Idioms - Kerala PSC English

Idioms and Phrases

1. A bird's eye view - general view
2. A cat and dog life - To lead a life full of quarrels
3. A close-fisted person - a miser
4. A cold fish - A person devoid of emotions
5. A daredevil - A person who does not care for any consequences
6. A deadlock - A position when no progress can be made
7. A pipe dream - an impractical plan
8. Alive and kicking - Active and healthy
9. All and sundry - everyone without distinction
10. An acid test - a difficult test
11. An apple of discord - a cause of rivalry
12. At sea - Confused or lost
13. Be in a tight corner - In a very difficult situation
14. Behind one’s back - In the absence of
15. Between the devil and the deep blue sea - between two difficulties
16. Birds of the same feather - persons of like tastes
17. Black and blue - severely
18. Bury the hatchet - forget the difference
19. Cat and dog life - Life full of quarrels
20. Chip of the old block - child that inherits his father's or mother's traits
21. Cock and bull story - Made up story that one should not believe
22. Cry for the moon - Ask for the impossible
23. Double-dealing - Deceiving
24. Dutch courage - courage made by taking an intoxicated substance
25. Gift of the gab - ability to speak eloquently
26. Have a card up one’s sleeve - Have a secret plan in reserve
27. Let the cat out of the bag - to make known a secret
28. Like a cat on hot bricks - Very nervous
29. No love lost between - not in good terms
30. Pros and cons - the advantages and disadvantages of something
31. Rolling stone - active person
32. Run over - to drive over
33. Run through - to squander or waste
34. Tell against - To prove adverse to; to go against
35. The best of both worlds - benefits connected with two different areas
36. The boot is on the other leg - the true position is exactly the reverse
37. The olive branch - offer of peace
38. The rank and the file - undistinguished mass
39. Throw up one's card - accept defeat
40. To add fuel to flames - to make a bad situation worse
41. To be born with a silver spoon - to be rich by birth
42. To beat around the bush - to avoid main point
43. To bell the cat - To face the risk
44. To blow hot and cold - to change one's positions quickly
45. To blow one's own trumpet - to praise oneself
46. To break the ice - To break the silence
47. To bring to book- to punish
48. To build castles in the air - to indulge in imaginary schemes
49. To burn one’s fingers - To lose on account of foolish behavior
50. To burn the candle at both ends - to spend lavishly
51. To call a spade a spade - To be frank and truthful
52. To come off with flying colours - to be successful
53. To cross the Rubicon - To take a decisive step
54. To cry over split milk - to worry over past matters
55. To die hard - Change with great difficulty
56. To eat humble pie - To apologise in a humble manner
57. To fight a losing battle - Struggle without hope of success
58. To foot the bill - to pay the charges
59. To get cold feet - to be afraid
60. To give one a piece of mind - to give somebody an unpleasant truth
61. To grease the palm - to bribe
62. To have clean hands - to be free from guilt
63. To have no backbone - to have no character
64. To keep open house - show hospitality
65. To keep wolf from the door - to keep away starvation
66. To lose one's head - to become confused and over excited
67. To make a clean breast of - to confess everything
68. To make much ado about nothing - to make a lot of commotion over silly matters
69. To move heaven and earth - make every possible effort
70. To nip in the bud - destroy in the early stage of growth
71. To play ducks and drakes - squander
72. To play second fiddle - to take less important place
73. To play the game - to act honestly
74. To put the cart before the horse - to do things in the reverse order
75. To read between lines - understand the hidden meaning
76. To rub shoulders with - to come into contact with
77. To settle an old score - to take vengeance
78. To snap one's fingers - to be anxious
79. To spell the beans - to reveal secret information
80. To topple the apple cart - to destroy one's imaginary plans