Idioms college on

various idioms with

their origins &
contextual usage
 Group No.09
• 210349 Farooqui Abdul Rauf
• 210350 Shah Mohd Umer
• 210351 Priyanka Gamre
• 210352
• 210353 Abdullah Khan
• 210354 Vora Mariyam Shabir
• 210360 Nadkar Mohd Salah
MEANING OF IDIOMS IN ENGLISH
AN IDIOM IS A PHRASE OR EXPRESSION THAT TYPICALLY
PRESENTS A FIGURATIVE, NON-LITERAL MEANING ATTACHED
TO THE PHRASE; BUT SOME PHRASES BECOME FIGURATIVE
IDIOMS WHILE RETAINING THE LITERAL MEANING OF THE
PHRASE. CATEGORIZED AS FORMULAIC LANGUAGE, AN
IDIOM’S FIGURATIVE MEANING IS DIFFERENT FROM THE
LITERAL MEANING
USE OF IDIOMS IN THE ORAL AND WRITTEN
FORM
UNDERSTANDING IDIOMS CAN BOOST YOUR CONVERSATIONAL
ENGLISH SKILLS. YOU MAY ENCOUNTER IDIOMS MOST OFTEN
IN SPOKEN OR WRITTEN CONVERSATION. IDIOMS CAN HELP
IMPROVE YOUR CONVERSATIONAL SKILLS BECAUSE IT SHOWS
NATIVE SPEAKERS THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE CULTURAL
MEANING AND CONTEXT BEHIND THE IDIOM YOU’RE USING.
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

1. White elephant In the ancient kingdom of Siam (modern day A possession unwanted by the Every one thought the Olympic
Thailand) the Siamese King would give live white owner but difficult to dispose of. stadium would be a white elephant
elephants to people who he didn’t like. While after the closing ceremony
seemingly kind, having a white elephant is
extremely expensive and difficult to keep (or re-
gift). They eat about 400 pounds of food a day!

2. Fly off the handle The first trace of this phrase came in a book from To loose controls of one’s When Jacks father found out about
the early 1800s. It refers to the uncontrolled way a emotions. the car, he really flew off the
loose axe head would often fly off of its handle handle
while being swung.

3.Close but no cigar Believe it or not, the carnival games at American A narrowly missed success It was close but no cigar for
fairgrounds used to have cigars as prizes. When Johnny as he come second once
someone lost a game by a narrow margin, they against.
would be close but get no cigar.

4. Give the cold shoulder In medieval England, it was customary for the To ignore someone or be I though we were friends , but the I
dinner host to give his guests a cold piece of unfriendly last time him he gave me the cold
shoulder meat (from whatever dish they were shoulder
eating) as a polite way of saying it was time to
leave.
5. Let the cat out of the So, it turns out people actually did put cats in To allow a secret to be known The masons let the cat out of the
bag bags. bag
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

6. Heard it through the Many people thought the telegraph wiring resembled To lear something via an I heard on the greaapvine that my
grapevine grapevines so when they received a new message they would informal sources or sister in law got the promotion
say they heard it through the grapevine. hearsay

7. An arm and a leg There’s some disagreement about whether this originated Something that costs very I want to buy a house by the beach,
around the time soldiers were losing limbs fighting for their expensive but it can cost me an arm and a leg
country in WWI and WWII, or if it dates back to the time
when oil painting portraits were a popular thing.

8. Hands down This one comes from horse racing and refers to the grip a Easily or unquestionably Rob is hands downs the biggest
jockey has on the horse’s reins. If the horse is in first and far threat for me in the competition
ahead of the rest, the jockey can drop his hands down to
loosen the reins and win “hands down.”

9. Riding shotgun If you’ve ever yelled out “Shotgun!” as you’ve approached a The practice of sitting Mom, jack got to ride shotgun this
car, you already know what this one means. along side the driver in a morning- it’s my turn! Ok, let get
moving vehicle back on the road

10. Bite the bullet Before advances in medicine and anesthetics, injured To force yourself to do I hate going to the dentist, but I’ll
soldiers would literally bite a metal bullet to take their mind something unpleasant or just have to bite the bullet
off the impending pain of amputation or surgery and to keep difficuult
themselves from biting their tongues.
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

11. Cut to the chase In the early days of silent film, the most interesting parts To get directly to the I know you are busy, so I’ll cut to
were often the depiction of some sort of chase, whether on point. the chase
foot, horseback or in a stagecoach. Cut to the chase became
a phrase filmmakers would use when they wanted to see or
hear about the more interesting parts of a film.

12. Pass with flying In the 1600s, warships would fly their colored flags (usually To be extremely He passed his exams with flying
colors signifying their country) after a victory. If you saw a ship successful colours
pass with colored flags flying, you could assume they just
won a battle at sea.

13. Learn the ropes Another nautical-related phrase, this one refers to the job To learn to do something Once I learn the ropes at my new
new recruits had on 17th century ships – learning how to tie job , I won’t be so nervous and I’ll
knots and move the sails using rope. be very good at the work I do.

14. Barking up the The dogs would often chase animals up trees but then not The phrase means to He must face the fact that he is
wrong tree realize that the animal had jumped over to another tree. mistake one's object, or to barking up the wrong tree.
Thus, they often found themselves barking up the wrong pursue the wrong course
tree. to obtain it.

15. Steal someone’s John Dennis was a playwriter in the early 1700s who Stealing someone's Sam stole my thunder when he said
thunder invented a new method for replicating the sound of thunder attention he'd done all the work. .
for his new production.
 Idioms
16. Straight from the horse’s
mouth
17. Butter someone up
18. Pulling someone’s leg
19. Wolf in sheep’s clothing
Origins Contextual Examples
Usage
This one is said to come from the 1900s, when buyers could Hearing from a “I don't believe it that she did it.
determine a horse’s age by examining its teeth. It’s also why dependable or reliable I'm going to go to ask her and
you shouldn’t “look a gift horse in the mouth,” as inspecting source hear it straight from the horse's
a gift is considered bad etiquette. mouth.”
A customary religious act in ancient India included throwing To praise or flatter Percy was always buttering up
butter balls at the statues of gods to seek good fortune and someone excessively the boss, so he was surprised
their favor. when he failed to get a
promotion.”
Although pulling someone’s leg is all in good fun nowadays, deceive someone I was just pulling Karl's leg
it originally described the way in which thieves tripped their playfully; tease when I said Marissa wanted to
victims to rob them. someone. go out with him
This one’s attributed to the Bible (Matthew 7:15). The Bible playing a role contrary Don't trust the salespeople at
also gave us “rise and shine” (Isaiah 60:1), “seeing eye to to their real character the store; they are all wolves in
eye” (Isaiah 62:8), and a “broken heart” (Psalm 69:20). with whom contact is sheep's clothing!”
dangerous, particularly
false teachers
 Idioms Origins Contextual Examples
Usage

20. Sleep tight One possible origin of this phrase dates back to sleep well (said to A: "I think I'm going to head
when mattresses were supported by ropes; sleeping someone when parting to bed." B: "OK, sleep tight!
tight meant sleeping with the ropes pulled tight, from them at night). See you in the morning." Good
which would provide a well-sprung bed. night, sweetheart, sleep tight!

21. Turn a blind eye The phrase “to turn a blind eye” is said to originate to intentionally not Police officers should not turn
with Admiral Horatio Nelson, who allegedly looked give someone or a blind eye to any illegal
through his telescope using his blind eye to avoid something any activities they know about.
signals from his superior telling him to withdraw attention
from battle.
22. Pull out all the stops Alluding to the piano-like instrument the organ, this to make the greatest They pulled out all the stops
phrase refers to when the stops are pulled out to turn possible effort to for their daughter's wedding.
on all the sounds in an organ, allowing the organ to achieve something
play all the sounds at once and, therefore, be as loud
as possible.

23. Dish fit for the gods We can thank Shakespeare for this expression a meal is of high I ate this delicious vegetarian
(found in Julius Caesar), but we can also thank him caliber dish at the new restaurant. It
for “foaming at the mouth” was a dish fit for the gods.”
 Idioms
24. Feeling under the whether
25.Beat around the bush
26. Spill the beans
27.Read the riot act
Origins Contextual Usage Examples
the term under the weather is a nautical term from Not very well My son was sick yesterday,
the days of old sailing ships. Any sailor who was and now I’m feeling a bit
feeling ill would be sent below deck to protect under the weather.
him from the weather.
To circle the point; to avoid the point This common phrase is To circle the point; to avoid the
thought to have point
originated in response to
game hunting in Britain.
this is most likely derived from an ancient Greek To leak a secret Stop being so coy. Just spill
voting process, which involved beans. the beans!
This idiom most likely comes from the real Riot To reprimand someone Taylor was being too loud in
Act, an act passed by the British government in for behaving badly, with class, so I read her the riot act.
1714 the intention of
improving that person’s
behavior
 Idioms
28. The proof is in the pudding
29. “I’ve got it in the bag”
30. once in a blue moon
31. sit on the fence
Origins
The reason for the plethora of definitions is
most likely the Americanization of the old
British idiom, which reads “the proof of the
pudding is in the eating.” Whereas the
British version makes at least some sense,
It began as a superstition. In 1916 the Giants
had a run of 26 consecutive wins. A bag
filled with 72 extra baseballs would be put
on the playing field at the beginning of each
game. These balls were used to replace any
that were hit into the seats or any that
became too dirty.
Blue moon is the full moon that appears
second time in same calendar month and this
phenomenon happens only once in 32
months.
The origin of this phrase has its roots in
Middle English, but has been in popular use
since the 1800s.
Contextual Usage
Depending on who you ask,
you’ll actually find an array of
definitions for this odd idiom.
Here are some of the most
commonly used definitions:
Secured success
Very rare
not take sides in a dispute
Examples
I promise you that I am 100
percent ready. If you don't
believe me, the proof is in the
pudding!
I’m not even worried about the
interview. I’ve got it in the
bag.
The earthquakes hits once in a
blue moon in this part of the
earth, we never felt it.
It would be good if you stop
sitting on the fence and choose
whose side you are on
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

32. Break a leg Source
This phrase has its origin in the world of
theater. Performers had a superstition that
saying “good luck” would actually bring
them bad luck, so “break a leg” was used
instead
best wishes Break a leg!” shouted the stage
director to his actors before the
beginning of the play

33. Through thick and thin It is derived from an old hunting expression under all conditions, no matter My best friend has supported
“through thicket and thin wood.” The thicket how challenging or difficult me through thick and thin
is a group of trees or bushes that grow close
together.

34. the ball is in your court,
The idiomatic expression originated in the initiative for taking action We did what we could, and
America in the early 19th century. The lies with somebody now the ball is in your court
concept of symbolic “ball” comes from the
sports world, such as tennis or/and
basketball.

35. It’s the best thing since sliced
bread
The phrase refers to the convenience
achieved by the invention of sliced bread, as
what was earlier done by hand was now
being done by machines. In this exact form,
the phrase was first used in America in the
1950s Source:
It’s really, really good The invention of internet has
changed the way we live; it is
the best thing since sliced
bread.
 Idioms
36. Take it with a pinch of salt
37. Come rain or shine
38. Go down in flames
39. You can say that again
Origins Contextual Usage Examples
The idea comes from the fact that food is Don’t take it too seriously Heard that elephants can fly
more easily swallowed if taken with a small now, but Sam often makes up
amount of salt stories so I take everything he
says with a pinch of salt.’
This term, first recorded in 1905, still refers to You guarantee to do ‘I’ll be at your football game,
weather, as well as other uncertainty, and something, regardless of the come rain or shine’.
always implies that an activity will be carried weather or any other situation
out, no matter what. that might arise.
This phrase alludes to a plane that crashes to To fail spectacularly The company went down in
the ground and burns. It originated around the flames after reports came out
1940s, when many combat planes in World that it had been financing
War II met with this fate. illegal activities.
This phrase was originated in first half of used to agree with another Generally exclaimed in
1900s but the exact origin details of this person or group of people agreement. When a friend says
idiomatic expression ‘you can say that’ is not ‘Ryan Reynolds is gorgeous!’,
known. you can reply ‘You can say that
again!’
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

40. See eye to eye This is an ancient phrase and a reference is to agree fully with someone We’re not suggesting a staring
found in the Bible. contest – to see eye to eye with
someone is to agree with the
point they’re making.

41. Jump on the bandwagon "jump on the bandwagon" first appeared in When a person joins in with ‘She doesn’t even like avocado
American politics in 1848 during the something popular or does on toast. She’s just jumping on
presidential campaign of Zachary Taylor. something just because it’s the bandwagon.’
cool.

42. A bed of roses Currently, the origin of the phrase is not do things strictly according to The most successful officers are
available. the written rules, not those who always go by the
book but use their initiative.

43. Go by the book “By the book” was a reference to swearing on do things strictly according to The most successful officers are
the Christian Bible in court. the written rules, not those who always go by the
book but use their initiative.
 Idioms Origins
45. A piece of cake t is believed that this phrase was invented in
the 1870s during slavery in the southern
states of America. As part of a dance or
celebration organised by slave owners, black
slaves would compete in ‘cake walks’,
46. Raining cats and dogs “Raining cats and dogs” is a peculiar
expression from the 17th century with
uncertain origins.
47. when pigs fly when it was said that “pigs fly with their
tails forward”, used as a sarcastic remark
something overly optimistic. The form
“when pigs fly” is more common in
America.
48. devil’s advocate This is done to properly justify the merits of
the candidate. This official was known as the
devil’s advocate.
Contextual Usage Examples
very simple work Don’t think that this term’s
work will be a piece of cake –
you’ll have to study hard to get
good grades.
too much heavy rain It’s raining cats and dogs I am
worried about how my kids
will reach home.
something that will never Her crazy mother said that
happen being so lazy, Megan is going
to be rich one day for sure and
without any hard working job.
Come on, when pigs fly! 
one who presents a counter I agree with what you say, but
argument. I’ll play devil’s advocate so
that we can cover all the
possibilities that may arise.
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

49. apple of eye The phrase originally had anatomical The person of whom one is She has three children, but her
reference and was used to denote the central extremely fond, favorite, youngest son is the apple of her
aperture of the eye. loving eye.

50. Zip your lip Earlier this idiom was used in 1868 as ‘button to stop talking Why don’t you just zip your lip,
your lips’ because during that period of time I am tired of being nagged all
buttons were used to close things. morning.

51. happy wife, happy life The phrase “happy wife, happy life” is
believed to appear in 1903 in the final verse
of choice bit of doggerel called “The Work
and Wages Party” where the words have been
not more than a congeries but used in
expressing causality.
to have a good life, you need to The first time I heard the phrase
have a good wife “happy wife, happy life,” I was
a small person in college and
found it very pleasant.

52. big gun The bigger the gun, the more forceful its
effect is. In the nineteenth century, the idiom “
big gun” began to be used for people of high
prestige or great importance. Charles Dickens
used it in an 1867 letter:
a very powerful individual He is a big gun at the law firm;
he has never lost a single court
case.
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

53. how come According to etymology, the idiom “ why or how How come you are not going t
how come” is a short form of “how does it o the party?
come to be?” The earliest reference in the
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) for the
idiom “how come” appears in
Bartlett’s Dictionary of Americanisms,
published in 1848.

54. a tall order it was first used in the late 1800s and early A challenging task or difficult Telling a player to score six
1900s to mean something of considerable  requirement goals in one game is 
magnitude. a tall order.

55. silver spoon According to etymology, this idiom dates having a rich or privileged Many fans believed that Vince
back to the 18th century. People used to carry background was a silver spoon kid.
their spoons to the table before table setting
became popular. Source: www.theidioms.com

56. backhanded compliment The variant left-handed compliment a compliment that The judges loved your
comes from the use, dating from implies it is not really a performance, but this was a 
around 1600 of the word left-handed compliment at all She backhanded compliment since
to mean “questionable” or “doubtful.” paid me a backhanded they also highlighted it was
(American Heritage Dictionary of compliment when she blunt.
Idioms). said my work was
"surprisingly good."
 Idioms
57. scrape the bottom of the
barrel,
58. lightning fast,
59. word of mouth
60. close shave
Origins
t was delivered from the historical activities
in the United States of storing food in barrels.
his idiom traces back to the early 17th
century. The etymology of this idiom can be
found in text written as early as 1676. 
he origin of the phrase can be traced back to
1533 when the Oxford English
Dictionary noted its first written occurrence.
he phrase “a close shave” first appeared
between 1825 and 1835, which was referred
to as Americanism.
Contextual Usage
it is a phrase used to describe
something you know is not in
good condition, but you
extremely quick
oral communication
a narrow escape
Examples
Our school used to admit more
than one thousand candidates,
but we feel like we have been 
scraping the bottom of the ba
rrel
 with the admitted applicants in
late admission.
At recess, the boys and girls
run lightning fast.
To truly create the right buzz
about this movie, we need to
get the required 
word of mouth going in this
city.
I had a close shave last month.
A motorist almost knocked me
off my bike.
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

61. shoot the breeze This idiomatic phrase, “shoot the breeze,” spend time chatting, useless They have spent the whole
originated in the United States in the early talking or chit-chat afternoon just shooting the breeze in
1900s the office.

62. fake it till you make it The expression first appeared around 1973 portray yourself like the person I had no idea that her family is so
and the earliest reference to a very similar you always wanted to become illiterate as she always pretended to
saying occurs in the Simon & Garfunkel song be classy. Fake it till you make it.
“Fakin’ It”,

63. nightmare dressed like a The origin of the idiom “ Describes something that seems Don’t let her beauty fool you. She’s
daydream nightmare dressed like a daydream” or very pleasant or attractive at just a 
“daydream dressed like a nightmare” is first but eventually reveals itself nightmare dressed like a daydream.
thought to be Irish and Scottish folklore as horrible.

64. wane As a noun and a verb, the word ‘wane’ is a period of decline or reduction With his health on the wane, the
derived from old English, but it is said to coal worker had to take better care
trace back to a Germanic root, possibly even of himself.
old Norse
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

65. feather one’s (own) nest
This idiomatic phrase, “feather your own nest
,” came into being in the mid-1500. It is based
on the fact that birds tend to make their nests
better, warm, and safe for their hatchings by
feathering them.
If you say that you are John is so much concerned
feathering your own nest, you about helping others instead
mean that you are working so of feathering his own nest.
hard to gather resources
(money) to live a comfortable
life in the future.

66. blind impulse
Currently, the origin of the idiom is yet to be sudden and unaccountable Acting on what appeared to be
established. However, it appears on several desire to do something a blind impulse, she submitted
famous quotes from renowned authors, her resignation.
activists, and leaders, to mention a few. Below
are some of the popular quotes.

67. ride (on) a wave he expression has been around for a long time. To enjoy the advantages of The person that won the lottery
Some sources date this phrase back to the something was riding the wave of millions
1830s. It gets its name from essentially a wave. of dollars.
A wave in the ocean can become big and large.

68. no spring chicken
The idiom is seen as a not-so-good way of Someone who’s no longer My grandfather is no spring
referring to someone old, probably past their young. chicken, that’s for sure.
prime, and not as lively or active. It’s an old-
fashioned way of saying this person is no
longer young and they’re getting on in years.
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

69. no spring chicken The idiom is seen as a not-so-good way of Someone who’s no longer My grandfather is no spring
referring to someone old, probably past their young. chicken, that’s for sure.
prime, and not as lively or active.

70. on top of the world The phrase “on top of the world” has been in a good mood as everything is He was on top of the world after
around since the 20th century. Many writers going well for you he won the World Marathon
used it in their work. Therefore, it is inevitable Championships.
that the phrase did not come from those
plentiful On the Top of the World songs as the
songs appeared soon after the phrase was at
first instance in print.

71.Brownie Points There are actually several possible origins Praise or appreciation, usually He picked up some brownie
 thought of for this phrase. The most common for a service someone has done. points with his manager by doing
one is that it first referred to the younger part of her report for her.
version of the Girl Scouts, the “Brownies,” who
received points (6) and merit badges for doing
good deeds.

72.On the card “In the cards” and “on the cards” are both Something very likely to A promotion is in the cards for
variants of the same phrase, with “in the cards” happen, occur or take place. him.
being more commonly used in America and “on
the cards” being used more in Great Britain.
 Idioms Origins
73. at cross-purposes. At cross purpose idioms traces back to the 17th
century. It is believed that the phrase might
have begun as an indoor game known as
“Cross-Purposes”
74. Stand a chance The actual origin of the phrase “stand a chance
” or “to stand a chance” is uncertain. But, it is
believed to be a very old phrase, possibly
dating back to the 1300s.
75. Duckle Down An earlier version of this phrase is “buckle to”
– used by British people during the sixteenth
century. In The Law Is A Bottomless Pit, John
Bull wrote, “Squire South buckled too,
to assist his friend Nic.”
76. take the cake Even though the idiom’s origins are Ancient
Greece, it didn’t become commonplace until
the 1800s. In 400 B.C., the person who stayed
awake during an all-night party received a cake
for their tenacity.
Contextual Usage
With aims or goals that conflict
or interfere with one another.
to have a possibility of
succeeding, even if a remote
one
make sure something stays in
place
being the best in a competition
Examples
It will be difficult for us to be
successful if we continue
working at cross-purposes.
Do you believe that you stand a
chance of getting that job?
She knew if she didn’t buckle
down, the tasks wouldn’t get
done.
I can’t believe you said that your
hypocrisy takes the cake.
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

77. run across Oliver Goldsmith was the first to use the closely meet someone by accident While cleaning my house, I 
related phrase (come upon) in his 1773 book, She ran across a book I’d lost.
Stoops to Conquer 

78. in mint condition Although mint is a plant, it’s also a verb used to something used that looks new She was cautious about buying
describe something created out of metal. The the vintage t-shirt sight unseen,
earliest known usage was in the 1540s. It’s derived but the seller assured her it
from the Latin word monetarius. was in mint condition.

79. This idiom’s origins are advertising. There are when you have to face your John had an excellent idea for
where the rubber meets the several early examples of its usage. In Will Jones’s challenges a project, but his colleagues
road column After Last Night, he wrote about several weren’t sure what would
Madison Avenuism in 1956, including where the happen where the rubber
rubber meets the road. Madison Avenue is the meets the road.
epicenter of advertising in the United States.

80.buckle down An earlier version of this phrase is “buckle to” –
used by British people during the sixteenth century.
In The Law Is A Bottomless Pit, John Bull wrote,
“Squire South buckled too, to assist his friend
Nic.”
make sure something stays in She knew if she didn’t buckle
place down, the tasks wouldn’t get
done.
 Idioms
81. Takes the cake.
82. Ran across
83. In mint condition
84. when the rubber meets the
road
Origins
Even though the idiom’s origins are Ancient
Greece, it didn’t become commonplace until
the 1800s. In 400 B.C., the person who stayed
awake during an all-night party received a
cake for their tenacity.
Oliver Goldsmith was the first to use the
closely related phrase (come upon) in his
1773 book, She Stoops to
Although mint is a plant, it’s also a verb used
to describe something created out of metal.
The earliest known usage was in the 1540s.
It’s derived from the Latin word monetarius.  was in mint condition.
The idiom started in coin factories, describing
each piece as being in mint condition.
This idiom’s origins are advertising. There are
several early examples of its usage. In Will
Jones’s column After Last Night, he wrote
about several Madison Avenuism in 1956,
including where the rubber meets the road.
Contextual Usage
being the best in a competition
meet someone by accident
something used that looks new
when you have to face your
challenges.
Examples
I can’t believe you said that
your hypocrisy takes the cake.
While cleaning my house, I 
ran across a book I’d lost.
She was cautious about buying
the vintage t-shirt sight unseen,
but the seller assured her it
John had an excellent idea for a
project, but his colleagues
weren’t sure what would
happen where the rubber meets
the road.
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

85. happy-go-lucky. During the 1670s, the word didn’t mean what it cheerful Even though it was storming
does today. The root of the word happy is hap. outside, he kept his sunny
disposition since he was happy-
go-lucky.

86. rip-off The term became part of the American the act of stealing I can’t believe I paid that much
Lexicons in 1900. Several diverse money for that outfit. It was a 
countercultures have used the phrase. African rip off.
Americans started using this phrase in 1904 as
prison slang. In the 1960s, Haight Ashbury in
San Franciso was the epicenter of Hippie
Culture.

87. second wind  This idiom has been in use since the late 1800s another burst of energy when Come on, let’s have that shovel
and originally referred to the return of a regular you had been too tired to finish again. I’m getting a second
breathing pattern after any kind of physical wind now.
effort.

88. onboard The phrase was first recorded in the mid-60s, be physically on a plane, ship, Let’s get Phoebe on board for
but there doesn’t seem to be any information vehicle, train, or rocket the Madison project. After all, it
on the history. is her area of expertise.
 Idioms Origins
89. dog’s life  This Idiomatic expression was first recorded in
a 16th-century manuscript and alluded to the
miserable subservient existence of dogs during
this era. By the 1660s, there was a proverb:
“It’s a dog’s life, hunger and ease.”
90. bull’s eye  The phrase “bull’s eye” is speculated to have
more than one possible origin and several
confirmed meanings and uses.
91. put cards on the table The saying has been in use since the year 1800.
It was a famous phrase coined during card
game events when players were playing poker.
92. keep cards close to his chest. This phrase originated from America in the
1860s and was borrowed from poker, the card
game. “Close to the vest” was the original
phrase.
Contextual Usage
a miserable and unpleasant life
the center of a target
be open and honest
be secretive or cautious, give
nothing away
Examples
Mark’s been leading a dog’s
life since he was fired from the
job.
It can’t hurt to go right for
the bull’s eye – there’s nothing
wrong with getting things right
the first time.
When John met up with Jane on
their first date, John laid his
cards on the table for Jane to
know what he wanted.
The children did not know
where they were to go for their
family holiday trip. Their
dad kept his cards close to his
chest.
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

93. back to the wall The phrase originates from the American to be in a difficult situation They have him with his back to
military heritage. Since the 1500’s having the wall and now he has no more
organized military units is a common options but to pay back the
phenomenon debtors or go to jail for fraud.

94. fight like cat and dog The origin is seen to be quite ambiguous, and argue jealously and violently all The married couple fought like
the domestication of cats and dogs plays a key the time cat and dog the entire time they
role. were together.

95. leaps and bounds This idiom, a way of saying that something or progress very quickly Regan’s reading skills are coming
someone is improving or increasing at a startling on in leaps and bounds with the
rate, has been in use since Shakespeare’s time. new teacher.

96. sweep under the rug It was born out of the idea of a maid or home try to hide a problem or keep a My father has helped me deal
keeper lazily sweeping the dirt under the rug problem secret instead of dealing with things instead of sweeping
rather than going through the work to actually with it them under the rug.
clean up the dust. This idea is often depicted in
Children’s books and even the classic tale of
Cinderella.
 Idioms Origins Contextual Usage Examples

97. play cat and mouse The phrase “cat and mouse” has a brief history.
The term derives from domesticated cats and
their hunting behaviors. Domestic cats will
“play” with their captured prey by continually
releasing it to tire and weaken it.
to play with or tease someone The cops do not like playing cat
and mouse games with the
culprits before catching them.

98. Big mouth A big mouth became known as someone who someone who talks too much Your big mouth always gets you
talks too much or openly shares secrets they in trouble at school, Steven!
aren’t supposed to. It can be loosely compared
to tight-lipped as that’s someone who can keep
a secret at all costs.

100.call the shots It came to be after a marksman made a to be in charge of what is The policeman is the one who
successful shot on the right target and, in turn, happening and what should will call the shots during the
called it ‘his shot‘. Regarding this, the more happen political gatherings.
competent marksman had the right and
responsibility to call the shots.
Thank You