Idioms and phrases for students

70 idioms and phrases for students

1) above board - honest and straightforward

2) Adam's ale - pure water

3) add new feather in one's cap- to acquire new honour .

4) add insult to injury - to harm as well as humiliate

5) after one's own heart - similar to you

6) a hair breadth escape- very narrow escape

7) an old flame- long time love

8) an old head on young shoulder- to be more mature than one's own age

9) as fit as fiddle- strong and healthy.

10) assume airs - to pretend superiority

11) at a stone's throw - at a little distance.

12) at the nick of the time- at the last possible moment.

13) at odds- Indus agreement.

14) blue stocking- an educated intellectual lady.

15) bed of roses- an easy and comfortable situation

16) beside oneself- to feel extremely nervous or worried

17) bring to light- to disclose.

18) clinch the issue- to clear the controversy

19) caste a slur- to bring disgrace

20) days of reckoning- a time when the effect of one's past mistake or misdeed catch up with one.

21) dog's life- very miserable life

22) dump Squib- complete failure though earlier thought to be exciting.

23) cut throat- tough

24) curry favour- to win favour by flattery

25) double edged sword- acted will harm oneself as well as the others

26) drop in the ocean- very insignificant amount

27) double dealing- deceitful actions

28) eye wash - ineffective remedy which is just for show

29) flog a dead horse- to waste one's energy

30) fly into a passion- to be enraged.

31) fly in the face- to defy

32) gentie man at large- wealthy man with time on his hands

33) get into a scrape-  find oneself in a difficult or awkward situation.

34) give cold shoulder- pay no attention to

35) go back on one's word- to change one's mind about

36) hang over one's head- to have something boring

37) golden opportunity- very favourable opportunity

38) heart and soul- with complete faith and dedication

39) hold one's jaw- to stop talking

40) Hindi family way- pregnant

41) in the LimeLight- at the centre of attention

42) in the red- in debt

43) in embryo- immature

44) keep abreast of- not to fall behind

45) keep up appearance- to keep one's prestige

46) kiss the dust- to be humiliated

47) led by the nose- to let someone's by coercion.

48) leave no stone unturned- to make all possible efforts

49) lose the day- to be defeated

50) make up the leeway- struggle out of a bad position

51) man in the street- common man

52) milk of human kindness- human compassion

53) on and on- to continue

54) oil someone's hands- to bribe

55) pell mell- very fast and not organised

56) pinprick- trouble that are for short time

57) play fast and loose- be unreliable

58) past master- an expert

59) rank and file -lower middle class people

60) roll up one's sleeve- to be prepared for hard work

61) scratch one's head- to be perplexed

62) seal of love- kiss

63) slip of the pen- small an intentional mistake in writing

64) square meal- full meal

65) take a leaf out of another man's book- to imitate another person

66) tall talk- boasting.

67) throw mud at- try to make a lower pinion of someone's by saying unpleasant things about him .

68) under the rose- secretly

69) vaxed questions- much debated and discussed

70) without rhyme or reason- without any justification.