Dhananjaya R (9740085560) Idioms

Definition: Idioms are phrases or expressions whose meanings are not deducible from the individual words
that comprise them. They are figurative in nature, conveying meanings that often differ from the literal
interpretation of the words.

Characteristics:

1. Fixed Structure: Idioms usually have a fixed wording. Changing any part of the phrase can alter or
invalidate the expression.
2. Cultural Context: The meaning of an idiom is often rooted in the culture and history of a language.
Understanding idioms requires familiarity with the cultural context in which they are used.
3. Non-literal Meaning: Idioms typically convey a meaning that is metaphorical rather than literal. For
example, "kick the bucket" means to die, not to physically kick a bucket.

Examples of Common Idioms:

1. Break the ice: To initiate conversation in a social setting.

2. Bite the bullet: To face a difficult situation with courage.
3. Burn the midnight oil: To work late into the night.
4. Let the cat out of the bag: To reveal a secret accidentally.
5. Piece of cake: Something very easy to do.
6. A blessing in disguise: Something that seems bad at first but results in something good.
7. Caught between a rock and a hard place: Facing a difficult decision with no easy solution.
8. Barking up the wrong tree: Pursuing the wrong course of action or making a false assumption.
9. The ball is in your court: It’s your turn to take action or make a decision.
10. Spill the beans: To reveal a secret or disclose information prematurely.
11. Hit the nail on the head: To describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.
12. Cost an arm and a leg: Something that is very expensive.
13. Let sleeping dogs lie: To avoid discussing a sensitive issue to prevent it from escalating.
14. Under the weather: Feeling ill or unwell.
15. Through thick and thin: Supporting someone in good times and bad.

Usage in Language: Idioms enrich the language by adding color and depth to communication. They can
convey complex ideas in a succinct manner, making conversations more engaging and relatable. However,
idioms can pose challenges for non-native speakers or those unfamiliar with a language's culture, as their
meanings are not always intuitive.
 EXAMPLES:

• A blessing in disguise – A good thing that seemed bad at first.

• Beat around the bush – Avoid saying what you mean, usually because it's uncomfortable.
• Bite the bullet – To get something over with because it is inevitable.
• Break the ice – To initiate conversation in a social setting.
• By the skin of your teeth – Barely manage to do something.
• Cut to the chase – To get to the point without wasting time.
• Devil’s advocate – To argue the opposite, just for the sake of argument.
• Feeling under the weather – Feeling ill or sick.
• Hit the nail on the head – Do or say something exactly right.
• Let the cat out of the bag – Accidentally reveal a secret.
• Once in a blue moon – Something that happens very rarely.
• Piece of cake – Something very easy to do.
• Spill the beans – Reveal a secret or disclose something prematurely.
• The ball is in your court – It’s up to you to make the next decision.
• Through thick and thin – In both good and bad times.
• Cost an arm and a leg – Something very expensive.
• Cry over spilled milk – To be upset over something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
• Hit the sack – To go to bed.
• Burn the midnight oil – Work late into the night.
• Actions speak louder than words – People’s intentions are judged better by what they do than what they say.
• Bite off more than you can chew – Take on a task that is too big.
• Barking up the wrong tree – Pursuing a misguided course of action.
• Caught between a rock and a hard place – In a situation with no good options.
• A piece of the pie – A share of something, often in terms of profit or success.
• Hit the road – To leave or start a journey.
• Jump on the bandwagon – Join others in doing something popular.
• Kill two birds with one stone – Accomplish two things at once.
• Let sleeping dogs lie – Leave a situation alone to avoid causing trouble.
• Make a mountain out of a molehill – Exaggerate the severity of a situation.
• On thin ice – In a risky or dangerous situation.
• Pull someone's leg – To joke or tease someone.
• Take with a grain of salt – Not to take something too seriously or literally.
• The elephant in the room – A big issue that everyone is avoiding.
• Turn a blind eye – Pretend not to notice.
• Up in the air – Something that is uncertain or unresolved.
• Water under the bridge – Something from the past that is no longer important.
• Break a leg – Good luck (especially in the performing arts).
• Go the extra mile – Put in extra effort to achieve something.
• Ignorance is bliss – Sometimes it's better not to know the truth.
• The early bird catches the worm – People who act quickly have the best chance of success.
• A leopard can’t change its spots – People can’t change their inherent nature.
• When pigs fly – Something that will never happen.
• You can’t judge a book by its cover – Don’t judge something based on appearance alone.
• A dime a dozen – Something that is very common and of little value.
• The best of both worlds – Enjoying two different opportunities at the same time.
• A bitter pill to swallow – Something unpleasant that must be accepted.
• All bark and no bite – A person who talks tough but does not act tough.
• Back to the drawing board – Start over after a failed attempt.
• Burn bridges – Ruin relationships beyond repair.
• Caught red-handed – Caught in the act of doing something wrong.
• Cut corners – To do something poorly in order to save time or money.
• Diamond in the rough – Someone or something with potential but needs refinement.
• Don’t count your chickens before they hatch – Don’t assume success until it actually happens.
• Every cloud has a silver lining – Every bad situation has some good aspect to it.
• Face the music – To confront unpleasant consequences.
• Fair and square – Honest and straightforward.
• Get out of hand – To become uncontrollable.
• Give someone the cold shoulder – To ignore someone deliberately.
• Go back to square one – To start over from the beginning.
• Have your cake and eat it too – Wanting two things that are normally contradictory.
• In hot water – In trouble or difficulty.
• It takes two to tango – Both parties involved in a situation are responsible for it.
• Jump the gun – To start something prematurely.
• Keep your chin up – Stay positive during tough times.
• Know the ropes – Be familiar with the details of a job or task.
• Last straw – The final problem in a series of problems that causes someone to finally give up.
• Leave no stone unturned – Do everything possible to achieve a goal.
• Let the chips fall where they may – Allow events to happen naturally without trying to control the outcome.
• Like a fish out of water – Uncomfortable or out of place in a situation.
• Make ends meet – To have enough money to cover living expenses.
• Miss the boat – To miss an opportunity.
• Off the hook – Freed from blame or responsibility.
• On the ball – Alert, knowledgeable, and competent.
• Out of the blue – Something happening unexpectedly.
• Play it by ear – To improvise or handle something without planning.
• Put all your eggs in one basket – To risk everything on a single venture.
• Put the cart before the horse – Do things in the wrong order.
• Raining cats and dogs – Raining very heavily.
• Rock the boat – To disturb a stable situation.
• Run out of steam – Lose energy or enthusiasm.
• See eye to eye – To agree completely with someone.
• Sit on the fence – To remain neutral or undecided.
• Skeleton in the closet – A secret or something that is kept hidden.
• Steal someone’s thunder – Take credit for someone else’s idea or success.
• The last straw – The final thing that makes a situation unbearable.
• Throw in the towel – To give up or admit defeat.
• Under the weather – Not feeling well.
• Walk on eggshells – To be very careful to avoid offending or upsetting someone.
• A penny for your thoughts – Asking someone to share what they are thinking.
• Actions speak louder than words – What someone actually does is more important than what they say.
• Add insult to injury – To make a bad situation worse.
• At the drop of a hat – Without any hesitation.
• Bend over backward – To try very hard to help or please someone.
• Birds of a feather flock together – People with similar interests or characteristics tend to associate with each other.
• Burn the candle at both ends – To overwork yourself by doing too much.
• Go out on a limb – To take a risk.
• Hit the ground running – Start something and proceed quickly and successfully.
• In the same boat – In the same situation, often in difficult circumstances.
• Jump the bandwagon – To join a popular trend or activity.
• Keep something at bay – To keep something away or prevent it from happening.
• A dime a dozen – Very common or easy to find.
• Burning the midnight oil – Staying up late working or studying.
• Caught between a rock and a hard place – Faced with two difficult choices.
• Every dog has its day – Everyone will have a moment of success or glory.
• Go down in flames – To fail spectacularly.
• Hit the ground running – Start something with great enthusiasm and energy.
• In a pickle – In a difficult or uncomfortable situation.
• Let the cat out of the bag – Reveal a secret by accident.
• Make a long story short – To tell something in a brief manner.
• No pain, no gain – You have to work hard to achieve something worthwhile.
• Once in a blue moon – Something that happens very rarely.
• Put your money where your mouth is – Support your words with actions or money.
• Read between the lines – Understand the hidden meaning of something.
• Spill the beans – Reveal secret information unintentionally.
• Take the bull by the horns – To confront a difficult situation directly.
• The whole nine yards – Everything possible; all the way.
• To throw caution to the wind – To take a risk without worrying about the consequences.
• Two heads are better than one – It's helpful to have more than one person thinking about a problem.
• Under the radar – Not attracting attention; unnoticed.
• You can’t have your cake and eat it too – You can’t have everything; there are trade-offs.
• Get the ball rolling – To start an activity or process.
• Bite the dust – To fail or to die.
• Hit the nail on the head – Get something exactly right.
• Out of sight, out of mind – When something is not visible, it is often forgotten.
• Cry wolf – Raise a false alarm.
• The tip of the iceberg – The small, visible part of a much larger problem.
• A wolf in sheep's clothing – Someone who appears harmless but is dangerous.
• All in the same boat – In the same difficult situation as others.
• Ballpark figure – An approximate number.
• Beating a dead horse – To continue discussing an issue that has already been resolved.
• Bite the hand that feeds you – To harm someone who helps you.
• Cut the mustard – To meet expectations; to perform satisfactorily.
• Fool’s gold – Something that appears valuable but is worthless.
• Grasping at straws – Trying to find a solution in a hopeless situation.
• Head over heels – Completely in love.
• In the fast lane – Living a fast-paced, exciting lifestyle.
• Keep your eyes peeled – Be watchful or alert.
• Let sleeping dogs lie – To avoid discussing a sensitive issue.
• Out of the frying pan and into the fire – Going from a bad situation to a worse one.
• Pay through the nose – To pay an excessive amount for something.
• Put the pedal to the metal – To go as fast as possible.
• Rub salt in the wound – To make a bad situation worse.
• Shooting fish in a barrel – An easy task.
• Take it with a grain of salt – To view something with scepticism.
• To turn a blind eye – To ignore something intentionally.
• Up in arms – Very angry or upset.
• Wild goose chase – A futile pursuit.
• Wipe the slate clean – To forgive past offenses or start anew.
• Your guess is as good as mine – I have no idea.
• The writing on the wall – A sign that something bad will happen.
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct idiom from the list.

1. After working hard for months, he finally got the promotion he wanted. It was his __________.
2. She was so excited to start her new job; she wanted to __________.
3. When he told me his plan, I thought he was __________; it was impossible!
4. She didn’t want to go to the party, but I convinced her to __________ and have some fun.
5. He was __________ when he got caught cheating on the exam.
6. If you keep __________, people will stop taking you seriously.
7. We need to __________ and figure out how to solve this problem.
8. After the argument, they decided to __________ and move on.

Exercise 2: Match the Idioms with Their Meanings

Match the idioms on the left with the correct meanings on the right.

Idiom Meaning
1. A dime a dozen A. Not attracting attention
2. Cut to the chase B. Something that happens very rarely
3. Under the radar C. To get to the point quickly
4. Once in a blue moon D. Very common or easy to find
5. Hit the nail on the head E. To be correct or accurate

Exercise 3: Sentence Transformation

Rewrite the following sentences using the idioms in parentheses.

1. I can't believe how often he talks big but doesn't follow through. (all bark and no bite)
o He’s __________.
2. She had to confront her boss about the unfair treatment. (face the music)
o She had to __________.
3. The situation was difficult, but we found a solution together. (two heads are better than one)
o __________.
4. They always promise to help, but when it comes down to it, they don’t. (put your money where your
mouth is)
o They should __________.
5. I was unaware of the issues until it was too late. (the tip of the iceberg)
o I only saw __________.

Exercise 4: Contextual Usage

Use the idioms in a short paragraph (4-5 sentences). Highlight the idioms in bold.

Example:

When Sarah was promoted, she felt like she was on top of the world. However, she quickly realized that
with great power comes great responsibility. It was a bitter pill to swallow. She decided to take the bull by
the horns and approach her new role with enthusiasm. After all, no pain, no gain!
Answers

Exercise 1:

1. long-awaited reward

2. hit the ground running

3. barking up the wrong tree

4. cut loose

5. in hot water

6. crying wolf

7. get the ball rolling

8. let bygones be bygones

Exercise 2:

1-D

2-C

3-A

4-B

5-E

Exercise 3:

1. He’s all bark and no bite.

2. She had to face the music.

3. Two heads are better than one.

4. They should put their money where their mouth is.

5. I only saw the tip of the iceberg.

 Exercise

1. Fill in the Blanks

Instructions: Fill in the blanks with the appropriate idioms from the word bank.

Word Bank:

• Burn the midnight oil

• Bite the bullet

• Under the weather

• Let the cat out of the bag

• Break the ice

1. I had to ________ and finish the project by midnight.

2. She was feeling ________ and decided to stay home from work.

3. It took a funny joke to ________ at the party.

4. After several failed attempts, he decided to ________ and face the challenge.

5. She accidentally ________ about the surprise party.

2. Matching Exercise

Instructions: Match each idiom with its correct meaning.

Idioms Meanings

A. Cost an arm and a leg 1. To support someone in all situations

B. The ball is in your court 2. To face a tough decision

C. Jumping through hoops 3. To take action

D. Through thick and thin 4. To go through a lot of challenges

E. Caught between a rock and a hard place 5. Something very expensive

3. Sentence Creation

Instructions: Write a sentence using each idiom.

1. A blessing in disguise: ___________________________________________

2. Spill the beans: ________________________________________________

3. Elephant in the room: ___________________________________________

4. Hit the nail on the head: ________________________________________

5. When pigs fly: ___________________________________________________

4. Multiple Choice

Instructions: Choose the correct meaning of the idiom.

1. Burning the candle at both ends

a) Working too hard
b) Wasting time
c) Taking a break

2. Caught red-handed
a) Being in trouble
b) Being caught doing something wrong
c) Being caught in a lie

3. Keep your chin up

a) Stay positive
b) Look down
c) Get distracted

5. Idioms in Context

Instructions: Read the sentences and identify the idioms used. Explain their meanings in your own words.

1. "Despite the challenges, she kept her chin up and stayed positive."

2. "When I found out about the promotion, it was a blessing in disguise; I didn’t expect it!"

3. "He was caught red-handed trying to cheat during the exam."

6. Idiom Story Completion

Instructions: Complete the story by filling in the blanks with the appropriate idioms.

Last week, I was feeling a bit ________ and decided to take a day off. However, when I got back to work, I
realized I had to ________ and finish a project that was due. My colleague tried to ________ with a joke,
but I was still stressed. In the end, everything turned out to be ________, and I learned a valuable lesson.

7. Discussion Questions

Instructions: Discuss the following questions with a partner or in a group.

1. Can you think of a situation where a "blessing in disguise" occurred in your life?

2. How do you feel about the idiom "the early bird catches the worm"? Do you agree?

3. Why do you think people use idioms in everyday conversation?

 Answer Key

1. Fill in the Blanks

1. I had to burn the midnight oil and finish the project by midnight.
2. She was feeling under the weather and decided to stay home from work.
3. It took a funny joke to break the ice at the party.
4. After several failed attempts, he decided to bite the bullet and face the challenge.
5. She accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.
2. Matching Exercise
Idioms Meanings
A. Cost an arm and a leg 5. Something very expensive
B. The ball is in your court 3. To take action
C. Jumping through hoops 4. To go through a lot of challenges
D. Through thick and thin 1. To support someone in all situations
E. Caught between a rock and a hard place 2. To face a tough decision
3. Sentence Creation
• A blessing in disguise: (Example: Losing my job was a blessing in disguise because it led me to a
better opportunity.)
• Spill the beans: (Example: She spilled the beans about the surprise party before we could stop her.)
• Elephant in the room: (Example: We need to address the elephant in the room before moving
forward.)
• Hit the nail on the head: (Example: When he said we need more teamwork, he really hit the nail on
the head.)
• When pigs fly: (Example: I’ll believe he’ll clean his room when pigs fly!)
4. Multiple Choice
1. Burning the candle at both ends
Answer: a) Working too hard
2. Caught red-handed
Answer: b) Being caught doing something wrong
3. Keep your chin up
Answer: a) Stay positive
5. Idioms in Context
1. "Despite the challenges, she kept her chin up and stayed positive."
Idiom: Keep your chin up
Meaning: Stay positive in difficult situations.
2. "When I found out about the promotion, it was a blessing in disguise; I didn’t expect it!"
Idiom: Blessing in disguise
Meaning: Something that seems bad at first but has a positive outcome.
3. "He was caught red-handed trying to cheat during the exam."
Idiom: Caught red-handed
Meaning: Being caught in the act of doing something wrong.
6. Idiom Story Completion
1. Last week, I was feeling a bit under the weather and decided to take a day off. However, when I got
back to work, I realized I had to burn the midnight oil and finish a project that was due. My
colleague tried to break the ice with a joke, but I was still stressed. In the end, everything turned out
to be a blessing in disguise, and I learned a valuable lesson.
7. Discussion Questions
(Answers may vary; there are no fixed answers for discussion questions.)