Idioms and their Meanings

English grammar

Idioms and their Meanings

 In every language there are some special words and phrases which have particular significance. These are called 'Idioms'. Idioms do not follow the general rules of grammar.

• To take over (to take charge). He took over the Regiment from Col. S. Javed.
• To bear in mind (to remember)
  You must bear in mind that this is your only chance.
• To put up with (to tolerate)
   I had to put up with ten guests in my small house.
• To make out (to understand)
  I could not make out what he really expected.
• To come round (to recover consciousness)
  He come round four hours after he had met with an accident.
• To go into the matter (to examine)
  The principle asked the teacher to go into the matter immediately.
• Bread and butter:
  I am satisfied if I get bread and butter.
• A dead letter:
  Sharda Act is a dead letter now.
• At daggers drawn:
  Although they are brothers yet they are at daggers drawn.
• A far cry:
  My request was a far cry, no body listened to me.
• At the eleventh hour:
  The doctor was called in at the eleventh hour.
• At arm's length:
  Please keep that bad boy at arm's length.
• A cook and bull story:
  He amused us with cock and bull stories.
• At one's beck and call:My servant is at my beck and call.
• A bone of contention:The watch was a bone of contention between two friends. 
• Beside the mark:
  No body listened to him because his talk was beside the mark.
• Blue-blood:
   He will not do such a bed deed because blue blood runs in his veins.
• By virtue of:
  He was successful in the election by virtue of his good qualities.
• By fits and starts:
  This boy cannot get good marks in the examination because he works by fits and starts.
• Bad blood:
  A bad man creates bad blood among friends.
• Below the mark:
  He failed in the examination because his written work was below the mark.
• Black sheep:
   (A bad one) He is the black sheep of his class.
• By and by:
  You will know every thing by and by.
• Cold reception:
  He was given a cold reception at his arrival.
• Far and wide:
  People from far and wide came to see the fair.
• Heart and soul:
  He is working with heart and soul to get through the examination.
• Hue and cry:
  They raised a hue and cry at this sight of the thief.
• High spirits:We were in high spirits when we went on the picnic.
• In cold blood:The robber killed the rich man in cold blood.
• In full swing:
  The fair was in the full swing in the evening.
• In the nick of time:
  We reached at the station in the nick of time and caught the train.
• On the super of the movement:
  I could not answer his question on the super of the movement.
• Off and on:
  He comes to see me off and on.
• Once for all: I have told you once for all not to keep the company of bad boys.
•  Part and parcel:
  Traveling is part and parcel of education.
•  Prons and Cons:
  We should consider the prons and cons before talking any step in this matter.
• To be at large:
  The robber is still at large.
• To the letter:
  The village boys obey the orders of their teachers to the letter.
• To take to task:
  He was taken to task for making a mischief.
• To come of age:
  He will take care of his property when he will come of age.
• To beat about the bush:
  Do not beat about the bush, come to the point.
• To turn over a new leaf:
  The thief turned over a new leaf after his meeting with the holy man.
• To cut a sorry figure:
  He cut a sorry figure in his maiden speech.
• To get over:
  At last he got over the difficulty.
• To get on one's nerves:
   I do not like him at all because he is always getting on my nerves.
• To look after:
  Parents look after their children
• To make both ends meet:Now-a-days, The poor people make both ends meet with a great difficulty.
• To break the ice:  All were sitting quite, Zia broke the ice.
• To see eye to eye with:I do not see eye to eye with you in this matter.
• To call to mind: He could not call to his mind who had taken his book.
• To call a spade a spade: If you call a spade a spade, you will pickup quarrels with many.
• To carry the day: Baber carried the day at panipat.
• To eat one's word:You have spoken very dirty words, you should eat your words.
• To follow suit:
   The master ran after the thief and his servants followed suit.
• To get into hot water:
  By picking a quarrel with that bad man you will get into hot water.
• To nip in the bud:
  We should nip the evil in the bud.
• To win laurels:
  The soldier fought bravely and won laurels.
• To rise to the occasion:
  He rose to the occasion and was successful.
• Leave in the lurch:
  Good friends will never leave you in the lurch.
• To turn the corner:
  God be thanked, the patient has turned the corner.
• To hold water:
  Your argument does not hold water.
• To below one's trumpet:
  I do not like him at all because he always blows his own trumpet.