Idioms and Phrases | English Grammar

 Idioms and Phrases

An idiom is a common word or a phrase that means something different but can be understood because of its popular use. Idioms embellish the language. Idioms are made of normal language words that have a special meaning known to almost everyone. They are tools of the English language that help us describe a particular situation in a more creative way. They have a cultural and historical etymology behind them. Often, there are stories. English Idioms and phrases are significant because they can convey more meaning in fewer words and broaden the understanding of the examiner.

Importance of Idioms and Phrases:

When it comes to IBPS PO, CLERK SO, SSC, CDS, RRB, and Defence Exams there are direct questions based on idioms and phrases. Candidates are supposed to choose the correct meaning of a particular idiom from the options. Since the options can be very similar, a good understanding and practice is a must. On the other hand, when it comes to written papers like UPSC Mains, the use of idioms make a good impression on the examiner. It will showcase that the candidate is not only fluent in the language but also has the required amount of creativity in him or her. In addition, it saves your space and time with fewer words to write.

Example:

• If we see and analyze the current situation collectively from a higher perspective, we will realize the following:

This statement can be replaced with:

• The current scenario will tell us the following:

It makes the text and the writer or sayer more impactful.

Commonly Used English Idioms and Phrases: Learn How to Use Them

A lot of students try to learn all the idioms and phrases out there. However, there are thousands of them and you don’t need all of them. So here are the idioms and phrases that are asked commonly in the competitive exams.

Idiom / Phrase	Meaning	Example Sentence
sweet tooth	love sweet things	She has a sweet tooth. She always eats ice cream after dinner.
take a rain check	To reschedule at another time	Can I take a rain check? I don’t have time to go out tonight.
take my hat off to someone	honour someone	I take my hat off to Rahul. He was the best singer at the party.
take no prisoners	ruthlessly aggressive	To be successful in business, you need to take no prisoners and beat the competition.
take the bull by the horns	be brave and face a challenge	If you want to be the CEO of the company, take the bull by the horns and work harder.
take the cake	especially good or outstanding	His slap shot definitely takes the cake. It’s the best in the league!
take the wind out of my sails	to feel deflated	Your comment took the wind out of my sails when you laughed at my new invention.
take with a grain of salt	don’t believe it is completely accurate	I always take whatever I read in the news with a grain of salt.
talk a blue streak	talk a lot	Women who are close friends can talk a blue streak on the phone.
the big time	a situation involving fame or success	The actress was ready for the big time when she was nominated for the award.
the birds and the bees	sex education	I remember learning about the birds and the bees in middle school.
the eleventh-hour	last chance to do something	Just before the deadline, the student submitted the assignment at the eleventh hour.
the home stretch	near the end	We’re on the home stretch now. We’ll be there in a few minutes.
the lion’s share	the majority	She was upset because her sister got the lion’s share of the inheritance.
the tip of the iceberg	a small part of a bigger problem	Tax evasion was just the tip of the iceberg. The company has committed countless other crimes.
the whole nine yards	everything	We covered the whole nine yards in the meeting. There’s nothing left to do.
thick in the head	stupid or foolish	Tommy is so thick in the head. He keeps licking the wall.
third time’s a charm	the third time is usually successful	I tried unlocking the door twice already. I hope the third time’s a charm.
through thick and thin	in good and bad times	He loved his wife through thick and thin.
throw caution to the wind	to let go of all responsibilities and have fun	Let’s throw caution to the wind, quit our jobs, and go on vacation!
throw in the towel	give up	Rocky never threw in the towel during his fighting career.
throw the baby out with the bathwater	removing something good while trying to remove something bad	Keep writing your novel. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Most of what you have written is great.
throw under the bus	sacrifice someone as a scapegoat	The player threw the goaltender under the bus saying he was the reason they lost the game.
tick for tack	retaliation	The team lost the first game but won the second. Tick for tack.
tie the knot	get married	Are you ever going to tie the knot? You aren’t getting any younger.
time flies	time goes very fast	Our vacation is over already? Time flies!
time is money	time is valuable	We can’t wait here all day. Time is money!
time of your life	an enjoyable time of your life	Did you have the time of your life when you were a teenager?
time to run	time to leave	It’s time to run. I need to go and pick up my kids from school.
time will tell	the outcome will soon be known	Only time will tell what happens to the human race.
to be off base	not making a fair statement	Mandy was off base when she said that I needed a hair transplant to get the acting role.
to fancy someone	to think someone is very attractive	Do you fancy Molly? She likes you too.
tongue in cheek	not meaning what one is saying	When I said to fly to Hawaii, I was speaking tongue in cheek. I didn’t think you would book a ticket!
true colours	actual character or personality	I saw her true colours when she donated to the local charity.
two-time	cheat or betray	His girlfriend was two-timing him by sleeping with the plumber.
under my thumb	under my control	Mick said the girl was under his thumb. She was the sweetest pet in the world.
under the table	concealed or by secret	We should keep this under the table until we know it’s safe to tell everyone.
under the weather	feel sick	Sorry, I can’t come to work today. I’m feeling a bit under the weather.
until the cows come home	for a long time	She can watch Netflix until the cows come home.
up the creek	in trouble	If I don’t wash the dishes tonight, I’ll be up the creek. Mom said to wash them two days ago.
walk out on someone	to end a relationship	My girlfriend walked out on me, so I was depressed.
wash my hands of something	stop dealing with a problem	I’m washing my hands of his troubled past and moving on with life.
water off a duck’s back	a harmful remark that does not affect someone	She insulted me but I didn’t care. It was like water off a duck’s back.
water under the bridge	a past problem that no longer affects the present	He cheated on her 10 years ago, but that is water under the bridge now.
wear the pants	be in charge	She wears the pants in the family. Her husband stays home and sleeps all day.
wear your heart on your sleeve	show emotions openly	You always wear your heart on your sleeve and give annual donations to charity.
when it rains, it pours	many misfortunes often occur all at once	Last week, my dog died and I broke my leg. When it rains, it pours.
whisper sweet nothings	to say romantic things to someone	Sue likes it when I whisper sweet nothings to her.
white elephant	useless possession	My old DVD player is a white elephant. I only watch Netflix now.
a hot potato	a controversial issue or situation	The voting ballot has become a hot potato in the country.
A piece of cake	An easy task	Being a good teacher, handling students was a piece of cake for him.
Once in a blue moon	A very rare event	A referendum occurs once in a blue moon.
A bed of roses	An easy option or way	Life isn’t a bed of roses.
Raining cats and dogs	Heavy rains	It rained cats and dogs during the cyclone
When pigs fly	An impossible task or event	The time machine will be invented when pigs fly.
Devil’s advocate	one who presents a counter-argument	John always plays the devil’s advocate in every plan we make.
Miss the boat	Miss an opportunity or chance	If you won’t study you will miss the boat to your dream college.
Apple of the eye	someone very precious or dear	A child is an apple of the parents’ eyes
zip your lip	Shut up or stop talking	The angry teacher asked the students to zip their lips
Second wind	A second burst of energy after being tired	He felt a second wind surging through his body. He grabbed the shovel and started digging again.
dog’s life	A miserable life.	In the 1800s, slaves led a dog’s life

Idioms And Phrases– Sample Questions For Verbal Ability

Statements given below have a few words or phrases highlighted in bold. Choose the correct option that is grammatically correct and conveys the same meaning as the highlighted word/phrase.

Q1. Can I take a rain check on your offer? Options:

1. think on it
2. check the weather
3. Predict the weather
4. Buy an umbrella.

Ans. Option A is correct.

Q2. The manager asked me to wear the pants while he was on leave. Options:

1. Change clothes
2. Wear a pair of pants
3. Be in charge
4. Work hard

Ans. Option C is correct.

Q3. The broken car was a white elephant in the garage. Options:

1. Costly possession
2. Unnecessary item
3. A big white object
4. A burden

Ans. Option D is correct. Did you understand the use of different idioms and phrases? Then it’s time to practice.

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