IDIOMS

1 A Bad Egg
Meanin A worthless fellow or friend
g
Ex. A bad egg never helps in difficult times.

2 A Beast of Burden
Meanin An animal used for carrying heavy loads or pulling heavy equipment, such as a donkey,
g mule, or ox.
Ex. In the villages, bulls are still used as beasts of burden in the fields.

3 A Bed of Roses
Meanin An easy life; A pleasant place to work or stay
g
Ex. One should work hard to make his life a bed of roses.

4 A Bed of Thorns
Meanin Full of difficulties and troubles
g
Ex. It is a person’s incompetency that makes his life a bed of thorns.

5 A Bird of Prey
Meanin A bird that kills and eats other creatures
g
Ex. Vultures are the bird of prey, living in every part of the world except Australia and
Antarctica.

6 A Bird’s Eye View

Meanin A brief survey of something
g
Ex. The investigation team has taken a bird’s eye view of the tax report and estimated the tax
evasion.

7 A Black Sheep
Meanin The odd or bad member of the group
g
Ex. The company detected the black sheep in the team and fired him to maintain positive
decorum.
8 A Blank Cheque
Meanin Permission to do what one feels necessary with complete freedom
g
Ex. The British rulers never gave the then Indian Muslims a blank cheque in the form of self-
government in the Indian Council Act, 1909.

9 A Blue Stocking
Meanin A woman who prides herself on her learning
g
Ex. At present, the world needs bluestockings instead of women with materialistic mindsets.

10 A Bone of Contention
Meanin A cause of dispute
g
Ex. The Kashmir dispute has always been a bone of contention between Pakistan and India
since 1947.

11 A Bookworm
Meanin A person who reads a lot
g
Ex. Parents should focus on their kids so that they would grow up into bookworms instead of
social media influencers.

12 A Bosom Friend
Meanin A very intimate friend
g
Ex. It is very difficult to find a bosom friend in today’s fake world.

13 A Brainwave
Meanin A sudden good idea
g
Ex. A brainwave about reading a novel popped up in her mind, which changed her spoiled
mood.

14 A Breathing-Space
Meanin A short time in which one can have a rest
g
Ex. There should be a breathing space between at least two classes.
15 A Bright Spark
Meanin A very lively, cheerful person
g
Ex. Having a bright spark as a friend is nothing but a blessing of God.

16 A Broken Reed
Meanin An unreliable person or thing
g
Ex. One broken reed could lead the whole team towards failure.

17 A Bull’s Eye
Meanin The inner disk of a target, surrounded by rings of increasing magnitude
g
Ex. The archer won five thousand rupees as an award for getting full points after hitting the
bull’s eye.

18 A Burning Question
Meanin A question eagerly discussed by many people
g
Ex. Political polarization has become a burning question nowadays amid the country’s political
instability.

19 A Burnt Offering
Meanin A meal or part of the meat, which has been burnt
g
Ex. She has to cook food again because she cannot serve the guests a burnt offering.

20 A Busman’s Holiday
Meanin A holiday spent doing something similar to what one does in one’s job
g
Ex. Amna works at the restaurant and enjoys a busman’s holiday cooking food for her family.

21 A Cock and Bull Story

Meanin An absurd tale
g
Ex. She told her family a cock and bull story about the trip.
22 A Cry in the Wilderness
Meanin A Voice of protest heeded by no one
g
Ex. The masses’ pleas for basic rights are a cry in the wilderness amid the politico-economic
chaos in a country.

23 A Dark Horse
Meanin A competitor whose chance of winning the world knows nothing
g
Ex. He is a dark horse; we had no idea that he had learnt the whole task.

24 A Dead Letter
Meanin An issue, law, or matter that is no longer important or that no longer has force or power
g
Ex. She keeps trying to raise the slogan of gender equality, but it is a dead letter now.

25 A Dead-Head
Meanin A person who obtains entrance into entertainment without paying; a Sponger
g
Ex. There were a lot of dead heads in the last night’s show due to the extreme rush.

26 A Dog in the Manger

Meanin A person who prevents others from enjoying what he cannot
g
Ex. Ali is a dog in the manger; he would never lend his story books to other children even after
growing up.

27 A Double Entendre
Meanin A remark covering a concealed meaning, usually having a questionable reference
g
Ex. She always gave me double entendre comments on my dressing.

28 A Fancy Price
Meanin A very high price
g
Ex. You have to pay a fancy price to buy the watch.

29 A Far Cry
Meanin Very different; A long distance
g
Ex. Imparting justice to the masses is a far cry in a politically polarized country.

30 A Feather in One’s Cap

Meanin An honour
g
Ex. Her job approval in the government sector has added a feather to her cap.

31 A Fish out of Water

Meanin Appearing to be completely out of place; In a very awkward manner
g
Ex. Ayesha looked like a fish out of water in the meeting, so the boss did not allow her any
task.

32 A Fool’s Paradise
Meanin Dreamworld
g
Ex. You must be in a fool’s paradise if you are thinking about health reforms in such an
economic state of the country.

33 A Ghost of a Chance
Meanin Even the slightest chance
g
Ex. There is no ghost of a chance that Ali would win the polo competition today.

34 A Herculean Task
Meanin A task requiring tremendous effort
g
Ex. It is a herculean task to put a rapid end to the anathema of corruption in the country.

35 A Jail Bird
Meanin One who is jailed regularly
g
Ex. Akram is famous as a jailbird minister in his colony.

36 A Laughing Stock
Meanin An object of fun and ridicule
g
Ex. Sana has become a laughing stock in her office due to her stupid activities.
37 A Lump Sum
Meanin A sum given at one time to cover several smaller payments
g
Ex. The lump sum pension of her father was not enough for covering all the study expenses.

38 A Man of Letters
Meanin A scholar
g
Ex. A developing nation needs men of letters instead of mere degree holders to progress in the
competitive world.

39 A Man of Straw
Meanin A weak person; A dummy; An unreal person
g
Ex. It’s unworthy to discuss an important issue related to any field with a man of straw.

40 A Narrow Escape or Shave

Meanin To escape by a little margin
g
Ex. The police arrived at the location on time, and the family had a narrow escape from the
kidnapping.

41 A Queer Fish
Meanin A strange person
g
Ex. He seems a queer fish to me, so I suggest you stay away from him.

42 A Rainy Day
Meanin Time of trouble and difficulty
g
Ex. She has saved a lot of money in the bank for the rainy days.

43 A Red Letter Day

Meanin An auspicious or happy day
g
Ex. The convocation day is always a red letter day for the graduates.
44 Hum and Haw
Meanin Be indecisive
g
Ex. She began to hum and haw when I asked about her fiancé.

45 A Shooting Pain
Meanin A sharp and recurring pain; A sharp pain constant for a certain duration
g
Ex. Her leg injury is cured, but she still feels a shooting pain at regular intervals.

46 A Slip of the Pen

Meanin A slight error in writing
g
Ex. A slip of the pen has changed the meaning of her answer.

47 A Snail’s Pace
Meanin Very slowly
g
Ex. She does grab all the concepts but at a snail’s pace.

48 A Square Deal
Meanin A fair agreement
g
Ex. They could not make a square deal in their business, which led them to bankruptcy.

49 A Stick-in-the-Mud
Meanin A slow person who is whole without the spirit of enterprise or adventure
g
Ex. Faiza is a stick in the mud and that is why no one is interested in inviting her to parties.

50 A Wet Blanket
Meanin A person who spoils the enjoyment
g
Ex. You could win a wet blanket award because of your overthinking habit.

51 A White Lie
Meanin A minor or acceptable lie
g
Ex. She told you a white lie, for she does not want to spoil your excitement related to the
 vacations.

52 A Wild Goose Chase

Meanin To try to do something impossible
g
Ex. It is a wild goose chase to find the right direction without the internet.

53 A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Meanin A hypocrite
g
Ex. We must recognize and be aware of the wolves in sheep’s clothing in our surroundings.

54 A. B. C.
Meanin The elementary or basic knowledge of something
g
Ex. Atiqa is a social sciences student; therefore, she does not know the A.B.C. of medical
science.

55 Above all
Meanin Something of the greatest importance
g
Ex. A person’s education, above all, is the only tool for him to bring a positive change in
society.

56 Above Board
Meanin Legitimate; Honest
g
Ex. You should always be above board in every matter of your life if you want to be successful.

57 Acquit Oneself
Meanin To achieve a distinction with one’s efforts
g
Ex. Ali’s management group acquitted itself well throughout the food festival event.

58 Across the Board

Meanin Applying in all cases
g
Ex. The government should formulate pragmatic policies across the board to uplift the social,
political, and economic structure of the country.
59 After All
Meanin Essentially; Ultimately
g
Ex. I could never hurt her by my words. After all, she is my friend.

60 Aid and Abet

Meanin To assist someone in doing something illegal
g
Ex. To aid and abet somebody in criminal acts is not what a good friend does.

61 Air One’s Grievances

Meanin To openly express one’s complaints
g
Ex. The proper functionality of the local government would provide the masses with a platform
to air their grievances regarding prevailing social issues.

62 Aladdin’s Lamp
Meanin A lamp that grant’s its owner’s wishes
g
Ex. You must work hard to succeed in the examination. There is no Aladdin’s lamp that can
help you in this case.

63 All and Sundry

Meanin Each and everyone
g
Ex. All and sundry are going to attend the wedding ceremony of their cousin.

64 All at Once
Meanin Suddenly
g
Ex. The government announced to the adoption of a strict lockdown policy all at once when
the COVID-19 mortality rate rose.

65 All in All
Meanin Of the most importance; All-powerful
g
Ex. Every branch of the government is all in all in its nature; however, they are accountable to
each other too.
66 All is Fish That Comes to His Net
Meanin Describes someone’s ability to utilize anything available
g
Ex. The best quality of Chef Amna is that she cooks delicious food with all the available
ingredients, showing that all is fish that comes to her net.

67 Alpha and Omega

Meanin The beginning and the end
g
Ex. I do not even know the alpha and omega of any social sciences subject.

68 An Act of God
Meanin An unexpected natural event
g
Ex. The abrupt change in weather is an act of god for the students appearing in exams next
year.

69 An Angel of Mercy
Meanin Someone who brings help when needed the most
g
Ex. Always try to become an angel of mercy for others.

70 An Axe to Grind
Meanin Something done for one’s selfish interest
g
Ex. He offered a lot of jobs to the locals for the development of society, and he has no political
axes to grind.

71 Answer back
Meanin To respond rudely (usually to a request, instruction, or rebuke)
g
Ex. She answered back to her parents when they scolded her last night for coming home late
from the party.

72 Any Old How

Meanin Untidily; Without any special care
g
Ex. She throws all her dresses and books into her room any old how.
73 Apple of Discord
Meanin A cause of dispute
g
Ex. Water dispute is the apple of discord between Pakistan and India since their inception.

74 Apple of One’s Eye

Meanin A treasured possession or person
g
Ex. Salma is the apple of her mother’s eye; that is why she never lets her daughter go
anywhere without her.

75 Arm in Arm
Meanin Walking with linked arms (in a friendly manner)
g
Ex. Both friends were crossing the corridor arm in arm, chatting with each other.

76 As A Matter of Course
Meanin Used to say that something will happen as usual
g
Ex. It is a matter of course that her father would pay the bill for the restaurant after dinner.

77 As Bold as Brass
Meanin Having no modesty
g
Ex. Pakistan’s army prepared its soldiers as bold as brass for the tough defence competition at
the borders.

78 As Different as Chalk from Cheese

Meanin Very different
g
Ex. Her method of delivering the lecture is as different as chalk from cheese.

79 As Dull as Ditchwater
Meanin Uninteresting
g
Ex. The movie in the theatre was as dull as ditchwater last night.
80 As the Crow Flies
Meanin Directly; Without stopping or deviation
g
Ex. After having left Naran early in the morning, we reached Lahore late at night just as the
crow flies.

81 At a Loss
Meanin Uncertain
g
Ex. Bisma got so excited after the publication of her work that she was at a loss for words.

82 At a Stone’s Throw
Meanin Very near
g
Ex. There is a pond at a stone’s throw from her house, yet she is not allowed to go there alone.

83 At a Stretch
Meanin Continuously
g
Ex. She has been working in the kitchen at a stretch since morning.

84 At All Costs or Any Cost

Meanin No matter the price or effort involved
g
Ex. The aspirants have to follow a strict routine at all costs to complete their daily tasks for
better exam preparation.

85 At All Events
Meanin In any case.
g
Ex. The country’s government should formulate and implement pragmatic policies at official
levels to curb the menace of corruption prevalent in the country.

86 At Arm’s Length
Meanin Avoid being very friendly with someone or something.
g
Ex. Due to her trust issues, she keeps everyone at arm’s length.

87 At Bay
Meanin Keep someone at a distance; Be defensive
g
Ex. Pakistan’s army always kept the Indian attackers at bay.

88 At Best
Meanin Taking an optimistic view; The best estimate
g
Ex. At best, the basic commodities’ price would not hike in the market this year.

89 At Crack of Dawn
Meanin Early in the morning
g
Ex. She goes for a walk after reciting the Holy Quran at crack of dawn every day.

90 At Dagger’s Drawn
Meanin In hostility
g
Ex. Russia and Ukraine were at daggers drawn for many years, which has now resulted in a full-
scale war.

91 At Death’s Door
Meanin Close to dying
g
Ex. The opponents gave him poison, which led him to death’s door. But luckily, he is safe and
healthy now.

92 At Home
Meanin Comfortable
g
Ex. She would feel at home after some days in her new city.

93 At Large
Meanin Free; On the loose
g
Ex. Many criminals are at large due to the lack of accountability in the country.

94 At Length
Meanin In detail
g
Ex. She delivered the lecture at length to the whole class.

95 At Random
Meanin Unsystematically
g
Ex. Kashifa piled up all her books at random on the desk.

96 At Sea
Meanin Confused
g
Ex. I was at sea when confronted with the Current Affairs question paper, for I have never
studied the subject.

97 At Sixes and Sevens

Meanin A state of confusion
g
Ex. Go to sleep. You will be unable to work when you are sleep deprived and at sixes and
sevens.

98 At Stake
Meanin At risk
g
Ex. Sahir’s life was at stake, but he ran after the thief to get the money back from the latter.

99 At the Eleventh Hour

Meanin At the last moment
g
Ex. Please don’t submit your work at the eleventh hour. Anything can go wrong with
technology, leading you to a loss.

100 Bad Blood

Meanin Animosity
g
Ex. The bad blood between the two families brought about the tragic end of Romeo and Juliet.

101 Bad Debts

Meanin Debts that are not expected to be paid by the customer
g
Ex. A business went bankrupt due to significant bad debts.
102 Bad Shot
Meanin A wrong guess at something
g
Ex. When Sandy hit a bad shot, he immediately tries to cover up.

103 Bag and Baggage

Meanin Belongings
g
Ex. I took my bag and baggage and left for Hunza.

104 Balance of Mind

Meanin Mental health
g
Ex. Amna has lost her balance of mind due to severe depression.

105 Be All Over (Someone)

Meanin To treat someone with care and affection
g
Ex. I hate Milli being all over me because she irritates me a lot.

106 Be at the Bottom of

Meanin To cause something (usually bad)
g
Ex. The lust for power is at the bottom of all the ongoing political turmoil in Pakistan.

107 Be Staring (Someone) in the Face

Meanin Obviously visible to someone
g
Ex. I stared my boss in the face and threw my resignation paper towards him.

108 Bear Fruit

Meanin To give positive results
g
Ex. I strongly believe his tireless hard work would bear fruit.

109 Bear the Brunt

Meanin Bear the burden of something
g
Ex. I had to bear the brunt of the carelessness of my teammate after losing the game.

110 Beat about the Bush

Meanin To talk vaguely, rather than to the point
g
Ex. I am fed up with his habit of beating around the bush instead of answering my questions.

111 Beauty and the Beast

Meanin A beautiful woman with an ugly male partner
g
Ex. The couple is famous for the beauty and the beast, but the wife finds her husband the most
handsome man in the world.

112 Beck and Call

Meanin Ready to obey someone’s orders
g
Ex. She is always at her husband’s beck and calls without questioning him.

113 Behind One’s Back

Meanin Without someone’s knowledge or consent
g
Ex. Aly’s team member left no stone unturned to convince the organizers to replace her in the
match behind her back.

114 Behind the Scene

Meanin Secretly
g
Ex. The people who help others behind the scenes are real heroes.

115 Below the Belt

Meanin Immoral
g
Ex. Marry made a joke about Ken’s obesity in public, which was below the belt.

116 Better Half

Meanin Partner; Spouse
g
Ex. He introduced his better half at the party last night for the first time after his marriage.
117 Beyond Question
Meanin Obvious; Certain
g
Ex. The way Ahmed has taken the business to its peak in no time, his hard work and passion
are beyond question.

118 Bird of a Passage

Meanin Traveller
g
Ex. Since he is a landscape photographer, being a bird of passage is the compulsion of his
profession.

119 Bird-Eye View

Meanin An aerial view; A general view
g
Ex. On our Photowalk with Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab, we got a chance to
have a bird’s eye view of the whole walled city of Lahore through Minar-e-Pakistan.

120 Birds of a Feather

Meanin People of similar interests
g
Ex. After noticing the two friends doing everything together, I started believing the fact that
the birds of a feather flock together.

121 Bide One’s Time

Meanin To wait for a good opportunity
g
Ex. Iqra has wasted two years biding her time, but she could not find a good job.

122 Bite One’s Tongue Off

Meanin To regret having said something
g
Ex. Politicians often have to bite their tongues off after making false accusations.

123 Bite the Bullet

Meanin To decide to do something difficult or unpleasant that one has been putting off or
g hesitating over
Ex. My children decided to bite the bullet and clean their rooms so they could go to the park.
124 Black and White
Meanin Used to indicate something written
g
Ex. Please send me the application in black and white. I cannot accept any verbal request.

125 Black Someone’s Eye

Meanin To bruise someone’s eye
g
Ex. Arif punched Aslam so hard that he blacked his eye.

126 Blaze the Trail

Meanin To work hard to promote a cause
g
Ex. Elon Musk has blazed the trail in the advancement of technology.

127 Bleed One White

Meanin To take all of the money someone has
g
Ex. The contractor would have bled the department white, but, fortunately, he was
apprehended in time.

128 Blessing in Disguise

Meanin Something negative unexpectedly gives a positive outcome
g
Ex. The Congress Ministries of 1937-1939 proved a blessing in disguise for the Muslims of the
sub-continent.

129 Blind Alley

Meanin A wrong or fruitless direction
g
Ex. The CID turned out to be in a blind alley in its investigation of the labyrinth crime.

130 Blind Date

Meanin Meeting of two people who have not previously met
g
Ex. Milli had a blind date with her fiance; therefore, she was very nervous.
131 Blood and Iron
Meanin Military compulsion; The force of armies
g
Ex. The boot marks in the dust smelt of blood and iron.

132 Blood is Thicker Than Water

Meanin Family relationships and loyalties are the strongest and most important ones
g
Ex. Although blood is thicker than water, I supported my brother’s opponent because he was
right.

133 Blow Hot and Cold

Meanin Constantly change one’s mood from one of enthusiasm to one of apathy
g
Ex. The media, meanwhile, has blown hot and cold on the affair.

134 Blow One’s Own Trumpet

Meanin To praise oneself
g
Ex. He just doesn’t stop blowing his own trumpet about being a professional and world-famous
guitarist.

135 Blue Blood

Meanin Aristocratic descent
g
Ex. The princess’ blue blood did not stop her from having a soft corner for her slaves.

136 Bolt from the Blue

Meanin An unexpected and surprising event
g
Ex. His failure was a bolt from the blue for him as he had never seen a failure in his life.

137 Bone Idle

Meanin Very lazy
g
Ex. Her sister is bone idle. She never even gets up to get a glass of water for herself.

138 Bread and Butter

Meanin Material welfare; What sustains life
g
Ex. His bread and butter depend upon his going to the factory every day.

139 Break the Ice

Meanin Put people at ease with each other
g
Ex. She is very good at breaking the ice at new committee meetings because of her friendly and
engaging nature.

140 Break the News

Meanin Announce the news (usually bad news)
g
Ex. The doctors broke the news of their son’s illness to them.

141 Bring Home

Meanin Make one realise something
g
Ex. Her misconduct was brought home to her; however, she started playing the victim card to
steer clear of the situation.

142 Burn Midnight Oil

Meanin To work hard or study until late at night
g
Ex. CSS aspirants burn the midnight oil for months before exams.

143 Burn the Candle at Both Ends

Meanin Work all day and far into the night
g
Ex. He is burning the candle at both ends just to become capable enough of supporting his
family.

144 By and By
Meanin Soon; After a short while
g
Ex. By and by, the couple started to get used to living with each other without fighting all the
time.
145 By Dint of
Meanin As a result of
g
Ex. By dint of hard work, Samina landed the job of her dreams.

146 By Fits and Starts

Meanin Irregularly
g
Ex. If you work by fits and starts, you are not going to reach anywhere in life.

147 By Hook or by Crook

Meanin By fair means or fouls
g
Ex. They decided to flee the country by hook or by crook.

148 By Means of
Meanin By using something
g
Ex. By means of power, he can do whatever he wants in his life.

149 By Return of Post

Meanin By the very next post
g
Ex. You should have informed your boss of your absence by the return of post.

150 By the Order of the Day

Meanin Something which happens frequently or commonly
g
Ex. Using sunblock and goggles is the order of the day if you are going on snowy mountains.

151 By Word of Mouth

Meanin Orally
g
Ex. The news of their leader’s death has, yet, spread by word of mouth, but it has to be
confirmed.

152 Call a Spade a Spade

Meanin Speak plainly; Say precisely what one means
g
Ex. To some, her quality of calling a spade a spade might be annoying, but to others, it is
something quite praiseworthy.

153 Call Attention to

Meanin Draw attention to
g
Ex. I have to call the Prime Minister’s attention to the topic of climate change, for it is one of
the most discussed and crucial problems of the day.

154 Call to Account

Meanin Demand an explanation
g
Ex. The boss called the whole team to account, and – in the end – the culprit was caught.

155 Carried Away

Meanin Overcome by emotion
g
Ex. I get carried away whenever I see his interviews where he has told his painful journey to
success.

156 Carry Weight

Meanin Influence; Strength
g
Ex. Her argument does carry weight, for she is well-read in the subject.

157 Cast Pearls before Swine

Meanin Offer valuable things to people who do not appreciate them
g
Ex. To ask her to study is to cast pearls before swine. She is way too occupied with flaunting
her father’s money.

158 Chain Smoker

Meanin A person who smokes continuously
g
Ex. He used to be a chain smoker, but – thankfully – he has been making improvements in his
 lifestyle now.

159 Change One’s Tunes

Meanin Adopt a different attitude
g
Ex. The way she changes her tune with her boss is so deceptive because all I have seen her do
is misbehave.

160 Cheek by Jowl

Meanin In close proximity
g
Ex. The two planes flew by cheek and jowl and made the ground control scared of a collision.

161 Child’s Play

Meanin Something very easy
g
Ex. After months of practice, writing has become a child’s play for her.

162 Close One’s Eyes to (Something)

Meanin To ignore something, especially something blameworthy
g
Ex. The boss has closed her eyes to Rameen’s bad behaviour.

163 Cold Reception

Meanin Lacking in warmth and affection
g
Ex. She is a babysitter, so she needs to be affectionate. I don’t understand how she might
manage her job with her cold reception.

164 Cold War

Meanin Unfriendly relationship between two nations but with no military engagement
g
Ex. The US is in a cold war with many countries around the globe.
165 Come into Line
Meanin Agree
g
Ex. It is not important that all team members always come into line while making a decision.
They might often disagree, but they do it respectfully.

166 Come to Light

Meanin Be Discovered
g
Ex. Her misconduct has come to light after months of her mentally torturing her teammates.

167 Come to the Point

Meanin Speak directly
g
Ex. Please come to the point and do not waste the committee’s time.

168 Crocodile Tears

Meanin Hypocritical tears shed by an unfeeling person
g
Ex. I cannot explain in words how much her crocodile tears annoy us all.

169 Cupboard Love

Meanin Affection springing from an interested motive
g
Ex. Rohail’s cupboard love for Imad springs from the former’s ill motives. He wants to gain
fame by befriending Imad.

170 Curtain Lectures

Meanin Private admonitions were given by a wife to her husband
g
Ex. The husband had to give his wife curtain lectures for misbehaving at the party.
171 Cut One’s Own Throat
Meanin Act so as to ruin oneself
g
Ex. Her bad attitude doesn’t hurt others as much as it cuts her own throat. She just has not
realized it yet.

172 Dirt Cheap

Meanin At an excessively low price
g
Ex. It was surprising that their house was dirt cheap.

173 Dispose of
Meanin To get rid of
g
Ex. Please dispose of the used syringes.

174 Do (someone’s) Heart Good

Meanin To give (someone) a feeling of pleasure
g
Ex. I love doing someone’s heart good in these testing times.

175 Dog Cheap

Meanin Very cheap
g
Ex. Substandard clothes are dog-cheap in the market.

176 Dog One’s Footsteps

Meanin Constantly follow one, as a dog follows close to its master’s heels
g
Ex. Fame has been dogging her footsteps wherever she goes in the world.

177 Dot and Carry One

Meanin Irregularly
g
Ex. His pulse went dot and carry one after listening to the death news of his father.
178 Double-Dealing
Meanin Duplicity; Trickery
g
Ex. I am sick of Rida’s double-dealing; she would always play the victim card after doing bad
with others.

179 Draw the Line at

Meanin Set limits
g
Ex. She has to draw a line at her attitude, or it will get her in trouble one day.

180 Drop a Line

Meanin Send a brief letter or note
g
Ex. Please drop my boss a line that I would not be able to attend the conference.

181 Drop in the Ocean

Meanin A meagre, negligible contribution when a huge amount is needed
g
Ex. His sister’s contribution, although was a drop in the ocean for the loan he had to pay back,
meant a lot to him.

182 Dutch Courage

Meanin Courage that results from indulgence in strong drink
g
Ex. Dutch courage will not stay long. It will be over as soon as you are sober.

183 Eat One’s Heart Out

Meanin To make oneself ill by being unhappy by longing for something one cannot have
g
Ex. Her rejection of the Fulbright scholarship has made her eat her heart out.

184 Every Dog Has His Day

Meanin The period of enjoyment allowed to any creature is a short one
g
Ex. Don’t be sad at your rejection, for every dog has his day.
185 Every Now and Then
Meanin Frequently
g
Ex. Every now and then, I go visit my grandparents in Lahore.

186 Eye Wash

Meanin Deceit
g
Ex. The whole interview process is nothing but an eye-wash. Selected candidates have already
been informed of their selection.

187 Eye-Opener
Meanin Circumstances, etc. that bring enlightenment and surprise
g
Ex. His bank’s going bankrupt was an eye-opener for him, for he started working hard
afterwards.

188 Face the Music

Meanin Face trouble or unpleasant consequences of one’s conduct
g
Ex. I asked you to stay away from cheating in the exams. Now that you have been caught, face
the music.

189 Fair and Square

Meanin Honest
g
Ex. Let’s have a fair and square deal and involve no third parties who could deceive us.

190 Family Tree

Meanin A chart showing someone’s ancestry
g
Ex. The family tree of humanity starts from the Prophet Adam PBUH.

191 Far from

Meanin Not at all; By no means
g
Ex. Do not, in any circumstances, believe her. All she says is far from the truth.

192 Feel in One’s Bones

Meanin To know by intuition without having any proof
g
Ex. The mother felt it in her bones when her child in America was shot.

193 Feel Run Down

Meanin Feel depressed or exhausted
g
Ex. I am feeling run down after coming back from the tour.

194 Flesh and Blood

Meanin Human nature
g
Ex. Although she was not his flesh and blood, Mr. Abdul Quddoos loved Alia like his real
daughter.

195 Flog a Dead Horse

Meanin Waste one’s efforts on something that is already decided
g
Ex. Stop flogging a dead horse. This plan has already been decided.

196 Fly off at a Tangent

Meanin Suddenly introduce a new or irrelevant topic into the discussion
g
Ex. She is so uninterested in the meeting that she keeps flying off at a tangent.

197 Follow in Someone’s Footsteps

Meanin Do as someone else did before
g
Ex. We should follow in the Sahaba’s footsteps if we are to gain success in this life and the
hereafter.

198 For Better Or Worse

Meanin Whatever the result may be
g
Ex. We have already spent a month travelling to find the agent; now, for better or for worse,
we have to continue our journey.

199 For Good

Meanin Forever
g
Ex. After getting deceived by his brothers, Aslam left his house for good.

200 For Nothing

Meanin No real purpose
g
Ex. The company they are working for does not even exist, so all their efforts are for nothing.

201 For the Sake of

Meanin For someone
g
Ex. I do not give donations to get fame; I just help the poor for the sake of humanity.

202 From the Bottom of One’s Heart

Meanin Sincerely
g
Ex. Ali wants to thank you from the bottom of his heart for helping him get through hard times.

203 Generation Gap

Meanin The difference between the attitudes of young and old people
g
Ex. Lack of communication and interaction widens the generation gap.

204 Get (Something) Across

Meanin To be or make (something) understood
g
Ex. I have to try harder to get the idea across to my students that they are responsible for their
own learning.

205 Get off the Track

Meanin Be diverted from the main subject of discussion
g
Ex. Do not get off track; we are looking at CSS past papers not guess papers.

206 Get on Someone’s Nerves

Meanin Irritate someone
g
Ex. Alia’s husband got on her nerves all the time.

207 Get the Better of

Meanin Overcome
g
Ex. Alina refuses to let circumstances get the better of her.

208 Get to the Bottom of

Meanin To discover the explanation of the real facts of (a mystery, etc.)
g
Ex. Police can get to the bottom of a case for me.

209 Get to the Core of Something

Meanin Examine thoroughly
g
Ex. Scientists have been trying to get to the core of the changing magnetic field of the planet.

210 Give (Someone) the Benefit of the Doubt

Meanin To assume that (someone) is innocent or is telling the truth because there is not enough
g evidence to be sure that he is not
Ex. The captain gave him the benefit of the doubt.

211 Give Birth to

Meanin Bring into the world; Produce
g
Ex. My sister has just given birth to a daughter.

212 Give Ears to

Meanin Pay attention
g
Ex. Ali should give ear to what his father has to say.
213 Give Rise to
Meanin Cause to happen
g
Ex. Unemployment is possibly the single greatest factor that increases the crime rate and
public discontentment.

214 Give the Game Away

Meanin Reveal someone’s plans
g
Ex. Sherlock is so smart that he would never give the game away even under extreme pressure.

215 Give up the Ghost

Meanin To die
g
Ex. My old air cooler has finally given up the ghost.

216 Go All Lengths

Meanin Use every effort
g
Ex. Mona goes to all lengths to avoid doing work.

217 Go by the Book

Meanin Follow or administer rules strictly
g
Ex. My friend is often careful about going by the book when it comes to practising English
writing.

218 Go Like a Bird

Meanin Usually without resistance, difficulty
g
Ex. With persistence and hard work, she went through all difficulties like a bird and achieved
her goals.

219 Go Like a Bomb

Meanin To move very fast; To sell extremely well; To be very successful
g
Ex. The wedding ceremony went like a bomb, and everybody enjoyed themselves.

220 Go of the Deep End

Meanin Lose one’s temper
g
Ex. Zahid does not go off the deep end even when his childhood friend deceived him.

221 Go Out of One’s Way

Meanin Take extra pain or unnecessary trouble
g
Ex. Zaineb frequently goes out of her way to help people in need.

222 Go with the Crowd

Meanin Follow the popular opinion or fashion
g
Ex. Minahil was never one to follow the crowd, so we were not surprised when she dropped
out of college to start her own cosmetics business.

223 Go Wrong
Meanin Malfunction
g
Ex. The medical project failed, but I do not know what went wrong.

224 Good Wine Needs No Bush

Meanin A good thing requires no advertisement, it commends itself
g
Ex. The project Sir Syed Kazim Ali has initiated is so excellent that it needs no ad campaign, just
as good wine needs no bush.

225 Hang One’s Head

Meanin To look ashamed or embarrassed
g
Ex. Hamza hung his head in shame over his failure.

226 Hard and Fast

Meanin Rigid
g
Ex. There is no hard and fast rule to joining the basic grammar session.

227 Have a Bone to Pick

Meanin Have a cause of complaint
g
Ex. I have a bone to pick with you, Ania; I heard how you spoke ill about me at the ceremony
last night.

228 Have a Face Like a Fiddle

Meanin Not to look cheerful or happy
g
Ex. Sohail had a face as long as a fiddle after learning he had failed his CSS exam.

229 Have a Knack for

Meanin Special ability or cleverness to do something skilful
g
Ex. Ali has a knack for making girlfriends.

230 Have Bats in the Belfry

Meanin To be lightly (but harmlessly) insane
g
Ex. Ahsan must have bats in the belfry if he thinks he can convince his father to let him get a
tattoo for his birthday.

231 Have Butterflies (in One’s Stomach)

Meanin To feel a fluttering sensation in one’s insides as a result of nervousness
g
Ex. I used to get butterflies in my stomach before organic chemistry tests.

232 Have One’s Back to the Wall

Meanin To be in a very difficult or desperate situation
g
Ex. Mani finds himself with his back to the wall now that lenders are coming after him for more
money than he makes.

233 Have the Best of Both Worlds

Meanin To benefit from the best features of two different sets of circumstances
g
Ex. Shams had the best of both worlds; he worked as an ordinary member of the industry but
spent a lot of time with the managers.

234 Have the Brass Neck to Do Something

Meanin To be sufficiently shameless and impudent (to do something unacceptable)
g
Ex. My in-laws have got a brass neck to ask me to get a day off when I am so busy.

235 Head Or Tail

Meanin Any sense
g
Ex. Aliha’s handwriting was so bad that we could not make head or tail out of it.

236 Heave in Sight

Meanin To appear
g
Ex. All the friends had been walking for hours in the barren desert when finally a small town
heaved in sight.

237 High and Dry

Meanin In a dry place; Safe
g
Ex. When Fatima missed the last bus home, she was left high and dry and had to walk home in
the rain.

238 Hold No Brief for

Meanin Not to have any reason to support or speak in favour of
g
Ex. This website holds no brief for a coach that has done nothing to distinguish himself in the
past.

239 Hold out a Carrot

Meanin To encourage someone to do something by promising a reward
g
Ex. Universities hold out a carrot in the name of scholarships to entice students.

240 Hue and Cry

Meanin Noise
g
Ex. A terrific hue and cry were raised against the new curriculum policies.

241 Hush Money

Meanin Money paid to hush up some matter so that it does not become public
g
Ex. He claimed that the minister had offered him hush money to keep their corruption a secret.
242 In a Body
Meanin All together
g
Ex. The cops moved swiftly in a body towards the building.

243 In a Nutshell
Meanin In brief; In a word
g
Ex. I am sorry to interrupt you, but could you please give me your project summary?

244 In the State of Nature

Meanin Naked
g
Ex. The spa is located in a suburb of the state so that guests can enjoy their vacation in a state
of nature.

245 In Cold Blood

Meanin Planned and done without exciting passion
g
Ex. This case involved a twelve-year-old girl shot in cold blood as she sat alone at the roadside.

246 In Consequence of
Meanin As a result of
g
Ex. Hamid lost a lot of money as a consequence of some risky business deals and investments.

247 In Deep Water

Meanin In difficulties or trouble
g
Ex. Having lost his child’s passport, he is now in deep water.

248 In Full Swing

Meanin At its busiest; Busy and thronged
g
Ex. The wedding ceremony was in full swing by the time he arrived.

249 In Good Faith

Meanin Trusting
g
Ex. Hania was acting in good faith for her patients.

250 In One’s Favor

Meanin For one’s benefit
g
Ex. I hope the final decision of the court will be in my favour.

251 In Quest of
Meanin In search of
g
Ex. The geologists went on a quest for minerals and metals.

252 In the Air

Meanin Being talked about
g
Ex. Everything is up in the air, but the final decision seems nowhere in sight.

253 In the Long Run

Meanin In the end
g
Ex. All my hard work will be worth it in the long run once I have qualified for the CSS exams.

254 In the Nick of Time

Meanin Just in time
g
Ex. The cops arrived in the nick of time to arrest the murderer.

255 In the Same Boat

Meanin In the same, usually difficult position or circumstances
g
Ex. My dear friend, do not despair; you are one of the millions in the same boat of poverty.

256 In the Seventh Heaven

Meanin Extremely happy
g
Ex. Iqra was in seventh heaven when she received the acceptance letter to the Civil Services
Academy.
257 In the Twinkling of an Eye
Meanin In an instant
g
Ex. Zain was back from the market in the twinkling of an eye.

258 In the Wake of

Meanin Following close upon
g
Ex. The jury was set up in the wake of the investigation of a murder case.

259 Jump the Queue

Meanin Push oneself in front of a queue, in order to get on to a vehicle or to get served with goods
g before one’s turn
Ex. Hadi jumped the queue at the ticket counter to buy tickets for an old lady.

260 Keep a Secret

Meanin Not tell anyone else
g
Ex. Everyone knows that Nimra can not keep a secret.

261 Keep an Eye (on)

Meanin To watch over
g
Ex. You need to keep your eye on the milk so that it does not bubble over.

262 Keep Hold of

Meanin Not let go
g
Ex. The mother told her kid to keep hold of her hand while they visited the market.

263 Keep One’s Ear to the Ground

Meanin To pay attention to all that is happening around one
g
Ex. I know Zain is keeping his ear to the ground in case word got out about the property
papers.

264 Keep One’s Temper

Meanin Not get angry
g
Ex. Amna is so humble, but it is hard to keep her temper with the kids after being kept awake
by them all night long.

265 Keep One’s Word

Meanin Abide by promises one has made
g
Ex. Bazil always keeps his word, so if he has promised to help you move, he will be there.

266 Kick up (a Row, a Fuss, etc.)

Meanin Make a noise or a fuss
g
Ex. At Metro stores, if you kick up a fuss about a product that did not meet your expectations,
you will almost definitely get a refund.

267 Kith and Kin

Meanin Friends and relations
g
Ex. We are gathered here with kith and kin to celebrate our son’s wedding dinner.

268 Know All Answers

Meanin To be in complete command of a situation and perfectly able to deal with any
g developments, especially if too proud of this ability
Ex. Ali thinks he knows all the answers to every situation.

269 Lame Excuse

Meanin Unsatisfactory reasons given to defend one’s conduct
g
Ex. When the manager asked him why he was late, he just gave lame excuses about his alarm
clock not going off.

270 Lay One’s Cards on the Table

Meanin Reveal one’s true intentions
g
Ex. Sherlock would never lay his cards on the table. You could be his best friend and not know
what he is up to when a case comes along.

271 Lay the Corner Stone

Meanin To make a regular beginning
g
Ex. The chancellor held a ceremony to lay the cornerstone for a new library.

272 Learn One’s Lesson

Meanin Reform after experiencing the consequences of mistakes
g
Ex. I have certainly learned my lesson about buying from daraz online store.

273 Lend One’s Name to

Meanin Allow it to be quoted in support or in favour of
g
Ex. My company lends its name to one of the biggest poultry seminars in the country.

274 Let the Cat out of the Bag

Meanin To explain a mystery
g
Ex. How did the manager find out we were planning a surprise party for him? Who let the cat
out of the bag?

275 Lick Someone’s Boots

Meanin To flatter (someone) and do everything he or she wants
g
Ex. Ali is just the manager’s assistant; there is no need to lick his boots.

276 Like a Ton of Bricks

Meanin Immediately and heavily
g
Ex. The sudden unemployment and rent increase hit him like a ton of bricks.

277 Like Clockwork

Meanin Very smoothly and without faults or problems
g
Ex. Everything is going like clockwork, so we should be ready to start the project by the end of
the year.

278 Like Getting Blood out of a Stone

Meanin (Usually of obtaining something) very difficult
g
Ex. It is like getting blood out of a stone to get money back after returning online shopped
items.

279 Like One’s Bread Buttered on Both Sides

Meanin To want to live etc. in great comfort or luxury
g
Ex. The manager wants his bread buttered on both sides, secretly investing in fast food
companies while publicly backing poultry production initiatives to gain popular support.

280 Like the Back End of a Bus

Meanin Very unattractive
g
Ex. Aina looks like the back end of a bus, but she is really kind, sweet, and intelligent.

281 Long Hours

Meanin The hours like ten, eleven, and twelve, which require the greatest number of strokes of the
g clock
Ex. Our teacher is used to working long hours.

282 Look Blue

Meanin Be sad or depressed
g
Ex. My brother looked blue when he saw a thief before him.

283 Look on the Bright Side

Meanin To be optimistic
g
Ex. Your mother is very sick right now, but try to look on the bright side; she can be treated
with medicine.

284 Lose Heart

Meanin To become discouraged
g
Ex. We should never lose heart, even in the face of adversity.

285 Lose One’s Marbles

Meanin To become insane
g
Ex. When he started ranting about how the government was out to get him, I thought he’d lost
 his marbles.

286 Maiden Speech

Meanin One’s first speech
g
Ex. The new young senator from Sindh was about to make her maiden speech and had invited
journalists to interview her.

287 Make a Bolt For It

Meanin Run away suddenly
g
Ex. Ali’s brother kept a tight grip on his collar, in case he should make a bolt for the door.

288 Make a Clean Breast of

Meanin To make a full confession
g
Ex. Zain will feel better if he makes a clean breast of his theft.

289 Make a Clean Sweep

Meanin To get rid of everything unnecessary or unwanted
g
Ex. In an effort to clean the store room, we need to make a clean sweep and throw all the junk
out.

290 Make a Fool of

Meanin Trick him
g
Ex. My mother advised me not to let him make a fool of me.

291 Make a Hit

Meanin Score; Make a success
g
Ex. The whole band started working on the second album with the sole intention of making a
hit.

292 Make a Mouth (at)

Meanin Make a wry face as in contempt
g
Ex. When he saw the child puke in the van, he made a mouth at him.
293 Make a Noise about
Meanin Talk or complain in order to attention
g
Ex. She knows how to make a noise and claim police harassment.

294 Make a Scene

Meanin Create an embarrassing situation by displaying emotion
g
Ex. My parents always make a scene with their fighting wherever we go for a trip.

295 Make Allowances for (Someone)

Meanin To judge (someone) less severely, or require (them) to do less well than other people
g
Ex. The company makes allowances for the new employees’ lack of experience.

296 Make Amends

Meanin To do something to improve the situation after doing something wrong, stupid, etc.
g
Ex. Hashir wanted to make amends for causing his marriage to fail.

297 Make Eyes at

Meanin Look lovingly at
g
Ex. Ali was making eyes at her from across the room.

298 Make One’s Mark

Meanin Become distinguished
g
Ex. Anum set out to make her mark as a CSP officer.

299 Make One’s Point

Meanin Present opinions convincingly
g
Ex. Dr. Iqra studied one-hundred migraine patients aged eighteen to sixty to prove her point.

300 Make Someone’s Blood Boil

Meanin To make (someone) very angry
g
Ex. The opposition’s hate-filled speeches make the government’s blood boil.

301 Make Someone’s Blood Run Cold

Meanin To frighten or horrify (someone) very much
g
Ex. The rage in his eyes made her blood cold.

302 Make up One’s Mind

Meanin Decide
g
Ex. She made up her mind to become a doctor.

303 Make Time

Meanin To schedule time to see someone or do something
g
Ex. He made time in his busy schedule and decided to visit his students on their insistence.

304 Mean Business

Meanin Be in earnest
g
Ex. He is working very hard and really means business when he says he is going to get the
office organized.

305 Meet Halfway

Meanin Compromise
g
Ex. He is very stubborn; thus, he is never willing to meet his friends halfway.

306 Neat as a Pin

Meanin Very neat and tidy
g
Ex. She keeps her house as neat as pin.

307 Neck and Neck

Meanin Keen and close
g
Ex. The two teams were neck and neck in the race to win the national championship.
308 Never Say Die
Meanin Don’t despair
g
Ex. It doesn’t look good for the team, but never say die.

309 Now and Then

Meanin Occasionally
g
Ex. He likes to go to that restaurant now and then.

310 Null and Void

Meanin Ineffective
g
Ex. The order was therefore held null and void.

311 Of Late
Meanin Recently
g
Ex. He has been feeling unwell of late, so we have advised him to take a break from work and
spend some time with his family.

312 Of No Avail
Meanin Of no use
g
Ex. We tried to keep him alive but of no avail.

313 Of One’s Own Accord

Meanin Of one’s free will
g
Ex. I wish that Sally would choose to do a job of her own accord, rather than due to her
husband’s insistence.

314 Off and On

Meanin Irregularly
g
Ex. He`s been seeing the woman off and on but I don`t think that their relationship is very
serious.
315 On the Contrary
Meanin On the other hand
g
Ex. It wasn’t a good thing; on the contrary, it was a huge mistake.

316 On the Eve Of

Meanin The day before
g
Ex. I felt sick on the eve of the race.

317 On the Horns of a Dilemma

Meanin In a critical situation
g
Ex. Joe found himself on the horns of dilemma.

318 On the Verge Of

Meanin Very nearly
g
Ex. The company was on the verge of going bankrupt due to corrupt employees.

319 Once for All

Meanin Finally
g
Ex. Of all the things she felt, she feared he’d reject her once and for all.

320 Open Secret

Meanin Supposedly secret fact known to many people
g
Ex. It’s an open secret that the security service bugged telephones.

321 Out and Out

Meanin Completely
g
Ex. The whole project was out an out disaster.

322 Out of Bounds

Meanin Outside the permitted area or limits
g
Ex. when the ball would be hit out of bounds by my side, I could not move past the lines to go
get it.

323 Out of Date

Meanin Obsolete
g
Ex. My supplements are out of date, I’ll have to go buy a new ones.

324 Out of One’s Mind

Meanin Insane
g
Ex. She was out of her mind in sorrow.

325 Out of Order

Meanin Not in a working condition
g
Ex. This coffee machine is out of order, so don’t put coins in it.

326 Out of Sorts

Meanin Unwell
g
Ex. I’ve been feeling tired and generally out of sorts.

327 Out of Stock

Meanin Not available for sale
g
Ex. The is a fast-selling item and can go out of stock quickly.

328 Out of the Frying Pan into the Fire

Meanin From a bad position into a worse one
g
Ex. I have changed schools due to a toxic environment, but going to this one is like jumping out
of the frying pan into the fire.

329 Out of the Question

Meanin Impossible; Not to be discussed at all
g
Ex. Wearing a stained blouse to dinner was the out of question.
330 Over and Above
Meanin Besides
g
Ex. I’ll need another twenty dollars over and above the amount you have already given me.

331 Over and Over Again

Meanin Repeatedly
g
Ex. I have told him over and over again that I would not be going, but he won’t listen.

332 Over Head and Ears

Meanin Completely
g
Ex. They were overhead and ears in debt, so they decided to flee the country.

333 Pass Away

Meanin Die
g
Ex. The director of the company passed away last week.

334 Pave the Way

Meanin Make conditions easy
g
Ex. The discovery of the X-ray machine paved the way for the development of new effective
treatments.

335 Pay Through the Nose

Meanin Pay very dearly
g
Ex. If you visit any major city these days, you better be prepared to pay through the nose for a
hotel room.

336 Plain Sailing

Meanin A trouble-free course of action
g
Ex. The first few months were difficult, but I think it’s plain sailing from here on.
337 Play with Fire
Meanin To do something dangerous or risky
g
Ex. You would play with fire if you try to cheat on the test.

338 Pluck Up Courage

Meanin Become brave
g
Ex. He finally plucked up the courage to ask her out on a date.

339 Point Blank

Meanin Bluntly; At close range
g
Ex. He fired the gun from point-blank range.

340 Presence of Mind

Meanin Ability to think calmly in a crisis
g
Ex. The child showed great presence of mind by grabbing the falling baby.

341 Pull One’s Legs

Meanin Impose upon; Try for a joke; To make someone believe something that is untrue
g
Ex. I panicked when he said the test was tomorrow, but then I realized he was just pulling my
leg.

342 Pull the Strings

Meanin Do something from behind; Be the hidden cause of something
g
Ex. It turned out that his brother was the person pulling the strings behind the operation.

343 Put an End To

Meanin Stop; Abolish
g
Ex. The new mayor vowed to put an end to the violence.

344 Put One Across On (Someone)

Meanin To deceive or play a trick on (someone)
g
Ex. These two guys might think themselves smart, but they would have to get up very early in
the morning to put one across to him

345 Put Somebody in the Picture

Meanin Keep someone informed
g
Ex. I’ll put you in the picture as soon as a final decision has been made.

346 Rank and File

Meanin The important as well as the humble people
g
Ex. The party’s rank and file began to question the prime minister’s choice of advisers.

347 Rat Race

Meanin Competitive struggle in work
g
Ex. Paul got caught up in the rat race and was never at home.

348 Rear Its Ugly Head

Meanin Used of something unpleasant or unwelcome
g
Ex. I knew that the leak we patched would eventually raise its ugly head.

349 Red Tape

Meanin Official formality and delays
g
Ex. She could have finished the project last week, but it was impossible to cut through all the
red tape.

350 Road Test

Meanin The roadworthiness of a vehicle
g
Ex. They are road-testing the car tomorrow.

351 Round the Clock

Meanin The whole day and the whole night
g
Ex. The nanny has been working round the clock.
352 Rub Shoulders (With)
Meanin Be associated with
g
Ex. The awards dinner gave me the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of today’s greatest
American poets.

353 Run Riot

Meanin Act without restraint
g
Ex. I dread them coming here because they let their kids run riot.

354 See with Half an Eye

Meanin To see without difficulty
g
Ex. Susan has a keen eye for detail, so each dress is beautifully finished off.

355 Serve One’s Needs

Meanin Meet one’s requirements
g
Ex. The library serves the needs of the community.

356 Serve One’s Time

Meanin To work as an apprentice for an agreed number of years
g
Ex. The library serves the needs of the community.

357 Set an Example

Meanin To establish a model
g
Ex. Dad was always telling Bill to set a good example for his younger brother.

358 Set Measure To

Meanin Limit
g
Ex. However, with few exceptions, the cottages are styled within the vernacular revival idiom

359 Set Ones Heart On (Something)

Meanin To want (something) very much
g
Ex. Jane set her heart on going to London.

360 Show One’s Face

Meanin Appear in public
g
Ex. Louis stayed in his Harlem apartment for three days after his defeat, too ashamed to show
his face.

361 Show Oneself in True Colors

Meanin To show or express one’s reality
g
Ex. He pretends to be very generous but he showed himself in his true colours when he
refused to give money to charity.

362 Sick at Heart

Meanin Very sorrowful and unhappy
g
Ex. I rise to speak, sick at heart about the dispute

363 Sit On the Fence

Meanin Remain uncommitted
g
Ex. It would be good if you stop sitting on the fence and choose whose side you are on.

364 Smell a Rat

Meanin Suspect something fishy
g
Ex. If I will don’t send a picture, he will smell like a rat.

365 Snake in a Grass

Meanin A treacherous person
g
Ex. While pretending to be your friend he was slandering you behind your back.

366 Sour Grapes

Meanin Disappointment
g
Ex. She said that she and her husband didn’t want to join the club anyway, but it was clearly
sour grapes.

367 Sow Ones Wild Cats

Meanin Enjoy a life of pleasure while young
g
Ex. You can’t sow your wild oats forever! Soon, you’ll want a wife and a house.

368 Speak Daggers

Meanin Express hatred or anger in words or facial expressions
g
Ex. She’s always speaking daggers because she’s so miserable.

369 Speak One’s Mind

Meanin Reveal one’s views frankly
g
Ex. Jenni is very shy, so she does not speak her mind.

370 Split Hairs

Meanin Serve as a strong testimony to
g
Ex. Although we both agreed to divorce, my husband is splitting hairs about our settlement.

371 Start from Scratch

Meanin Start from the beginning
g
Ex. We don’t have a lot of money so we’re going to have to start from scratch.

372 Steal a March on Somebody

Meanin Do something before somebody else, and so gain an advantage
g
Ex. Our rival company managed to steal a march on us by bringing out their software ahead of
ours.

373 Step into Someone’s Shoes

Meanin Succeed someone
g
Ex. No one will be able to fill her shoes after she retires.
374 Stir Up Trouble
Meanin Cause trouble
g
Ex. He has been warned about stirring up trouble on Twitter.

375 Storm in a Tea Cup

Meanin An exaggerated incident
g
Ex. This seems to me to be rather a storm in a teacup.

376 Sweep the Board

Meanin To win everything
g
Ex. Spain swept the board in boys’ team competitions.

377 Take (Someone’s) Mind Off (Something)

Meanin Help someone stop thinking about something
g
Ex. The good thing about running is that it takes my mind off any problems I have.

378 Take a Leaf Out of Someone’s Book

Meanin Follow someone’s example
g
Ex. She is taking a leaf out of her husband’s book by going into television.

379 Take Aback

Meanin To surprise or astonish
g
Ex. When I told him my answer, he seemed taken aback.

380 Take One’s Time

Meanin To use as much time (to do something) as one wants
g
Ex. Take your time and plan your career, rather than haphazardly doing whatever comes your
way.
381 With One’s Tongue in One’s Cheek
Meanin Speaking or writing in an ironic or insincere way
g
Ex. He said that he was a huge fan of Imran Khan although I suspect it was tongue in cheek

382 Take/Carry Coals to Newcastle

Meanin To take something to a place where there is already a great deal of it
g
Ex. You are taking or giving something to someone, which he does not really need. Perhaps, he
already has a lot of it. Giving Kohli a bat on his birthday is like carrying coals to Newcastle.

383 Talk the Hind Leg Off a Donkey

Meanin To talk a great deal and for a long time
g
Ex. She rarely spoke, but her brother could talk the hind legs off a donkey.

384 Tell Apart

Meanin To distinguish
g
Ex. The twins were identical, and we couldn’t tell them apart.

385 Thank One’s Stars

Meanin Be lucky
g
Ex. I thank my lucky stars every day for my wonderful husband.

386 The Breath of One’s Nostrils

Meanin Something as valuable as life itself
g
Ex. He hailed this week’s arms agreement but in the same breath expressed suspicion about
the motivations of the United States.

387 The End of the Line/Road

Meanin The point beyond which one can no longer continue or survive
g
Ex. If one has liquidated all his holdings and spent all that money, he has come to the end of
the line concerning his finances.

388 The Gift of the Gab

Meanin Fluency
g
Ex. She’s got the gift of the gab; she should work in sales and marketing.

389 The Last Straw

Meanin In addition to a task that makes it intolerable
g
Ex. She has been unhappy with him for a long time, but when he crashed her car, it was the
last straw.

390 The Lion’s Share

Meanin The largest portion of anything
g
Ex. My sister grabbed the lion’s share of the pizza.

391 The Long and the Short

Meanin Summary
g
Ex. I could give you a lot of reasons for my decision, but the long and short of it is that I just
don’t want to go.

392 The Man in the Street

Meanin A common man
g
Ex. It was the man on the street who suffered as the value of the currency fell.

393 The Salt of the Earth

Meanin The wholesome portion of a community
g
Ex. Radio is indeed the salt of the earth; life seems dull without it once you get used to it.

394 The Small Hours

Meanin The morning hours after midnight
g
Ex. He left for Lahore in the small hours.

395 Throw Cold Water (On)

Meanin Discourage, To temper the excitement or enthusiasm someone feels about something
g
Ex. Ann always throws cold water on her brother’s idea of initiating a new business.

396 Tip of the Iceberg

Meanin A small evident part or aspect of something largely hidden
g
Ex. After the party, the messy kitchen was the tip of the iceberg; the rest of the house was in
an even bigger mess.

397 To Add Fuel to the Fire

Meanin To make matters worse
g
Ex. Don’t add fuel to the fire by telling his parents about his smoking; they are already very
angry at him for stealing money.

398 To All Appearances

Meanin Seemingly
g
Ex. The giant corporation was, to all appearances, doing quite well, but just last week it filed
for bankruptcy.

399 To and Fro

Meanin In opposite directions
g
Ex. The boat was rocking gently to and fro in the water.

400 To Be at One’s Wits End

Meanin To be too puzzled to know what to do
g
Ex. I’ve tried every possible source without success, and now I’m at my wit’s end.

401 To Be Caught Napping

Meanin To be caught unaware
g
Ex. The security personnel were caught napping when the thieves broke in, so the whole staff
was fired.

402 To Be Caught Red-Handed

Meanin Caught while doing something wrong
g
Ex. The child was caught red-handed while stealing sweets from the cupboard; his mother
grounded him for a week.

403 To Be Dead Certain

Meanin To be very sure
g
Ex. I am dead certain you would never get past level 4 because it has a glitch.

404 To Be On the Wane

Meanin Declining
g
Ex. The moon is on the wane after the 14th of the Lunar calendar.

405 To Be On One’s Last Legs

Meanin To be about to fall, end, or, collapse
g
Ex. The government is on its last legs due to severe political instability in Pakistan.

406 To Be Run Over

Meanin To be crushed
g
Ex. The poor cat was run over by a fast car on the highway.

407 To Be Under a Cloud

Meanin Under suspicion
g
Ex. Zuckerberg is under a cloud ever since allegations of privacy breach against Facebook.

408 To Be Up and Doing

Meanin To be active
g
Ex. I am glad to see her up and doing after the long days and sleepless nights of depression.

409 To Be Well-to-Do
Meanin To be wealthy
g
Ex. The well-to-do family is always found on the go; one day they are in Dubai and the next
 day, in Turkey.

410 To Be Wide Awake

Meanin To be quite alert
g
Ex. I am wide awake now because I have slept continuously for 14 hours.

411 To Be Worth While

Meanin Worth the time or trouble involved
g
Ex. Preparing for the CSS exams is worthwhile, given the perks and privileges coming with the
service.

412 To Bear in Mind

Meanin To remember
g
Ex. Please bear in mind to wear your seat belts at all times to avoid any injuries resulting from
air turbulence.

413 To Bear With

Meanin To be patient with someone
g
Ex. Please bear with me unless I finish my speech so that we can go for lunch together.

414 To Beat a Retreat

Meanin To retire
g
Ex. I had to beat a retreat when I saw my class fellow in the mall, for I do not like interacting
with people from school anywhere.

415 To Beat the Air

Meanin To struggle in vain
g
Ex. Everybody used to tell him that he was beating the air, but he stayed resilient; now, he is
running the biggest LMS in the country.

416 To Beggar Description

Meanin Difficult to describe
g
Ex. My love for historical places and hilly areas beggars description; I can sit there all day gazing
at the scenery and – yet – not get tired.

417 To Bell the Cat

Meanin To do something risky or dangerous
g
Ex. We pushed Sarah to bell the cat by asking her to hand over three applications for leave to
our stern boss.

418 To Bid Fair

Meanin Promises
g
Ex. The tour plan bids fare to be full of fun.

419 To Bid One’s Time

Meanin Waiting for a favourable opportunity
g
Ex. The thief was bidding his time until he got an opportunity to steal my parrot when there
was nobody around the cage.

420 To Bite the Dust

Meanin To fall in battle
g
Ex. Every enemy of Islam has had to bite the dust, for none can win against Almighty Allah.

421 Go Bananas
Meanin To become extremely angry or excited
g
Ex. Whenever I see Sally, I just go bananas! She’s fantastic.

422 To Break Down

Meanin To begin to cry
g
Ex. The 8-year-old broke down in front of his class when a student made fun of his speech.

423 To Break Into

Meanin To make a forced entry
g
Ex. Thieves broke into the empty house only to find out that they were surrounded by police
 and had nowhere to run.

424 To Break the Ice

Meanin To start a discussion
g
Ex. To break the ice and start working on the plan, the newly formed team decided to play a
team game and get to know one another.

425 To Break the News

Meanin To disclose the news
g
Ex. News channels always strive to break the news before one another, often times
compromising on the facts.

426 To Breathe One’s Last

Meanin To die
g
Ex. Mr. Chips breathed his last surrounded by his beloved students and colleagues.

427 To Bring to Book

Meanin Legally punish or summon someone to account for their actions
g
Ex. The courts bring criminals to book and make sure that the writ of the state reigns supreme.

428 To Bring Up
Meanin To look after one’s family
g
Ex. In our society, it is the male counterparts’ duty to bring up the family and provide for all its
needs.

429 To Build Castles in The Air

Meanin To think of imaginary schemes
g
Ex. Building castles in the air will not get you anywhere. You have to work hard for whatever
you want to achieve.

430 To Burn One’s Boats

Meanin To leave no means of retreat
g
Ex. Tariq bin Ziad burnt his boats after entering the Iberian Peninsula for invasion so that he
and his forces would either conquer the land or get killed.

431 To Bury the Hatchet

Meanin To cease fighting
g
Ex. America has decided to bury the hatchet after decades of fighting in Afghanistan.

432 To Call a Spade a Spade

Meanin To speak bluntly or exactly as one thinks
g
Ex. He is often considered rude for calling a spade a spade, but someone has to say the truth
out loud.

433 To Call in Question

Meanin To doubt or question
g
Ex. A great amount of contamination in the Petri dishes calls into question the workers’
compliance with the lab safety protocols.

434 To Call Names

Meanin To speak disrespectfully to or of a person
g
Ex. You should not have called her names due to her disability; it is rude.

435 To Carry One’s Point

Meanin To succeed in one’s aim
g
Ex. America, after failing to carry its point in the Afghan war, has made a hasty escape from the
land.

436 To Carry Out

Meanin To put into action
g
Ex. Please carry out the task according to the instruction manual, and do not try anything new.

437 To Carry the Day

Meanin To win a victory; To prove superior
g
Ex. At last, Jim carried the day with his resilience and hard work; no one could beat him in any
of the races in the triathlon.

438 To Check or Nip in the Bud

Meanin To destroy at an early age; To lose no time in suppressing
g
Ex. Evil should be nipped in the bud. If it is allowed to grow, it may destroy a society.

439 To Chop Up
Meanin To cut something into smaller slices
g
Ex. While chopping up onions, he couldn’t cry.

440 To Come into Force

Meanin Of law or regulation to begin to be enforced
g
Ex. New laws regarding road safety have come into force after the recent highway accidents.

441 To Come of Age

Meanin To reach the age of twenty-one, when the law permits a man to manage his own affairs
g
Ex. After coming of age, one realizes the realities and responsibilities of life.

442 To Come to a Head

Meanin Reach a critical point
g
Ex. The political situation of the country has come to a head. If pragmatic steps are not taken
immediately, the country might face a horrible collapse.

443 To Come to Grief

Meanin To be ruined; To fall completely
g
Ex. Sri Lanka has come to grief as political and economic chaos cripples the island

444 To Cry for The Moon

Meanin To ask for something impossible
g
Ex. Children often cry for the moon, not understanding what their parents can afford and what
they cannot.
445 To Cry Over Spilt Milk
Meanin To spend time in useless regrets
g
Ex. I told you to work hard, but you never paid heed to my advice. Now that you have failed, it
is no use crying over spilt milk.

446 To Cry Wolf

Meanin To raise a false alarm
g
Ex. Don’t believe her; she always cries wolf just so we would do all the work for her.

447 To Curry Favor

Meanin To seek to gain an advantage by means of flattery and hypocrisy
g
Ex. Ministers often curry favour to win the support of those in power.

448 To Cut a Figure

Meanin Present oneself or appear in a particular way
g
Ex. Celebrities cut a figure for award shows; they are not who they seem to be.

449 To Cut Dead

Meanin To totally ignore someone, usually out of anger or displeasure
g
Ex. After I had a fight with her, I cut her dead when I saw her in the market.

450 To Dance Upon Nothing

Meanin To get hanged
g
Ex. The serial killer had to, finally, dance upon nothing.

451 To Deal With

Meanin To treat
g
Ex. I can’t believe I have to deal with the never-ending queries of juveniles.

452 To Dispense With

Meanin To give away; To do without
g
Ex. The school has dispensed with its routine timing owing to the poor law and order situation
in the country, so the students are allowed on the premises even after 8 AM.

453 To Dispose Of
Meanin To sell-off
g
Ex. Please dispose of the used gloves, masks, and other personal protective gear after a single
use.

454 To Drag in by the Head and Shoulders

Meanin To drag one by force or violently
g
Ex. He who drags you in fights by the head and shoulders is not your friend. Rather, he is your
worst enemy.

455 To Draw Up
Meanin To make a plan
g
Ex. He drew up a plan to go around the world in 120 days, covering all the major historical
cities.

456 To Eat Dirt

Meanin To submit to insult
g
Ex. Pakistani films often have to eat dirt because of their poor storylines.

457 To Eat One’s Mutton

Meanin To dine
g
Ex. We planned to eat our mutton after the meeting in the restaurant down the lane.

458 To Eat One’s Words

Meanin To withdraw all that one has said
g
Ex. Politicians, after making promises to the public, often eat their words once they come into
power.
459 To End in Smoke
Meanin To end without being fulfilled
g
Ex. Imran Khan’s plan of a long march ended in smoke because the government put a lot of
hurdles in the way of the caravan.

460 To Fall Flat

Meanin To have no effect
g
Ex. Half of the stand-up comedian’s jokes fell flat because he was not well-prepared, and his
comic timing was not good.

461 To Fall Foul Of

Meanin To get annoyed; Come into conflict with
g
Ex. After getting foul of the group, she was unsure how to work on the group project.

462 To Fall in Love With

Meanin To become enamoured of
g
Ex. I immediately fell in love with my new parrots the moment I saw them.

463 To Fall On One’s Feet

Meanin To meet with unexpected good-luck
g
Ex. He was devastated after losing his 15-year-old job, but he fell on his feet when he was hired
by a multinational company.

464 To Fall Short

Meanin To be less; To decrease
g
Ex. Your resume has fallen short of the required skill set, so you will not be getting the job.

465 To Fan the Flame

Meanin To make angrier
g
Ex. Do not fan the flame by discussing the conflict; he is already very angry.

466 To Feather One’s Own Nest

Meanin To make oneself rich or strong in a position
g
Ex. Politicians keep feathering their own nest, rather than working for the betterment of the
people of their country.

467 To Fight Shy of

Meanin To avoid
g
Ex. He always fights shy of conflicts owing to his friendly and peaceful personality.

468 To Find Fault with

Meanin To find things wrong with someone or something
g
Ex. The jury could not find fault with Amna’s arguments; hence, she won the debate
competition.

469 To Get Rid of

Meanin To dispose of
g
Ex. Please get rid of all the worn-out clothes because you don’t wear them anymore.

470 To Give the Back

Meanin To leave or quit
g
Ex. He would not have given us the back during the project if he were honest with his job, but
he never wanted to work in the first place.

471 To Go Back on a Person

Meanin To not do something one said one would do
g
Ex. It is no surprise that the politicians go back on the countrymen after coming into power.

472 To Go to the Bad

Meanin To sink into poverty and disgrace
g
Ex. The horrible economic situation has further worsened the common man’s situation, and a
majority has – hence – gone to the bad.

473 To Go to the Dogs

Meanin Deteriorate very badly, used of persons, organizations, institutions, etc.
g
Ex. Ever since Mr. Ali left the business, the whole organisation has gone to the dogs.

474 To Grease the Palm

Meanin To bribe
g
Ex. It is very easy for an outlaw to get his way by greasing the palm of the law and order
departments in third-world countries.

475 To Have All One’s Eggs in One Basket

Meanin To risk all one’s goods in the same venture
g
Ex. Don’t invest all that you have earned in a single project. Rather, divide it into smaller
investments so that you don’t have all your eggs in one basket.

476 To Have Many Irons in the Fire

Meanin To have many projects carrying on at one time
g
Ex. He has many irons in the fire; Android and iOS applications, online classes, and a side
business to earn.

477 To Have No Backbone

Meanin To lack strength of character
g
Ex. Having no backbone, Jim was rejected as an aspiring member of the school discipline
committee.

478 To Hold Good

Meanin To be valid
g
Ex. Other than biological laws, the majority of the scientific laws have held good and stood the
test of time.

479 To Hold One’s Own

Meanin To maintain what one is struggling for
g
Ex. No matter the circumstances, he always holds his own and never gets distracted from his
goal.
480 To Hold One’s Tongue
Meanin To keep quiet
g
Ex. Please hold your tongue while the teacher speaks.

481 To Hold out

Meanin To offer resistance
g
Ex. Undoubtedly, the unarmed Palestinians have been holding out the Israeli forces for
decades.

482 To Hold Water

Meanin To be correct, valid, sound, or reasonable
g
Ex. Your theory does hold water when we do not consider gravity, but I wonder if it would still
be valid if we include the effects of gravity on matter.

483 To Keep Another in the Dark

Meanin To keep someone in ignorance of an event
g
Ex. It is not good to keep your parents in the dark about your activities. You should always
share your whereabouts with them.

484 To Keep Body and Soul Together

Meanin To sustain life
g
Ex. It is difficult to keep body and soul together in this era of socio-economic chaos.

485 To Keep Dark about Anything

Meanin To preserve secrecy about anything
g
Ex. I suggest you keep dark about your plans unless you achieve your target, or your enemies
will try to pull you down.

486 To Keep the Wolf from the Door

Meanin To be in a position to get two meals a day
g
Ex. He had to resort to illegal means to earn enough to keep the wolf from the door.
487 Keep Up Appearances
Meanin To keep oneself looking calm despite serious problems
g
Ex. Even with all the trouble, Sadia was having at home with her husband, she managed to
keep up appearances.

488 To Kick the Bucket

Meanin To die
g
Ex. Mr. Chips kicked the bucket while remembering his beloved late wife Kathy.

489 To Know No Bounds

Meanin To be without any limits or end
g
Ex. Corruption knows no bounds among the political elite of the country.

490 To Lay Heads Together

Meanin To consult together
g
Ex. If both of them lay their heads together to look for a solution, there is no issue in the world
they cannot resolve.

491 To Lead a Dog’s Life

Meanin To pass a miserable existence
g
Ex. The poor man, after losing his only possession – a bicycle – had to lead a dog’s life.

492 To Lead a Person a Dance

Meanin To cause someone unnecessary trouble
g
Ex. Rather than leading us dance, you should have told us earlier that the investment was not
going to be fruitful.

493 To Leave No Stone Unturned

Meanin To do all in one’s power
g
Ex. Quaid e Azam left no stone unturned in uniting the Muslims of the Subcontinent under the
flag of the Muslim League.
494 To Let Bygones Be Bygones
Meanin To ignore the past
g
Ex. I have had a few fights with my friend over the years, but now that we have grown up, we
have let the bygones be bygones.

495 Chicken Out

Meanin To decide not to do something because one is afraid
g
Ex. Jane was going to go parachuting with us, but she chickened out at the last minute.

496 To Lick the Dust

Meanin To fall in battle
g
Ex. Under the great commander Erwin, we shall not rest until those traitors have licked the
dust.

497 To Lie with Any One

Meanin To be the duty of anyone
g
Ex. Choosing my career path lies in what my family prefers for me.

498 To Live a Cat and Dog Life

Meanin Of spouses or romantic partners, a life together is typified by arguments, fights, and
g disagreement
Ex. The couple lives a cat and dog life ever since the issue of property arose.

499 To Look Daggers

Meanin To look angrily
g
Ex. Don’t look daggers at me; I haven’t done anything wrong.

500 To Look for

Meanin To search for
g
Ex. Can you please help me look for my glasses? I had put them on the table, but they are not
there now.
501 Ring A Bell
Meanin To arouse a response
g
Ex. Whenever I see a bee, it rings a bell. I remember when I was stung by one.

502 To Make Both Ends Meet

Meanin To have two square meals a day
g
Ex. Despite his meagre income, he tried to make ends meet by working extra hours.

503 To Make Faces

Meanin To make a distorted, silly, or humorous facial expression at someone
g
Ex. Emily made faces and struck out her tongue to make the baby laugh.

504 To Make Fun of

Meanin To ridicule
g
Ex. Although you did not mean to hurt him, he is angry because you made fun of him.

505 To Make Oneself at Home

Meanin To feel as if one were in one’s own house
g
Ex. I really make myself at home when I visit my friend.

506 To Make out

Meanin To understand
g
Ex. If John could not make out with me, he would have asked me for more help.

507 To Move Heaven and Earth

Meanin To try one’s utmost
g
Ex. I had moved heaven and earth to pay for my college bills.

508 Helter-Skelter
Meanin In disorderly haste or confusion, chaotic, haphazard, disordered, etc.
g
Ex. My books, notes, and papers are always scattered on the desk in a helter-skelter manner.

509 To One’s Heart’s Content

Meanin As much as one wishes
g
Ex. Iqra prefers buffet over à la carte so that she can eat to her heart’s content.

510 To Pass for

Meanin To appear; To pretend to look like
g
Ex. The suspect was arrested when he tried to pass for a student.

511 To Pick a Quarrel

Meanin To start a quarrel
g
Ex. Mill intended to pick up a quarrel with his brother about his stolen chocolate.

512 To Pick One’s Pocket

Meanin To steal money or other valuables out of one’s pocket, purse, backpack, etc.
g
Ex. I already advised you to be conscious of your belongings in this mall as anyone could pick
your pocket here, and it happened.

513 To Play the Game

Meanin To play one’s part fairly
g
Ex. If you want to qualify for the competitive exams, you must play the game and study
smartly.

514 To Play Truant

Meanin To keep away from school without the knowledge of one’s parents
g
Ex. He fell with the bad company and began to play truant for a useless hockey match.

515 To Put in
Meanin Contribute
g
Ex. The volunteers put in their time towards cleaning up the town.
516 To Put off
Meanin To postpone
g
Ex. I have to put off my plan to take exams this year since I am not yet prepared for them.

517 To Put out

Meanin To extinguish
g
Ex. Her mother told her to put out the fire before leaving the house.

518 To Put the Cart before the Horse

Meanin To put the wrong thing first
g
Ex. John always puts the cart before the horse; thus, he fails to submit most of his projects on
time.

519 To Put to the Proof

Meanin To test
g
Ex. His dedication was put to the proof even after years of efficient performance.

520 To Rain Cats and Dogs

Meanin To rain heavily
g
Ex. You must consult the weather forecast before going out in that storm. It is raining cats and
dogs.

521 To Run down

Meanin To blame; To condemn
g
Ex. Do not run down my friends. If you do not know the truth, better be silent

522 To Run Over

Meanin To check
g
Ex. She ran over her belongings before leaving the hotel.
523 To Say Grace
Meanin To ask the divine blessing before commencing a meal
g
Ex. I love the way my grandfather says grace before iftars in Ramadan.

524 To Show a Clean Pair of Heels

Meanin To escape
g
Ex. The thief showed a clean pair of heels when he saw the police.

525 To Stare in the Face

Meanin To threaten; To be ready to overwhelm
g
Ex. She stared him in the face and said that she never wanted to see him again.

526 To Steal a March on

Meanin To go ahead
g
Ex. Misha got the contract because she had the potential to steal a march on her competitors.

527 To Steer Clear of

Meanin To keep away safely
g
Ex. I always advise my brother to steer clear of bad company.

528 To Strike While the Iron is Hot

Meanin To act decisively and take an opportunity when it arises
g
Ex. My brother got a promotion today, so I asked him to buy me a cellphone. I thought I would
better strike while the iron was hot.

529 To Take Affect

Meanin To operate; To act as intended
g
Ex. Fortunately, the medicine toot affect, and the patient felt relieved.

530 To Take by Storm

Meanin To capture after a sudden
g
Ex. The locusts swarm attacked from the south and took the village by storm.

531 To Take French Leave

Meanin To go off secretly, without notice
g
Ex. Emily just got married. So, she took a french leave from work to spend time with her
husband.

532 To Take the Bull by the Horns

Meanin To attack something formidable in a bold and direct fashion
g
Ex. The matter is not going to be resolved by itself. We have to take the bull by the horns to
settle it.

533 To Take Time Or Occasion by the Forelock

Meanin To avoid delay; To be on the alert for every available opportunity
g
Ex. Time flies here with such a frightful rapidity that I am compelled to seize occasion by the
forelock.

534 To Take to One’s Heels

Meanin To run away
g
Ex. The thief took to his heels when he saw the police.

535 To Talk Shop

Meanin To talk about one’s business
g
Ex. Mrs. Shilpa threw a dinner for all her business partners to talk shop.

536 To Tell Upon

Meanin To ruin
g
Ex. My sister told me about my gravy chicken by adding extra salt to it while I was on call.

537 To the Backbone

Meanin Thoroughly; Essentially; Staunchly
g
Ex. He revised all the important topics to the backbone a day before the exam.
538 To Throw Cold Water upon
Meanin To discourage, to prevent something from being done
g
Ex. Our teacher threw cold water upon our plan to visit Naran.

539 To Throw Daylight upon

Meanin To reveal; To display to view
g
Ex. The fluency in her speech throws daylight upon her intelligence.

540 To Throw Dust in a Man’s Eyes

Meanin To try to lead someone astray
g
Ex. Marry could mislead everyone, but she failed to throw dust in my eyes.

541 To Throw Mud at

Meanin To abuse; To speak evil of
g
Ex. You, being a renowned politician of the country, must be prepared to have more mud
thrown at you than an ordinary woman.

542 To Tread upon the Heels

Meanin To follow closely
g
Ex. Ali treads upon the heels of his father in every matter.

543 To Try One’s Luck

Meanin To see if one would get success
g
Ex. Mr. Shams decided to open a branch of his restaurant in California to try his luck.

544 To Turn One’s Back upon

Meanin To desert; To forsake
g
Ex. Misha has a tendency to turn his back on serious problems.

545 To Turn One’s Coat

Meanin To change to the opposite party
g
Ex. It is not the first time that Sheikh Rasheed has turned his coat.

546 To Turn over a New Leaf

Meanin To change for the better
g
Ex. After a minor accident, Mill decided to turn over a new leaf and drive more carefully.

547 To Turn the Tables

Meanin Reverse a situation and gain the upper hand
g
Ex. I planned a surprise dinner for my sister, but she turned the table by surprising me when I
reached home.

548 To Weather the Storm

Meanin To face a difficulty successfully
g
Ex. Pakistan has successfully weathered many political and economic storms.

549 Tread on Someone’s Corns

Meanin To hurt someone’s feelings
g
Ex. Alina is very arrogant; she always treads on other people’s corns.

550 Turn a Blind Eye (to Something)

Meanin To pretend not to see or notice something
g
Ex. The kind shopkeeper turned a blind eye to the little boy who secretly picked chocolate from
his store.

551 Turn a Deaf Ear to

Meanin To refuse to listen to
g
Ex. The international world has turned a deaf ear to the cries of the innocent Palestinians for
food and shelter.

552 Turn One’s Nose at

Meanin Scorn at; Treat with contempt
g
Ex. I never turn up my nose at dessert, no matter what it is.

553 Turn over a New Leaf

Meanin To commence a new course of life; To improve in conduct
g
Ex. After a minor accident, Mill decided to turn over a new leaf and drive more carefully.

554 Turn Tail

Meanin Run away in a cowardly way
g
Ex. The robber turned tail when he accidentally saw a gun hanging on the wall of the house.

555 Turn Turtle

Meanin To capsize
g
Ex. The bus ran off the road and turned turtle in the ditch. Fortunately, all passengers were
saved.

556 Under a Cloud

Meanin In disgrace
g
Ex. Although James was not a tyrant, he should not come here since his name is under a cloud
these days.

557 Under Fire

Meanin To do something dangerous or risky
g
Ex. I appreciate her courage, for she can easily withstand fire

558 Under Lock and Key

Meanin Safely locked away
g
Ex. My father has kept all our documents under lock and key.

559 Under One’s Thumb

Meanin Under one’s complete control
g
Ex. Ann has got her husband under her thumb. He does exactly what Ann says.
560 Up to One’s Eyes in (Something)
Meanin Deeply involved in something
g
Ex. I cannot join you at the lunch because I am up to my eyes on my project.

561 Up to
Meanin Scheming something; Engaging in mischievous behaviour
g
Ex. I cannot say what those children are now up to.

562 Ups and Downs

Meanin Changes in fortune
g
Ex. Pakistan’s economy has been facing many ups and downs since the country’s inception.

563 Upset the Applecart

Meanin To spoil plans; To obstruct progress
g
Ex. Tom really cannot keep secrets; he always upset the apple cart before time.

564 Upsides with (a Person)

Meanin To Be Even with
g
Ex. Although he managed to be upsides with his enemy by breaking his arm, he had to go to
jail.

565 Vicious Circle

Meanin A sequence of reciprocal cause and effect, in which two or more elements intensify and
g aggravate each other, leading inexorably to a worsening of the situation
Ex. The vicious circle of corruption is badly hitting the country’s economy.

566 Wash Dirty Linen in Public

Meanin Discuss personal matters of a scandalous or unpleasant nature before strangers
g
Ex. Listen, our relationship may have real problems, but it’s unfortunate that you have chosen
to wash our dirty linen in public.
567 What the Doctor Ordered
Meanin The very thing that is needed
g
Ex. A cold glass of water would be just what the doctor ordered.

568 When All is Said and Done

Meanin Considering all the facts
g
Ex. When all is said and done, I believe I had a very enjoyable time on my vacation

569 When the Balloon Goes up

Meanin When the trouble starts
g
Ex. He is always getting us into trouble, but he is never here when the balloon goes up.

570 White Elephant

Meanin A rare, expensive possession that is a financial burden to maintain
g
Ex. The antique vases I bought from an auction are white elephants. I could not get them clean
from anywhere.

571 Win One’s Laurels

Meanin Win honour
g
Ex. It takes a lot of struggle to win laurels in this field, and your achievements here always
make me feel proud.

572 Wishful Thinking

Meanin Unrealistic thinking based on hopes, rather than facts
g
Ex. Hoping for a camera as a birthday gift is just wishful thinking as your parents are already
fed up with your hobby of photography.

573 With a View to

Meanin In order to
g
Ex. Safa inaugurated this school with a view to providing quality education to all.

574 With Flying Colors

Meanin Honourably
g
Ex. Sally deserves a party because he has passed his final exams with flying colours.

575 With High Hand

Meanin Arrogantly; Imperiously
g
Ex. You cannot win others’ hearts with high hands; you need to be more polite and patient.

576 With One Foot in the Grave

Meanin Having but a very short time to live
g
Ex. Her uncle has one foot in the grave and would die if he won’t able to receive treatment
soon.

577 With One’s Eyes Open

Meanin With full awareness of what one is doing
g
Ex. I always keep my eyes open for a mid-season sale on winter coats.

578 With Open Arms

Meanin Warmly; Affectionately
g
Ex. When I visited my old friend after years, her whole family welcomed me with open arms.

579 Within an Ace of

Meanin Very near to
g
Ex. I came within an ace of going into the army, but I could not be selected because of my
weak eyesight.

580 You Can’t Both Have Your Cake and Eat it

Meanin There are two options that someone wants, but they can’t have both because the options
g conflict with each other, so they can only pick one
Ex. If you want to buy a house, you will have to cut down on your expenses, for you can’t both
have your cake and eat it too.

581 Tilt at Windmills

Meanin To waste time-fighting enemies or trying to resolve issues, which don’t even exist
g (Imaginary)
Ex. It is time for the government to stop tilting at windmills and start fighting against the real
enemy, unemployment.

582 To Harp On the Same String

Meanin To repeatedly talk about a subject in an annoying manner
g
Ex. Nobody likes to sit in his company; he always harps on the same string about how to
become a billionaire in a month.
Ex. It is no use harping on the same string if you are not going to do anything about your health
issues.

583 At Cross Purposes

Meanin To be in conflict with somebody or something
g
Ex. Their marriage could not work for long because they were at cross purposes with each
other.
Ex. Her being at cross purposes with her teammates led the whole team to lose the football
match.

584 Out of Pocket

Meanin Lack of enough money; Something paid for with one’s personal money
g
Ex. The constant dinner parties hosted for his friends left Aslam out of pocket.
Ex. It is illegal for the laboratory to ask me to pay for the lab chemicals out of pocket.

585 Put On the Market

Meanin To put something out for purchase
g
Ex. With a heavy heart, they had to put their only possession, a motorcycle, on the market to
pay their son’s hospital bills.
Ex. If something is out on the market, especially on e-commerce websites, you should do
proper quality assurance before buying it.

586 To Rough It
Meanin To live in uncomfortable situations where no usual amenities are available, e.g. hiking tour.
g
Ex. James and Milly had nowhere to live; thus, they had to rough it in a shade till they found
some safe place.
Ex. The hikers roughed it in a hut with no running water.
587 To Speak Of
Meanin To talk about something, something worth mentioning
g
Ex. There is nothing to speak of as of yet; we will talk later.
Ex. The doctors told Jeremy’s family there was nothing to speak of in terms of his health
improvement.

588 All The Rage

Meanin To be very popular currently
g
Ex. Wearing a waist chain instead of a belt is all the rage nowadays.
Ex. Online meetings are all the rage now; thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, nobody has to go
to in-person office meet-ups anymore.

589 Shake in One’s Shoes

Meanin To be very frightened/nervous
g
Ex. When police were investigating the crime, every suspect seemed shaken in their shoes.
Ex. Stop shaking in your shoes, Maria. The manager is not going to fire you.

590 The Whole Ball of Wax

Meanin The whole thing or the whole matter or affair
g
Ex. There’s nothing more to tell you about my affair. That’s the whole ball of wax.
Ex.

591 Cut Someone Dead

Meanin To ignore someone
g
Ex. The millionaire was so arrogant he would cut people dead while they served him all day.
Ex. One should not adopt a child only to cut him dead.

592 Beside The Mark

Meanin Something irrelevant or unrelated
g
Ex. He could not score a single point on the quiz, for all his answers were beside the mark.
Ex. My fondness for the apartment is beside the mark because I do not afford to live there.

593 Once in A Blue Moon

Meanin Something that happens very rarely
g
Ex. After the death of his family in a plane crash, he visits his hometown once in a blue moon.
Ex. He is so diet-conscious that he only eats fast food once in a blue moon.

594 A Piece of Cake

Meanin Some easy-to-accomplish task
g
Ex. Securing the first position in the board exams was a piece of cake for her because she was
the brightest student in her city.
Ex. You might think doing a job is a piece of cake, but once you begin your career, you will
surely experience hardships.

595 Het Up
Meanin Highly worried or angry (Not calm); Indignant; Irate
g
Ex. I was really het up about the new corporate tax.
Ex. You should not get so het up about a few scratches on your car.

596 Kill Two Birds with One Stone

Meanin To do a single action resulting in the solution of two problems
g
Ex. My friend has decided to kill two birds with one stone – visit Lahore to get her documents
as well as meet her friends.
Ex. Cycling allows you to kill two birds with one stone by cutting your fuel costs and helping
you lead a healthier lifestyle.

597 Eager Beaver

Meanin A hardworking and eager person
g
Ex. New volunteers are always eager beavers.
Ex. I know she is an eager beaver right now. Wait till she has worked here for a couple of
months, and you will see the change in her personality.

598 Get Out of Hand

Meanin To get chaotic or unmanageable
g
Ex. The men had a small fight initially, but as more and more people began to join in, the
situation got out of hand.
Ex. Inflation is getting out of hand as Dollar rates keep soaring.
599 Comparing Apples to Oranges
Meanin To make a comparison between two completely different things or persons
g
Ex. Comparing the steel and textile industries is comparing apples to oranges.
Ex. Being an entrepreneur allows you to define your journey; don’t compare apples with
oranges by saying entrepreneurship and a job are similar things.

600 Stuff and Nonsense

Meanin Rubbish or Nonsense
g
Ex. Competitive aspirants don’t understand the qualifiers’ lectures. The lectures are all stuff
and nonsense.
Ex.

601 Hit The Nail On the Head

Meanin To be accurate or precise
g
Ex. The pressure was intense; it was his last chance to get the answer right, and he,
surprisingly, hit the nail on the head and won the competition.
Ex. You had really hit the nail on the head when you guessed that Sahir was scheming against
our business.

602 Burn The Midnight Oil

Meanin To stay up late to work on something important
g
Ex. How could she not have won the competition after burning the midnight oil while working
on her speech?
Ex. CSS aspirants burn the midnight oil for months before appearing in the exams.

603 Make A Long Story Short

Meanin To cut extra details and get to the necessary point
g
Ex. The introductory and conclusion paragraphs only require you to summarize your answers,
to make the long story short.
Ex. Please make the long story short; I do not have much time to stop by and listen to how you
ran into your friend at the mall.

604 Wag One’s Chin

Meanin To talk too much
g
Ex. She is always seen wagging her chin, and this is exactly why her friends get annoyed with
her.
Ex. When the friends hold a meet-up every month, they can’t wait to wag their chins, play
games, and have fun.

605 Sail Against the Wind

Meanin To work for something while facing great opposition
g
Ex. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan sailed against the wind and managed to get the then Muslims out of
their grave situation.
Ex. It is good to define your path and choose a different journey for yourself, but sailing against
the wind is not always appreciated.

606 Keep One’s Eye On the Ball

Meanin To remain alert to the surrounding events
g
Ex. Amelia would do better in her classes if she would keep her eye on the ball.
Ex. If he wants to get along in this office, he should have to keep his eye on the ball.

607 Explode The Myth

Meanin To prove that something people believed for a long time is wrong.
g
Ex. The frequent up-gradation of Photoshop has exploded the myth of photography as a tool of
reality.
Ex. The recent stats exploded the myth that global warming is the problem only for rich
countries.

608 Yoke Around Someone’s Neck

Meanin Something that oppresses people; a burden.
g
Ex. Ali’s greedy kids are a yoke around his neck.
Ex. His high-interest debts have now become a yoke around their neck.

609 Tamper with (Something)

Meanin To try to change something, to attempt to alter something
g
Ex. I think somebody has tampered with my door lock.
Ex. Please don’t tamper with electrical appliances with your bare hands. You might hurt
yourself critically.
610 Be A Cold Fish
Meanin A person who is distant and insensitive
g
Ex. He hardly ever speaks to anyone. He is a cold fish.
Ex. He is a lovely person, but his wife is a bit of a cold fish.

611 A Watched Pot Never Boils

Meanin Time seems to move very slow when one is waiting for something to occur.
g
Ex. She kept reloading the university’s website to check her result all morning, but the HOD has
not published it yet as a watched pot never boils.
Ex. She has been waiting for that henna to dry for two hours now. It is like a watched pot never
boils.

612 To Call Shots

Meanin To be in charge of how something should happen
g
Ex. He has been showing low grades in his studies; thus, he is now not in a position to call the
shots.
Ex. The principal calls the shots, and nothing happens in the school without his approval.

613 Dead Wood

Meanin People or things that are no more productive or effective because they have been used for
g a long time
Ex. The manager cleared away the deadwood in his revised duty roster.
Ex. I think it is time to cut the deadwood from our team so that we can work more efficiently.

614 Waiting in The Wings

Meanin Ready to do anything to take over someone else’s job or position
g
Ex. Mrs. Aisha is going to be retired next year, and his junior manager Mr. Mill is just waiting in
the wings.
Ex. He was waiting in the wings, hoping that a member of the cricket team would drop out and
he would get a place on the team.

615 Lump in (One’s) Throat

Meanin To have the feeling of something as if one were going to cry.
g
Ex. The national anthem is something that makes anybody feel like having a lump in his throat.
Ex. I had a lump in my throat as I watched the final scene of the movie.

616 A Chip On Your Shoulder

Meanin To have an unpleasant attitude or way of behaving to seem willing to instigate conflict.
g
Ex. Mia has had a chip on her shoulder ever since she could not get the promotion she was
expecting.
Ex. I do not understand what is his problem. He always seems to have a chip on his shoulder.

617 At The Drop of a Hat

Meanin Immediately; Without any delay
g
Ex. She is always ready to go camping at the drop of a hat.
Ex. I call John whenever I am in trouble because he can come at the drop of a hat to help me.

618 Upset The Apple Cart

Meanin To mess up or ruin something
g
Ex. He upset the apple cart by telling his sister the truth about Jane.
Ex. Shifa always upsets the apple cart by never agreeing with anybody on the team.

619 Take (Something) With a Pinch of Salt

Meanin To listen to a story or explanation with considerable doubt
g
Ex. She must take anything her ex-husband says with a pinch of salt.
Ex. The committee took the guilty student’s explanation with a pinch of salt. I am sure no one
believed him.

620 Think of The Devil

Meanin Used when a person someone is talking about suddenly appears
g
Ex. Think of the devil! We were just planning to call you over
Ex.

621 Method in Madness

Meanin To have a purpose behind one’s actions even though it seems mad.
g
Ex. My project may look strange, but there is a method to my madness
Ex. Though his staff is often confused by the way he runs the office, I believe there is a method
 in his madness.

622 A Square Peg in A Round Hole

Meanin A person in the misfit situation
g
Ex. I think he is not a square peg in a round hole. It is just that no one understands him.
Ex. I felt like a square peg in a round hole in my new class until I made some new friends.

623 A Stick in The Mud

Meanin A person who is dull and old-fashioned
g
Ex. Tipu is such a stick in the mud; thus, he never goes to any fun events at school.
Ex. My father is such a stick in the mud. He never allows us to try anything new.

624 (Be) Labor The Point

Meanin To spend too much time on a certain point of conversation.
g
Ex. I do not want to belabour the point, but we should get things settled as soon as possible.
Ex. If the attorney would agree not to belabour the point further, we would place it on the
agenda for the next session.

625 The Salt of the Earth

Meanin A very good and honest person
g
Ex. Mrs. James is always the first to help anyone in trouble. She is the salt of the earth.
Ex. Annie’s mother is the salt of the earth. She has five children of her own and yet fosters
three others.

626 See Eye to Eye With

Meanin To agree fully with someone; To have the same views about something
g
Ex. My wife sees eye to eye with me about the arrangements.
Ex. She is looking for a new job as she does not see eye to eye with her manager.

627 On Thin Ice

Meanin In an uncertain and risky situation
g
Ex. If you do not want to find yourself on thin ice, you must prepare yourself in time.
Ex. My sister was already on thin ice with the trainer when she injured her knee.
628 Draw A Blank
Meanin To get no response; To fail to remember
g
Ex. I looked in the files for two hours, but I drew a blank.
Ex. I tried to remember his address but I drew a blank.

629 A Step in The Right Direction

Meanin To move toward success
g
Ex. Yoga cannot solve all health problems, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.
Ex. We are hopeful that the new economic policy is a step in the right direction for the
sustainable growth of the country.

630 Give Away

Meanin To distribute
g
Ex. What we achieve without effort we give away without regret.
Ex. John decided to give away everything he had and become ascetic.

631 The Acid Test

Meanin A decisive test that proves the effectiveness and skillfulness of someone or something
g
Ex. Marry has had an easy contest so far, but the next round would be her real acid test.
Ex. The acid test of a good doctor is how he deals with his patients in an emergency.

632 At a Cross Roads

Meanin To be at a stage in your life when an important decision has to be made
g
Ex. After his graduation, he is at a crossroads about choosing his first job.
Ex. Emily is at a crossroads in her career. She is confused about whether she should accept her
new job or not.

633 Keep One’s Nose to The Grindstone

Meanin To work hard for a long period of time without stopping
g
Ex. The boss told me to keep my nose to the grindstone or be fired.
Ex.

634 Knock/Throw Someone for A Loop

Meanin To sock or surprise someone
g
Ex. Finding about the company being sold out to its competitors knocked everyone for a loop.
Ex.

635 Letter Perfect

Meanin Correct in all detail
g
Ex. His memory is so strong that his narration of our Kashmir tour in 2015 was letter-perfect.

636 Off The Wall

Meanin Unusual
g
Ex. He has made an off-the-wall investment; we doubt the board of directors would agree with
him.

637 Out to Lunch

Meanin Crazy; Out of touch with the real world
g
Ex. I’m sorry, I was out to lunch. Could you please repeat what you said earlier?

638 Salt Something Away

Meanin Save something for the future, secretly and usually dishonestly
g
Ex. Mary salted some extra candy away for use during the holidays.

639 Take Someone to The Cleaners

Meanin To defeat someone completely
g
Ex. There was a real rough guy there who threatened to take me to the cleaners if I didn’t
cooperate.

640 Wear The Pants

Meanin To be the dominant partner in a relationship
g
Ex. Nowadays, it is becoming common for both partners to wear pants in a relationship; they
tend to make decisions by discussing matters with each other.

641 Twiddle Your Thumbs

Meanin To do nothing
g
Ex. Don’t sit around twiddling your thumbs. Get busy!

642 Vamp Up
Meanin Repair and improve something
g
Ex. After getting registered for the desert rally, he vamped up his car and got ready to win the
race.

643 Whittle Something Away

Meanin To make something gradually decrease in value or amount
g
Ex. Aslam got scolded because he whittled the soap away by carving it into animal shapes.

644 Winkle Out

Meanin To get something out of place or position
g
Ex. The police often winkle confessions out of suspects by using coercive means.

645 Give Someone the Bum’s Rush

Meanin To eject (or be ejected) forcibly
g
Ex. The doorman gave Bill the bum’s rush at the restaurant because Bill did not have a tie on.

646 Loom Large

Meanin To be worrying or frightening and seem hard to avoid
g
Ex. The exams were looming large on the horizon.

647 Besetting Sin

Meanin A fault to which a person or institution is especially prone
g
Ex. You have to be careful of what you say. Getting offended easily is her besetting sin.

648 To Hang Fire

Meanin Delay
g
Ex. Our plans have to hang fire until we get planning permission.
649 To Put the Lid on
Meanin To keep something under control
g
Ex. It is high time we put the lid on the sectarian conflicts in the country and start living with
more inclusiveness and tolerance.

650 Flavour of The Month

Meanin Temporarily popular
g
Ex. You have changed your majors thrice already. Are you sure Sociology is also not just your
flavour of the month?

651 Zero Hour

Meanin A time when a crucial decision or essential action must be taken
g
Ex. The Prime Minister called for a meeting with the Chief of Army Staff at zero hours because
of the critical security situation.

652 Gloom and Doom

Meanin The feeling that a situation is bad and is not likely to improve
g
Ex. She is always full of gloom and doom, for she has never seen a happy moment in her life.

653 To Pig Out

Meanin Eat ravenously
g
Ex. I don’t go out for lunch with you because your pigging out annoys and embarrasses me a
lot.

654 Bag People

Meanin Homeless people
g
Ex. Bad weather doesn’t affect people living in homes as much and as severely as it affects bag
people with not even a roof for shelter.

655 Compassion Fatigue

Meanin The physical, emotional, and psychological impact of helping others
g
Ex. His constant charity and social services have made him reach a point of compassion fatigue,
for he is there for all, but no one is there for him.

666 Blow One’s Top

Meanin Lose one’s temper
g
Ex. He annoyed me so much that I blew my top and stormed out of the room.

657 Find One’s Feet

Meanin To grow in confidence in a new situation as one gains experience
g
Ex. It takes time to learn the office routine, but you will gradually find your feet.

658 Call It a Night

Meanin To go to bed to sleep
g
Ex. Guest after guest called it a night, and at last, we were alone.

659 The Tip of the Iceberg

Meanin Only a small part of a much larger problem
g
Ex. The lost tickets were just the tip of the iceberg; the main problem was awaiting them
ahead.

670 Below Par

Meanin Average or normal amount, degree, health or condition
g
Ex. I feel a little below par today. I think I am getting a cold.

671 From Pillar to Post

Meanin To and fro
g
Ex. My father was in the army, and we moved from pillar to post year after year.

672 In A Jiffy
Meanin In an instant, very soon, or very fast
g
Ex. Hey, just wait a minute. I will be there in a jiffy.
673 Leave in The Lurch
Meanin Abandon or desert someone in difficult straits
g
Ex. True friends would never leave you in the lurch; rather, they stick by you through thick and
thin

674 It Is About Time

Meanin Used to emphasize that something should have occurred a long time ago, but the expected
g thing didn’t happen in the past
Ex. It’s about time he got a job. His parents are getting too old to earn for him.

675 Out of The Wood

Meanin Free from difficulties
g
Ex. When the patient got out of the woods, everyone relaxed.

676 Punch-up
Meanin A fist-fight
g
Ex. Modi was involved in a punch-up with his wife’s former lover.

677 A Close Shave

Meanin A narrow escape from danger
g
Ex. What a close shave I had! I nearly fell off the roof when I was working there.

678 To Step into (Someone’s) Shoes

Meanin To take over a job or to fill someone’s position
g
Ex. I tell you, I wouldn’t want to step into Mr. Aslam’s shoes. Sure, the pay would be better,
but I don’t want all that stress!

679 Cold Comfort

Meanin Slight consolation or encouragement
g
Ex. She knows there are others worse off than she is, but that’s cold comfort.
680 A Rule of Thumb
Meanin A practical method of doing or measuring something, usually based on past experience
g rather than on exact measurement
Ex. It’s the rule of thumb that the bus will be late whenever I’m in a hurry.

681 To Militate Against

Meanin To make it difficult for something to happen
g
Ex. His unfriendly attitude militates against him making friends.

682 To Be Cognizant Of
Meanin Having knowledge or awareness
g
Ex. Students doubt their teachers being cognizant of their misconduct in class.

683 Wages of Sin

Meanin The results or consequences of evil-doing
g
Ex. You cannot avoid the wages of sin – If you eat unhealthy food, you are bound to become ill.

684 Smash Hit

Meanin A song, play, or movie, that is very popular
g
Ex. Pakistani Films are so substandard that any Hollywood movie released here, instantly,
becomes a smash hit.

685 Murphy’s Law

Meanin Humorous axiom stating that anything that can go wrong will go wrong
g
Ex. I am always on time in class; however, today, as I am late, the attendance will be marked
earlier, and this is Murphys’s law.

686 Place in The Sun

Meanin A dominant or favourable position or situation
g
Ex. To find your place in the sun, you will have to work hard day and night.

687 Wooden Spoon

Meanin An imaginary prize given to the person or team if they finish last in a race or competition
g
Ex. It doesn’t matter even if you get a wooden spoon in the competition. What matters the
most is that you enjoy the games.

688 Beard The Lion in His Den

Meanin To visit an important person in order to tell or ask them something unpleasant
g
Ex. It has been a week since I have been trying to get in touch with the CEO; I think I will now
have to beard the lion in his den.

689 Groan Inwardly

Meanin Feel dismayed by something but remain silent
g
Ex. Although I groaned inwardly at his attitude, I didn’t say anything out loud because of the
crucial situation at home.

690 Plough Back

Meanin To put profits made by a business back into it
g
Ex. He ploughs back all the profits earned by his project to further make improvements in it.

691 Be Left Holding the Baby

Meanin Be left with an unwelcome responsibility
g
Ex. The whole family decided to go to the mall for Eid shopping, while I was left holding the
baby by being asked to decorate the house.

692 Cap in Hand

Meanin In a respectful; Humble manner
g
Ex. He came to receive his friend’s family with a cap in hand. This down-to-earth attitude of
Ammar is loved by all.

693 Show and Tell

Meanin A public display or demonstration or a visual presentation accompanied by an oral
g explanation
Ex. I decided to take my parrots to the show and tell at school. The students loved learning
about my pets.
694 To The Death
Meanin Until death or until someone is dead
g
Ex. Some people in underdeveloped areas fight to the death for the sake of not getting their
children vaccinated.

695 To Be Ill at Ease

Meanin Nervous; Uneasy; Anxious
g
Ex. I was ill at ease when she made inappropriate jokes.

696 To Preen Oneself

Meanin To pride oneself on an achievement, personal quality
g
Ex. Although the government has not done much for the general public, it is preening itself on
its so-called achievements.

697 Prima Facie

Meanin Based on the first impression
g
Ex. The prima facie evidence points towards Jim’s murder attempt by Alex. However, the police
think this might not be the case.

698 Break One’s Fall

Meanin Interrupt a tumble or descent
g
Ex. To break the economy’s fall, the government has decided to take a loan from the IMF.

699 Wash One’s Hand Of

Meanin Disclaim responsibility for
g
Ex. After having misled the team, he washed his hands of the team’s failure by saying that
nobody was bound to work according to his suggestions.

700 To Become Reconcile To

Meanin To accept or be resigned to something not desired
g
Ex. Parents often have to become reconciled to their children’s wishes for the latter’s
happiness.
701 Itching Palm
Meanin A desire for money; Greed
g
Ex. Your itching palm will undoubtedly get you into trouble one day. Stop running after money,
and, rather, focus on your goal.

702 Not to Mince Matters

Meanin To say what one means clearly and directly, even if it upset others
g
Ex. My sister taught me not to mince matters and talk to the point.

703 Hang Up
Meanin To end a telephone call
g
Ex. While I face signal issues on a phone call, I always apologize before I hang up.

704 Turn Someone In

Meanin To create feelings of dislike, repulsion, disgust, etc.
g
Ex. Tom has a lot of problems; please do not turn him in because he does not deserve
misconduct.

705 Turncoat
Meanin Traitor
g
Ex. Although everyone knew Emily was a turncoat, her daughter had a hard time believing it.

706 Where the Shoe Pinches

Meanin Source of trouble, grief, difficulty, etc.
g
Ex. I have been through such a situation after my father’s death, so I know where the shoe
pinches.

707 Make for

Meanin Cause of
g
Ex. The incident is going to make for a better understanding between the two brothers.
708 Yeoman’s Service
Meanin Efficient or useful help in need
g
Ex. Iqra’s team has done yeoman’s service in raising money for the organization.

709 Discretion Is the Better Part of Valor

Meanin It is better to avoid a dangerous situation than to confront it
g
Ex. My father has always taught me that discretion is the greater part of valour.

710 A Casting Vote

Meanin The vote that gives one group a majority when the other votes are equally divided
g
Ex. The speaker used his casting vote in the favor of the majority.

711 Look Down Upon

Meanin Regard someone with a feeling of superiority
g
Ex. We must not look down upon the poor.

712 To Let the Grass Grow under One’s Feet

Meanin Waste time by delaying doing something
g
Ex. If you keep letting the grass grow under your feet and not work on the project, mark my
words, you will face severe repercussions.

713 Penny Wise and Pound Foolish

Meanin Not willing to spend small amounts of money; Careful and economical in small matters
g while being wasteful or extravagant in large ones
Ex. I don’t get people who are penny wise and pound foolish. What use is saving money on a
flower yet buying a whole extravagant bouquet?

714 The Primrose Path

Meanin The path of pleasure, self-indulgence, etc.
g
Ex. Having won the lottery, he started walking the primrose path.
715 Iconoclast
Meanin A breaker or destroyer of images esp. religious
g
Ex. Sania is an iconoclast because she refused to be bound by tradition.

716 A Swan Song

Meanin Final achievement or public appearance
g
Ex. Marry is resigning tomorrow; this project was her swan song.

717 A Freudian Slip

Meanin An unintentional error that seems to reveal subconscious feelings
g
Ex. It seems that was a Freudian slip because she was not willing to expose their secret.

718 A Gordian Knot

Meanin An exceedingly complicated problem or deadlock
g
Ex. Although Pakistan, according to GPI, is now ranked 152 among 172 peaceful countries in
the world, terrorism is still a guardian knot of the country

719 A Cog in The Machine

Meanin A small or insignificant member of a larger organization or system
g
Ex. I am going to start my own business because I am tired of just being a cog in the machine

720 A Sugar Daddy

Meanin A rich, older, man who supports or spends lavishly on a usually much younger girlfriend
g
Ex. Better be careful of your boss. He is sort of a sugar daddy.

721 Wool Gathering

Meanin To be daydreaming; Not concentrating
g
Ex. Lost in her fantasies, the girl spent most of her day woolgathering and building castles in
the air.

722 Under the Harrow

Meanin In distress, upset, troubled
g
Ex. Many families are under the harrow because of the economic recession.

723 A Gold Digger

Meanin A woman who associates with or marries a man chiefly for material gain
g
Ex. Better be careful, she is a sort of gold digger

724 Walk with God

Meanin To live in obedience to His commands, and have communion with Him
g
Ex. Every Muslim should try to walk with God in his daily routine.

725 On The Thin Ice

Meanin In a risky situation, endangered
g
Ex. After failing the exam fourth time, he was on thin ice with his father.

726 Unearthly Hour

Meanin Absurdly early or inconvenient
g
Ex. I love to call my sister at unearthly hours only for my inner satisfaction.

727 The Milk Human Kindness

Meanin Kind behaviour, is considered to be natural to human beings
g
Ex. You are selfish; you do not have milk of human kindness

728 To Pay Through the Nose

Meanin To pay too much money for something
g
Ex. We paid through the nose to stay in a five-star hotel in Turkey.

729 To Lose Face

Meanin To look stupid
g
Ex. One must not do such things that he has to lose face.
730 To Bring Grist to The Mill
Meanin Something that is useful to someone for a particular purpose
g
Ex. As a novelist, I feel that any experience, good or bad, will bring grist to my mill.

731 To Keep One’s Fingers Crossed

Meanin To hope that things will happen in the way that you want them to
g
Ex. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my sister clears the written test for the job.