IDIOMS

Idioms
IDIOMS BASED ON ANIMALS, BIRDS & INSECTS
• To have a bee in one's bonnet- to be continually occupied with: Ashok has a
bee in his bonnet about yoga being the only healthy exercise.
• To make a bee line for something- to take the quickest and most direct way
towards it: The thirsty children made a bee line for the pitcher of water.
• To kill two birds with one stone- to achieve two aims with only one effort:
Nisha killed two birds with one stone when she got a coat which was warm as
well as waterproof.
• Bird’s eye view- a general view of something: I can not judge the merits of the
plan as I have just had a bird’s eye view of it.
• Bird of passage- person who roams from one place to the other: There is no use
asking John for his address as he is a bird of passage.
• To take the bull by the horns- to decide to face a problem: At last the school
boys decided to take the bull by the horns and thrash the cheat.
• To let the cat out of the bag- to reveal a secret: The teacher was almost deceived
by the trick but Meera spoilt the whole plan by letting the cat out of the bag.
• Cock- and- bull story- an absurd tale: Arun told a cock-and-bull story to
explain his late arrival at the office.
• Dark horse- an unexpected winner: Asha never seemed good at studies but she
has proved a dark horse by standing first in the final examination.
• A dog in the manger- someone who prevents others from using something:
Ashoka does not like movies, and he is a dog in the manger when his friends
want to go to the cinema.
• To have other fish to fry- to have other, more important task to attend to: Anil
did not come to the party as he had other fish to fry.
• A fly in the ointment- something that causes slight difficulty: The teachers
presence at the end of term party was like a fly in the ointment for the children.
• Straight from the horse's mouth- of news, information etc. directly from the
person who knows most about it: I had to believe Arun’s information when he
said that he had got it straight from the horse's mouth.
• To smell a rat- to sense that something is wrong: Though Seema cleared up the
mess and assumed innocently before her mother came, her mother smelt a rat.
• A wild goose chase- search with no hope of success: He went on a wild goose
chase all over the town looking for buried treasure but, of course, he did not find
it.
• A feather in one's cap- to be proud of one's own actions: The successful staging
of Asiad ‘82 was a feather in the cap for India.
• To feather one's nest- to provide oneself with money etc. for the future by
securing advantages, even if dishonestly: Official position is often misused by
people to feather their own nest.
• To hold the reins- to be in control: Though India has a president, it is the prime
minister who holds the reins of government.
• To keep a tight rein on someone- to control him/ it firmly, allow only a little
freedom: She keeps such a tight rein on her children that they dare not stay out
later than 5 in the evening.
• To take someone under one's wing- to give him protection: Asha kindly took
the new student under her wing and prevented the other from teasing him.
IDIOMS BASED ON COLOUR
• Black and white- in writing: He gave his declaration in black and white.
• Black and blue- bruises of these colors: The thief was beaten black and blue by
the people who caught him.
• The black sheep- a person of whom the family is not proud, a betrayer or traitor:
Since Arun ran away with the money of the firm, he has been considered a black
sheep.
• Not so black as one is painted- to be not so bad as people say one is: I am well
acquainted with Rajesh and I can confidently say that he is not so black as he is
painted.
• Out of the blue- unexpectedly: It was wonderful when my uncle turned up out of
the blue.
• A bolt from the blue- something unexpected: The attack from across the borders
was a bolt from the blue.
• Once in a blue moon- rarely or never: Few people have rain coats in this region
as it rains once in a blue moon.
• A blue–collar worker- factory worker, not an office worker: Though a bluecollar
worker earns a good income these days, the young prefer to take up low
paid white collar jobs.
• To be in a brown study- to be thinking deeply about something: Martin was in a
hurry to get his business done but his boss was in a brown study from which he
was aroused only with difficulty.
• To have green fingers- to be good at gardening: Arun seems to have green
fingers for he has won many prizes at flower shows.
• To give someone the green light- to give him permission: it was relief when the
Director gave the green light so that the plan could be put into action.
• To be green- to be too trusting: The young man was too green not to be cheated
by his shrewd employer.
• To be in the pink- to be and to feel very healthy: Harish suffered an attack of
influenza last month but now he is in the pink of health.
• To see red- to become suddenly angry: I saw red when I heard of the little boy's
experience at the hands of the school bully.
• A red letter day- an important or joyful occasion in one's life: July 15 was a red
letter day in John's life for he reached the peak of the Mt. Everest on that day.