#idiomatic phrases

[muhammad-ubaidullah-khan]

Idioms

He is fool of a first water.

He that is down needs fear no fall.

Cowards die many times before their death.

The nearer the church, the farther from God. چراغ تلے اندھیرا۔

The nearer the bone, the finer the meat.

The dearer the necessities of life, the keener the struggle for existence.

As the twig is bent, so the branch will grow. Prov. A grown person will act the way he or she was taught to act as a child. Alice's parents thought it was cute when she threw tantrums, and you'll notice that she still throws tantrums now that she's grown up.

As he has lived, so will he die.

[muhammad-ubaidullah-khan]

Idiomatic Phrases

1. Take down a peg

take (one) down a peg (or two)

To reduce or damage one's ego or pride; to humble or humiliate one.

"I'm really glad that pompous oaf lost his court case, maybe that will take him down a peg or two."

"It's about time that someone took Sarah down a peg. Her snotty rich-kid arrogance is intolerable!"

2. At a pinch

British

: in a bad situation when help is needed

"I can help out at a pinch if you need a babysitter."

"At a pinch, you can substitute another ingredient in the recipe."

American English

If you say that something is possible at a pinch, or in American English if you say that something is possible in a pinch, you mean that it would be possible if it was necessary, but it might not be very comfortable or convenient.

"Six people, and more at a pinch, could be seated comfortably at the table."

3. Feather one's nest

make money for oneself in an opportunistic or selfish way. "he may have decided to feather his nest by blackmail"

4. Tweedledum and Tweedledee

a pair of people or things that are virtually indistinguishable. "the umpires conferred, like Tweedledum and Tweedledee in their striped shirts"

5. A skeleton in the cupboard

a discreditable or embarrassing fact that someone wishes to keep secret.

"If you've got a skeleton in the cupboard, it will probably be exposed during this campaign."

"He didn't believe me when I said that I didn't have any skeletons in my cupboard."

6. To monkey with (someone or something)

1. To tinker, fiddle, or play with something.

"Hey, don't monkey with the thermostat—it needs to stay at 68 degrees."

"Grandpa's been monkeying with that old radio all day, but I doubt he'll get it to work again."

"I wish I hadn't started monkeying with the settings on my computer. It's all messed up now!"

2. To engage in aimless recreation or frivolous time-wasting with someone or something.

"Quit monkeying with the dog and work on your book report already!"

"Grandpa's been monkeying with that old radio all day, but I doubt he'll get it to work again."

"I wish I hadn't started monkeying with the settings on my computer. It's all messed up now!"

3. To attempt to trick or deceive someone; to manipulate or fool someone.

"Listen, pal, don't monkey with me! Either pay your debts on time or we'll have to repossess your home."

"Your sister is really sensitive, so please don't monkey with her like that."

7. To give a good dressing down

a severe reprimand. "the secretary received a public dressing-down"

8. To talk through one's hat

talk foolishly, wildly, or ignorantly.

"come on, you're talking through your hat on that"

9. Show the white feather

behave in a cowardly fashion.

"he showed the white feather and ordered a general retreat"

10. A bee in one's bonnet

1. If you have a bee in your bonnet about something, you are so enthusiastic or worried about it that you keep mentioning it or thinking about it.

"He's got a bee in his bonnet about factory farming"

2. to keep talking about something again and again because you think it is very important:

"She never stops talking about healthy eating - she's got a real bee in her bonnet about it"

[el-blog-pepe]

Railway Station, A Far Cry, to Pull it Off and Fly-tipping

Here is an essay using the above phrases from the last few days’ podcasts. It is designed to get you to a C1 level. In the heart of the urban expanse, where the railway station buzzes with life, a phenomenon far removed from the organized chaos of commuting emerges as a blight upon the landscape. Fly tipping, the illegal dumping of waste in unauthorized areas, has become an eyesore in urban…

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[muhammad-ubaidullah-khan]

Idioms, Verb Phrases, Prepositional Phrases, Adverb Phrases, Noun Phrases and Miscellaneous Idiomatic Expressions

Do up (باندھنا)._ Do up this parcel before doing up (ٹھیک ٹھاک رکھنا) that room.

Give forth (or) give out (اِعلان کرنا)._ He gave forth that he was retiring from politics (سیاسیات).

Make away with (قتل کرنا)._ The robbers made away with the traveller.

Do away with (ہلاک کرنا)._ The robbers did away with him.

At home in (طاق)._ I am quite at home in Persian.

By the by (برسبیل تذکرہ)._ By the by, I have something new to tell you.

Offhand (فی البدیہ)._ She made her speech offhand.

By fits and starts (یکلخت سرگرمی دکھانا)._ He is not regular but works only by fits and starts.

Hand in glove (گہرے دوست)._ We are hand in glove with each other.

Hue and cry (شور و شغب)._ There was great hue and cry in the village at the sight of a wolf.

Loaves and fishes (دنیاوی فائدہ)._ He cares not for the good of others but is after loaves and fishes for himself.

Root and branch (مکمل طور پر)._ They destroyed (تباہ کرنا) the enemy root and branch.

Buy a pig in a poke (بے سوچے سمجھے اپنے آپ کو پھنسا لینا)._ His purchase (خریداری) was like buying a pig in a poke.

Carry one's point (مقصد حاصل کرنا) We carried our point in getting Pakistan.

Keep good hours (گھر جلدی آنا۔ وقت پر سونا)._ Ashraf does not keep good hours.

Keep the pot boiling (ضروریات زندگی مہیا کرنا ۔ زندہ رہنا)._ The poor can hardly keep the pot boiling these days.

Lay bare (طشت آز بام کرنا)._ I cannot rest, till I lay bare whole conspiracy (شازش).

Lead a cat-and-dog life (لڑتے جھگڑتے رہنا)._ My friend and his wife lead a cat-and-dog life.

Put a spoke in another's wheel (روڑا اٹکانا)._ You often put a spoke in my wheel.

Put the screw on one (دباؤ ڈالنا ۔ اثر ڈالنا)._ He could not put the screw on his son.

Stand on ceremony (تکلف کرنا)._ It is foolish to stand on ceremony with one's friends.

Square peg in round hole (غیر مناسب مقام پر ہونا)._ A graduate policeman is a square peg in a round hole.

[muhammad-ubaidullah-khan]

Idiomatic phrases

1. To call off

(a) cancel an event or agreement.

"He has called off the trip."

"The union threatened a strike but called it off at the last minute."

(b) order a person or dog to stop attacking someone. "Gunda pleaded with him to call the dog off"

2. To turn turtle

(chiefly of a boat) turn upside down. "the other boat nearly turned turtle several times"

3. To pull oneself together

recover control of one's emotions.

"you've got to pull yourself together and find a job"

4. To go the whole hog

do something completely or thoroughly.

"George decided to go whole hog and join the Total Abstinence Society"

5. To make both ends meet

earn just enough money to live on.

"they were finding it hard to make ends meet"

6. To take heed

to pay attention to

"He failed to take heed of our advice."

7. To hold up

1. support and prevent something from falling. "concrete pillars hold up the elevated section of the railway"

2. display something by holding it above one's waist or head. "he held up the book so she could see the cover" 8. To lead astray

to mislead so as to cause error or wrong-doing

"Police were also led astray by four psychological profilers."

[muhammad-ubaidullah-khan]

Idiomatic expressions

1. On the horns of a dilemma

If you are on the horns of a dilemma, you have to choose between two things, both of which are unpleasant or difficult.

"The head of the New York office was on the horns of a dilemma and wondering what to do."

2. A laconic speech

A laconic phrase or laconism is a concise or terse statement, especially a blunt and elliptical rejoinder.

It is named after Laconia, the region of Greece including the city of Sparta, whose ancient inhabitants had a reputation for verbal austerity and were famous for their often pithy remarks.

A prominent example involves Philip II of Macedon. After invading southern Greece and receiving the submission of other key city-states, he turned his attention to Sparta and asked menacingly whether he should come as friend or foe. The reply was "Neither.

3. To give one the sack

informal. : to dismiss (someone) suddenly from a job : to fire (someone)

"The company gave him the sack for improper conduct."

4. To keep the wolf from the door

have enough money to avert hunger or starvation (used hyperbolically). "I work part-time to pay the mortgage and keep the wolf from the door"

5. An oily tongue

Oily Tongue means to be very smooth with phrases and words. It means excessive praise given with the intention of fulfilling one's own interests. A Psychophant

"She has an oily tongue, but bad heart."

6. The loaves and fishes of office

Idiom Loaves and Fishes Tangible benefits or rewards, especially when they serve as one's motivation for action.

The phrase refers to the Bible story in which Jesus blesses a small amount of fish and loaves of bread, resulting in the disciples having enough food to distribute to thousands of people.

"Paul hasn't helped us with this project at all, but you know he'll be there for the loaves and fishes if we win the contest!"

7. A broken reed

a weak or ineffectual person. "the superintendent of this building appears to be a broken reed"

8. To give up the ghost

If someone gives up the ghost, they stop trying to do something because they no longer believe they can do it successfully. If a machine gives up the ghost, it stops working. Or die.

"Some firms give up the ghost before they find what they are looking for."

"The battery in my car gave up the ghost."

9. To pull a long face

To assume a facial expression denoting sadness, disappointment, or dissatisfaction.

"Jill pulled a long face when she got her exam results back."

"Hey, kiddo, is something bothering you? You've been pulling a long face all morning."

10. A jaundiced eye

A negative view or opinion prejudiced by past experiences.

"I used to think that Chris was a good kid, but ever since I overhead him bragging about cheating on an exam, I've seen him with a jaundiced eye."

[muhammad-ubaidullah-khan]

Idiomatic expressions

1. A sad dog

1 A morose or dismal-looking person.

2 A term of mock reproof for a shameless or badly behaved fellow.

"he is a sad dog always getting on someone's nerves"

2. A rope of sand

Something that is not as strong or stable as it seems.

"Yes, you're a fool to trust him, and this allegiance will soon prove to be a rope of sand."

3. A broken reed

a weak or ineffectual person. "the superintendent of this building appears to be a broken reed"

4. To end in smoke

'To end in smoke' means to come to nothing; to have no positive result.

"His efforts to reform the society ended in smoke."

5. Red tape

official rules and processes that seem unnecessary and delay results:

"We must cut through the red tape."

6. Yeoman's service

very good, hard, and valuable work that someone does especially to support a cause, to help a team, etc.

"They've done yeoman's work in raising money for the organization."

7. To turn over a new leaf

If you say that you are going to turn over a new leaf, you mean that you are going to start to behave in a better or more acceptable way.

"He realized he was in the wrong and promised to turn over a new leaf."

8. A brown study

a mood in which you are very involved in your own thoughts and not paying attention to anything else:

"I could see she was in a brown study. "

"He sank back on his pillow and fell into a brown study."

[muhammad-ubaidullah-khan]

Idiomatic expressions

1. To fish in troubled waters

to try to gain something by taking advantage of a confused or troubled situation

"He often buys up stock in companies declaring bankruptcy; fishing in troubled waters generally pays off"

2. To let sleeping dogs lie

avoid interfering in a situation that is currently causing no problems but may well do so as a result of such interference.

"She thought of ringing Bridget, decided to let sleeping dogs lie a little longer, and instead rang Painter."

3. A bolt from the blue

a sudden and unexpected event or piece of news.

"the job came like a bolt from the blue"

4. To grease the palm of

to influence by giving money to; bribe

"If you want you luggage to make the plane, be sure to grease the porter's palm."

5. To take by storm

a.to capture or overrun by a violent assault

b.to overwhelm and enthral

"She's a huge deal now, but this year she returns to the same small venue she took by storm at the festival back in 2010."

6. To rest on one's laurels

be so satisfied with what one has already done or achieved that one makes no further effort. "with TV sports coverage becoming increasingly competitive, the BBC should beware of resting on its laurels"

7. An oily tongue

Oily Tongue means to be very smooth with phrases and words. It means excessive praise given with the intention of fulfilling one's own interests. A Sycophant.

"You can win almost everyone with an oily tongue."

8. A sword of Damocles

If you say that someone has the Sword of Damocles hanging over their head, you mean that they are in a situation in which something very bad could happen to them at any time.

"As a Grand Prix driver, you have the Sword of Damocles hanging over your head at every moment."