We are halfway through, and the next ten idioms, to be covered in section-6, are there on your
screen. "Idiom no. 51 is Back to square one.
While no one is sure about the origin of this idiom, it is guessed to have originated from
football commentaries on radio where to promote a better visualization of the game the field
was divided into 8 numbered squares ( which were rather rectangles) and back to square
one meant back to the original square or original position.
So, if you are back to square one, you have to start working on a plan from the beginning
because your previous attempt failed and the progress you made is now wasted.
An example sentence is: Alas! I lost my laptop bag on the train back to Delhi and all the
project work stored in that laptop is gone, so we are back to square one.
" "Apple of one's eye In Old English, the
pupil of the eye (the round, dark center) was called the 'apple'. It was thought that
the pupil was a round object much like an apple. When you look at someone, their reflection
appears in your pupil. So if someone is the 'apple of your eye', he or she is someone
that you look at a lot and enjoy seeing. So the idiom means the favourite or the most
beloved person. An example sentence is: Her grand daughter
is the apple of her eye." "Idiom no. 53 is: hook, line, and sinker.
This idiom means completely, and is based on the idea of a fish so hungry it swallows
the hook (the part that catches the fish), the line ( the string) and the sinker (a
weight attached to the line to keep it under water)
An example sentence is: The so-called world traveler cooked up such a convincing account
of his journeys to different places round the globe that we fell for it hook, line,
and sinker. "
"A similar idiom is 'Lock, stock, and barrel'. This phrase derives from muskets. The effective
portions of a gun are the lock (used to hold ready the sparking mechanism); the stock-
or the portion which is held, and the barrel being the aiming guide and conveyor for the
explosive-driven ball. Collectively they are the weapon, therefore, everything.
The idiom means: all, total, the whole thing. An example sentence is: My father got transferred
and we had to move everything to our new house- Lock, Stock and Barrel
" "Idiom No. 55 is: Tongue in one's cheek.
This phrase alludes to the facial expression created by putting one's tongue in one's cheek.
It means to talk insincerely or ironically. The best example is elections time when most
of the politicians simply make tongue-in-cheek promises to the voters.
" "Next idiom is 'To have a Card up your Sleeve'
which originates from the world of gambling. When a card player has 'a card up his sleeve'
he is hiding an extra card ( usually a powerful one like an ace ) in his shirt sleeve, waiting
to use it to win a hand in gambling. So the idiom means: To have a surprise plan/idea
that you are keeping back until the time is right
An example sentence would be: At the speed with which our company is burning money, in
coming months, it might not even have enough funds to pay us our salaries, unless the management
has a card up its sleeve. "
"From the same context of gambling, we have another popular idiom: To lay one's cards
on the table. This idiom alludes to laying playing cards on the table, face up, showing the cards,
and hence the idiom means: to be very honest or candid about one's position on some issue.
An example would be a couple having a conversation like: Now that we have been dating for an
year let's lay our cards on the table and discuss the future of this relationship.
" "Our next idiom is Devil's Advocate,
Well, talking about advocates or lawyers, they generally take their client's side
(so a Devil's Advocate will supposedly take the less popular side of the Devil) even though
he might or might not agree with it personally. The phrase Devil's Advocate thus refers
to a person who expresses an opinion that disagrees with that of the majority, so that
there will be an interesting discussion about that issue
An example sentence would be: Teachers often play the role of Devil's Advocate in classrooms
to promote a healthy discussion covering all aspects of an issue.
" " Idiom No. 55 is to cut corners. The first
image that comes to your mind when you hear it is probably that of a scissors cutting
a piece of paper or cloth. But, as a matter of fact,
To Cut Corners is a metaphor from driving. When you come to a sharp turn in the road,
instead of going all the way to the corner and then turning, if you go diagonally across,
you ""cut the corner off"". This might save time, but entails several risks such as clipping
the kerb and overturning, or being involved in a pile-up with another vehicle. Thus ""to
cut corners"" means to discard normal safe practice in order to get fast results.
i.e. if you try to do something in the easiest, quickest, or cheapest way, which probably
harms the quality of your work; you are said to have cut corners. And there is a certain
disapproving connotation attached to the phrase. For instance: The director tried to make this
film on such a small budget that he had to cut corners on several occasions
" "And the last idiom in this section is 'to
hear it on the grapevine' This phrase was an allusion to interactions
amongst people who could be expected to be found amongst grapevines, that is, the rural
poor. Such close communities had effective word of mouth communications, and so, any
piece of information passed on rapidly from one person to another very much like a chain
or an extended grapevine. And, so the idiom on the grapevine refers
to any piece of information that you have received through or via an informal means
of communication, especially gossip. The phrase is often used at workplaces now-a-days and
an example would be: I heard on the grapevine that Radha has put in her papers.
" Moving on to section-7, the next ten idioms
are there on your screen.
"Idiom no. 61 is 'to Wear your heart on your sleeve'. Heart, as we all know, has
long been associated with feelings or emotions. So, if someone wears his heart on his sleeves,
he is expressing his emotions freely and openly, for everyone around to see.
For instance: Rajiv is very open about his crushes on the female colleagues. As his friends
say it, he wears his heart on his sleeve. "
"Our 62nd idiom is take a leaf out of someone's book. This idiom alludes to tearing a page
from a book and such a leaf would probably highlight the best part of the book, something
you are impressed with. So the idiom means to:
Imitate or follow someone's example, for example a child, who is too impressed with say Einstein,
might want to be a scientist one day; i.e. to say he is taking a leaf out of Einstein's
book. Another example would be: Riya took a page out of her mother's book
and decided to quit her job and be a full-time mother to her kids; just as her mother was.
" "Idiom no 63 is, to whitewash
It literally means to paint or coat -something like a wall, or a fence or some other structure
-with a whitewash- which in turn is a mixture of lime and water, often with whiting or glue
added. Now just like Whitewashing, covers up the shabby looks and conceals defects;
The phrase- to whitewash- figuratively means to conceal or gloss over a flaw or a failure
or a wrongdoing. For example: Although a committee was appointed
to investigate the scandal, many big names are involved, and so people feel that its
report would be a whitewash of the culprits. "
"Our next idiom is the last straw. The phrase is also used in the form of the proverb: It's
the last straw that breaks the Camel's back. The expression originates from an Arabian
fable in which a camel's owner loaded the beast with as much burden as possible. Still
not satisfied, he further added just one last piece of straw. Even that one wisp was too
much, and the animal collapsed with a broken back, leaving the owner with no way to take
his goods to the market. So the phrase implies: The last of a series (as of events or indignities)
that brings one beyond the point of endurance or patience. An example would be: Vishal had
endured the atrocities of his boss for years, but the last straw came when his boss called
him a 'useless fool' in-front of his colleagues and he decided to quit.
" "Our 65th idiom is to Take the bull by its
horns. The phrase is an easy one and is based on the idea that holding a bull (male cow)
by its horns is a brave and direct action So, the idiom means To confront a problem
head-on and deal with it openly. For example: The wife decided that it was
time to take the bull by its horns and confront her husband in order to correct his excessive
drinking habits. "
"Our next idiom is: One swallow does not make summer
The phrase is an allusion to the return of migrating swallows at the start of the summer
season. The first known use is a remark by Aristotle ""One swallow does not a summer
make, nor one fine day; …" The idiom is used to emphasize that One instance
of an event (such as arrival of a single bird might be one-off and) does not necessarily
indicate a trend An example sentence would be : Just because
the actor's debut movie has done well, we can't really say that his upcoming films
will be a big hit. For that, we will have to wait and watch because one swallow does
not make a summer. "
"Our next idiom is a red letter day. The phrase comes from the practice of highlighting holidays
and festivals in red on a calendar and as opposed to routine days, holidays are associated
with fun and are memorable. So the idiom – a red letter day is used to indicate a special,
happy, important and memorable day… like I can say that The day I set my foot in Paris,
my dream destination, was a red letter day for me.
" "Taking this association of red colour further,
we have the idiom 'Paint the town red'. Since red colour means festivities, the idiom
means to go out and celebrate. And one instance that comes to my mind where people literally
paint the town red is the 'La Tomatina' festival held in Spain where the participants
throw tomatoes at each other and totally enjoy themselves.
" "Next, we have the idiom : Let sleeping dogs
lie. Well, all of us know what would happen if try to wake up a beast before it has had
a good sleep. So the idiom let sleeping dogs lie is a warning not to instigate trouble.
The idiom is used when one should not talk about a bad situation or try to change it
because it might cause problems. For example: The lawyer wanted to open up
an old case against the politician, but citing the example of so many witnesses who were
silenced, his partner advised him to let the sleeping dogs lie.
" "Our next expression is to have *a taste of
one's own medicine or to have *a dose of one's own medicine
The expression uses the idea that medicines are generally bitter and it's easier to
administer them to others that to have them yourself.
And so, the idiom 'to have a taste of your own medicine' is used when someone receives
a sample of the same unpleasant experience that he has been giving to other people, which
shows him how bad it is. An example sentence would be: He got a taste
of his own medicine when his Class-teacher, who had been observing how he bullies others
and calls them names, treated him rudely in the class.
" Moving on to section-8 - the next ten idioms
to be covered are there on your screen.
"The first idiom in this section is: to steal someone's thunder. This idiom has a very interesting
story behind it. In the 17th century the writer John Dennis
built a machine for one of his plays which made sounds like thunder, but the idea was
copied by someone else and used in another play. So the idiom, to steal someone's thunder
means: To do what someone else was planning to do, before they do it, especially if
this takes success or praise away from them
For example: On her wedding day, the bride had expected to look the most beautiful but
when Rita walked into that room, all eyes were fixed on her. Rita stole the bride's
thunder and spoiled her day. Similarly, at workplaces, if someone steals
your ideas and gets credit for it himself, you would say that that guy has stolen your
thunder. "
"Idiom no. 72 is dyed-in-the wool. The idiom originates from the practise of dying wool.
When a color is ""dyed in the wool,"" the wool itself is dyed before being spun into
threads, so the colour is least likely to fade or change.
If someone is dyed-in-the-wool, or has dyed-in-the-wool beliefs or opinions, they hold those
opinions strongly and will not change them.
For example: My grandfather is a dyed-in-the-wool miser, and hates to spend money on anything
except for utilities. "
"73rd idiom is to cast pearls before a swine. This expression originated from Bible; Jesus's
Sermon on the Mount: ""Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before
swine, … and as we can expect, a swine would not really appreciate the value of those pearls
so the idiom figuratively means: to waste something good on someone who doesn't care
about it. For example: The family we invited over for
dinner had a taste only for Indian food; so serving Continental delicacies to them was
like casting pearls before a swine. "
"74th idiom is Draconian Code. The phrase originates from Draco, an Athenian
statesman and lawmaker in 7th-century B.C., whose written code of laws, prescribed death
for almost every offence, including minor ones.
So, Draconian measures or Draconian law is generally talked about in context of punishment
which is unusually severe or cruel, harsh For example: The Draconian measures taken
by the police in controlling the demonstrators were criticized by one and all. (which means
everyone) "
"75th idiom is to Get a leg up. The phrase refers to the act of an equestrian (which
means the rider of a horse) receiving help in mounting a horse.
So if someone gets a leg up, he gets a boost or advantage from some source.
An example would be: With the recession in US Economy, it would have been difficult for
him to find a job on his own, but a distant relative who was working in an MNC gave him
a leg up and helped him get his first job. "
"Next, we have the idiom, out of one's depth. This idiom refers to water that is so deep
that it goes over your head when you are standing, and so, unless you know how
to swim, you might drown So, if one is out of one's depth one does
not have the knowledge, experience, or skills to deal with a particular
subject or situation For example: When the boss asked the new recruit
to work on the financials of a company on MS Excel, it gave her jitters as she knew
she was out of her depth on this task. "
"Idiom no. 77 is: once in a blue moon Some people say, it's the second full moon
in a calendar month which appears blue, so it's a very rare occasion. Though originally
the notion of 'blue moon' was considered not rare but impossible and absurd, very much
like- 'pigs might fly' The contemporary meaning of the idiom once
in a blue moon is: very rarely. An example sentence would be: The politician,
once elected, visited his constituency only once in a blue moon.
" "Idiom no. 78 is: to Paddle one's own Canoe
Well, a canoe is a light narrow boat which is propelled with the help of a paddle. If
someone paddles his or her own canoe, it means he or she is independent and does not need
help from anyone else. An example would be countries like America, where most of the
kids leave their parents' home right after school and learn to paddle their own canoe.
" "Next idiom is to know the ropes. Well, literally
it would mean that a person knows a lot about ropes. However, figuratively it implies something
else. This expression is an 18th century idiom which
alludes to sailors learning the rigging so as to handle a sailing vessel's ropes.
So, if someone knows the ropes, he is fully informed about the details of a situation
or task , i.e. he is acquainted with the procedures. An example sentence would be: Don't worry,
having trained with his father on the job, Sanjeev already knows the ropes and will perform
well in his role as the Managing Director.
" "The last idiom in this section is: Straight
from the horse's mouth This idiom Originated from the horse racing
circles where tips on which horse is likely going to win circulate amongst punters. The
most trusted authorities are considered to be those in closest touch with the recent
form of the horse, that is, stable lads, trainers etc. The notional 'from the horse's mouth'
is supposed to indicate information that is one step better than even that of inner circle,
that is, the horse itself. So, the idiom means: From the highest authority
For instance: In today's session, students get to meet the CEO of Amazon and learn the
principles of Online Marketing straight from the horse's mouth.
" We move on to section-9 of this lesson, and
the next ten idioms to be covered in this section are there on your screen.
"Our 81st Idiom is: A lick and a promise. Well, the word lick in this phrase uses a
slightly different meaning than that in the phrase licking a lollipop: the word lick is
informally used to mean - to apply a light coating or quick application of something,
especially paint. For example, you have the sentence ""she needed to give the kitchen
a lick of paint"" So, lick means: To do something in a hasty
and superficial manner An example sentence is: She had to rush for
her dentist appointment, so she gave the cleaning job a lick and
a promise. "
"Idiom no. 82 is: In apple-pie order The phrase is believed to have originated
from the French 'nappes pliees' which means neatly folded, and it got distorted over time
to apple-pie order. The idiom means: Neat and well-ordered. For
instance: She is a perfectionist and likes to keep her desk and office cabin in apple-pie
order. "
"Next idiom is: At sixes and sevens The origin of this idiom is believed to be
dice games and the earliest known phrase was to "settle the world on sixes and seven"
which means to risk everything on a bet or on gambling. As happens in a bet till a point
where outcome is known it's an unresolved situation and there exists a state of confusion
or uncertainty, which is what the idiom means. For example: Ever since he failed in his attempt
at clearing SSC, he has been at sixes and sevens about his career.
" "Spill the beans.
It is said that in ancient Greece there was a unique voting system from which this idiom
is derived. The story goes that people used to vote with beans and white beans indicated
positive votes and black beans negative. Votes had to be unanimous, so if the collector 'spilled
the beans' before the vote was complete the result of the secret vote was out prematurely.
So, the phrase 'to spill the beans' means: to disclose a secret or reveal something prematurely.
For example, We were planning a surprise birthday party for dad but mom accidentally spilled
the beans. "
"A similar idiom is to let the cat out of the bag although the origin is quite different:
One of the suggested origins of this phrase is that in earlier days people used to buy
piglets from the market which the merchants used to sell in sacks or bags or pokes whatever
you would like to call it. Sometimes, a dishonest merchant would commit a fraud by substituting
a worthless cat for a valuable pig, which was discovered only when the buyer reached
home and opened the bag. If you let the cat out of the bag you disclosed the trick - …so
to let the cat out of the bag means Reveal a secret or surprise by accident
By the way, if you let the cat out of the bag then u could have avoided buying a pig
in a poke (which is our next idiom) "
"As learnt in the previous idiom, if you buy a pig in a poke, without having inspected
it properly you might end up disappointed with it later. I m sure many of you must have
felt that way when you ordered something online and were not happy when you received it because
you had expected something else entirely. For example, The Air-fryer that I purchased
online started malfunctioning after 3 days only; my fault that I bought a pig in a poke.
" "Idiom No. 87 is Highway Robbery.
If there is a highway robbery u would probably end up losing everything on you, your cash,
your valuables, and probably your life. So 'Highway Robbery' means something that
costs too much. If someone commits a highway robbery, he charges too much.
For instance, Some showrooms inflate the prices of the goods to an extent that the customer
literally considers the transaction - a highway robbery.
" "Idiom no 88: To keep a stiff upper lip
In body language, if some one's upper lip trembles, it is perceived as a sign of weakness,
hence the saying keep a stiff upper lip. When a person's upper lip begins to tremble, it
is one of the first signs that the person is scared or shaken by experiencing deep emotion.
On the other hand, One who has a stiff upper lip displays courage
in the face of adversity, and stands up to trouble. For example: In the Bond movies,
James Bond is always stoic and keeps a stiff upper lip in the face of adversity.
" "Our 89th idiom is to keep the pot boiling.
It's a self-explanatory idiom that means to maintain the brisk momentum of something,
or to maintain an existing level of interest in something
For example: The new action series on TV has started with good audience response (as reflected
in its TRP's) but let's see if it is able to keep the pot boiling.
" "The last idiom in this section is 'a white
elephant'. The term 'a white-elephant' implies a possession that is useless or troublesome,
especially one that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of. For instance,
This car of 1920's is like a white elephant. It guzzles so much petrol and keeps standing
in the garage all day. We use it only during vintage car exhibitions and its practically
a white-elephant. "
Coming to our final section of 10 idioms….
"Idiom no. 91 is 'a feather in one's cap' Back in the good old days, wearing hats was
a common custom and one would often place a feather in his hat that symbolized his achievements.
Probably, the children's rhyme Yankee Doodle went to town' is the best known use of the
phrase. The idiom means: An achievement to be proud
of An example sentence to illustrate this meaning
is: An all-rounder throughout her schooling, she added another feather in her cap when
she was awarded the Medal for the 'Outstanding Achiever' at the Graduation Ceremony.
" "Next idiom is: at the drop of a hat.
In earlier days duels and races etc. usually started at the drop of a hat/handkerchief
which was used as a signal for GO. So, To do something at the drop of a hat is to do
it Immediately without hesitation. For instance: Sara was always ready to go for a movie, at
the drop of a hat. "
"Idiom no. 93 is an important one: An axe to grind; the phrase first finds mention in
a book. American statesman Benjamin Franklin mentioned
an anecdote in his autobiography about a stranger who seemed interested in a smith's grindstone.
The worksmith demonstrated how it worked by sharpening the stranger's axe- a task which
required hard work. This was clearly what the stranger had planned,
So if someone has an axe to grind, he has a secret motive to do something.
An example sentence is: In today's world it's very rare to find people who do charity
for altruistic reasons, behind most of the NGOs' and charitable organizations, there
are often people who have their own personal axes to grind.
" "Talking about a grindstone, a related idiom
that is commonly used is: to Keep one's nose to the grindstone
Grindstone, we know, is a stone disk that can be turned like a wheel and is used for
sharpening tools, so if one keeps his nose to the grindstone, he basically focuses on
his work. The idiom thus means to Stay hard at work,
As an example: I believe Raj would be able to complete the project on time as he really
keeps his nose to the grindstone. "
"Idiom no. 95 is: To jump on the bandwagon. The word bandwagon was coined in the USA in
the mid 19th century, simply as the name for the wagon that carried a circus band. The
phrase 'jump on the bandwagon means' to join with the majority, or go along with the
trend. For instance: In our country, pressure from parents and
peers causes a majority of students to jump on the bandwagon and take up either engineering
or medical studies after 12th. "
"Idiom no 96 is: Wolf in sheep's clothing. Now a wolf is supposedly a very sharp and
cunning animal as opposed to a sheep which is meek and gentle. So a wolf in the garb
of a sheep refers to a dangerous person who is pretending to be harmless.
An example sentence to illustrate this meaning is: Investigations revealed that the murder
and robbery at the house was carried out by the maid with one of her accomplices; a highly
trusted aide, she turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
" "Idiom no 97. is a couch potato. If someone
sits on a couch and does nothing but watch TV and eat all day long his body will resemble
a potato shape and such a person can aptly be called a couch potato. For instance: Rajiv
watches TV all day long lying on his couch so his friends call him a couch potato.
" "Idiom no. 98 is: On pins and needles
This idiom refers to the state of agitation one would be in if he/she is sitting on pins
and needles. So, to be on pins and needles means: to be on edge, jumpy
An example sentence is: Ever since Shikha read the news that the 12th Boards result
is expected tomorrow, she has been on pins and needles.
" "Idiom no. 99 is: the lion's share. Well,
the lion, king of the jungle, commands the largest share of a hunt so the idiom 'lion's
share' means The biggest or the greatest part. For example: In today's world, the
lion's share of the income goes to the branded consumer goods such as clothing, mobile phones
etc. "
"And our last idiom in this lesson is: By the skin of one's teeth – now we know
that there is hardly any skin on our teeth, the skin of teeth probably refers to the primary
enamel layer on our teeth which is very thin…so the phrase means by a very small amount or
just barely.. For example I got to the railway station a few minutes late and missed the
train by the skin of my teeth.
" So, that completes part one of this lesson.
Coming up in part-2 is another set of 100 common idioms that you would find useful for
Competitive exams. Hope you liked this lesson… For any doubts or queries on this topic, please
feel free to drop a comment on the video page. Alternatively, you may mail us your comments/
feedback or any queries @ aptispeak@gmail.com. Subscribe our channel and stay tuned for more
such videos… Thank you.
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