______________________________________________________________________________

100 Idioms and Phrases

1. A blessing in disguise: a good thing that seemed bad at first

2. A dime a dozen: Something common

3. Beat around the bush: Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it is uncomfortable

4. Better late than never: Better to arrive late than not to come at all

5. Call it a day: Stop working on something

6. Cut somebody some slack: Don't be so critical

7. Cutting corners: Doing something poorly in order to save time or money

8. Get out of hand: Get out of control

9. Get your act together: Work better or leave

10. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: What you have is worth more than what you might
have later

11. Actions speak louder than words: Believe what people do and not what they say

12. Add insult to injury: To make a bad situation worse

13. Break the ice: Make people feel more comfortable

14. Comparing apples to oranges: Comparing two things that cannot be compared

15. Don't put all your eggs in one basket: What you're doing is too risky

16. Ignorance is bliss: You're better off not knowing

17. The whole nine yards: Everything, all the way.

18. Take it with a grain of salt: Don’t take it too seriously

19. A snowball's chance in hell: No chance at all

20. As right as rain: Perfect

21. Fortune favors the bold: Take risks

22. It is a poor workman who blames his tools: If you can't do the job, don't blame it on others

_____________________________________________________________________________________
YourPedia |ESE Paper 1 |IRMS | iPATE
For more details visit us at: www.yourpedia.in or call at 98552-73076
______________________________________________________________________________
23. Jump on the bandwagon: Follow a trend, do what everyone else is doing

24. Leave no stone unturned: Look everywhere

25. On cloud nine: Very happy

26. Come Across: Find something unexpectedly

27. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush: It's better to hold onto something you have rather
than take the risk of getting something better which may come to nothing.

28. As brave as a lion: Very courageous and brave person

29. Live it up: Have fun and adventure

30. Raining cats and dogs: Raining very heavily

31. Throw up one’s hands: Raise both hands in the air as an indication of one's exasperation.

32. Spill the beans: To tell a secret

33. Bite the bullet: Decide to do something difficult or unpleasant that one has been putting off or
hesitating over.

34. Easy does it: To approach a task carefully and slowly.

35. Piece of cake: Something that is easy to do.

36. Once in a blue moon: Very rarely

37. Battle it out: Fight to decide how it will be done.

38. Believe It Or Not: it is surprising but it is true.

39. Call it off: Cancel it.

40. Apple of eye: Someone very precious or dear.

41. Every cloud has silver lining: Even the worst events or situations have some positive aspect.

42. It's not rocket science: It's not complicated.

43. The best of both worlds: An ideal situation.

44. Under the weather: Sick

45. Birds of a feather flock together: People who are alike are often friends

_____________________________________________________________________________________
YourPedia |ESE Paper 1 |IRMS | iPATE
For more details visit us at: www.yourpedia.in or call at 98552-73076
______________________________________________________________________________
46. Costs an arm and a leg: Very expensive

47. Get a taste of your own medicine: Get treated the way you've been treating others.

48. Kill two birds with one stone: Get two things done with a single action.

49. The ball is in your court: It's your decision.

50. Don't beat a dead horse: Move on, this subject is over.

51. Once bitten, twice shy: You're more cautious when you've been hurt before.

52. That ship has sailed: It's too late

53. Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones: People who are morally questionable
shouldn't criticize others.

54. Waste not, want not: Don't waste things and you'll always have enough.

55. When it rains it pours: Everything is going wrong at once.

56. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink: You can't force someone to make
the right decision.

57. You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs: There's always a cost to doing
something.

58. A hot potato: Current and most talked about issue.

59. At the drop of a hat: Without any hesitation; instantly

60. Back to the drawing board: When an attempt fails and it's time to start all over.

61. Barking up the wrong tree: Looking in the wrong place. Accusing the wrong person

62. Best thing since sliced bread: A good invention or innovation. A good idea or plan.

63. Burn the midnight oil: To work late into the night.

64. Can't judge a book by its cover: Cannot judge something primarily on appearance.

65. Cross that bridge when you come to it: Deal with a problem if and when it becomes necessary,
not before.

66. Cry over spilt milk: When you complain about a loss from the past.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
YourPedia |ESE Paper 1 |IRMS | iPATE
For more details visit us at: www.yourpedia.in or call at 98552-73076
______________________________________________________________________________
67. Don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched: Don't make plans for something that
might not happen.

68. Don't put all your eggs in one basket: Do not put all your resources in one possibility.

69. Hit the nail on the head: Do or say something exactly right.

70. Your guess is as good as mine: To have no idea.

71. Bending over backwards: To work extra hard to make something happen, particularly to help
someone or to make them happy.

72. Until the cows came home: For a very long time.

73. Horseplay: Rough, boisterous play.

74. Open a whole new can of worms: To create a complicated situation in which doing something to
correct a problem leads to many more problems.

75. Burn one’s bridges: Do something which makes it impossible to return to an earlier state.

76. Kept a stiff upper lip: To not show feelings when you are upset.

77. Knock her socks off: To surprise someone thoroughly.

78. Jump ship: To leave something, especially suddenly or rapidly.

79. Got the short end of the stick: To receive an unequal outcome of a deal that results in a
disadvantage or burden.

80. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree: A child usually has a similar character to her parents.

81. Sweep it under the rug: To hide something damaging or unpleasant and try to keep it secret.

82. Bark was worse than her bite: A person seems more hostile or aggressive than is the case.

83. Be in his shoes: Be (or put oneself) in another person's situation or predicament.

84. A slap on the wrist: A mild reprimand or punishment.

85. Jump through hoops: Go through an elaborate or complicated procedure in order to achieve an
objective.

86. Run of the mill: Ordinary

87. Achilles' heel: A weakness in spite of overall strength

_____________________________________________________________________________________
YourPedia |ESE Paper 1 |IRMS | iPATE
For more details visit us at: www.yourpedia.in or call at 98552-73076
______________________________________________________________________________
88. Hitched his horse to a different wagon: Found a new partner.

89. Get all of her ducks in a row: To be well prepared or well organized for something that is going
to happen.

90. Keep his nose to the grindstone: Work hard and continuously.

91. Selling like hotcakes: To be disposed of very quickly and effortlessly, especially in quantity.

92. In a pickle: In a troublesome or difficult situation.

93. Crocodile tears: Tears or expressions of sorrow that are insincere.

94. Pushing the envelope: Testing limits and trying out new, often radical ideas.

95. Hold a candle to: Be nearly as good as.

96. Egg all over my face: Do or say something that makes you seem stupid and feel embarrassed.

97. Turn the other cheek: Refrain from retaliating when one has been attacked or insulted.

98. Go against the grain: Contrary to the natural inclination or feeling of someone or something.

99. Let sleeping dogs lie: Avoid interfering in a situation that is currently causing no problems but
may well do so as a result of such interference.

• Riding the gravy train: To be in a state, position, or job where one makes an excessive amount of
money without expending much of any effort.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
YourPedia |ESE Paper 1 |IRMS | iPATE
For more details visit us at: www.yourpedia.in or call at 98552-73076