा

• He showed cloven hoof by cheating his

parents.
Clinch the issue/deal
48. Clinch the issue/deal - (to clear the
controversy)(decide the matter)
मववाद को दूर करना

• The minister clinched the issue by accepting

the genuine demand of the students.
• After two weeks of negotiations, we were
finally able to clinch the deal with the other
firm.
Checkered/chequered
career
49. Checkered/chequered career - full of ups
and downs (A background that includes many
changes, especially of employment)
उतार िढाव से भरा

• Parth had a checkered career, hopping from

one city to another and one job to another.
• I had a checkered career after college, taking
any kind of work that I could find.
Cut both ends
50. Cut both ends - (argue in favour of both
sides) दोनों पक्षों के पक्ष में बोलना

• While participating in debate you should not

cut both ends.
• He is ambiguous because he always cut both
ends.
Cock a snook
51. Cock a snook - to show contempt
(To show that you do not respect something or
someone by doing something that insults
them) अवमानना करना

• She is so proud of her wealth that she

always cocks a snook at the acts of her
husband.
Chapter and verse
52. Chapter and verse - in full detail or to give
proof पूणष मववरण दे ना

• I know all about it, chapter and verse.

• He has such a sharp memory that he can
narrate the story chapter and verse.
Cool one's heels
53. Cool one's heels - to keep waiting
(to wait for someone) ितीक्षा करना

• I spent an hour cooling my heels in the

waiting room while the doctor saw the
other patients.
Come in handy
54. Come in handy - (to be useful)
उपयोगी होना

• This money will come in handy when we go

on vacation.
• Take some woollen clothes. They may come
in handy in Shimla.
• I think that this gadget will come in handy in
the kitchen.
Draw the long bow
55. Draw the long bow - to exaggerate
अमतरं मजत करना

• In calling him the best politician of the

world, his followers draw the long bow.
Dutch courage
56. Dutch courage - (Bravery under alcoholic
influence) शराब के िभाव में बहादुरी मारना

• The confidence that some people get from

drinking alcohol before they do something
that needs courage.
• It was the Dutch courage that made the
football fan attack the policeman.
Down and out
57. Down and out - (poor and ruined)
गरीब और बेसहारा

• Someone who has no job, no home, no

money.
• I just assumed he was down and out,
begging on the street corner.
• After a slump in share market he is down
and out these days.
Days of reckoning
58. Days of reckoning - time to answer for
one's actions (Time when something must be
dealt with) यादगार मदन, फैसले का मदन

• You may commit crime after crime but days

of reckoning are never far off.
• Taking out a further loan to cover your
debts will only postpone the day of
reckoning.
Down in the mouth
59. Down in the mouth - ( to be sad or
depressed)/out of elements उदास

• Now-a-days he is down in the mouth

because he has suffered heavy loss in the
business.
• He looks a bit down in the mouth. Shall we
try to find out what's wrong with him?
Egg on
60. Egg on - (to urge someone to do
something, usually something unwise) (To
provoke, encourage, to incite someone)
उकसाना

• Don't egg him on! He gets himself into

enough trouble without your
encouragement.
• The two boys kept throwing stones because
the other children were egging them on.
Eke out
61. Eke out - supplement income - to add to
something. अमतररि आय

• He worked at two jobs in order to eke his

income out.
• To eke out his income he also works as a
part time accountant in the evening.
Ever and anon
62. Ever and anon - now and then, sometimes
occasionally कभी - कभी

• His visits his parents ever and anon.

An eye wash
63. An eye wash - a pretence, deception,
nonsense मदखावा, छल, बकवास

• It's not an eyewash. It's true.

• My friend's promise to help me just proved
an eye-wash.
Fool's errand
64. Fool's errand - ( an attempt to do
something that has no chance of success)
मूखषतापूणष कायष

• It's a fool's errand trying to get Rahul to join

in anything.
• Billions of dollars have been spent on long-
range weather forecasting. But it's a fool's
errand.
Fall foul of somebody
65. Fall foul of somebody - to quarrel
झगडा करना

• Things were going well for her till she fell

foul of the director.
• They were once bosom friends but now they
have fallen foul of each other.
Fly off the handle
66. Fly off the handle - to lose one's temper
आपे से बाहर हो जाना

• He's extremely irritable- he flies off the

handle at the slightest thing.
Foot the bill
67. Foot the bill - to pay for something or bill,
especially expensive महसाब िुका दे ना

• My boss took me out for lunch and company

footed the bill.
• His parents can't afford to foot the bill for
his college education.
Fair weather friend
68. Fair weather friend - (selfish friend)
स्वािी दोस्त

• A fair weather friend will never stand by you

in difficulty.
Flash in the pan
69. Flash in the pan - something that happened
only for a short time and was not repeated
िोडे समय के मलए हुआ

• Sadly, their success was just a flash in the

pan.
• Tom had hoped to be a major film star, but
his career was only a flash in the pan.
Gain ground
70. Gain ground - (to become successful and
popular) सफल और लोकमिय बनना

• The U.S. is gaining ground as cotton

producer.
• Our new product is gaining ground against
that of our competitor.
Get off scot free
71. Get off scot free - to escape punishment for
a crime or wrongdoing सजा से बिना

• His wealthy uncle influenced the jury, and

he ended up getting off scot-free.
• A murderer can also very easily get off scot
free for lack of evidence.
Gird up the loins
 72. Gird up the loins - to get ready, especially
for hard work, to prepare oneself for
something कारष वाई के मलए खुद को तैयार करें

• Somebody has to do something about the

problem, why don't you gird up your loins
and do something?
• Well, I guess I had better gird up my loins
and go to work.
Go to the dogs
73. Go to the dogs - (to be ruined, or to
become worse in quality or character)
गुणवत्ता या िररत्र में बदतर होना

• He was a marvelous actor, but his drinking

problems caused his career to go to the
dogs.
• The rich business man will go to the dogs
because of his son's bad habits.
(If a country or an organization is going to the
dogs. It is becoming less successful than it was
in the past)

• They sat in the bar the night before the

election, moaning that the country was
going to the dogs.
Give a wide berth
74. Give a wide berth - to avoid a person or a
place बिना या दूर रहना

• We should always give a wide berth to all

selfish and mean persons.
• The dog we are approaching is very mean.
Better give it a wide berth.
Gentleman at large
75. Gentleman at large - (an unreliable person)
अमवश्वसनीय व्यस्ि

• We must not believe in a gentleman at

large.
Give a good account of
oneself
76. Give a good account of oneself - to do
something well or thoroughly
अच्छा िदशषन करना

• The company will probably give a good

account of itself in the next quarter.
• She was not feeling well, and she didn't give
a good account of herself in last night's
game.
Green horn
77. Green horn - (an inexperienced or
immature person, especially one who is easily
deceived) अनुभवहीन

• Though a green horn in political field, he

appears to have a bright future.
Give up the ghost
78. Give up the ghost - to die, or pass away
मृत्यु होना

• After long illness he gave up the ghost last

week.
Go the whole hog
79. Go the whole hog - to do something as
completely as possible or thoroughly
संपूणष तरीके से करना

• You will have to go the whole hog to come

out of this mess.
Get into a scrape
80. Get into a scrape - awkward situation, to
tangle into some sort of problem
समस्या में उलझना

• He got into a scrape when his wife refused

to let him help his sister.
Get into hot water
81. Get into hot water - get into trouble
मुसीबत में फंसना

• He got into the hot waters by marrying a girl

of another caste.
Give currency
82. Give currency - to make publicly known, to
spread a story around
मकसी व्यस्ि या िीज को लोकमिय बनाना

• We give no currency to those stories.

• The govt has refused to give currency to a
number of scams.
Get down to brass tracks
83. Get down to brass tracks - to deal with
matter straight (to start talking about the most
important or basic facts of the situation)
महत्वपूणष मवर्य पर बात करना

• Instead of wasting time in discussion, please

get down to brass tracks.
• Let's get down to brass tracks. We have
wasted too much time chatting.
Give one a long rope
84. Give one a long rope - ( to let someone
commit mistakes) (To allow someone to do
what they want to, knowing that they will
probably fail or get into trouble)
मकसी को गलमतयााँ करने दे ना

• He never give his employees a long rope.

• Never give your children a long rope.
Hold water
85. Hold water - if a reason, argument or
explanation hold water, it is true or sound,
valid सत्य या मान्य

• Her alibi(excuse) just didn't hold water.

• His statement will not hold water as it is not
based on facts.
Hang together
86. Hang together - (support one another)
एक दूसरे का समिषन करना

• The two statements delivered by the leader

of the party do not hang together.
• The story simply doesn't hang together.
Have an axe to grind
87. Have an axe to grind - (to have selfish
interest) स्वािष के मलए

• Environmentalists have no political axe to

grind- they just want to save the planet.
Hit below the belt
88. Hit below the belt - to strike unfairly
मकसी व्यस्ि की कमजोरी का फायदा उठाना

• We should always face the enemy boldly

and never hit him below the belt.
Herculean task
89. Herculean task - (very difficult)
बहुत कमठन कायष

• It is a herculean task to root out corruption

in India.
Halcyon days
90. Halcyon days - (a very happy and successful
period in the past) शांमत और खुशी के मदन

• She recalled the halcyon days of her

youth/childhood.
Have feet of clay
91. Have feet of clay - to have hidden faults
(To have a bad quality that you keep hidden)
कमजोरी

• Some of the greatest geniuses In the history

had feet of clay.
• The C.B.I. inquiry has revealed that many
ministers have feet of clay.
Hang/hold fire
92. Hang/hold fire - to delay or wait, to remain
unresolved अनसुलझे रहना, ितीक्षा करना

• Kashmir problem has been hanging fire for

many years.
• I think we should hang fire and wait for
other information.
High and dry
93. High and dry - to leave someone in a
difficult situation without any help मकसी को
मुस्िल स्थिमत में छोडना

• We were left high and dry without any

money or credit cards.
• The stock market crash left us high and dry
with debts of over 5 million.
Hit the nail on the head
94. Hit the nail on the head - to do the right
thing at the right time
सही समय पर सही काम करना

• He hit the nail on the head by resigning the

job.
• You have spotted the flaw, Gautam. You hit
the nail on the head.
Hold in abeyance
 95. Hold in abeyance - to stall or postpone
something मकसी िीज को थिमगत करना

• This is a good plan but not at this time. Let's

just hold it in abeyance until things get
better
Hobson's choice
96. Hobson's choice - no alternative
(The choice between taking what is offered and
getting nothing at all) कोई मवकल्प ना होना

• We didn't really want that particular hotel, but

it was the case of the Hobson's choice. We
booked very late and there was nothing else
left.
• It's Hobson's choice, because If I don't agree to
do what they want, I'll lose my job.
High and mighty
97. High and mighty - proud persons - behaving
as if you are much important than other
people रईस और शस्िशाली लोग

• He was acting all high and mighty.

• The high and mighty forget that everything
in the world is transient.
Head and shoulders
98. Head and shoulders - clearly superior to
someone or something (Much better than
other similar people or things)
दूसरों की तुलना में बहुत बेहतर

• This wine is head and shoulders above that

one.
• There's no competition- they are head and
shoulders above the rest
Hold a brief
 99. Hold a brief - to defend or support
someone मकसी का बिाव या समिषन करना

• It is very improper for parents to hold a

brief for their children who are in the
wrong.
• Mahatma Gandhi held a brief for the poor
and fought for their rights
Hush money
100. Hush money - to bribe ररशवत दे ना

• He managed to escape punishment by

paying hush money.
Hold/keep at bay
101. Hold/keep at bay - to prevent someone or
something unpleasant from harming you
मकसी अमिय िीज को आपको नुकसान पहुं िाने
से रोकना

• He held the police at bay with a gun for

several hours.
• I held the attacker at bay while she got away
and called the police.
Helter-skelter
102. Helter-skelter - quickly and in all
directions सभी मदशाओं में

• When the police arrived the rioters ran

helter-skelter.
Have a brush with
103. Have a brush with - have an encounter or
come in contact with something संघर्ष में आना

• This was not the first time that Rahul had a

brush with the law.
• Our principal had a brush with the V.C. over
the appointment of a lecturer.
Hornet's nest
104. Hornet's nest - raise controversy
(a very difficult or unpleasant situation, especially
in which a lot of people get very angry and
complain) अमिय स्थिमत

• His remarks on the role of women have stirred

up hornet's nest amongst feminists.
• His remarks about the lack of good women
tennis players stirred up a (real) hornet’s nest.
Hold somebody to ransom
105. Hold somebody to ransom - to force
someone to do something by putting that person
in a situation where they have no choice
मकसी को कुछ करने के मलए मजबूर करना

• To demand concession by making someone

captive.
• It is a pity that a handful of militants are
holding the nation to ransom.
Hole-and-corner
106. Hole-and-corner - (secret) रहस्य

• I have come to know of your hole and

corner method of dealing with people.
• I don't want any more hole-in-the-corner
deals.
In the lurch
107. In the lurch - to leave a friend in difficulty
(To not do for someone what had promised
you would do) मुस्िल में छोडना

• You must never leave your best friend in the

lurch.
• He said he would help with rent, but he left
me in the lurch.
In the red
108. In the red - (loosing money, or suffer a
loss) नुकसान उठाना

• State government has been operating in the

red for five straight years.
• Tourism is down and many hotels are
operating in the red.
In the blues
109. In the blues - completely gone or
disappeared, entirely out of the sight or reach
दृमि या पहुं ि से बाहर

• I have no idea where my keys have gone.

They seem to have disappeared in the blue

depressed
• After his failure in the examination he is in
the blues these days.
In cold blood
110. In cold blood - (intentionally and without
emotion or feeling) भावनाहीन

• The child was murdered in cold blood

In the dumps
111. In the dumps - (unhappy) दुखी

• She is a bit down in the dumps because she

failed one of her exams.
• Her visit cheered me up as I was in the
dumps before her visits
Kick one's heels
112. Kick one's heels - (to waste time in
waiting), to be forced to wait for a period of
time. ितीक्षा में समय बबाषद करना

• As the train was late we had to kick our

heals at the station.
Keep abreast of
113. Keep abreast of - (not to fall behind)
अद्यतन रहना

• Stay up to date, or to have knowledge or

most recent information about something)
• She keep herself abreast of the situation of
the city.
• It is very important for the young persons to
keep abreast of political developments in
the country.
Live-wire
114. Live-wire - (an energetic person)
ऊजाषवान व्यस्ि

• India needs live-wire political leaders who

can put the country on the right track.
Latin and Greek
115. Latin and Greek - (incomprehensible)
समझ से बाहर

• It's all Greek to me

• The speech of literary persons is always
Latin and Greek to illiterate persons.
Leaps and bounds
116. Leaps and bounds - (rapidly) तेज़ी से

• In comparison to India, China has

progressed by leaps and bounds in every
field.
Make both ends meet
117. Make both ends meet - (to live within
one's mean) जीने के मलए पयाषप्त पैसा कमाना

• To have enough money to pay for your basic

expenses.
• I have to work at two jobs to make ends
meet.
• My wages were so low that I had to take a
second job just to make ends meet.
Moot point
118. Moot point - (a debatable question, an
issue open to argument) बहस तकष योग्य

• Also an irrelevant question, a matter of no

importance.
• Whether Shakespeare actually wrote the
poem remains a moot point among critics.
• It's a moot point whether the chicken or the
egg came first.
Man of straw
119. Man of straw - (a person or an idea that is
weak and easy to defeat)
कमजोर व्यस्ि या मविार मजसे हराना आसान हो

• The king being a man of straw, his orders

were often disobeyed.
• He was accused by his opponents of being a
man of straw and lacking in decisiveness.
Mince Matters
120. Mince matters - (moderate or restrain
one's language to be polite or avoid giving
offense) मवनम्रता से अस्वीकृमत का संकेत दे ना

• Not to mince matters, I feel he should

resign.
(hide the truth and pretend)

• Don't mince words- say the truth.

• Tell the truth to your parents because it
does not pay to mince matters.
• She is not straight forward in her speech,
she minces matters.
Out of the woods
121. Out of the woods - (out of danger or
difficulty) खतरे या कमठनाई से बाहर

• He patient is not out of the woods yet.

• When the patient got out of the woods,
everyone relaxed.
One's Achilles heel
122. One's Achilles heel ( a weak point)
कमजोरी

• A small problem or weakness in a person or

system that can result in failure.
• Math has always been my Achilles heel.
• However powerful a person may be, he is
vulnerable because of his Achilles' heel.
Odds and ends
123. Odds and ends - (miscellaneous things)
मवमवध िीजें

• Various things of different types, usually

small and not important, or of little value.
• I eventually found my keys buried beneath
the odds and ends in the bottom of my bag.
• I took most of the big things to the new
house, but there a few odds and ends left to
pick.
On the carpet
124. On the carpet - (under discussion or
consideration) ििाष या मविाराधीन

• What is one the carpet these days is in the

newspapers.
• Important matters will be on the carpet at
today's meeting.
Part and parcel
125. Part and parcel - (inseparable part)
अमवभाज्य भाग

• To be a feature of something, especially a

feature that cannot be avoided.
• Being recognized on the street is part and
parcel of being a celebrity.
• Every Indian citizen living in India must
regard himself as part and parcel of a larger
whole.
Pass the buck
126. Pass the buck - (to blame each other)
एक दूसरे को दोर् दे ना

• Don't try to pass the buck! It's your fault,

and everybody knows it.
• Political parties pass the buck on to one
another for failure on economic front.
Pin-money
127. Pin-money - (a small amount of extra money
that a person earns to buy things for himself that
they want but do not need)
आकस्िक खिों के मलए छोटी रकम

• She has a part time job that gives her pin

money for extra treats for herself and the kids.
• Grandma usually gives the children some pin
money whenever she visits.
Play second fiddle to
128. Play second fiddle to - (to play a
subordinate part)
कम महत्वपूणष या कमजोर स्थिमत में होना

• To be less important or in a weaker position

than someone else.
• A self-respecting man can never play second
fiddle to anyone.
• He resented playing second fiddle to his
younger brother.
Pull strings
129. Pull strings - (make use of one's influence and
contacts to gain advantage) लाभ िाप्त करने के मलए
अपने िभाव का उपयोग करना
• To secretly use the influence you have over
important people in order to get something or to
help someone.
• I can get it done easily by pulling a few strings.
• It is impossible to get anything done around here
without pulling some strings.
• I may be able to pull a few strings for you if you
need the document urgently.
Quixotic project
130. Quixotic project - (foolishly ideal)-
impractically idealistic
सफल होने की संभावना ना होना

• Having or showing ideas that are different

and unusual but nor practical or likely to
succeed.
• Being not worldly wise he wasted his money
in quixotic project.
Red-tapism
131. Red-tapism - (official delay)
आमधकाररक मनयमों और औपिाररकताओं का
अत्यमधक पालन

• The practice of requiring excessive

paperwork and tedious procedures before
official action can be considered or
completed.
• Red tapism is bane of Indian bureaucracy.
See eye to eye
132. See eye to eye - (to be in full agreement)
पूणष सहममत

• My mother and I see eye to eye in most

things.
• We don't see eye to eye on a lot of things.
Steer clear of
133. Steer clear of - ( to avoid something or someone
because they are dangerous or bad for you)
मकसी िीज या व्यस्ि से दूर रहना क्ोंमक वे आपके मलए
खतरनाक हैं
• They warned their children to steer clear of drugs.
• Everyone, if possible, should steer clear of selfish
people.
• I’d steer clear of joe If I were you- he will only
cause trouble.
• Steer clear of fatty food.
Spick and span
134. Spick and span - (neat, clean and
spotless) or in order स्वच्छ और बेदाग

• Her house looked spick and span because

everything was in its place.
Spill the beans
135. Spill the beans - (to the tell the secret
information, unintentionally)
गुप्त जानकारी बताना

• There is surprise party for Gautam on

Wednesday. Please don't spill the beans.
• So who spilled the beans about her affair
with Akhil?
Take somebody for a ride
136. Take somebody for a ride - ( to deceive
someone) धोखा दे ना

• I think we have been taken for a ride.

Throw cold water
137. Throw cold water - (to discourage or
criticize) मनरुत्सामहत करना

• Instead of encouraging me, my business

partner threw cold water on my plans.
• You are always throwing cold water on my
suggestions.
Throw down the
glove/gauntlet
138. Throw down the glove/gauntlet - (to
challenge) िुनौती दे ना

• To invite someone to fight or compete with

you.
• He has thrown down the gauntlet to its
competitors.
Take the floor
139. Take the floor - (make a speech)
भार्ण दे ना

• The last time you had the floor, you talked

for an hour.
• When the Prime minister took the floor in
the cabinet meeting there was pin drop
silence.
Turn coat
140. Turn coat - (a politician who changes side)
पक्ष बदलना

• Apostate
• A disloyal person who betrays his party.
• One who switches, (allegiance(Loyalty or
support for a ruler, country of belief)
Up and doing
141. Up and doing - (active), busy
समिय, व्यस्त

• A laborer should be up and doing daily if he

has to earn his living.
White elephant
142. White elephant - (something with less
utility and more expenditure)
कम उपयोमगता और अमधक खिष वाली कोई
िीज

• Father has given me an old rolls Royce, but

it's a real white elephant.
• I have no place to park it and can't afford
the gas for it
Will o' the wisp
143. Will o' the wisp - (a person or thing that is
impossible to reach, get or catch)
िाप्त करना मुस्िल है

• Unreal, elusive- thing difficult to catch,

achieve- mayavi
• Full employment is the will o the wisp that
politicians have been chasing for decades.
• To romantic poets, reality appears to be will
o the wisp.