English Idioms and Phrases

The accounts of the murder made her flesh creep.

This matter has been hanging fire for the last many months and must therefore be decided one way or the other.

To set one's face against

To cry wolf

Despite the trust bestowed on the minister he turned out to be a snake in the grass during the revolution.

To hit the nail right on the head

Dowry is a burning question of the day.

How long will the people put up with the increasing economic hardships?

Women should be paid the same as men when they do the same job, for, surely what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

I met him after a long time, but he gave me the cold shoulder.

In the organised society of today no individual or nation can plough a lonely furrow.

He visits the doctor off and on.

To pick holes

Although he has failed in the written examination, he is using backstairs influence to get the job.

He struck several bad patches before he made good.

He is out and out a reactionary.

He is leaving the country for a good.

The university will have to shelve its plans for expansion in view of present situation

I felt like afish out of water among all those business tycoons.

His friends let him down.

To make clean breast of

He was undecided. He let the grass grow under his feet.

Don't thrust your nose into my affairs.

To keeps one's temper

A man of straw

The teacher warned the student once for all that no mischief shall be tolerated in the class.

To leave someone in the lurch

To drive home

Leaders should not only make speeches they should also be prepared to bell the cat.

He passed himself off as a noble man.

In the armed forces, it is considered a great privilege to die in harness.

Sanjay was the real power behind the throne and all politicians were aware of this.

A black sheep

We should abstain from casting aspersions on the character of our colleagues.

It was he who put a spoke in my wheel.

I did not mind what he was saying, he was only through his hat.

The party stalwarts have advised the President to take it lying down for a while.

The robber took to his heels when the police arrived.

The staff have felt on edge ever since they heard the rumour about retrenchment.

To smell a rat

Why must you look a gift horse in the mouth ?

The thief took to his heels when he saw a policeman on the beat.

Some people now wonder whether we just pay lip service or genuinely subscribe to democracy.

Sanjay is very different about passing the Civil Services Examination this year.

I am afraid he is burning the candle at both ends and ruining his life.

The recent film "Secular India" has tried to keep the pot boiling for Muslim women's.

To beg the question

Companies producing goods play to the gallery to boost their sales.

To have an axe to grind

Sobhraj could be easily arrested because the police were tipped off in a advance.

The popularity of the yesterday's superstar is on the wane.

To end in smoke

To catch a tartar

The project did not appear to hold out bright prospects.

Do no trust a man who blows his own trumpet

It is no longer easy to strike gold in Shakespeare's research since much work has already been done on him.

The cricket match proved to be a big draw.

To be above board

To put one's hand to plough

To play second fiddle

Since he knew what would happen, he should be left to stew in his own juice.

I hope it will not put you out If I am late.

He sold his house for a song.

Govind has left his country for good.

The case was held over due to the great opposition to it.

He is an interesting speaker but tends to go off at a tangent.

When he heard that he had once again not been selected he lost heart.

The question of abolition of private property is still a moot point.

To talk through one's hat

As a politician he is used to being in the limelight all the time.

He was in high spirits when I met him in the restaurant.

To catch somebody on the hop

Don't lose patience, things will improve by and by

A fair crack of the whip

To turn over a new leaf

He went back on his promise to vote for me.

Rohit has bitten off more than he chew.

The time is running out, you must look sharp.

The P.M has pulled up Orissa partymen.

You have to be a cool customer and be patient if you want to get the best buys.

There has been bad blood between the two communities even before shouting.

The die is cast and now let us hope for the best.

The sight of the accident made myflesh creep.

The old beggar ran amuck and began to throw stones at the passerby.

He is always picking holes in every project.

Their business is now on its last legs.

A close shave

The secretary and the treasurer are hand in glove with each other.

Though he has lot of money, yet all his plans are built upon sand.

The arrival of the mother-in-law in the family proved a rift in the lute.

Do not imagine that Dharmendra is really sorry that his wife died. Those are only crocodile tears.

He is in the habit of throwing dust in eyes of his superiors.

Harassed by repeated acts of injustice. he decided to put his foot down.

The class could not keep a straight face on hearing the strange pronunciation of the new teacher.

Mohan always keeps himself to himself

Madhuri might scream blue murder, but I feel Deepali should get the promotion since she is better qualified for the job.

To keep one's head

The detective left no stone unturned to trace the culprit.

I have a bone to pick with you in this matter.

My father strained every nerve to enable me to get settled in life.

My car broke down on way to the railway station.

In spite of the immense pressure exerted by the militants, the Government has decided not to give in.

I am sure they will fight tooth and nail for their rights.

The dacoit murdered the man in cold blood.

When he tells stories about himself, he is inclined to draw the longbow.

We should give a wide berth to bad characters.

To turn up one's nose at a thing

Discipline is on the wane in schools and colleges these days.

The prince did not take after the king.

He went to his friend's house in the evening as was his wont.

The new economic policy is likely to run into rough weather.

Pt. Nehru was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

He never liked the idea of keeping his wife under his thumb and so he let her do what she liked.

He did me a good turn by recommending me for the post of Vice Principal.

You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

To be in abeyance

While the ladies continued their small talk in the drawing room, I felt bored.

To throw down the glove

He intends setting up as a lawyer in the adjoining district.

It is high time that India did something about the population problem.

I felt that it was a tall order to expect Monisha to go home alone at twelve in the night.

There is no love lost between two neighbours.

He is always standing up for the weak and oppressed.

This regular absenteeism is a bad business since on work is being completed.

The authorities took him to task for his negligence.

His speech went down well with the majority of the audience.

His plan was so complicated that it floored his listeners.

Why do you wish to tread on the toes?

I cannot get along with a man who plays fast and loose.

He resigned the post of his own accord.

I requested him to put in a word for me.

To take with a grain of salt

By the skin of one's teeth

The new C.M stuck his neck out today and promised 10kgs. free wheat a month for all rural families.

His friends advised him to be fair and square in his dealings.

The curious neighbours were disappointed as the young couple's quarrel was just a storm in a teacup.

To snap one's fingers

There is no hard and fast rule regarding this subject.

I ran out of money on my European tour.

Will o' the wisp

He believes in the policy of making hay while the sun shines.

In his youth, he was practically rolling in money

The parliamentary inquiry into the Bofors deal did not bring to light any startling facts.

Having sold off his factory, he is now a gentleman at large.

Vikram said that he has got a problem to square up with the manager.

If you give John all your money, you are likely to burn your fingers.

Although both the parents are running the show for the last ten years but their business is now on its last legs.

There was no opposition to the new policy by the rank and file of the Government.

To be at daggers drawn

It is time that professors came down from their ivory towers and studied the real needs of the students.

In spite of the efforts of all peace loving people, world peace is still a far cry.

To get into hot waters

In modern democratic societies lynch law seems to have become the spheres of life.

To talk one's head off

The autographed bat from the famous cricketer Sunil Gavaskar is worth a jew's eye

Turban is in vogue in some communities.

He has built a big business empire by his sharp practices.

Harp on

The clerk wiped the nose of his employer by submitting a false bill and was dismissed from his job.

The old father brought home the moral of unity by asking each of his sons to break the bundle of sticks

A pipe dream

The speaker gave a bird's eye view of the political conditions in the country.

We were in hurry. The road being zigzag we had to cut off a corner to reach in time.

The old man was cut to the quick when his rich son refused to recognise him.

I cannot conceive of a time when I was without a refrigerator

Maya had a checkered career. since I first knew him as an office assistant in the insurance company.

The rebels held out for about a month

To read between the lines

To pull strings

To live in clover

To be up and doing

To carry the coal to Newcastle

To take the bull by the horns

To push somebody to the wall

To give/get the bird

A chip off the old block

Adam's ale

To lose one's head

To set the people by ears

By the rule of thumb

To play the gallery

To take the wind out of another's sails

To fly off the handle

Hush money

All and sundry

To carry off the bell

A baker's dozen

A red letter day

To beggars description

To make the grade

To accept the Gauntlet

To fight to the bitter end

At one's beck and call

To plough the sands

To bite one's lips

All Agog

To blow hot and cold

To lose face

Castles in the air

To hit the jackpot

To draw the long bow

To save one's face

To pay one back in the same coin

To disabuse one's mind

A lady's man