Useful Idioms and Phrases Examples and Meaning
- To Beat The Air: Useless Efforts
Example- He is a foolish man because he beats the air.
- To Bid Fair: To Be Likely
Example- You are a hard-working boy, you bid fair to stand first in your class.
- To Blow One’s Own Trumpet: Self Praise
Example- It is a bad habit to blow one’s own trumpet.
- To Break The Ice: To Break Silence
Example- He broke the ice in the library.
- To Call A Spade Aspade: To Speak The Truth
Example- Gandhi ji always called a spade aspade.
- To Call In Question: Doubt
Example- Why do you call my character in question?
- To Call Names: To Abuse
Example- You are calling me names.
- To Call To Mind: To Recall
Example- I cannot call to mind his name.
- To Carry The Day: Win
Example- The Indian army carried the day in the war.
- To Cast A Slur Upon: A Blot
Example- People cast a slur upon a gentleman.
- To Catch A Glimpse Of: See
Example- I catch a glimpse of everything.
- To Catch Napping: To Catch Unaware
Example- He was caught napping in class.
- To Catch Red Handed: to catch someone while doing a crime or something badTo Carry
Example- We caught the criminal red-handed.
- To Change Colour: Pale With Fear
Example- He changed his color to see a tiger.
- To Clinch The Issue: To Decide The Matter
Example-That issue was clinched at a general meeting.
- To Come To Stand Still: To Stop
Example- General strike and everything came to stand still.
- To Cross Swords: To Fight
Example- Babur always crossed swords in India.
- To Cry From The House Top: To Announce Publically
Example- He cried from the top of the house that he stood first in the University examination.
- To Cry Over Spilt Milk: A Useless Cry
Example- It is foolish to cry over spilt milk.
- To Cut A Sorry Figure: To Feel Insulted/Ashamed
Example- In his first result he cut a sorry figure.
- To Cut No Ice: No Effect
Example- My friend could cut no ice at the time of his interview.
- To Die In Harness: Death While Working
Example- To die in a harness is a fortunate death.
- To Eat A Humble Pie: To Tolerate Insult
Example- Yesterday I had to eat a humble pie.
- To End In Smoke: To Come To Nothing
Example- All the efforts of the principal to bring him around ended in smoke.
- To Face The Bull By Horns: To Do Something With Bravery
Example- It’s time to face the bull by horns and get this job done.
- To Grease The Palm: Bribe, Corrupt
Example- If you want to get something done around here, you have to grease someone’s palm.
- To Hang Fire: Undecided
Example- This matter is hanging fire.
- To Hold Water: To Be Solid
Example- Your knowledge will always hold water.
- To Leave In The Lurch: To Leave In Difficulty
Example- A sincere man will never leave you in the lurch.
- To Long & Short: In Short
Example- The long & short of thing this story is that we should work hard.
- To Look Blue: To Be Nervous
Example- She looked blue when she saw a lion beside her.
- To Make A Mountain Of Mole Hill: To Overstate A Thing
Example- It was a simple matter but he made a mountain of a mole hill.
- To Make Allowance For: To Excuse
Example- A good man always makes allowance for a crime.
- To Make Amends For: To Compensate
Example- He made amends for the loss of my car.
- To Make Away With: To Destroy
Example- He made away with everything.
- To Make Good: To Complete Effort
Example- I made good what I wanted.
- To Make Headway: To Progress Slowly
Example- Boys are making headway in this life.
- To Make Off: To Run Away With
Example- Robbers make off with everything.
- To Make Out: Understand
Example- I cannot make out their mighty.
- To Make Up: To Make Complete
Example- You should make up your weakness in English.
- To Mark Time: Careful Of Time Or To Pass The Time
Example- Boys always mark time because they do nothing.
- To Miss The Boat: To Miss The Chance
Example- You are old age and you have missed the boat.
- To Out-Herod, Herod: to exceed in violence
Example- Muslim kings of the past are out Heroded, Herod.
- To Play False: To Cheat
Example- He played false with me.
- To Pull A Long Face: To Look Sad
Example- He pulls a long face when his mother scolds him.
- To Take To Account: To Demand Explanation Or Take Into Consideration
Example- You can be certain that we will take it into consideration.
- To The Backbone: Completely
Example- You are the backbone of your country.
- To Win Laurel: To acquire glory
Example- Dr. Tagore won laurel in the field of literature.
- Wear And Tear: Damage
Example- Nobody can tolerate wear and tear.
- Well Off: Wealthy or rich
Example- I am well off but not happy.
- Willy-Nilly: Without Any Order
Example- She threw her clothes willy-nilly into a drawer.
- With a High Hand: Proud or arrogant
Example- The king ordered the people with the high hand.
Related Essay –
- Lost and Found Essay in English
- Essay on Tourism in Manipur
- Essay on Cow in English
- Village Market Essay in English
If you liked this article Idioms and Phrases in English then don’t forget to share it with your friends and family. If you have any questions or suggestions about this article, then let us know by commenting down below in the comment section.