English Idioms and Phrases

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

His friends let him down.

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

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

Dowry is a burning question of the day.

To have an axe to grind

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

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

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

He visits the doctor off and on.

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

The project did not appear to hold out bright prospects.

To put one's hand to plough

To catch a tartar

To leave someone in the lurch

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

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

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

To keeps one's temper

It was he who put a spoke in my wheel.

Why must you look a gift horse in the mouth ?

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

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

To beg the question

To drive home

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.

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

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

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

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

Don't thrust your nose into my affairs.

To hit the nail right on the head

He is leaving the country for a good.

To make clean breast of

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

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

He struck several bad patches before he made good.

The accounts of the murder made her flesh creep.

He is out and out a reactionary.

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

To end in smoke

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

He sold his house for a song.

He passed himself off as a noble man.

Govind has left his country for good.

To play second fiddle

Do no trust a man who blows his own trumpet

The robber took to his heels when the police arrived.

To cry wolf

To smell a rat

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

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

To be above board

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

The cricket match proved to be a big draw.

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

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

To pick holes

A man of straw

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

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

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

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

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

To set one's face against

A black sheep

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

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

To turn over a new leaf

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

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

The prince did not take after the king.

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

There is no hard and fast rule regarding this subject.

I ran out of money on my European tour.

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

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

To catch somebody on the hop

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

The time is running out, you must look sharp.

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

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

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

To get into hot waters

He is always picking holes in every project.

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

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

To turn up one's nose at a thing

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

There is no love lost between two neighbours.

A fair crack of the whip

A close shave

By the skin of one's teeth

Will o' the wisp

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

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

To snap one's fingers

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

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

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

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

A pipe dream

To talk one's head off

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

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

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

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

To keep one's head

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

Harp on

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

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

Rohit has bitten off more than he chew.

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

To talk through one's hat

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

We should give a wide berth to bad characters.

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

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

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

The dacoit murdered the man in cold blood.

He is always standing up for the weak and oppressed.

He resigned the post of his own accord.

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

In his youth, he was practically rolling in money

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

Turban is in vogue in some communities.

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

His plan was so complicated that it floored his listeners.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The authorities took him to task for his negligence.

To throw down the glove

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

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

To be in abeyance

The rebels held out for about a month

To be at daggers drawn

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

I requested him to put in a word for me.

Mohan always keeps himself to himself

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

You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

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

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

To take with a grain of salt

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

He went back on his promise to vote for me.

Their business is now on its last legs.

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

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

The detective left no stone unturned to trace the culprit.

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

The P.M has pulled up Orissa partymen.

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

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

My car broke down on way to the railway station.

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

The sight of the accident made myflesh creep.

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

Why do you wish to tread on the toes?

To be rolling in money

To beggars description

To pay one back in the same coin

To play fast and loose

To blaze trail

To see eye to eye with

To split hours

To play the gallery

To have an easy time of it

To turn the cover

To blow hot and cold

Dog in the manger

Queer somebody's pitch

To hit below the belt

A storm in a teacup

Adam's ale

To be old as the hills

To flog a dead horse

To disabuse one's mind

To push somebody to the wall

To hit the jackpot

A baker's dozen

To cast pearls before a swine

To get into a scrape

To turn the tables

To throw up the sponge

A green horn

To live in clover

Pin-money

To take people by storm

To pull strings

To take the bull by the horns

To keep the ball rolling

Hobson's choice

To have brush with

A jaundiced eye

Hush money

To turn amuck