English Idioms and Phrases

To smell a rat

Why must you look a gift horse in the mouth ?

The project did not appear to hold out bright prospects.

To put one's hand to plough

To beg the question

His friends let him down.

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

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

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.

A man of straw

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

To play second fiddle

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

To have an axe to grind

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

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

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

The cricket match proved to be a big draw.

To pick holes

To drive home

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.

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

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

It was he who put a spoke in my wheel.

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

Dowry is a burning question of the day.

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

A black sheep

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

To catch a tartar

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

He sold his house for a song.

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

He is out and out a reactionary.

Don't thrust your nose into my affairs.

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

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

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

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

The robber took to his heels when the police arrived.

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

To end in smoke

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

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

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

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

To keeps one's temper

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

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

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

To be above board

He passed himself off as a noble man.

To hit the nail right on the head

He struck several bad patches before he made good.

The accounts of the murder made her flesh creep.

He is leaving the country for a good.

Govind has left his country for good.

To set one's face against

Do no trust a man who blows his own trumpet

He visits the doctor off and on.

To make clean breast of

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

To cry wolf

To leave someone in the lurch

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

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

The dacoit murdered the man in cold blood.

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

Will o' the wisp

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

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

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

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

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

In his youth, he was practically rolling in money

The P.M has pulled up Orissa partymen.

Why do you wish to tread on the toes?

To talk one's head off

To turn up one's nose at a thing

A close shave

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

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

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

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

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

The detective left no stone unturned to trace the culprit.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Harp on

He is always picking holes in every project.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By the skin of one's teeth

We should give a wide berth to bad characters.

Turban is in vogue in some communities.

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

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

I requested him to put in a word for me.

To snap one's fingers

The rebels held out for about a month

I ran out of money on my European tour.

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

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

He went back on his promise to vote for me.

He is always standing up for the weak and oppressed.

The time is running out, you must look sharp.

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

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

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

To talk through one's hat

To turn over a new leaf

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

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

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

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

The authorities took him to task for his negligence.

To be in abeyance

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

To get into hot waters

To catch somebody on the hop

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

There is no hard and fast rule regarding this subject.

The prince did not take after the king.

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

To keep one's head

To throw down the glove

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

Mohan always keeps himself to himself

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

A fair crack of the whip

To take with a grain of salt

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

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

Their business is now on its last legs.

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

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

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

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

A pipe dream

His plan was so complicated that it floored his listeners.

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

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

Rohit has bitten off more than he chew.

My car broke down on way to the railway station.

To be at daggers drawn

You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

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

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

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

The sight of the accident made myflesh creep.

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

There is no love lost between two neighbours.

He resigned the post of his own accord.

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

To turn amuck

To wash one's dirty linen in public

To be old as the hills

To give a false colouring

French leave

Hobson's choice

All and sundry

To give/get the bird

To keep the ball rolling

To have full hands

To be rolling in money

To pull one's socks up

To wrangle over an ass's shadow

To throw up the sponge

To take a leap in the dark

To fly off the handle

A fool's errand

Foar in the mouth

To cross swords

A chip off the old block

To play fast and loose

To bring one's eggs to a bad market

To throw dust in one's eyes

To push somebody to the wall

To carry the coal to Newcastle

To hit the jackpot

To be up and doing

A baker's dozen

Castles in the air

To pay one back in the same coin

To hold something in leash

To cast pearls before a swine

To take people by storm

At one's beck and call

To turn the tables

To have brush with

By the rule of thumb

To get cold feet