English Idioms and Phrases

To play second fiddle

The robber took to his heels when the police arrived.

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

To smell a rat

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

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

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

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

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

He is out and out a reactionary.

A black sheep

To put one's hand to plough

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

Do no trust a man who blows his own trumpet

He visits the doctor off and on.

It was he who put a spoke in my wheel.

To keeps one's temper

Dowry is a burning question of the day.

Don't thrust your nose into my affairs.

To set one's face against

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

The project did not appear to hold out bright prospects.

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

To end in smoke

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

He is leaving the country for a good.

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

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

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

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

Why must you look a gift horse in the mouth ?

The accounts of the murder made her flesh creep.

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

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

He sold his house for a song.

To hit the nail right on the head

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

To cry wolf

To make clean breast of

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

He passed himself off as a noble man.

To drive home

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

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

To catch a tartar

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

To leave someone in the lurch

The cricket match proved to be a big draw.

A man of straw

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

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

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

To have an axe to grind

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

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.

To be above board

His friends let him down.

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

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 struck several bad patches before he made good.

To pick holes

To beg the question

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

Govind has left his country for good.

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

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

To talk one's head off

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

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

A close shave

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

To get into hot waters

The sight of the accident made myflesh creep.

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

He went back on his promise to vote for me.

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

By the skin of one's teeth

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

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

To talk through one's hat

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

There is no hard and fast rule regarding this subject.

He resigned the post of his own accord.

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

Turban is in vogue in some communities.

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

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

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

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

To turn up one's nose at a thing

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

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

To turn over a new leaf

A fair crack of the whip

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

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

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

To throw down the glove

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

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

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

The prince did not take after the king.

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

His plan was so complicated that it floored his listeners.

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

I ran out of money on my European tour.

You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

He is always picking holes in every project.

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

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

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.

The detective left no stone unturned to trace the culprit.

Harp on

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

Their business is now on its last legs.

There is no love lost between two neighbours.

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

To be at daggers drawn

To keep one's head

Rohit has bitten off more than he chew.

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

To take with a grain of salt

The time is running out, you must look sharp.

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

To be in abeyance

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

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

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

The dacoit murdered the man in cold blood.

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

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

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

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

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

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

In his youth, he was practically rolling in money

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

Will o' the wisp

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

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

The P.M has pulled up Orissa partymen.

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

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

To snap one's fingers

A pipe dream

My car broke down on way to the railway station.

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

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

Mohan always keeps himself to himself

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

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

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

I requested him to put in a word for me.

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

Why do you wish to tread on the toes?

To catch somebody on the hop

We should give a wide berth to bad characters.

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

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

The authorities took him to task for his negligence.

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

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

He is always standing up for the weak and oppressed.

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

Pin-money

To lose face

To push somebody to the wall

To see red

To put the cart before the horse

To keep the ball rolling

All and sundry

To turn the other cheek

To hit the jackpot

To turn amuck

To give/get the bird

To beggars description

To turn the cover

To throw dust in one's eyes

To bite one's lips

To take the bull by the horns

To hit below the belt

A green horn

To pull one's socks up

Castles in the air

Hobson's choice

To cross swords

To be rolling in money

To worship the rising sun

To drink like a fish

To give a false colouring

By the rule of thumb

To fly off the handle

At one's beck and call

To be lost in the cloud

To have an easy time of it

To accept the Gauntlet

To read between the lines

To make umbrage

To make the grade

A fool's errand

A lady's man

A tall order