IDIOMS

381. Study carefully the following idiomatic expressions :-

                                           ((((A))))

@) To add fuel to the fire :- to increase the existing excitement.
                     " His speech only added fuel to the fire."


@) To give oneself airs :- to be conceited or arrogant in behaviour.
                    " Now he began to give himself airs."


@) To keep up appearances :- in bad times to appear outwardly the same 
                                                                    as before,as regards wealth or prosperity.
       " Though he lost all his property, he tried to keep up appearances in the circle
           of his friends."


@) To have an axe to grind :- to have some personal interest to serve.
        " In the first place,let me assure you,gentlemen,that I have no axe of mine to grind."


@) To turn one's back upon :- to desert ; forsake.
        " He turned his back upon the poor orphan who was under his care."






                                                            ((( (B))))

@) To bear in mind :- to remember ; recollect.
                          " Bear in mind our long-standing friendship."



@) To bear the brunt of :- to face the fully fury of.
                         " They had to bear the brunt of the king's anger."



@) To beat about the bush :- to convey one's meaning in an indirect way.
     " Don't beat about the bush ; come straight to the point.Say what you have to say.



@) To beat the air :-  to struggle in vain.
             " In trying to defeat Ahmad, you are only beating the air."



@) To blow hot and 
      cold in the same breath :-  to praise and to blame at the same time.
               " Don't take his remarks seriously ; he blows hot and cold in the same breath"



@) To blow one's own trumpet :- to praise oneself loudly ; to sing 
                                                                                     one's praises.
           " Let him blow his own trumpet if he so pleases ; it does not befit my dignity
               to do so."



@) To break news :- to communicate disagreeable news very carefully.
            " At last I had to break to Aftab the news of his brother's failure."



@) To break the ice :- to break through reserve or stiffness 
                                                        (in conversation, etc.)
            " All were silent for some time. At last I broke the ice and began the conversation."    



@) To breathe one's last :- to die.
                                   " He breathed his last on Sunday."



@) To bring home to :- to make one thoroughly understand.
                       " I tried my best to bring my plan home to my friend."



@) To bring to a standstill :- to cause to stop wholly.
                       " The riots in Aligarh have brought business to a standstill."



@) To bring to bay :- to bring to a difficult position from which escape
                                                       is impossible.
                     " The thief was at last brought to bay by the police."



@) To bring to book :- to call to account ; to accuse of a fault or crime.
                    " The accused was brought to book."




@) To bring to light :- to reveal.
                   " All their secret schemes were brought to light by the police."



@) To burn the candle at both ends :- to spend extravagantly.
                  " He burnt the candle at both ends, and so came to grief."



@) To bury the hatchet :- to make peace.
                  " Let us bury the hatchet and be friends."





                                   (((( c ))))

@) To hold a candle to anyone :- to be in any way comparable 
                                                                                    with one.
                        " There is not one student to hold a candle to him ."



@) To carry the day :- to win a victory.
                      " In every discussion, Mr Mehta carried the day."




@) To make a clean breast of anything:- to make a complete 
                                                                                                               confession.
                     " I have made up my mind that if I am questioned again on this point,I will
                         make a clean breast of everything."




@) To cut one's coat according to one's cloth :- 
                                                                        to regulate one's expenses by one's income.
                " Cut your coat according to your cloth"
                  ( limit your expenses to the size of your income)."



@) To turn one's coat :- to change to the opposite party.
                   " He has again turned his coat( changed side)."




@) To come to a head :- to ripen ; to approach completion.
                      " The plot was discovered before it came to a head ."




@) To come to blows :- to fight.
                      " If we go on talking like this,we will soon come to blows."




@) To compare notes :- to exchange opinions or views on a subject 
                                                            of interest.
                    " We will compare notes as to his guilty conduct after the meeting."




@) To cry over split milk :- to spend time in useless regret.
                 " What's done can't be helped ; there's no use crying over 
                    split milk ( indulging in useless regret )."




@) To cut a figure :- to make oneself prominent ; to do something to 
                                                     attract notice.
                " A youngster of eighteen wants to cut a figure in society."
                  




@) To cut a sorry figure :- to make a poor show.
                       " The speaker cut a sorry figure at the meeting."




@) To be cut to the quick :- to be wounded in feelings.
             " He was cut to the quick when he learnt that his faithful servant had betrayed him."





                                                    ((((D, E))))

@) To give the devil his due :-  allow even the worst man credit for what he
                                                                               does well.
           " He was, though a great rogue, a respecter or women,if we give the devil his due."


@) To die in harness :- to die while engaged in one's regular work, not after
                                       retiring.
          " It was his constant prayer that he might die in harness."                         


@) To do one a good turn :- to do an act of kindness.
                "He did me a good turn by recommending me for the post of Medical Officer
                  of schools."


@) To do yeoman's service :- to do excellent work.
                " In the fair the Boy Scouts did yeoman's service by restoring lost children
                   to their parents."


@) To make ducks and drakes of :- to spend it foolishly.
                    " Within two years of his father's death, he had made ducks and drakes
                        of his large inheritance."


@) To throw dust in a man's eyes :- to deceive him completely.
                    " You cannot throw dust into an examiner's eyes and get marks by doing
                        a question twice."


@) To eat humble pie :- to make humble apology.
                    " He had to eat humble pie for what he had uttered."


@) To make both ends meets :- to make one's income cover the 
                                                                                expenses.
                     " With a small income,it was very difficult for him to make both ends meet."


@) To see eye to eye :- to have the same opinions on any subject.
                     " I could not see eye to eye with him on dowry system."





                                     (((F)))

@) To put a good face :- to bear up courageously.
                       " He put a good face on his misfortunes."

@) To fall flat :- to produce no effect .
                       " He speech fell flat on the audience ."


@) To play fast and loose :- to act in a way with one's promises & engagements
                        " He played fast and loose with a young girl's affections."

@) To feather one's nest :- *) to provide for one's own personal & interests ;
                                                                     *) to lay by money for oneself.
                        " He has been accused of having secretly feathered his own nest."


@) To show the white feather :- to show signs of  fear ; to betray cowardice.
                         " Though surrounded by his enemies on all sides he never showed the
                             white feather."


@) To play second fiddle :- to take a subordinate position.
                         " At the meeting, the President of the Corporation played second
                            fiddle to the deputy Commissioner."


@) To fight shy of :- to avoid.
                         " Why do you fight shy of making a speech before the public?"


@) To make a figure :- to distinguish oneself.
                         " He will make a figure ( distinguish himself) in the world one day.


@) To follow suit :- *) to behave in the same manner ; 
                                                  *)  to do as the person before you has done.
                       " He stood against the royal authority and all his followers followed
                          suit."


@) To take time or occasion by the forelock :- *) to avoid delay ;
                                                                              *) to catch every available opportunity.
                       " If you don't take time by the forelock, you will be a ruined man."





                                                (((G, H)))

@) To gain ground :- to advance ; to make progress.
                           " They are not sitting idle ; they are gaining ground day by day."



@) To give countenance to :- to give support to.
                           " I will not give countenance to such a foolish scheme."



@) To give the lie to :- "His deeds gave the lie to his words"



@) To give vent to :- to express openly.
                 "He gave vent to his feelings of sorrow and grief."



@) To go a long way :- to help considerably.
                         " Your influence went a long way in securing me a job."



@) To go hard with one :- to prove a troublesome matter to one.
                          " It will go hard with you if you defy his orders."



@) To hang in the balance :- " The fate of the prisoner hangs in the
                                                                              balance(is undecided ).



@) To have no leg to stand upon :- without any support.
                         "This statement has no leg to stand upon."



@) To turn one's head :- to be vain or unreasonable.
                         " Truly wealth has turned his head."



@) To keep one's head above water :- to avoid bankruptcy.
                        " He will soon find out a way how to keep his head above water."



@) To hold one's own :- to contend successfully.
                       " In the teeth of all opposition, he held his own."



@) To be on the horns of a dilemma :- to be in a position of 
                        extreme difficulty from which there seems to be no way to escape.
         " Mr Mehta did not see that his arguments would put him on the horns of dilemma."



@) To strike while the iron is hot :- to act with energy and
                                                                                           promptitude.
                    " If you learn to strike while the iron is hot, you will never fail in life."





                               (((K,L,M)))

@) To keep an eye on :- to watch.
                   " The spy kept an eye on the servant's movements."


@) To keep body and soul together:- to maintain bare 
                                                                                              existence.
               " A clerk, with his small income, can hardly keep body and soul together."


@) To laugh in one's sleeve :- laugh inwardly while preserving a                                                                                                             serious countenance.
               " She must have laughed in her sleeve to see her lover dressed like a clown."


@) To lay heads together :- to consult .
              " They laid their heads together, and made up their own version of the story."


@) To take a leaf out of another person's book :- to imitate him in certain particulars.
              " You will do good to yourself by taking a leaf out of your elder brother's book."


@)To turn over a new leaf :- to begin a different mode of life.
             " Formerly he led a life of wickedness and guilt, but he has now turned over
                a new leaf."


@) To make light of :- to treat as of no importance.
              " He made light of the prophetic words of the saint."


@) To leave one in the lurch :- to leave one in the time of difficulty.
              " His friends left him in the lurch."


@) To meet another half-way :- to come to terms with someone on
                                                                                  the basis of mutual concessions.
            " I am prepared to meet Mr Afzal half-way if he is ready to withdraw his terms."


@) To make a mountain out of a molehill:- *) to exaggerate ; 
                                                                     *)  make a difficulty seem much greater than 
                                                                            it really is.
            " He is in the habit of making a mountain out of a molehill by magnifying 
               small troubles."


@) To move heaven and earth :- *) to make every possible effort.
             " I will move heaven and earth to get justice done to her."


@) To throw mud at :- to abuse ; to speak evil of.
             " Each party has thrown enough mud at the other."




                                  ((( N, O, P)))

@) To nip in the bud :- to destroy at an early stage, before any mischief is done.
                   " Evil tendencies in a boy should be nipped in the bud."


@) To lead by the nose :- to influence a person so that he follows you blindly.
                  " He refused to be led by the nose by those who were quite inferior to him
                      in intelligence."


@) To hold out the olive-branch :- to make an offer of peace.
                  " He held out the olive-branch, but his opponent refused to accept it."


@) To mind one's p's and q's :- to be careful in one's behaviour.
                  " A man, who minds his p's and q's, can get on very well."


@) To pick a hole in a man's coat :- to find fault with him.
                 " It is very easy to pick a hole in another's coat."



@) To give another a piece of one's mind :- to speak bluntly and unceremoniously to him.
                 " He was very angry with her, and gave her a piece of his mind."



@) To provide against a rainy day :- to save money for a future emergency.
                 " All of us should provide against a rainy day."





                                        ((( R,  S)))


@) To rise to the occasion :- to be equal to an emergency.
             " The situation was critical in the extreme, but the Governor rose to the occasion."


@) To sail in the same boat with :- to be in the same situation with.
              " He is sailing in the same boat with us in this matter."


@) To set the Thames on fire :- to do something remarkable.
              " Tony is not the sort of boy who will ever set the 
                  Thames on fire( distinguished himself)"


@) To step into another person's shoes:- to take the position previously occupied by another.
             " After his death his son will step into his shoes."


@) To give the cold shoulder :- to treat coldly.
            " she gave the poor helpless orphan the cold shoulder."


@) To have an old head on young shoulders:- to be wise beyond one's years.
            " She appears to have an old head on very young shoulders."


@) To put one's shoulder to the wheel :- to make effort.
               " Hercules told the carter not to sit idle but to put his shoulder to the wheel."


@) To save one's skin :- to get off without bodily hurt.
                "Everyone in this world wants to save his skin."


@) To praise one to the skies :- to be loud in praise of.
                "They praised him to the skies for his virtues."


@) To stand one in good stead :- to be of great service.
               "Your knowledge of French will stand you in good stead in your profession."


@) To steal a march upon :- to gain an advantage over an enemy or a 
                                                                         competitor without his knowing it.
                   "He stole a march upon his enemy by informing against him to the police."


@) To stick at nothing :- not to hesitate to do anything, however wrong
                                                               or wicked.
                  " He will stick at nothing to gain his ends."


@) To leave no stone unturned :- to try every possible means.
                    " I will leave no stone unturned to find out the secret of his birth."



@) To strain every nerve :- to try one's best.
                   " He strained every nerve to gain his object."
            



                                 (((T, W)))

@) To take with a grain of salt :- to believe with reservation.
                        "His statement is to be taken with a grain of salt."


@) To throw cold water on :- to discourage.
                      "His speech threw cold water on all their schemes."


@) To turn one's coat :- to join the party one has previously opposed.
                    " He was an opportunist and never failed to turn his coat."



@) To have two strings to one's bow :- to have two things to rely upon ;
                                                             to have a second resource to fall back upon.
          " He is both a poet and a painter and thus has the advantage of having two 
             strings to his bow."



@) To wash one's hands of :- to refuse to have anything more to do with.
               " You cannot blame him now ; he washed his hands of the business long ago."



@) To wash one's dirty linen in public :- to speak in public of unpleasant                                                                                                private affairs.
                 " It will do you little good to wash your dirty linen in piblic."


@) To keep the wolf from the door :- to avoid dying of hunger.
              " A poor labourer , earning hardly five rupees a day, finds it difficult to keep the 
                 wolf from the door."