Idioms
- Equal to the occasion : able to cope with circumstances
He does not need any assistance, he himself is equal to the occasion.
- To wait for the cat to jump : delay taking action until you see how events will turn out
They are waiting for the cat to jump before they could take the final decision.
- Eye to eye : to agree
I do not see eye to eye with you atleast on this point
- Fair and square : honestly, with absolute accuracy
I can believe only those who are fair and square in their dealings.
- French leave : leave without permission
He is enjoying French leave because he has no earned leave.
- To flog the dead horse : do useless task
He will never stand first , he is flogging a dead horse by working so hard.
- First and foremost : most important
It is my first and foremost duty to help the poor.
- To follow the suit : to do the same as someone else has just done
You should raise voice, others will follow the suit.
- Forgone conclusion : known before hand
It was my foregone conclusion that he will not agree with you.
- Fall out : quarrel
The two friends fell out on the distribution of money.
- Fan the flame : to increase evil
Do not fan the flame of communalism in a secular state.
- Feather one’s own nest : to make money by dishonest means
He is a selfish person and always tries to feather his own nest.
- From hand to mouth : satisfying only one’s immediate needs because of lack of money for future plans and investments
His father earned very little so their family lived from hand to mouth.
- Under the weather : to feel sick
She is not coming to the college, she is under the weather.
- A wild cat strike : unauthorized strike
Three high-profile wildcat strikes have caught business watchers by surprise.
- From pillar to post : from one place to another
He had to roam from pillar to post for getting a job.
- To fish in troubled water : to take undue advantage of other’s difficulties
Landlords by raising rents fished in troubled water.
- Lose or win by a neck : to win by a small amount or narrow margin
Both are equally talented, one may lose or win by a neck.
- To find fault with : to criticize
He continues to find fault with his employee which is demotivating them.
- To fall back upon : to depend on something when in difficulty
The family has no savings to fall back on.
- Stand to reason : to be logical and reasonable
If her best friend is not going, it stands to reason that she won’t want to go either
- Fall short of : to be deficient
He would have been a success but he fell short of funds.
- The gift of gab : the power of speech
It with the help of the gift of gab that he convinces everybody.
- To grope in the dark : to search in vain
He does not know anything about this course, he is still groping in dark.
- To grease the palm : to bribe
To get this job by talent is not enough, you’ll have to grease their palms.
- True to their salt : faithful to their employers
I can speak against them, I am true to their salt.
- Show one teeth : threatening manner
Come on, he is angry right now, he is showing his teeth.
- Take stock of : to survey
He will take stock of the coordination mechanism between the two departments.
- In full swing : going well and actively
The party was in full swing when we arrived.
- Smell a rat : to suspect
I don’t think its an accident. I can smell the rat.
- To gird up one’s loins : to get ready
He gird up his lions to fight him.
- To gain ground : to become popular
This rumour is gaining ground and will soon become known to everyone.
- To get into hot water: to be in trouble
If you speak against him in meeting ,you will get into hot water with your boss.
- In hand : control
She should take all the responsibilities in her hand now.
- Bad blood : bitterness
There has been bad blood between the two brothers for years.
