NoteThis post covers common Idioms for preparation of English section of Teaching, IBSP, SSC & Other Competitive Exams.
An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a meaning that in most cases cannot be deduced directly from the individual words in that phrase or expression.
Here is the list of popular idiomatic expressions.
A
| Idiom | Meaning |
| an Achilles heel | a person’s only vulnerable spot; a serious or fatal weakness |
| act your age | behave in a manner appropriate to your age and not to someone much younger. |
| a wet blanket | someone who has a depressing or discouraging effect on others |
| a dime a dozen | very common and of no particular value |
| a white elephant | a possession that is useless or troublesome, especially one that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of |
| at someone’s beck and call | always having to be ready to obey someone’s orders immediately. |
| a red letter day | a pleasantly memorable, fortunate, or happy day |
| a voice in the wilderness | an unheeded advocate of reform |
| a wild goose chase | a foolish and hopeless search for or pursuit of something unattainable. |
| a chicken-and-egg problem | an unresolved question as to which of two things caused the other. |
| a blast from the past | something powerfully nostalgic, especially an old pop song |
| a piece of cake | something easily achieved |
| a blue-eyed boy | the favourite of someone in authority. |
B
| Idiom | Meaning |
| beat someone black and blue | hit someone so severely that they are covered in bruises |
| by fits and starts | with irregular bursts of activity |
| blow the lid off | remove means of restraint and allow something to get out of control |
| back to basics | abandoning complication and sophistication to concentrate on the most essential aspects of something. |
| blow someone’s cover | discover or expose someone’s real identity |
| been there, done that | used to express past experience of or familiarity with something. |
| bark up the wrong tree | pursue a mistaken or misguided line of thought or course of action. |
| be all ears | be listening eagerly and attentively. |
C
| Idiom | Meaning |
| cool as a cucumber | perfectly cool or self-possessed. |
| cut the cord | cease to rely on someone or something influential or supportive and begin to act independently. |
| couch potato | someone who watches a lot of television, eats junk food, and takes little or no physical exercise |
| call it quits | agree or acknowledge that terms are now equal, especially on the settlement of a debt; decide to abandon an activity or venture, especially so as to cut your losses. |
| call of nature | used euphemistically to refer to a need to urinate or defecate |
| catch someone napping | (of an action or event) find someone off guard and unprepared to respond. |
| call it a day | decide or agree to stop doing something, either temporarily or permanently. |
D
| Idiom | Meaning |
| day in, day out | continuously or repeatedly over a long period of time. |
| day of reckoning | the time when past mistakes or misdeeds must be punished or paid for; a testing time when the degree of your success or failure will be revealed. |
| dead in the water | unable to function effectively. |
| a dead letter | a law or practice no longer observed. |
| a dead cat bounce | a misleading sign of vitality in something that is really moribund. |
| dig your own grave | do something foolish which causes you to fail or leads to your downfall. |
| dig yourself into a hole | get yourself into an awkward or restrictive situation |
| divide and rule | the policy of maintaining supremacy over your opponents by encouraging dissent between them, thereby preventing them from uniting against you. |
E
| Idiom | Meaning |
| early bird | a person who gets up, arrives, or acts before the usual or expected time. |
| Easier said than done | If something is easier said than done, it is much more difficult than it sounds. It is often used when someone advises you to do something difficult and tries to make it sound easy |
F
| Idiom | Meaning |
| from pillar to post | from one place to another in an unceremonious or fruitless manner |
| fortune favours the brave | a successful person is often one who is willing to take risks |
| fall prey to | be hunted and killed by; be vulnerable to or overcome by. |
| fall (or drop) into someone’s lap | come someone’s way without any effort having been made. |
G
| Idiom | Meaning |
| go bananas | become extremely angry or excited, go mad |
| get away with murder | succeed in doing whatever you choose without being punished or suffering any disadvantage |
| get (hold of) the wrong end of the stick | misunderstand someone or something completely |
H
| Idiom | Meaning |
| Hobson’s choice | no choice at all |
| hit the ground running | start something and proceed at a fast pace with enthusiasm. |
| hit the jackpot | have great or unexpected success, especially in making a lot of money quickly. |
| hot potato | a controversial issue or situation which is awkward to deal with. |
I
| Idiom | Meaning |
| in the ballpark | in a particular area or range |
| in black and white | in writing or in print, and regarded as more reliable than by word of mouth, in terms of clearly defined opposing principles or issues. |
| it takes two to tango | both parties involved in a situation or argument are equally responsible for it. |
J
| Idiom | Meaning |
| jump on the bandwagon | join others in doing something or supporting a cause that is fashionable or likely to be successful. |
| Jake of all trades (and master of none) | a person who can do many different types of work but (has no special skill in none) |
| the joker in the pack | a person or factor likely to have an unpredictable effect on events. |
K
| Idiom | Meaning |
| kiss something goodbye | accept the certain loss of something |
| a knight in shining armour | an idealized or heroic person, especially a man who comes to the rescue of a woman in distress or in a difficult situation. |
| knock someone’s block off | hit someone very hard in anger |
| knock it off | used to tell someone to stop doing something that you find annoying or foolish. |
| know a thing or two | be experienced or shrewd |
| keep up appearances | maintain an impression of wealth or well-being. |
| keep an ear to the ground | be well informed about events and trends. |
| keep an eye out (or open) for | look out for something with particular attention. |
| keep your eyes open | be on the alert; watch carefully or vigilantly for something |
| keep a (or the) lid on | keep an emotion or process from going out of control.; keep something secret |
| keep someone in the dark | ensure that someone remains in a state of ignorance about something |
L
| Idiom | Meaning |
| lame duck | a person or thing that is powerless or in need of help |
M
| Idiom | Meaning |
| make a move | take action. start on a journey; leave somewhere. |
| muddy the waters | make an issue or a situation more confusing and harder to understand by introducing complications |
| Murphy’s law | if anything can go wrong it will. |
N
| Idiom | Meaning |
| a nail in the coffin | an action or event regarded as likely to have a detrimental or destructive effect on a situation |
| a needle in a haystack | something that is almost impossible to find because it is concealed by so many other similar things. |
| neck and neck | level in a race, competition, or comparison. |
| never say die | used to encourage someone not to give up hope in a difficult situation |
O
| Idiom | Meaning |
| over the counter | by ordinary retail purchase, with no need for a prescription or license |
| once in a blue moon | very rarely; practically never |
| out of the blue | without warning; very unexpectedly. |
| out of your depth | unable to cope due to lack of ability or knowledge |
P
| Idiom | Meaning |
| pull strings | make use of your influence and contacts to gain an advantage unofficially or unfairly. |
| pull the plug | prevent something from happening or continuing; put a stop to something. |
| put your head (or neck) on the block | put your position or reputation at risk by proceeding with a particular course of action |
| put the (tin) lid on | be the culmination of a series of acts or events that makes things unbearable. |
| presence of mind | the ability to remain calm and take quick, sensible action when faced with difficulty or danger. |
| put (or place) a premium on | regard as or make particularly valuable or important |
| pull your weight | do your fair share of work. |
| pull (or bring) a rabbit out of the (or a) hat | used to describe an action that is fortuitous, and may involve sleight of hand or deception. |
| pick nits | look for and criticize small or insignificant faults or errors. |
Q
| Idiom | Meaning |
| Quick fix | A quick fix is an easy solution, especially one that will not last. |
| Quiet before the Storm | When you know that something is about to go horribly wrong, but hasn’t just yet, then you are in the quiet before the storm. |
| quick as a flash | happening or made very quickly |
| quote — unquote | used parenthetically when speaking to indicate the beginning and end (or just the beginning) of a statement or passage that you are repeating, especially to emphasize the speaker’s detachment from or disagreement with the original |
R
| Idiom | Meaning |
| read between the lines | look for or discover a meaning that is hidden or implied rather than explicitly stated. |
| read my lips | listen carefully (used to emphasize the importance of the speaker’s words or the earnestness of their intent). |
| raise your eyebrows | show surprise, disbelief, or mild disapproval. |
| rain cats and dogs | rain very hard |
| rack your brains | make a great effort to think of or remember something. |
S
| Idiom | Meaning |
| slap on the wrist | a mild reprimand or punishment. |
| slap someone on the back | congratulate someone heartily. |
| sell (or go) like hot cakes | be sold quickly and in large quantities. |
| say your piece | give your opinion or a prepared statement |
| see eye to eye | have similar views or attitudes to something; be in full agreement |
T
| Idiom | Meaning |
| the green-eyed monster | jealousy |
| the ball is in someone’s court | it is that particular person’s turn to act next. |
| the bare bones | the basic facts about something, without any detail |
| the way the cookie crumbles | how things turn out (often used of an undesirable but unalterable situation) |
| too many cooks spoil the broth | if too many people are involved in a task or activity, it will not be done well. |
| the writing is on the wall | there are clear signs that something unpleasant or unwelcome is going to happen |
| take it or leave it | said to convey that the offer you have made is not negotiable and that you are indifferent to another’s reaction to it. |
| talk the talk | speak fluently or convincingly about something or in a way intended to please or impress others, |
| a tall order | something that is difficult to accomplish. |
| teeter on the brink | be very close to a difficult or dangerous situation. |
U
| Idiom | Meaning |
| under the banner of | claiming to support a particular cause or set of ideas. as part of a particular group or organization |
| an ugly duckling | a young person who turns out to be beautiful or talented against all expectations. |
| up hill and down dale | all over the place |
V
| Idiom | Meaning |
| vote with your feet | indicate an opinion by being present or absent. |
| vent your spleen | give free expression to your anger or displeasure, |
W
| Idiom | Meaning |
| when the chips are down | when you find yourself in a very serious and difficult situation |
| water under the bridge | used to refer to events or situations in the past that are no longer to be regarded as important or a source of concern. |
| wet behind the ears | lacking experience; immature, |
| with bated breath | in great suspense; very anxiously or excitedly |
| walk on eggs | extremely cautious about your words or actions. |
| wake up and smell the coffee | become aware of the realities of a situation, however unpleasant, |
| walk all over | defeat easily |
| walk before you can run | grasp the basic skills before attempting something more difficult. |
X
| Idiom | Meaning |
| X marks the spot | This is used to say where something is located or hidden. |
Y
| Idiom | Meaning |
| you can’t have your cake and eat it | you can’t enjoy both of two desirable but mutually exclusive alternatives. |
| yesterday’s man | man, especially a politician, whose career is finished or past its peak. |
Z
| Idiom | Meaning |
| zip it | to ask someone to shut up to ask to not say anything further |
| zero tolerance | denial to allow rebellious activities |
| Zigged before you zagged | If you did things in the wrong order, you zigged before you zagged |