English Idioms and Phrases

He is out and out a reactionary.

To beg the question

Don't thrust your nose into my affairs.

To be above board

Govind has left his country for good.

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

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

To cry wolf

His friends let him down.

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

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

He is leaving the country for a good.

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

The cricket match proved to be a big draw.

He visits the doctor off and on.

It was he who put a spoke in my wheel.

He struck several bad patches before he made good.

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

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

Do no trust a man who blows his own trumpet

To end in smoke

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

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

He sold his house for a song.

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

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

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

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

The project did not appear to hold out bright prospects.

To set one's face against

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

Why must you look a gift horse in the mouth ?

To leave someone in the lurch

He passed himself off as a noble man.

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

To keeps one's temper

The robber took to his heels when the police arrived.

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

The accounts of the murder made her flesh creep.

To hit the nail right on the head

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

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.

To make clean breast of

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

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

A man of straw

To catch a tartar

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dowry is a burning question of the day.

To drive home

To smell a rat

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

To put one's hand to plough

To pick holes

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

A black sheep

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

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

To play second fiddle

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

To have an axe to grind