Top 150+ Idioms and Phrases with Explanations

A list of most frequently used idioms and phrases is given below.

 To see eye to eye (to agree) - He could never see eye to eye with his father.
 To go to the dogs (to be ruined) - Anuj will soon go to the dogs because of his bad habits.
 To kick the bucket (to die) - Mr. Verma kicked the bucket after long illness.
 To assume airs (to pretend superiority) - Neelam is in the habit of assuming airs in the
presence of her friends.
 To smell a rat (to be suspicious) - I smelt a rat in the bargain that Mr. Singh made with
my brother.
 To laugh in one’s sleeves (to laugh secretly) - The staff laughed in their sleeves at the
Manager’s pompous speech.
 To bell the cat (to attempt something dangerous) - They all boast of their bravery, but
none can bell the cat.
 Black and blue (to beat mercilessly) - Raju was beaten black and blue by the thieves.
 To draw the long bow (exaggerate) - In calling Rekha the most beautiful girl of the town,
her mother drew the long bow.
 To clip one’s wings (to weaken the power) - My brother wants to be a car racer but my
father will clip his wings.
 To pull a long face (to look sad) - Sonu pulled a long face when he was scolded by his
father for coming late.
 To make the most of (to utilise) - You should make the most of your time if you want to
be successful.
 To steal a march (to get ahead secretly) - Renu stole a march on her friend in studies and
got the first position.
 To beat about the bush (to talk in a round about manner) - Mrs. Dixit always beats about
the bush.
 To fall flat (to have no effect) - The principal’s speech fell flat on the students.
 A snake in the grass (a secret enemy) - We should always be beware of the snakes in the Answers are given below.
grass.
 To end in smoke/fiasco (come to nothing) - All his efforts to get that job ended in smoke.
 To bring to book (to punish) - Dinesh was brought to book for his immoral act.
 To pay off old scores (to take revenge) - The way he is treating his colleague, it seems
that he is paying off old scores.
 To be out of sorts (to be unwell) - I am out of sorts today and can’t do it properly.
 In the blues (depressed) - After the marriage of his girl friend he is in the blues these days.
 Palmy days (affluent days) - I can never forget those palmy days of my life.
 Heart and soul (devotedly) - Mukul always does his work heart and soul.
 At sixes and sevens (in disorder) - When we entered his room everything was at sixes and
sevens.
 To call a spade a spade (to speak plainly) - I like Ravi because he always calls a spade a
spade.
 Part and parcel (inseparable part) - Kashmir is part and parcel of India.
 Green horn (inexperienced) - Though a green horn in this business, he appears to have a
bright future.
 Ivory tower (imaginary world) - He who thinks of an honest and unselfish leader in
today’s politics lives in ivory tower.
 Oily tongue (flattering words) - Arun often wins over the enemies by his oily tongue.
 Pull one’s socks up (work hard) - You must pull your socks up to get good marks in the
examination.
 To and fro (forward and backward) - The people were strolling in the park to and fro.
 To have feet of clay (Full of faults) - There is no one in the party who don’t has feet of
clay.
 A flash in the pan (sudden success) - His selection in the university cricket team was a
flash in the pan.
 Close shave (a narrow escape) - He had a close shave in an accident yesterday.
 Cut and dried (readymade form) - You can’t get everything cut and dried.
 To bite the dust (to be defeated) - Pakistan had to bite the dust in the Kargil war.
 Willy-nilly (whether one wishes or not) - She was fored willy-nilly to accept the proposal.
 To have an axe to grind (to have a selfish interest) - Ravi does not help anyone unless he
has an axe to grind.
 To give a wide berth (to avoid) - One should always give a wide berth to the bad habits.
 To take to heels (to run away) - The girls playing in the garden took to their heels on
seeing a snake.
 To throw cold water (to discourage) - Instead of encouraging me, my friend threw cold
water on my scheme.
 Hard and fast (strict) - There is no hard and fast rule about being punctual in the college.
 A bolt from the blue (sudden or unexpected shock) - The news of Ankur’s accident came Answers are given below.
to his wife as a bolt from the blue.
 The ins and outs (secrets) - He knows the ins and outs of our family.
 At one’s finger tips (complete knowledge) - All the formulas of mathematics are at his
finger tips.
 To be nipped in the bud (to destroy in the very beginning) - This problem should be
nipped in the bud.
 The halcyon days (peaceful days) - The days I spent in my village were the halcyon days
of my life.
 Out of the woods (out of danger) - The operation is over but he is not out of the woods
yet.
 Queer fish (strange person) - Raju is such a queer fish that one cannot make anything out
of his attitude.
 Writing on the wall - (signal, warning) He read the writing on the wall and decided not to
invest in the property market.
 A bad egg (a worthless) - He belongs to a noble family but he himself is a bad egg.
 To mince matters (hide the truth and pretend) - She tried to mince matters but she failed
to do so.
 To bury the hatchet (to make peace) - The teacher asked us to bury the hatchet and be
friends.
 To grease the palm of (to bribe) - If you want to get this job, you will have to grease the
palm of the manager.
 Through thick and thin (under favourable and unfavourable conditions, steadfastly) -
They will help her through thick and thin.
 To give a thick ear to (to give a blow on the ear) - The mother gave a thick ear to the
naughty child.
 A bed of roses (an easy, comfortable situation) - Life is not a bed of roses.
 To bear the lion in his den (to visit somebody important to challenge him) - It is not wise
for you to bear the lion in his den.
 To touch the right chord (to appeal cleverly to somebody’s feelings) - She touched the
right chord and made the disappointed children happy.
 Touch and go (risky) - After the snow began to fall, the mountain climbers had a touch
and go descent.
 With bated breath (with restrained breath because of fear, respect or awe) - Seeing a road
accident, he was left with bated breath.
 To go down the stream (to move down the river) - The boat goes down the stream at a
high speed.
 The light of one’s eyes (very dear) - Every child is the light of its parents’ eyes.
 To see the light (to be born) - Mr. Rohit saw the light in 1990.
 Sadder but wiser (having learnt something important from a mistake or failure) - His
failures have made him sadder but wiser. Answers are given below.
 Safe and sound (secure and unharmed) - The bus fell into a ditch but all the passengers
were safe and sound.
 With a high hand (in an arrogant manner or dictatorial manner) - She runs her industry
with a high hand.
 To try one’s hand (to test one’s skill or aptitude for) - He tried his hand at business.
 To wash one’s hands of (to disclaim any responsibility for; to renounce interest in or
support of) - She washed her hands of the entire affair.
 The golden rule (a very important rule of conduct) - Hospitality is the golden rule of life.
 A good time girl (a girl whose chief aim is enjoyment) - Sweta is a good time girl.
 To give loose rein to (to allow to act without restraint) - The government should not give
loose rein to the government employees.
 To give (somebody) the cold shoulder (to treat coldly) - He gives his guests the cold
shoulder.
 One’s own flesh and blood (one’s near relatives) - His own flesh and blood will cause his
destruction.
 To play fast and loose with (to act in an irresponsible or inconsiderate manner) - My
principal played fast and loose with the teachers.
 A fish out of water (a person out of accustomed environment) - I feel like a fish out of
water among politicians.
 To have the edge on somebody (to be better than others) - Ramesh has the edge on his
neighbours.
 To tread upon eggs (to walk or behave cautiously) - The wise tread upon eggs to lead a
peaceful life.
 To turn up like a bad penny (to appear when one is unwelcome or unwanted) - He turns
up like a bad penny in every meeting.
 Over head and ears (deeply immersed) - She is in love with him over head and ears.
 To turn a deaf ear (to refuse to help, to refuse to listen and consider) - He turned a deaf
ear to my request.
 To keep out of the way (to avoid facing somebody) - She keeps out of the way when she
sees me.
 To come into effect (to reach the stage of being operative) - The new regulations came
into effect last month.
 Deadlock (a state in which progress is impossible, complete standstill) - The family
dispute proved to be a deadlock in his life.
 Dead sure (definite) - His success in this examination is dead sure.
 Hue and cry (noise, commotion) - There was much hue and cry over her elopement.
 To cry over spilt milk (to lament over what cannot be changed) - Crying over spilt milk is
useless.
 From the cradle (since childhood) - He has been lucky from the cradle. Answers are given below.
 Cream of the crop (the best) - Pooja is the cream of the crop in this college.
 A dog in the manger (a person who prevents others from enjoying something that is
useless to him) - This miser is like a dog in the manger.
 To sit on one’s hands (to do nothing) - You cannot earn your livelihood sitting on your
hands.
 A sitting duck (a person or thing that is an easy target to attack) - The poor villagers are
the sitting ducks for the terrorists.
 At the top of the tree (in the highest position or rank in a profession, career, etc.) - He has
been promoted at the top of the tree in administration.
 Bark up the wrong tree (be mistaken about something) - I barked up the wrong tree about
you.
 To ruffle somebody’s feather (to annoy somebody) - The son ruffled the father’s feathers
by marrying a Muslim girl.
 To burn one’s finger (to suffer injury by acting rashly) - He burnt his finger by slapping a
criminal.
 To turn the corner (to pass through a crisis safely) - When the doctor’s report came, I
knew he had turned the corner.
 To catch a tartar (to deal with a very troublesome or powerful person) - Having
quarrelled with his neighbour, he caught a tartar.
 To raise one’s voice against (to speak firmly and boldly against somebody/ something) -
The son raised his voice against the wrong decision of his father.
 To shout at the top of one’s voice (to shout as loudly as one can) - The drowning boy
shouted at the top of his voice.
 To split hairs (to find fault with) - He splits hairs of my every achievement.
 The swing of the pendulum (the movement of public opinion from one extreme to the
other) - Candidates have to face the swing of the pendulum in the election.
 To eat humble pie (to be very apologetic) - When you exposed her wrong doings, she ate
humble pie.
 With open arms (with great affection) - They welcomed the guests with open arms.
 To come into the open (to come into public view) - The leader’s statements came into the
open.
 Good for nothing (worthless) - His old coat is good for nothing.
 To cry halves (to claim an equal share) - She cried halves in her husband’s property.
 In one’s cups (under the influence of liquor) - A man in his cups makes impossible
promises.
 Under the knife (under a surgical operation) - He is under the knife for the removal of
tumour.
 Like a knife through butter (very easily) - She got her work done like a knife through
butter. Answers are given below.
 To throw dust in someone’s eyes (to deceive) - A prisoner escaped from jail, throwing
dust in the security guards’ eyes.
 To wash one’s dirty linen in public (to discuss in public one’s personal scandals or
domestic difficulties) - We should not wash our dirty linen in public.
 To pick holes in another’s coat (to seek out faults in other person or in his conduct) -
Good people don’t pick holes in another’s coat.
 To blow hot and cold (to keep changing one’s opinions) - Miss Roma blows hot and cold
about getting married.
 One’s pigeon (one’s responsibility or business) - It is not my pigeon to manage money
for her marriage.
 A bitter pill to swallow (something unpleasant to accept) - Defeat in the election was just
a bitter pill for herto swallow.
 Not lift a finger (do nothing) - The minister did not lift a finger to solve this problem.
 In the long run (ultimately) - Honesty wins in the long run.
 Run-of-the mill (ordinary) - He lives in a run-of-the-mill house.
 To take someone under one’s wings (to give shelters or protection) - India took the
refugees under its wings.
 To promise the Earth/Moon (to make an impracticable promise) - Political leaders
promise the Earth to gain favour of voters.
 Once in a blue Moon (rarely) - You visit my house once in a blue Moon.
 To meet one’s Waterloo (to lose decisive contest) - Our leader meet his Waterloo in the
parliamentary election.
 Not hold a candle to (to be not nearly as good as another) - She does not hold a candle to
her younger sister as far as intelligence is concerned.
 Under one’s breath (in a low voice, in a whisper) - The thieves were talking under their
breath.
 To catch one’s breath (to pause or rest before continuing an activity or starting a new one)
- I caught my breath many times while going to Patna on foot.
 To separate the wheat from the chaff (to distinguish valuable persons or things from
worthless ones) - We should separate the wheat from the chaff in our society.
 A wild goose chase (a uselsss effort/search) - Preaching moral lessons to criminals is a
wild goose chase.
 To cast pearls before swine (to offer valuable things to persons who cannot appreciate
them) - The famous singer sang a classical song in the function of the political leaders but
it was like casting pearls before swine.
 To receive more kicks than half pence (to get more contempt than love) - She received
more kicks than half pence in her husband’s family.
 French leave (absence without permission) - The clerk is enjoying French leave today.
 To be all legs (to be a tall and very thin person) - Mr. Rajan is all legs because of
tuberculosis. Answers are given below.
 Like an oven (very hot) - The environment is like an oven today.
 Thick and fast (rapidly and in great numbers) - The volunteers were coming thick and
fast in the flood affected areas.
 Worth one’s while (worth one’s time, trouble or expense) - The profession that you have
adopted is worth your while.
 Long and short (summary) - The long and short of every holy book is that man should
realise his worth.
 By leaps and bounds (very rapidly) - Our society wishes us to progress by leaps and
bounds whatever the way may be.
 Man of parts (having great qualities) - A man of parts always acts as a source of
inspiration to many.
 Man of straw (man of no quality) - If a man of straw tries to gain riches, he resorts to
unfair means.
 To make both ends meet (to sustain one’s life) - In a well structured society making both
ends meet is the minimum guarantee.
 From pillar to post (from one place to another) - If you neglect your study, you will have
to wonderfrom pillar to post in search of livelihood.
 On pins and needles (waiting anxiously) - Until the family received information about the
whereabouts of the boy who did not return from the school till late in the evening, it was
on pins and needles.
 Pros and cons (the different both negative and positive aspects of something) - Before
starting an endeavour, one should evaluate the pros and cons of it.
 To pay someone back in his own coin (to treat someone exactly he treats you) - Usually
even a wrong-doer does not like to be paid back in his own coin.
 To hang fire (to hesitate) - Due to its wider repercussions, those who want to target
corruption at high places usually hang fire.
 To have a cold feet (to feel fear and thus reluctant to do something) - Since I have fear of
height, I develop a cold feet at the idea of climbing on a high place.
 To hit below the belt (to deal with something unlawfully) - John is so possessive about
his reputation that he does not hesitate in hitting below the belt just to win.
 To hold water (to be seem to be true or reasonable) - The jury convicted her because her
story just didn’t hold water.
 Jaundiced eyes (biased view) - Jaundiced eyes spoil every chance of impartiality and
justice.
 To jump to a conclusion (to arrive at a hasty calculation without proper consideration) -
So far as the causes of terrorism is concerned we often jump to the conclusion.
 Rule of thumb (rough practical knowledge not practicable in the given condition) -
Generation gap occurs because the previous generation wishes to guide the present by the
rule of thumb Answers are given below.