English Idioms and Phrases

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

He visits the doctor off and on.

To play second fiddle

The project did not appear to hold out bright prospects.

Why must you look a gift horse in the mouth ?

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

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

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

A black sheep

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

The accounts of the murder made her flesh creep.

To catch a tartar

His friends let him down.

To cry wolf

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

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

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

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

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

It was he who put a spoke in my wheel.

He is leaving the country for a good.

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

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

To hit the nail right on the head

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

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

To pick holes

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

To keeps one's temper

To be above board

To end in smoke

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

He sold his house for a song.

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.

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.

He passed himself off as a noble man.

To make clean breast of

To have an axe to grind

The cricket match proved to be a big draw.

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

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

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

Do no trust a man who blows his own trumpet

A man of straw

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

To drive home

To set one's face against

Govind has left his country for good.

To beg the question

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

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

The robber took to his heels when the police arrived.

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

He is out and out a reactionary.

Dowry is a burning question of the day.

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

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

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

To smell a rat

To leave someone in the lurch

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

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

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

Don't thrust your nose into my affairs.

He struck several bad patches before he made good.

To put one's hand to plough

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

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

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

You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

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

To snap one's fingers

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

Why do you wish to tread on the toes?

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

A pipe dream

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

I requested him to put in a word for me.

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

To get into hot waters

To turn up one's nose at a thing

There is no hard and fast rule regarding this subject.

To talk through one's hat

To throw down the glove

A fair crack of the whip

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

The P.M has pulled up Orissa partymen.

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

The time is running out, you must look sharp.

To be at daggers drawn

He is always standing up for the weak and oppressed.

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

Rohit has bitten off more than he chew.

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

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

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

The dacoit murdered the man in cold blood.

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

The detective left no stone unturned to trace the culprit.

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

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

We should give a wide berth to bad characters.

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

Turban is in vogue in some communities.

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

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

Harp on

By the skin of one's teeth

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

To take with a grain of salt

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

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

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

The sight of the accident made myflesh creep.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To catch somebody on the hop

To talk one's head off

Will o' the wisp

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

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

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

I ran out of money on my European tour.

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

He resigned the post of his own accord.

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

My car broke down on way to the railway station.

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

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

To be in abeyance

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

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

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

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

A close shave

To keep one's head

His plan was so complicated that it floored his listeners.

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

The rebels held out for about a month

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

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

There is no love lost between two neighbours.

Their business is now on its last legs.

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

The prince did not take after the king.

He went back on his promise to vote for me.

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

The authorities took him to task for his negligence.

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

He is always picking holes in every project.

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

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

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

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

Mohan always keeps himself to himself

In his youth, he was practically rolling in money

To turn over a new leaf

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

To wash one's dirty linen in public

To have brush with

To give a false colouring

To turn the cover

To see eye to eye with

To take people by storm

To worship the rising sun

To give currency

To read between the lines

To turn the tables

To pay one back in the same coin

To put the cart before the horse

A snake in the grass

To make the grade

To have full hands

To hold something in leash

To take the bull by the horns

Hush money

To wrangle over an ass's shadow

To take a leap in the dark

To bite one's lips

Dog in the manger

To fight to the bitter end

To be lost in the cloud

A chip off the old block

To be rolling in money

To hit below the belt

French leave

To keep the ball rolling

Tall order

To be up and doing

To draw a bead upon

To give chapter and verse for a thing

Pin-money

To be at loggerheads

To take the wind out of another's sails

To cast pearls before a swine

To pull strings