1-100 idioms Flashcards
first 100 idioms from blackbook (100 cards)
1
Q
a bad patch
A
a period of difficulty
2
Q
a beast of burden
A
An animal that carries luggage
3
Q
A bee Hive
A
a busy place
4
Q
a bird in hand is worth two in the bush
A
having something for certain is better than the possibility of getting something better
4
Q
a big draw
A
huge attraction
5
Q
a bird’s eye view
A
a general view from above
aerial view
Good and comprehensive idea
an overall view
6
Q
a bite at the cherry
A
An attempt or opportunity to do something
(kuch kerne ka moka milna )
7
Q
A blessing/boon in disguise
A
An apparent misfortune that eventually has good results .
A hidden favour
8
Q
A blue-eyed boy
A
one who is favourite
9
Q
A bolt from the blue
A
-> something unexpected and unplesant
-> A complete surprise
-> A sudden calamity
-> An unexpected disaster
10
Q
A bone of contention
A
-> cause of dispute/quarrel
-> point of an argument
11
Q
A bull market
A
A period of rising prices in the stock market
11
Q
A bull in a china shop
A
A clumsy person in a delicate situation
11
Q
A close-fisted person
A
A miser (kanjoos admi )
11
Q
A cakewalk
A
-> An easy achievement
-> An easy task or victory
11
Q
A can of worms
A
A complicated situation or problem
11
Q
A carrot and a stick approach
A
rewards and punishments that influence someone’s behaviour
11
Q
A change of heart
A
-> A change in one’s opinion
-> Different opinion about something or someone
11
Q
A closed book
A
A mystery
11
Q
A cog in the machine
A
very small part of a big organization
11
Q
A clean slate
A
Situation in which you can start again
11
Q
A cold fish
A
someone who seems unfriendly and who does not share his feelings (bhavnao ko sajha nahi kerne wala admi )
11
Q
A cut above something
A
superior to (behetar)
11
Q
A cuckoo in the nest
A
An unwelcome intruder
11
A damp squib
-> A disappointing result
-> A situation or event which is much less impressive than expected.
A “squib” is an old-fashioned term for a small firework or explosive.
If it’s damp, it fails to go off properly, or doesn’t explode at all. So a damp squib = a failed bang.
11
A damsel in distress
A helpless woman
“Damsel” comes from the Old French word “demoiselle”, meaning a young noblewoman.
11
A dark horse
-> An unexpected winner
-> Someone who unexpectedly suceeds
-> An unknown entry
-> A competitor of unknown capabilities
12
A dead letter
A law or agreement that is no longer enforced or followed
13
A dead loss
completely useless
14
A diamond in the rough
Someone or something with potential or talent but lacking training or polish .
Diamonds, when first mined, look like dull, unpolished stones.
It takes cutting, shaping, and polishing to reveal their true brilliance.
15
A dime a dozen
-> very common and of no particular value
-> Anything that is common and easy to get
16
A dog's breakfast
A total mess
17
A dog's life
A miserable existence
18
A drop in the bucket / ocean
-> A very small part of something big or whole
-> A quantity too small to make an impact
19
A dry run
-> Rehearsal of an event
-> A practice session
20
A fine state of affairs
An unpleasant situation
The phrase dates back to the 1700s-1800s, when “state of affairs” referred to the condition or situation of things — usually political or social.
Throwing in “fine” adds that sarcastic twist, which became more popular in British English.
21
A fire in someone's belly
One who is energetic and enthsiastic about something
The "fire" represents energy, drive, or passion, while “belly” refers to the stomach (where we often feel emotional reactions, like hunger or excitement).
22
A fish out of water
An uncomfortable , unfamiliar or unsuitable position or situation.
23
A fly on the wall
An unpercieved observer
(chori chupe dekhne wala vyakti)
The phrase goes back to the 1600s, with the idea that a fly, being tiny, can sit unnoticed on the wall of a room, observing what’s going on around it.
24
A flying visit
A very short visit
25
A fool's paradise
-> Being happy for foolish reasons
-> A state of happiness based on a person's not knowing about potential trouble
26
A gentleman at large
A man without job.
The phrase “at large” has been used for centuries to mean free or without specific responsibilities.
27
A golden mean
-> Middle course between two extremes
-> neither too much or too little
28
A good samaritan
A helpful person.
A Samaritan (considered an outsider by the Jews at the time) helps an injured man on the road after others (a priest and a Levite) passed him by.
The Samaritan shows compassion, bandages the man’s wounds, and takes him to an inn, paying for his care — demonstrating that true kindness transcends boundaries.
29
A green horn
An inexperienced person.
“Greenhorn” dates back to the 18th century and was originally used to describe someone who was new or young, with “green” symbolizing inexperience (kind of like the tender shoots of a new plant).
30
A grey area
-> An area where things aren't clearly defined
-> An unclear situation.
The phrase “gray area” comes from the idea that gray is neither black nor white, making it the ideal metaphor for something that lacks clarity.
31
A hair in the butter
A challenging situation.
The phrase “a hair in the butter” likely comes from the idea that a hair is a small, unwanted impurity, and butter represents something smooth and perfect.
It plays on the contrast between something that’s meant to be perfectly smooth (butter) and the unwanted imperfection of a hair, which is completely out of place in something that's supposed to be creamy and flawless.
32
A hair's breadth
Telling about the smallest possible amount or degree of something
33
A hairbreadth escape
-> A narrow escape
-> Narrow margin
34
A hard nut to crack
-> Difficult task
-> A tough challenge
-> A difficult person
-> An inflexible person who is hard to convince
35
A hornet's nest
-> An unpleasant , difficult or troublesome situation
-> Raising controversy
The phrase “a hornet’s nest” comes from the idea that hornets, unlike bees, are aggressive and will swarm and sting anyone who disturbs their nest.
36
A hot potato
-> A controversial issue
-> Situation that is difficult to deal with
The phrase “a hot potato” dates back to the 16th century, and it likely came from the idea of a hot potato being uncomfortable to hold and something you’d want to pass on quickly.
37
A house of cards
A fragile or unstable situation that can easily collapse or fail
38
A kick in the teeth
-> A grave setback
-> Great dissapointment
39
A lame excuse
-> Unsatisfactory explanation
-> Weak excuse
40
A laughing stock
-> An object of laughter
-> An object of ridicule
In olden times, “stock” could mean a wooden figure or post — and people used to make effigies (like creepy mannequins) to mock others. So, a laughing-stock was quite literally a dummy everyone laughed at. (And not the inflatable kind at parties.)
41
A lean patch
A period of poor performance
42
A left handed compliment
-> An ambiguous compliment
-> Insulting remark appearing as praise
43
A leopard can't change its spots
It is impossible for one to change one's character
44
A little bird told me
-> To keep the identity of informant secret
-> Receive information from a secret source .
45
A little gush of gratitude
Friendly feeling
46
A live wire
A person who is full of energy
47
A long shot
little chance of success
48
A lot on your plate
-> To have a large number of problems to deal with
-> Having many responsibilities
49
A man of letters
-> Proficient in literary art
-> Scholar
-> A well educated and a wise person
50
A man of means
A wealthy man with lots of money and assets
51
A man of spirit
A very courageous man
52
A man of straw
-> A man with no substance
-> A weak or cowardly person
53
A mare's nest
-> A difficult/complicated situation
-> A false invention
54
A month of Sundays
A long time
55
A moot point
Disputed
56
A needle in a haystack
-> Something that is very difficult to locate
-> Attempting something impossible
57
A night owl
A person who prefers to be awake late at night
58
A nig-nog
A fool
59
A pain in the neck
Someone or something that is annoying/irritating or a nuisance.
60
A penelope's web
An endless job
The phrase comes from the story of Penelope, wife of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey. While waiting for him to return from the Trojan War, she told suitors she’d remarry when she finished weaving a burial shroud. But to delay them, she secretly undid her weaving every night, stalling for years.
So, “a Penelope’s web” refers to:
A task that is endlessly delayed, or
A clever way of avoiding something, usually by stalling or deception
61
A penny for your thoughts
A way of asking what someone is thinking
62
A perfect storm
A particularly bad situation caused by a combination of unfavourable circumstances.
63
A picture paints a thousand words
An image of a subject conveys its meaning more effectively than a description does .
64
A piece of cake
A very easy task
65
A piece of the pie
A share in money or business
66
A plum job
An easy pleasant job that also pays well
67
A queer fish
-> An eccentric or unconventional person
-> A person who is unusual, odd, or a bit strange
68
A rainy day
Times of difficulty
69
A ray of hope
Something that provides a small amount of optimism in a difficult situation .
70
A red letter day
-> An important day
-> A day that is pleasantly noteworthy or memorable
-> happy and significant day
71
A red rag to a bull
An object , utterance , or act which is certain to provoke someone
72
A rolling stone gathers no moss
A person who does not settle in one place for a long time , does not gain wealth , name or fame
73
A rotten apple
A single bad person or thing in a group
74
A sacred cow
A person never to be criticised
75
A safe pair of hands
-> A reliable person
-> A person who can be trusted to do something efficiently
The phrase comes from sports, especially cricket and football (soccer), where players with reliable catching or ball-handling skills were called a “safe pair of hands.”
76
A sea change
-> A profound or notable transformation
-> Complete transformation
77
A shot in the arm
-> An encouraging stimulus
-> Something that gives encouragement
Literally refers to an injection (a medical shot) given in the arm to improve health.
78
A sight for sore eyes
A person or thing that one is extremely pleased or relieved to see
79
A skeleton in the cupboard
-> An embarrassing fact to be kept secret
-> Something embarrassing or shameful
80
A snowball effect
An accelerating growth of magnitude
81
A sore point with
Something which hurts
82
A square deal
-> A fair agreement
-> A fair and honest deal
The phrase “square” has long been slang for fair and honest
83
A stick in the mud
A person who resists change
84
A stiff-necked person
An obstinate person
obstinate --> refusing to change their opinions, way of behaving, etc.
