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

She rejected his proposal of marriage point blank.

This place affords a bird’s eye view of the green valley below.

The casting vote of the chairman clinched the issue.

To hit the nail on the head

He is in the habit of fishing in troubled waters.

Spick and span

To give a rap on the knuckles

In double-quick time

To pay off old scores

To cut the Gordian knot

Leave one to sink or swim

I won’t mind even if he goes to dogs.

At Christmas, even the elderly fathers paint the town red.

To beat the air

To leave no avenue unexplored

It is a moot point whether we should stop work or struggle on.

The robbery was committed in the wee hours of the day.

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

To cut the cackle

To rip up old sores

Things are progressing well. Don’t do anything to rock the boat.

In almost every party, my friend tries to rule the roost.

The young heir to his father’s huge estate made ducks and drakes of his patrimony.

To hold somebody to ransom

Sumit had to look high and low before he could find his scooter key.

It was such a messy affair but Manish somehow managed to wash his hands of the entire affair.

To have one’s heart in one’s boots

A man of weight

It goes to his heart to see so much misery.

To set the thames on fire

A sop to cerberus

Rahul fought tooth and nail to save his company.

He has made his mark in politics.

It is difficult to keep a level head in these days of mounting prices.

To be in two minds

The mealy-mouthed politician succeeded in influencing the voters.

The doctor says the patient has turned the corner.

To make a shot

To ride hell for Leather

To cool one’s heels

To pour oil in troubled water

To bear the palm

The parliamentary inquiry into the Bofors deal has not brought to light any startling facts.

To get the hang of a thing

Pell-mell

In parliament, every member can have the floor with the permission of the speaker.

The boy turned a deaf ear to the pleadings of all his well-wishers.

To change colour

A square peg in a round hole

To keep one’s head above water

To be a good Samaritan

To give one’s ears

To talk shop

There is no love lost between the two neighbours.

To hang up one’s hat

He is at loggerheads with his assistants about the management of the concern.

He rides the high horse because of his high connection.

Hard-pressed

We should guard against our green-eyed friends.

He works by fits and starts.

To look sharp

Once in a blue moon

To mind one’s P’s and Q’s

To take somebody for a ride

To take a leaf out of somebody’s book

The aroma from the kitchen makes my mouth water.

Whenever I meet him he pulls a long face.

Be in the mire

By fair means or foul

To go to each other hammer and tongs

To hold a brief for

To live fast

Get down to brass tacks

To strike one’s colours

To let the cat out of the bag

To show the white feather

I am ambitious and never want to rest on my laurels.

To break the ice

To show one’s teeth

To speak daggers

He is a person after my own heart.

His father advised him to be fair and square in his dealings lest he should fall into trouble.

The speaker’s observations on the subject were beside the mark.

I sent him about his business as I could stand his insolence no longer.

To put somebody in his place

He threw cold water over the project that the secretary had prepared.

A cock and bull story

Rajeev achieved success by resorting to a hole and corner method.

To keep the wolf away from the door

He is a plain, simple and sincere man. He will always call a spade a spade.

The pros and cons

Mr. Roy is known as a shop lifter in the city commercial centre.

To give one a long rope

To play on a fiddle

To be at one’s finger’s ends

To put one on one’s mettle

To oil the knocker

To look down one’s nose at

A bull in a china shop