100 Important idioms .

IDIOMS: MEANINGS

1. To cut the Gordian knot means To solve the difficulty
2. Cut and dried means Ready-made
3. Feather one’s own nest means To make money by unfair means
4. To fish in troubled water means To do something under very unpromising circumstance
5. To give oneself airs means Affected manners
6. To give the devil his due means To allow even a bad man the credit due
7. To hang by thread means To be in a critical condition
8. A henpecked husband means A man habitually snubbed by his wife
9. Hush money means Money given as a bribe to hush or make one keep silent
10. Kick up a row means Make a great noise
11. To let the cat out of the bag means To reveal a secret
12. Null and void means Not valid means of no effect
13. On the spur of the moment means At once
14. Pay one back in one’s own coin means To treat in the same way as one has been treated
15. Put in cold storage means To forget or neglect something
16. Pull wires means To manage the show by secret Influence
17. Read b/w the lines means To hit at the real meaning
18. Sit on the fence means To avoid taking sides; to remain neutral
19. A square deal means Justice
20. Sword of Damocles means Treating danger
21. To take up the gauntlet means To accept the challenge
22. To eat one’s heart out means To suffer silently, bitterly
23. B/t the devil and the deep sea means B/w two dangers equally harmful
24. A sweet tooth means A liking for sweetmeat
25. A dark horse means An unknown person
26. A bottleneck means Anything that cause delays
27. To put one’s foot down means To show determination
28. A wet blanket means A grumbling, depressing person
29. To add insult to injury means To intensify a person
30. To be born with a silver means To be born in a rich family Spoon in one’s mouthmeans
31. A bolt from the blue means An expected disaster
32. To blow one’s own trumpet means To boast
33. A bone of contention means Cause of quarrel
34. To burn one’s fingers means To suffer
35. To beat black & blue means To beat mercilessly
36. To cast an aspersion means To bring discredit
37. To cry over spilt milk means To feel sorry for what has happened
38. To cut a sorry figure means To make a poor impression
39. To die in harness means To die while doing one’s duty
40. To end in smoke means To fail
41. To go to the dogs means To be ruined
42. To hang in the balance means To remain undecided
43. To hit the nail on the head means To do the right thing at the right time
44. To hold water means To sound logical
45. To live no stone unturned means To try one’s level best
46. To live from hand to mouth means To live with great difficulty
47. To make up one’s mind means To decide
48. To see eye to eye with means Agree
49. To play ducks and drakes means Waste

50. To put the cart before the horse means To do a thing in a wrong way
51. To have too many irons in the fire means To have too many things in hand
52. To read b/w the lines means To try to understand the hidden meaning
53. To turn over a new leaf means To change for the better
54. To take the bull by horns means To face difficulties boldly
55. To win laurels means To distinguish oneself
56. At daggers drawn means At enmity or fighting
57. Blake and white means Written
58. By leaps and bounds means Very fast
59. In cold blood means deliberately
60. Laid up with means Confined to bed
61. Ins and outs means Full details
62. A black sheep means Scoundrel means a bad person
63. A cock and bull story means An absurd tale
64. A gala day means A day of festivity means a holiday with rejoicing
65. A hard nut to crack means A difficult person or problem to deal with
66. A turn coat means One who changes one’s opinion or party
67. A fool’s paradise means In a state of happiness founded on vain hopes
68. Beat a retreat means To retire before the enemy
69. To be on the horns of a dilemma means To have a choice b/w two equal evils
70. To beat about the bush means Approach a subject in a round about method
71. Bury the hatchet means To make peace
72. By fits and starts means Irregularly
73. Capital punishment means Death sentence
74. By hook or by crook means By fair or foul means
75. Eat humble pie means To face humiliation
76. Hit below the belt means To act unfairly
77. In apple pie order means In perfect order
78. Leave one in lurch means To desert in difficulty
79. To make a clean breast of means To confess fully one’s faults
80. To nip the evil in the bud means To destroy an evil in early stage
81. Pick holes in another’s coat means To find fault with another
82. Scot free means To go unpunished
83. Smell a rat means To have a reason to suspect
84. Through thick and thin means Through every difficulty
85. True to one’s salt means Faithful to one’s master
86. To turn the corner means To begin to improve
87. With a grain of salt means To accept a statement with doubt as to its complete true
88. Worship the rising sun means To respect one rising in power
89. A Herculean task means An extremely difficult or dangerous task
90. A fish out of water means In a wrong place
91. A leap in the dark means An act of which we can’t force consequences
92. A thorn in one’s side means A constant source of annoyance
93. To be at one’s beck and call means Under one’s absolute control
94. Bread and Butter means Means of subsistence
95. Burn one’s fingers means To get into trouble
96. Burn the candle at both endsmeans Use up too much energy
97. To throw up the sponge means To acknowledge defeat
98. A feather in one’s cap means Something to be proud of
99. A red letter day means An auspicious day
100. Bag and baggage means With all one’s belongings

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