Idioms/phrases are expressions that demonstrate human behaviors, reactions on certain things, social traits, habits, and traditions. The candidates who are aspiring for any of the competitive exam i.e. SSC or IBPS Exams must have an ample knowledge idioms and Phrases to obtain high scores in English Section of any exam. Well, learning idioms and Phrases for Competitive Exams is not a tough task. Any student who has enough know English can understand their meanings easily. Below we have listed a complete list of Idioms and Phrases to help you out in preparing well for the competitive exams.
| S. No. | ldioms / Phrases | English Meaning |
| 1. | A hard nut to crack | A difficult problem |
| 2. | A thorn in the flesh | A constant source of annoyance |
| 3. | At one’s beck and call | Under one’s control |
| 4. | An acid test | A critical test |
| 5. | All eye for an eye | Tit for tat |
| 6. | At once | At the same time, promptly, instant |
| 7. | At home | Comfortable |
| 8. | All in all | Most important |
| 9. | Achilles’ heels | A small but fatal weakness |
| 10. | Add fuel to fire | |
| 11. | An arm chair job | Good income job with high comfort |
| 12. | An axe to grind | Something done for selfish reasons |
| 13. | An iron will | Strong will power |
| 14. | An old flame | A person, one had a romantic relationship with, in the past. |
| 15. | An old head on young shoulders | A child or young person who thinks and talks like an older experienced person An olive branch |
| 16. | An olive branch | Peace request/ peace treaty |
| 17. | Apple of discord | Matter of dispute |
| 18. | Apple of one’s eye | Very loveable |
| 19. | Apple pie order | In good condition |
| 20. | Argued eyes | Careful, observant |
| 21. | At lose | unable to decide |
| 22. | At a pinch | In trouble |
| 23. | At arm’s length | Avoid becoming too friendly |
| 24. | At daggers drawn | To have bitter enmity |
| 25. | At ease | Free from pain and anxiety |
| 26. | At one’s finger ends | To have complete knowledge, to be expert in |
| 27. | At one’s wits ends | Puzzled/ confused/ perplexed |
| 28. | At sixes and sevens | In disorder |
| 29. | At stake | At risk or insecure |
| 30. | At the eleventh hour | At last moment |
| 31. | A man of straw | A man with no voice or will of his own/ a man of no substance |
| 32. | A black sheep | An unlucky person, Bad characters |
| 33. | At a snail’s pace | Very slowly |
| 34. | At logger | In dispute, to fight |
| 35. | All at sea | Completely confused |
| 36. | A white elephant | An expensive but useless possession |
| 37. | Axe out | To turn out |
| 38. | Bring to light | Disclose |
| 39. | Bread and butter | Material welfare |
| 40. | By and by | Slowly |
| 41. | By the virtue of | By the power of |
| 42. | Back stair gossip | Talk among servants / unfair talk |
| 43. | Back and forth | Backward and forward |
| 44. | Bad blood | Enmity/ bitter relation, Ill feelings |
| 45. | Bad eggs | Who behaves in a bad or dishonest way |
| 46. | Bag and baggage | With all belongings |
| 47. | Back stair influence | By unfair means |
| 48. | Baker’s dozen | Thirteen in number |
| 49. | Bandy words | To argue |
| 50. | Barefaced liars | Shameless liars |
| 51. | Be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth | To be born in a rich family |
| 52. | Be in the driving seat | Bearing all responsibilities |
| 53. | Be in the tune with | In agreement or mood |
| 54. | Bear the brunt | To bear the main part of something unpleasant |
| 55. | Beat about the bush | To talk in a roundabout manner / circumlocution |
| 56.. | Beat black and blue | Beat mercilessly |
| 57 | Beat the record | To do better than ever before |
| 58. | Beat hollow | To beat thoroughly and convincingly |
| 59. | Bed of roses | Pleasant situation of comfort |
| 60. | Bed of thorns | A situation of extremely difficulty |
| 61. | Beggar description | A person with no source |
| 62. | Bell the cat | Taking first step at personal risk |
| 63. | Bend the truth | Not to speak the entire truth |
| 64. | Between the devil and the deep sea | Between two difficult situation |
| 65. | Between Scylla and charybdis | Between two difficult situation |
| 66. | Big gun | An influential person |
| 67. | Bird of passage | One who comes occasionally |
| 68. | Bird’s eye view | Overview |
| 69. | Bird’s of feather | People with the time idea, characteristics interests |
| 70. | Bite the dust | To be defeated |
| 71. | Black sheep | A person who is regarded as disgrace of his family/team etc… |
| 72. | Blind alley | A situation in which no further progress |
| 73. | Blind date | A meeting between a girl and a boy, who have not met before |
| 74. | Blow one’s own trumpet | praise oneself |
| 75. | Blue blood | Royal or aristocratic descent |
| 76. | Blue book | Government report |
| 77. | Blue stocking | Educated but pedantic lady |
| 78. | Body and soul | Entirely |
| 79. | Bolt from the blue | Unexpected problem |
| 80. | Bone of contention | Subject of a dispute |
| 81. | Boon/blessing in disguise | Hidden blessing |
| 82. | Bosom friend | Fast friend |
| 83. | Brain fed | Taught |
| 84. | Break the ice | Break the silence /to start a conversation |
| 85. | Breathe one’s last | To pass way/ to die |
| 86. | Bring to back | To punish |
| 87. | Broad day light | In day light (when crime cannot be hidden) |
| 88. | Broken reed | A weak, unreliable person |
| 89. | Brown study | A state of deep thought |
| 90. | Bull in the china shop | One who is out of place in a dedicated situation |
| 91. | Burn a hole in the pocket | Money spend quickly |
| 92. | Burn one’s finger | To get oneself into trouble |
| 93. | Burn the candle at both ends | To work very hard and stay very late at night and get up early in the morning |
| 94. | Burn one’s boats | Go back on a decision |
| 95. | Burn the midnight oil | Laboring/ studying late night |
| 96. | Burning question | An important topic, hot issue |
| 97. | Bury the hatchet | To end enmity/hostility |
| 98. | By fits and starts | Irregularly/ sporadic |
| 99. | By hook or by crook | By any means, right or wrong |
| 100. | By leaps and bounds | At a rapid pace |
| 101. | By the skins of one’s teeth/ by a whisker | Narrowly/ by a hair breadth |
| 102. | By long adds | By a great difference |
| 103. | By the rule of thumb | According to practical experience |
| 104. | Bricks and mortar | Buildings |
| 105. | Blow hot and cold | Support and oppose |
| 106. | Bring home | To convince |
| 107. | Bite one’s lips | Control one’s anger |
| 108. | Beat black and blue | To punish severely |
| 109. | Bee in one’s bonnet | To be crazy about something |
| 110. | Be nipped in the bud | To destroy a thing in the very beginning |
| 111. | Buy a lemony | To buy something than is worthless |
| 112. | By and large | On the whole, speaking generally |
| 113. | Blow hot and cold | To be irresolute |
| 114. | Bear the hunt | Suffer the most |
| 115. | By the strong hand | By force |
| 116. | Carry the coal to new castle | Spending time and energy in doing something that is useless and wastage of |
| 117. | Cast pearls before the swine | A right thing in a wrong hand |
| 118. | Castles in the air | Day dream/ a hope or desire unlikely to be realized |
| 119. | Cat and dog life | Troublesome life |
| 120. | Catch the tarter | To grapple with an unexpectedly/ to catch a dangerous person |
| 121. | Cat’s paw | A person used by another as a dupe or tool |
| 122. | Chew the cud | To ponder over/ meditate |
| 123. | Chest-thumping | The act or practice of boasting |
| 124. | Chicken hearted | Lacking courage / cowardly |
| 125. | Chip of the old block | Resembling in one’s parents in habits |
| 126. | Clean sweep | A complete victory |
| 127. | Clip the wings | To weakent the power |
| 128. | Cloven hoof | Evil desire |
| 129. | Cock and bull story | A concocted story |
| 130. | Come off with flying colours | Be highly successful |
| 131. | Crocodile tears | An false display of grief |
| 132. | Cross swords | To quarrel or fight |
| 133. | Cry for the moon | To desire the unattainable |
| 134. | Cry over spilled milk | Regret in vain for what cannot be undone |
| 135. | Cut a sorry figure | To give a poor show |
| 136. | Cut both ways | Argue in favour of both sides |
| 137. | Cut no ice | To fail to make an impression |
| 138. | Creature comforts | Luxuries |
| 139. | Curry favour | To seek to win favour by gifts or flattery |
| 140. | Cheek by jowl | Very close- intimate |
| 141. | Catch a straw | To accept help and support even from the insignificant |
| 142. | Cry wolf | Go give false alarm |
| 143. | Call a spade a spade | Resist from making controversial statement, be out spoken in language |
| 144. | Cut both end | Behave dishonestly |
| 145. | Cut the Gordian knot | To short out the problem |
| 146. | Clear the decks | To remove obstructions |
| 147. | Crust fallen | To be dejected |
| 148. | Cock a snook | To show impudent contempt |
| 149. | Cook the books | To record false information in order to steal money or show wrong entry to hide stolen money |
| 150. | Cool head | To have a nature of not easily being excited |
| 151. | Come a cropper | To fail completely |
| 152. | Come back to earth | Return to reality |
| 153. | Come home to | To understand |
| 154. | Call in question | To doubt, find fault with |
| 155. | Cut a sorry figure | Not to leave a good impression |
| 156. | Cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth | To live within one’s means |
| 157. | Dance to one’s tune | Obeying one’s order |
| 158. | Dark horse | One who wins unexpectedly |
| 159. | Daydream | To think of pleasant thoughts |
| 160. | Day in day out | For indefinite number |
| 161. | Daylight robbery | Blatantly overcharging or removing someone’s money by foul play to deceive someone |
| 162. | Dead letter | A law or ordinance that is no longer enforced |
| 163. | Damocles’ sword | Constant threat |
| 164. | Die in cast | One cannot retreat or change one’s plans |
| 165. | Die a dog’s death | To die a shameful death |
| 166. | Die in harness | Die while |
| 167. | Doctorate the account | To manipulate the account |
| 168. | Dog in the manger | A person who prevents others from enjoying what he can not |
| 169. | Donkey’s years | A long time |
| 170. | Draw a line | Set a limit |
| 171. | Duck in a thunder storm | In a painful condition |
| 172. | Do a good turn | Act of kindness |
| 173. | Do away with | Finish |
| 174. | Dutch courage | False, sense of bravery brought about by drinking alcohol |
| 175. | Damp squib | Complete failure |
| 176. | Eagle eyed | keen eye sight |
| 177. | Eat humble pie | To apologize |
| 178. | Eat one’s words | Take the statement back |
| 179. | Eat one’s heart out | Suffer silently |
| 180. | Elbow room | Sufficient scope to move or function |
| 181. | End in smoke | Come to nothing |
| 182. | Escape one’s lips | Speak unintentionally or unexpectedly |
| 183. | Edge out | To push out slowly |
| 184. | Egg-on | To instigate to proceed further |
| 185. | Eke out | Supplement income |
| 186. | Ever and anon | Now and then |
| 187. | Fabian policy | Deliberate slow policy/ policy of delaying decisions |
| 188. | Face the music | To accept punishment for something you have done |
| 189. | Fair and square | In an honest way |
| 190. | Fair sex | Women |
| 191. | Fair weather friend | Selfish friend who are with us only in comfortable situations |
| 192. | Fancy price | At any cost/at demanded prices |
| 193. | Feather in | Additional success |
| 194. | Feather one’s nest | To enrich oneself by taking advantage of one’s position |
| 195. | Fight shy of | To attempt to avoid a thing or person |
| 196. | Fighting fit | In good health |
| 197. | Field day | A successful or a great day |
| 198. | Fish in trouble waters | To take advantages of the problems of others |
| 199. | Fish out of water | Out of one’s usual and uncomfortable place |
| 200. | Feet of clay | Hidden faults |
| 201. | Fly in the ointment | A light unpleasant thing that obstruct the enjoyment of something |
| 202. | Fool’s paradise | A state of being happy for foolish or unfounded reasons |
| 203. | For a song | A very low price |
| 204. | Forty winks | A nap |
| 205. | French leave | A leave without information or permission |
| 206. | Fringe benefits | An additional benefit apart from salary |
| 207. | From hand to mouth | Providing only bare essential |
| 208. | Flesh and blood | A human being with his natural limitation |
| 209. | Full blown | Fully developed |
| 210. | Gala day | Celebration day |
| 211. | Get away with | To escape |
| 212. | Get down to | To attend to work seriously |
| 213. | Get into a soup | Get into a trouble |
| 214. | Get into hot water | Get into a trouble |
| 215. | Get off scot free | To escape without punishment |
| 216. | Get on one’s nerves | To irritate or annoy |
| 217. | Get the wind of | To know the secrets |
| 218. | Go the whole hog | Do something fully, completely |
| 219. | Give up the ghost | To die, stop working, stop doing something |
| 220. | Go down well with | Applauded by |
| 221. | Get the wind up | To be scared |
| 222. | Give me a hand | To take help |
| 223. | Gain ground | Become popular |
| 224. | Gribble- gabble | Foolish talk |
| 224. | Gift of the gab | Give a piece of mind/to talk speaking |
| 225. | Go scot free | To escape from punishment |
| 226. | Go through fire and water | To brave any danger |
| 227. | Go the whole hog | To do something thoroughly |
| 228. | Go to dogs | To deteriorate/degenerate |
| 229. | Go to rack and ruin | To decay or get destroyed |
| 230. | Good Samaritan | A person who helps and pays sympathy to those in distress |
| 231. | Grass widow | A woman who is separated, divorced or lives apart from her husband |
| 232. | Grease the palm | To bribe |
| 233. | Green room | A lounge in a theatre or studio for the performers to get ready |
| 234. | Grist to one’s | Something that can be used for one’s advantages |
| 235. | Gung ho | Extremely excited |
| 236. | Halcyons days | Peaceful days |
| 237. | Hammer and sickle | A symbolic representation of communism in general madman |
| 238. | Hammer and tongs | To do something with great energy |
| 239. | Hand and glove with | In close co-operation |
| 240. | Hang by a thread | Be in a risky situation |
| 241. | Hard nut to crack m | A difficult problem to solve / a person difficult to understand |
| 242. | Hard and fast rules | Strict rules |
| 243. | Haul over the coals | To take to task, to reprimand |
| 244. | Have a big mouth | To gossips more or tells secret |
| 245. | Have finger | To be involved in something |
| 246. | Have one’s hand full | To be completely occupied |
| 247. | Have one’s way | The way one wants |
| 248. | Have several iron in the fire | To be involved in many project or activities at the same time |
| 249. | Hem and haw around | To be evasive |
| 250. | Head on | In a very direct manner |
| 251. | Heart bleed | Feel genuine sympathy for someone |
| 252. | Hen-pecked husband | Admirer of one’s own wife in a servile manner |
| 253. | Herculean task | Task requiring tremendous effort |
| 254. | Heart in the right place | Good natured |
| 256. | High and dry | In a deprived situation (alone) |
| 257. | High hand | Overbearing |
| 258. | High living | Living with comfort and ease |
| 259. | Hit below the belt | To strike unfairly |
| 260. | Hit the jackpot | Gaining a big/ great success (specially by luck) |
| 261. | Hit the nail on the head | To do the right thing at the right time |
| 262. | Hobson’s choice | No alternatives |
| 263. | Hole and corner policy | Secret policy |
| 264. | Hold no water | Not correct or true |
| 265. | Hold someone to leash | To restrain |
| 266. | Hoping against hope | Without hope |
| 267. | Hue and cry | Any loud public outcry |
| 268. | Hush money | Money given to someone to keep something secret |
| 269. | Hush – hush | Very secret |
| 270. | In a fix | In difficulty |
| 271. | In a flutter | Excited |
| 272. | In a way | Hopeful |
| 273. | In cahoots | To conspiracy with someone |
| 274. | In no time | Very quickly indeed |
| 275. | In a fog | Confused, not able to understand |
| 276. | In a nutshell | In very brief form |
| 277. | In black and white | In printed or written form |
| 278. | In full swing | At the height of activity |
| 279. | In the blues | In dumps depressed |
| 280. | In the long run | Ultimately |
| 281. | In the nick of the time | At the last possible moment |
| 282. | In the same boat | Sharing the same problems |
| 283. | In vogue | In the current fashions |
| 284. | Ins and outs | Intricacies or complications / full detail |
| 285. | Iron hand/ iron fist | Rigorous control |
| 286. | Itching palm | Craving forbribe |
| 287. | Itsy bitsy | Very small or tiny |
| 288. | Jack of all trades and master of none | A person knows many different kinds of work but is a master of none |
| 289. | Jail word | A person who is or has been confined in jail |
| 290. | Jaundice eye | To look at a conclusion prematurely |
| 291. | Kangaroo’s court | Illegal court |
| 292. | Keep one’s cards close to one’s chest | Hiding something |
| 293. | Keep ones eye on the ball | Be ready for something |
| 294. | Keep one’s finger crosses | To wait expectantly |
| 295. | Keep one’s word | To keep one’s promises |
| 296. | Keep the ball rolling | To maintain the progress of a project or plan |
| 297. | Keep one’s pot boiling | Earn hardly enough for living |
| 298. | Keep someone under thumb | To keep someone under one’s control |
| 299. | Keep the wolf from the door | To avert poverty/ starvation |
| 300. | Kill two birds with one stone | Doing two things at the same time whileeffort is made for one |
| 301. | Kith and kin | Blood relation/Nepotism |
| 302. | Knit one’s brow | To frown |
| 303. | Lady’s man | A man who is fond of the company of women |
| 304. | Lame excuse | False excuse/baseless excuse |
| 305. | Latin and greek | Unable to understand |
| 306. | Left-handed complement | An insult disguise as a compliment |
| 307. | Lion’s share | Large part |
| 308. | Live in an ivory tower | Living in comfort and being unaware of realities of other’s miseries |
| 309. | Live wire | Energetic |
| 310. | Loaves and fishes | Material benefit |
| 311. | Look of colours | Look ill or unhealthy |
| 312. | Look through coloured glasses | To see with different |
| 313. | Lady killer | Man who is very attractive to women |
| 314. | Laying off | Dismissal from jobs of |
| 315. | Laugh one’s head off | Laugh heartily |
| 316. | Laughing stock | One who is ridiculed |
| 317. | Lump in the throat | A tight or uncomfortable feeling in throat due to emotions |
| 318. | Mad as a march hare | Crazy and insane |
| 319. | Make a clean breast of | To tell the truth about something especially something bad or illegal you have done or you do not |
| 320. | Make up one’s mind | Decide |
| 321. | Maiden name | A woman’s surname before marriage |
| 322. | Maiden speech | First speech |
| 323. | Make a hash | To mess up |
| 324. | Make a mountain out of a mole hill | To exaggerate a minor difficulty |
| 325. | Make both ends meet | To live within one’s means |
| 326. | Make hay while the sun shines | To take the benefit of an opportunity |
| 327. | Make or mar | To make or destroy |
| 328. | Make the best of both the worlds | Getting benefited from both the sides |
| 329. | Make a dry face | To show disappointment |
| 330. | Make a bee line for | To go directly towards something |
| 331. | Make a clean breast of | To confess without resource |
| 332. | Make up one’s mind | To decide |
| 333. | Man of means | A wealthy man |
| 334. | Man of iron | Man with strong will-power |
| 335. | Man of letter | Learned person |
| 336. | Man of parts | A man of qualities |
| 337. | Man of spirit | A man full of enthusiasm |
| 338. | Man of straw | A weak person or idea that is easy to defeat |
| 339. | Man of the world | An experienced person |
| 340. | Man of word | True to one’s word or promises |
| 341. | Man of God | A male priest |
| 342. | Match made in heaven | A happy and harmonious marriage or partnership |
| 343. | Mare’s nest | A false invention/rumour |
| 344. | Mealy mouthed | Soft-spoken |
| 345. | Midas touch | A man with extraordinary powers |
| 346. | Mince matters | To moderate or restrain one’s language |
| 347. | Mind one’s P’s and Q’s | Taking care of behaviour properly |
| 348. | Miss the beat | To lose an opportunity |
| 349. | Monkey around | To waste time here and there |
| 350. | Mother wit | Common sense |
| 351. | Move heaven and earth | Try one’s best |
| 352. | Make one’s mark | Become famous, well known |
| 353. | Milk of human kindness | Good feelings towards others |
| 354. | Made of money | Very wealthy |
| 355. | Man of/in the street | Ordinary, average person |
| 356. | Make head or tail | Understand |
| 357. | Meet one’s waterloo | Make one feel terrified, horrified |
| 358. | Much cry and little wool | Lots of fanfare for something which have very little importance |
| 359. | Muddle-head | Stupid |
| 360. | Narrow escape / close shave | To escape by a little margin |
| 361. | Neck and crop | Completely |
| 362. | Nig-nag | A noun used to address someone (with jock and furnace) |
| 363. | Nine day’s wonder | Something that arouses great interest but for a very short period |
| 364. | Not bat an eyelid | Not to show any shock, worry or surprise |
| 365. | Null and void | Ineffective |
| 366. | Nurse and grudge | Bear resentment for long period |
| 367. | Oily tongue | Flattering words |
| 368. | Old flames die hard | Difficult to forget old things |
| 369. | On one’s guard | Vigilant, careful |
| 370. | On one’s last legs | Close to collapsing |
| 371. | Once for all | For the last time / conclusively |
| 372. | Out of sorts | Unwell, slightly ill |
| 373. | Out of the question | Impossible |
| 374. | Out of the way | Strange |
| 375. | Out of the wood | Free from difficulties and danger |
| 376. | Once in a blue moon | Very seldom |
| 377. | Once and for all | With finality |
| 378. | Open question | A question which may have more than one answer |
| 379. | Open secret | That many people know about but that is supposed to be a secret |
| 380. | Palmy days | Prosperous / affluent days |
| 381. | Pandora’s box | A source of extensive but unforeseen troubles |
| 382. | Part and parcel | Inseparable part |
| 383. | Past master | An expert |
| 384. | Pay off old scores | Take revenge |
| 385. | Pay the piper | To bear the cost of something/some service rendered |
| 386. | Pay through his nose | To pay dearly |
| 387. | Penny wise pound foolish | Careful about trifles but wasteful in large venture |
| 388. | Pin one’s ears | back Listen carefully |
| 389. | Pick someone’s brains | To ask someone for advice, suggestions and information about, something they know about |
| 390. | Pick up the gauntlet | To accept the challenge |
| 391. | Pied Piper | A leader who makes irresponsible promises |
| 392. | Play duck and drakes | To waste money |
| 393. | Play second fiddle | To be at a subordinate position |
| 394. | Play truant | To be absent from duty without permission |
| 395. | Poison someone ears | To speak against one to another |
| 396. | Poke one’s nose | To interfere |
| 397. | Past master | Adept/ skilled |
| 398. | Pour oil on troubled water | To pacify the matters |
| 399. | Pros and cons | To evaluate the advantages and disadvantages |
| 400. | Pull one’s legs | To make fun of or to tease |
| 401. | Pull the wool over somebody’s eyes | To mislead/Cheat
|
| 402. | Pull a long face | Look gloomy |
| 403. | Put a spoke in one’s wheel | To obstruct the execution of the |
| 404. | Put in cold storage | To keep a work pending |
| 405. | Put one’s foot down | To act fiemly |
| 406. | Put one’s shoulders to the wheel | To work or exert oneself heavily |
| 407. | Put the cart before the horse | To do things wrongly |
| 408. | Put the cat among pigeons | To say/do something that causes trouble or make many angry |
| 409. | Quarrel with one’s bread and butter | To fight with the executive or employer, who is providing one’s means of living |
| 410. | Queer fish | Strange person |
| 411. | Quite the thing | Fashinable, in fashion |
| 412. | Quits with | Even with, revenged on |
| 413. | Rain cats and dogs | Rain very heavily |
| 414. | Rank and file | Ordinary persons |
| 415. | Rainy day | Future time of need, especially financial need |
| 416. | Read between the lines | To understand the hidden meaning |
| 417. | Red carpet | To give special welcome to someone |
| 418. | Red handed | Exactly while committing a crime or doing something wrong |
| 419. | Red herring | Someone to distract attention |
| 420. | Red letter day | A memorably important or happy occasion |
| 421. | Red tapism | Strict adherence to excessive paper work and official formalities |
| 422. | Rest on one’s laurels | Depending on the achievement made in the past |
| 423. | Rhyme or reason | Sense, logic or meaning |
| 424. | Right hand man | One’s most supporter person |
| 425. | Rock the boat | To disturb a situation which was otherwise stable |
| 426. | Rolling stone | A restless person |
| 427. | Royal road | An easy or direct way of achieving a desired result |
| 428. | Rule the roost | To dominate |
| 429. | Run amuck | Made with murderous frenzy |
| 430. | Run into the sand | To fail to achieve a result |
| 431. | Run of the mill | Average / common |
| 432. | Run the gauntlet | To go through an unpleasant experience |
| 433. | Root and branch | Completely |
| 434. | Sail under false colours | To pretend to be something that you are not |
| 435. | Save one’s skin | To save oneself |
| 436. | See eye to eye | Showing agreement/to agree |
| 437. | See pink elephant | Any visual hallucination arising due to intoxication |
| 438. | See red | Be very angry |
| 439. | See through | Comprehend |
| 440. | Seem side of life | Immoral side of society |
| 441. | Send shivers down the spine | To make someone feel very frightened |
| 442. | Set at naught | To disregard or treat as of no importance |
| 443. | Set one’s face against | To oppose with determination |
| 444. | Set one’s heart on | To have as one’s ambition to obtain something |
| 445. | Set one’s teeth on edge | To irritate or annoy someone |
| 446. | Set someone by ears | To incite people |
| 447. | Set the Thames on fire | To achieve something amazing |
| 448. | Shoulder to shoulder | With united effort |
| 449. | Show white feather | To show cowardice |
| 450. | Sine die | Indefinitely |
| 451. | Sitting ducks | Defenceless and easy prey |
| 452. | Sit on the fence | Refuse to take side in a dispute |
| 453. | Slip of the tongue | Spoken unintentionally |
| 454. | Slow coach | A person with lazy approach of working |
| 455. | Small fry | Insignificant person |
| 456. | Smell a rat | To suspect something wrong done |
| 457. | Smooth sailing | Easy progress |
| 458. | Snake in the grass | A secret enemy |
| 459. | Shake in the shoes | A tremble with fear or apprehension |
| 460. | Show the dragon’s teeth | To create future trouble for yourself or others |
| 461. | Show a clean pair of heals | Run away |
| 462. | Speak one’s mind | Speak what one really thinks |
| 463. | Spick and span | In order/neat and clean |
| 464. | Stand by | Support |
| 465. | Stand on one’s legs | To be self dependent |
| 466. | Stand/stick to one’s guns | To be strict and determined |
| 467. | State somebody in good stead | To be of great use and benefit to someone |
| 468. | Steal a march | To obtain an advantage by secret means |
| 469. | Steal the march | To go ahead secretly |
| 470. | Step into another’s shoes | To take over a job/responsibility of some other person |
| 471. | Stiff-necked person | Stubborn or arrogant |
| 472. | Stir a finger | Making effort |
| 473. | Stone’s throw | Very near |
| 474. | Street Arabs | A homeless person (especially who survive by begging) |
| 475. | Sum and substance | Main idea or gist |
| 476. | Swan song | The last ceremony or farewell |
| 477. | Sweat of one’s brow | Hard labour |
| 478. | Swelled head | Grand opinion of oneself/conceited |
| 479. | Sworn enemy | People enemies |
| 480. | Sang froid | Composer |
| 481. | Spilling the beans | Reveal the information indiscreetly |
| 482. | Set the record light | Give the correct account |
| 483. | Safe and sound | Quite well |
| 484. | Salad days | Adolescence |
| 485. | Shake a leg | To go fast, hurry |
| 486. | Spread like wild fire | Spread quickly |
| 487. | Sweet of the brow | Hard labour |
| 488. | Take away one’s breath | Take by storm |
| 489. | Take by storm | To surprise unexpectedly |
| 490. | Take into account | To consider |
| 491 | Take one at one’s word | To be convinced of one’s sincerity and act in accordance with his /her statement |
| 492. | Take the bull by the horns | To adopt the most direct but the most dangerous way of facing a difficulty |
| 493. | Take to one’s heels | To run away |
| 494. | Take up arms | To fight |
| 495. | Take lying | down Accept insult |
| 496. | Talk big | To boast or brag |
| 497. | Talk of the town | To be the person or subject everyone is taling about it |
| 498. | The printer’s devils | Error in printing |
| 499. | Think twice | To consider carefully before deciding |
| 500. | Tight corner | In a difficult situation |
| 501. | The forth estate | The press |
| 502. | Thick-skinned person | Not easily offended, insensitive |
| 503. | Through thick and thin | In good and bad times |
| 504. | Throw cold water | To criticise or stop someone from doing something that he is enthusiastic about |
| 505. | Throw down the gauntlet | To challenge |
| 506. | Tooth and nail | To violently |
| 507. | Toil and moil | Hard lbour |
| 508. | True to one’s salt | Loyal person |
| 509. | Turn a deaf ear to | Not to pay attention to |
| 510. | Turn his head | To make person to feel too proud in a way that other people find annoying |
| 511. | Turn one’s coat | To change one’s party |
| 512. | Turn out to | To be found to be |
| 513. | Turn over a new leaf | To be entirely changed (for good) |
| 514. | Turn the corner | To pass through a critical point in a process |
| 515. | Turn turtle | To overturn |
| 516. | Turn the table | Turn the situation completely |
| 517. | Turn up her nose at | To reject, dismiss scornfully |
| 518. | Throw out of gear | Disturb the work |
| 519. | Take to one’s heels | Run away |
| 520. | To go the whole hog | To do complete |
| 521. | Time and tide | Course of time |
| 522. | The long and short of | In brief |
| 523. | Throw a spanner | To sabotage a plan |
| 524. | Through down the gauntlet | To challenge |
| 525. | To allow the grass to grow under one’s feet | To be lazy |
| 526. | To crow over | Triumph over someone |
| 527. | To be above board | To be honest in any business deal |
| 528. | To blow a fuse | To turn someone angry |
| 529. | To be on apex | To be at highest point |
| 530. | To be on one’s mind | To worry about something |
| 531. | To beat a hasty retreat | Go away hurriedly |
| 532. | To blow one’s stack up/below a fuse/gasket | To lose one’s temper, become extremely angry |
| 533. | Take your medicine | To the consequences of something you have done wrong |
| 534. | To curry favour | To win favour of |
| 535. | To make head or tail of | Be able to understand at all |
| 536. | To leave someone in the lurch | To desert someone in his difficulties |
| 537. | To join forces | Join together, become united |
| 538. | To kick off a row | Raise dispute |
| 539. | To move heaven and earth | To do all possible effort |
| 540. | To many irons in the fire | To be involved in several activites |
| 541. | To play a second fiddle | To be in a subordinate position |
| 542. | To sow the wind and reap the whirlwind | To start some kind of trouble that grows much larger that one has planned |
| 543. | Turn a blind eye | To ignore intentionally |
| 544. | To laugh in or up one’s sleeves | To Be secretly amused |
| 545. | Take one to task | Rebuke, scold, castigate |
| 546. | Turn a deaf ear | Disregard / ignore what one says |
| 547. | Turn up one’s nose at | To take lightly with contempt |
| 548. | Under a cloud | Under suspicious |
| 549. | Under the nose of | To Right in front of someone |
| 550. | Under the rose | Secretly |
| 551. | Under the thumb of | Under the power influence of |
| 552. | Up and doing | Active in work |
| 553. | Up one’s sleeves | An item kept hidden and used whenever required |
| 554. | Uphill task | Difficult task |
| 555. | Upon one’s sweet will | Oneself desire or wish |
| 556. | Ups and downs | God and bad times |
| 556. | Upset the apple cart | To create difficulty |
| 557. | Up and doing | Active |
| 558. | Utopian scheme | A visionary scheme though impractical |
| 560. | Vexed question | Much debated and discussed |
| 561. | Wake up call | Alarm of danger |
| 562. | Wash dirty linen in public | To expose private affair in public |
| 563. | Wash hand of | To have nothing to do |
| 564. | Weal and woe | Joy and sorrow, prosperity and adversity |
| 565. | Wear a long face | To look gloomy |
| 566. | Weather the storm | Survive by coming out of difficulties |
| 567. | Well-to-do | Affluent |
| 568. | Wet behind the ears | Inexperienced |
| 569. | Wet blanket | One who spoil the enjoyment |
| 570. | Wheels within wheels | A series of intricately connected events |
| 571. | White elephant | Expensive but no use |
| 572. | White lie | A minor lie |
| 573. | When the crunch come | The moment of decision |
| 574. | Will the wisp | Elusive / unreal |
| 575. | Wild goose chase | Useless effort |
| 576. | Windfall | Sudden gain received unexpectedly |
| 577. | Winning spree | Outburst of an activity |
| 578. | Win laurels | To win honours |
| 579. | With a grain of salt | To accept with misgiving |
| 580. | With a high hand | Oppressively |
| 581. | With one accord\in on voice | Unanimously |
| 582. | With open arms | With happiness |
| 583. | With one accord/in one voice | Unanimously |
| 584. | Without rhyme or reason | Without any justification |
| 585. | Wolf in sheep’s cloth | A malicious person in harmless or benevolent disguise |
| 586. | Word for word | In exactly the same word |
| 587. | Word of mouth | Informal oral communication |
| 588. | Wry face | Disappointed look |
| 589. | Yeoman’s service | Excellent work |
| 590. | Zip your lips | To shut up or keep quiet about something |
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