5/22/2014

PMS Important English Idioms

1. To add insult to injury ; To intensify a person


2. To be born with a silver Spoon in one’s mouth; To be born in a rich family

3. A bolt from the blue ; An expected disaster


4. To blow one’s own trumpet; To boast


5. A bone of contention ; Cause of quarrel


6. To burn one’s fingers ; To suffer


7. To beat black & blue ; To beat mercilessly


8. To cast an aspersion ; To bring discredit


9. To cry over spilt milk ; To feel sorry for what has happened


10. To cut a sorry figure ; To make a poor impression


11. To die in harness ; To die while doing one’s duty 



12. To end in smoke ; To fail


13. To go to the dogs ; To be ruined


14. To hang in the balance ; To remain undecided


15. To hit the nail on the head; To do the right thing at the right time


16. To hold water ; To sound logical


17. To live no stone unturned ; To try one’s level best


18. To live from hand to mouth ; To live with great difficulty


19. To make up one’s mind ; To decide


20. To see eye to eye with ; Agree


21. To play ducks and drakes ; Waste


22. To put the cart before the hors ; To do a thing in a wrong way


23. To have too many irons in the fire ; To have too many things in hand


24. To read b/w the lines ; To try to understand the hidden meaning


25. To turn over a new leaf ; To change for the better


26. To take the bull by horns; To face difficulties boldly


27. To win laurels ; To distinguish oneself


28. At daggers drawn ; At enmity or fighting 


29. Blake and white ; Written


30. By leaps and bounds ; Very fast


31. In cold blood ; deliberately


32. Laid up with ; Confined to bed

33. Ins and outs ; Full details


34. A black sheep ; Scoundrel; a bad person


35. A cock and bull story ; An absurd tale


36. A gala day ; A day of festivity; a holiday with rejoicing


37. A hard nut to crack ; A difficult person or problem to deal with


38. A turn coat ; One who changes one’s opinion or party


39. A fool’s paradise ; In a state of happiness founded on vain hopes


40. Beat a retreat ; To retire before the enemy


41. To be on the horns of a dilemma; To have a choice b/w two equal evils


42. To beat about the bush ; Approach a subject in a round about method


43. Bury the hatchet ; To make peace


44. By fits and starts ; Irregularly


45. Capital punishment ; Death sentence


46. By hook or by crook ; By fair or foul means


47. Eat humble pie ; To face humiliation


48. Hit below the belt ; To act unfairly


49. In apple pie order ; In perfect order


50. Leave one in lurch ; To desert in difficulty

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