List of Important Idioms and Phrases Beginning with A
1. Achilles heel
Meaning: vulnerable spot, a small fault or weakness in a person or system that can result in its failure.
Example: The corrupt minister is regarded as the government’s Achilles heel and is expected to resign.
2. A bone of contention
Meaning: if there is an issue that always causes tension and arguments
Example: A bone of contention between the husband and wife is that the husband always spends too much money.
3. A dead letter
Meaning: An argument or law not followed by anyone.
Example: The blue laws here are a dead letter; all the stores open on Sundays and holidays
4. At the eleventh hour
Meaning: be too late.
Example: She always turned her term papers in at the eleventh hour.
5. A queer fish
Meaning: a strange person
Example: I knew his father and he was a queer fish too.
6. A worm's eye view
Meaning: having very little knowledge about something
Example: The novel provides us with a worm's eye view of society.
7. At (on) the heels of
Meaning: close behind or soon after something
Example: As in Mom's birthday comes on the heels of Mother's Day
8. Apple of someone's eyes
Meaning: someone loved very much.
Example: His youngest son was the apple of his eye.
9. Ask for the Moon
Meaning: to ask for too much.
Example: There's no point hoping for a permanent peace in the area. It's like asking for the moon.
10. Asleep at the switch
Meaning: not to be alert on opportunity
Example: Health experts were asleep at the switch when the disease began to spread rapidly again.
Phrases and Idioms beginning with B:
1.Back to square one
Meaning: To be back at the starting point of something.
Example: I picked up all the leaves and branches from my lawn yesterday but there was a storm last night and now I’m back to square one.
2.Back on one’s feet:
Meaning: to be healthy again after sickness.
Example: I couldn’t do anything for two weeks while I had the flu but now I’m back on my feet.
3.By hook or by Crook
Meaning: At any cost /by fair or unfair mean.
Example: I decided that I was going to get that job by hook or by crook.
4.Blow one's trump
Meaning- self praise
Example: Anyone will tell you she's one of the best journalists we've got, although she'd never blow her own horn.
5.Beat the air
Meaning- do useless effort
Examples: The candidates for office were so much alike that we thought our vote amounted to beating the air .
6.Bed of thorns
Meaning: Full of difficulties
Examples: Life of an ill person always remains a bed of thorns.
7.Beat about the bush
Meaning :To discuss a topic without being specific about anything
Examples: Don't beat around the bush. Just tell me where my brother is
8.Bag and baggage
Meaning: (with) all one’s belongings.
Example: Tired of their tantrums, the landlady asked her tenants to vacate the house, bag and baggage, in a week’s times.
9.Blue eyed boy
Meaning: a man who is liked and admired by somebody in authority.
Example: She gets the charge of all the assignment except the finance, which is kept for the blue-eyed boy.
10.Bread and Butter
Meaning: someone’s livelihood.
Example: Teaching classic music to young boys and girls is her bread and butter.
11.Bear the brunt of
Meaning: take the main force, often of a criticism or unpleasant event.
Example: When the teachers and other government employees went on a strike, they did not realize they’d have to bear the brunt of public anger when they go back to work.
12.Burn the candle at both the ends
Meaning: exhaust someone’s energies or resources by leading a hectic life.
Example: She has been burning the candle at both ends by doing a full-time job and preparing for her International English Language Test exams.
13.Bury the hatchet
Meaning: make peace; end a quarrel, settle one’s differences to become friends again.
Example 1: The two neighboring countries India and Pakistan have often been advised by the world bodies to bury the hatchet for their own progress.
14.Bury head in the sand
Meaning: refuse to think about an unpleasant situation, hoping that it will improve so that you will not have to deal with it.
Example: Parents and Principal said ragging was being ignored and accused the girls hostel’s warden of burying her head in the sand, in Perth city of Australia.
15.Blue blood
Meaning: descent from nobility, aristocrat.
Example: She often tell her friends that she has blue blood flowing through her veins.
16.By dint of
Meaning: as result of something.
Example: Mark got what he wanted by dint of requesting and threatening
17.Break a leg
Meaning: good luck, best wishes
Example:
to wish someone luck especially before a performance
“Break a leg!” I shouted out to him before he rushed in for his auditions.
18.Born with a silver spoon in mouth
Meaning: To be born to parents who are rich and have a good social rank.
Example: He does not need this job as much as I do, he is born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
List of Phrase and Idioms beginning with C:
1. Call a spade a spade
Meaning: Speak frankly and directly
Example: Well, I believe it's time to call a spade a spade.
2. Come through with flying colours
Meaning: Be highly successful
Example: The officer training was grueling, but he came through with flying colours.
3. Cock and bull story
Meaning: Made up story that one should not believe
Example: Don't give me that cock-and-bull story
4. Cross one’s t’s and dot
Meaning: Be precise, careful and one’s i’s exact
Example: The negotiations are nearly finished, but we still have to dot the i's and cross the t's.
5. Chew the cud
Meaning: Ponder over something
Example: He sat for a moment chewing the cud before he spoke.
6. Close But No Cigar
Meaning: Coming close to a successful outcome only to fall short at the end.
Example: It was close but no cigar for Johnny as he came second once again
7. Cry Over Spilt Milk
Meaning: One shouldn’t worry over things that have already happened and that cannot be changed.
Example: Yes, we made a mistake, but there’s no point in crying over spilled milk.
8. Cry Wolf
Meaning: someone is calling for help when it’s not really needed.
Example: If you cry wolf too often, people will stop believing you.
9. Curiosity Killed The Cat
Meaning: mind your own business, as too much poking and prodding could lead to harm.
Example: 'Why are you going away so suddenly?' 'Curiosity killed the cat.'
10. Cut To The Chase
Meaning: To get to the point, leaving out all of the unnecessary details. Similar to popular sayings such as “beating around the bush.
Example: I didn't have long to talk so I cut to the chase and asked whether he was still married.
11. Call out
Meaning: to shout
Example: I called out to him but he disappeared in the dark.
12. Call upon
Meaning: to order;
Example: to require: I was unfortunately called upon to give evidence against him.
13. Carry on
Meaning: to continue
Example: If you carry on working hard, your business will soon flourish.
14. Cast away
Meaning: to throw aside
Example:You must cast away all your apprehensions and accept the offer.
15. Catch up with
Meaning: to overtake
Example:Last week I had to stay late at the office to catch up with some pending files.
List of phrase and Idioms beginning with D:
1. Donkey’s year
Meaning: a very long year
Example: Nowadays one has to wait donkey’s years to get justice.
2. Dog days
Meaning: hottest days of summer
Example: The dog days of summer are a difficult period for those who have to work out in the open.
3. Dead ringer
Meaning: A duplicate of the exact things.
Example: The car that is parked in that garage is a dead ringer of the car that my dad used to own a couple of years back.
4. Dark horse
Meaning: One who was previously unknown but is now prominent
Example: You never can tell, some dark horse many come along and win a House of Lords seat.
5. Dog's life
Meaning: a miserable, unhappy existence.
Example: I have to work everyday from dawn to sunset and come back home to take care of the children. It's really a dog's life.
6. Down to earth
Meaning: simple, decent, realistic; practical and straightforward.
Example: She is very down to earth person, not at all attracted by the glamour world.
7. Down at heel
Meaning: Out of luck, shabbily dressed
Example: Since Ashok lost his job, he is always down at heel.
8. Doom and Gloom
Meaning: A feeling of pessimism and despondency, often with regard to business or political prospects.
9. Drive up the wall
Meaning: to make someone angry or irritated
Example: The loud music played by my neighbours is driving me up the wall.
10. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning: don’t put all your resources into one thing
Example: It would be better if you applied to several companies instead of just one; don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
11. Dead and buried
If something is dead and buried, it has all long been settled and is not going to be reconsidered.
12. Dead in the water
If something is dead in the water, it isn't going anywhere or making any progress
13. Dip your toe in the water
Meaning: (also dip a toe in the water) said when you start something carefully because you are not sure whether it will work or not.
Example: I am doing some volunteer work at the new school to try and dip my toe in the water of working in the education field
14. Devil of a time
Meaning: If you have a devil of a time, you have a very difficult time.
Example: Before she divorced, Ann had had a devil of a time with my her husband.
15. Devil's Advocate
Meaning: To present a counter argument Don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched
Example: He offered to play devil’s advocate and argue against our case so that we could find out any flaws in it.
16. Don't give up the day job
Meaning: You are not very good at something. You could definitely not do it professionally.
Example: I watched your performance at the theater today. My advice is don’t give up your day job.
17. Down in the dumps
Meaning: a gloomy, unhappy
Examples: Little Jon is down in the dumps because all her friends are gone away with their parents
18. Do for
Meaning: Fulfill the purpose
Example: This book will do for the IAS Examination.
19. Draw up
Meaning: To draft
Example: I was engaged in drawing up plans for new business.
20. Drop a line
Meaning: Send a brief letter
Examples: If you’ve got a few minutes to spare you could always drop her a line.
21. Dot the i’s and cross the t’s
Meaning: To do something very carefully and in a lot of detail
Examples: She writes highly accurate reports – she always dots her i’s and crosses her t’s.
22. Dig own grave
Meaning: do something stupid that will seriously harm oneself, cause one’s own ruin or downfall.
Example: If she continues to behave like this to her senior officer, she’ll be digging her own grave.
List of Important Idioms and Phrases Beginning with E
1. Every Dog has his day
Meaning: Sooner or later, everyone has his share of good fortune
Example: You may become successful in your business someday. Every dog has his day.
2. Early bird
Meaning: A person who gets up early or arrives early for something
Example: My sister is an early bird and gets up very early every morning.
3. Egg on
Meaning: to urge or push someone to do something
Example: The boy is always egging his friend on to do stupid things.
4. Eye of the storm
Meaning: The center of a problem
Example: The politician was in the eye of the storm because of the accounting scandal.
5. Excuse (someone)
Meaning: to forgive someone
Example: We excused the man for his rude comments because he did not know any better.
6. Eagle eye
Meaning: Quick to discover ( Unusually keen sight)
Example: A good students has an eagle eyes for his errors.
7. Empty vessels make the most noise
Meaning: Those who know or have little knowledge often shout the loudest
Example: Ram tells as if he's an expert on everything, but empty vessels make most noise.
8. Earn one's keep
Meaning: To perform satisfactory physical labor or to provide other worthy services in return for remuneration, lodging, or other benefits; to support oneself financially.
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