Idioms and Phrases
Choose the best answer:
1. Raju is someone you can — your confidence. [DU '16]
(a) get into
(b) take into
(c) build up
(d) boost up
2. 'To lose heart' is –––. [DU '13-'14]
(a) to have a heart attack
(b) to lose courage
(c) to fall in love
(d) to be without passion
3. 'dog days' means –––. [DU '13-'14]
(a) a period of being carefree
(b) a period of misfortune
(c) days when dogs breed
(d) hot weather
4. The idiom 'let things slide' means. [DU '12-'13]
(a) ignore
(b) lose gradually
(c) reveal a secret
(d) set free
5. The expression 'to look after' means. [DU '12-'13]
(a) to take care
(b) to follow
(c) to imitate
(d) to gaze
6. What is the meaning of the expression 'bottom of my heart'? [DU '12-'13]
(a) close to my heart
(b) core of my heart
(c) lower part of my heart
(d) close to my liver
7. Appearances can often be liable to mislead. The underlined phrase means —. [JNU '12-'13]
(a) defective
(b) lucrative
(c) repulsive
(d) deceptive
8. All his dreams were nipped in the bud. Here 'nipped in the bud' means —. [JNU '12-'13]
(a) Fulfilled
(b) Were like buds of flower
(c) Cherished well
(d) Destroyed at the beginning
9. The idiom 'Make ends meet' means —. [CtgU '12-'13]
(a) come to a close
(b) have a happy ending
(c) live within one's income
(d) stretch to the limit
10. "Living from hand to mouth" means : [CtgU '12-'13]
(a) live a poor life
(b) live a rich life
(c) live an active life
(d) live an idle life
11. To let the grass grow under one's feet means : [CtgU '12-'13]
(a) To miss the opportunity
(b) To let things go on in their natural way
(c) To be indolent and let other take advantage of one's indolence
(d) Do delay and linger
(e) To cause harm to another
12. The phrase 'donkey work' means — [CtgU '12-'13]
(a) serious assignment
(b) manual labor
(c) very simple work
(d) the job of a day laborer
(e) the hard and boring part of a job
13. The expression 'Ipso facto' means — [CtgU '12-'13]
(a) By that very law
(b) By that very fact
(c) By the law itself
(d) By the evidence itself
(e) Both the law and fact
14. 'To read between the lines' means — [CtgU '12-'13]
(a) To read carefully
(b) To read only some lines
(c) To read quick to save times
(d) To read carefully to find out any hidden meaning
(e) To separate one line from another
15. The idiom 'silver-lining' means — [KHU '12-'13]
(a) white line
(b) hope
(c) silver plated
(d) white colour
16. 'Maiden Speech' means —. [KHU '12-'13]
(a) First speech
(b) Last speech
(c) Eart speech
(d) Late speech
17. What is the meaning of "White elephant"? [KHU '12-'13]
(a) An Black Marketer
(b) A hoarder
(c) Black Marketer
(d) A very costly and troublesome possession
18. The phrase "square meal" is [SUST '12-'13]
(a) A full meal
(b) Half meal
(c) Heavy meal
(d) A large and satisfying meal
(e) A meal with vegetables and meats
19. The thief was caught red-handed. Here 'red-handed' means —. [Rang. U '12-'13]
(a) later
(b) trap
(c) with proof
(d) none of these
20. What is the meaning of the idiom "a bad egg"? [Rang.U '12-'13]
(a) an unreliable person
(b) a dangerous person
(c) a person who can't create anything
(d) none of these
21. What is the meaning of "swan song"? [Rang. U '12-'13]
(a) first work
(b) last work
(c) middle work
(d) early work
22. What is the meaning of the idiom "take to one's heels"? [Rang. U '12-'13]
(a) To stand on one's own feet
(b) To wear expensive shoe
(c) To escape
(d) To reach
23. "A foregone conclusion" means — [JUST '12-'13]
(a) false hope
(b) an uneasy situation
(c) quite familiar
(d) an anticipated result
24. The party arrived in the —. [MVSTU '12-'13]
(a) proper time
(b) nick of time
(c) on time
(d) timely
25. Capital punishment means —. [MVSTU '12-'13]
(a) Expelling from the city
(b) Death sentence
(c) Life time imprisonment
(d) Jail
26. "To do away with" means —. [NU '12-'13]
(a) to repeat
(b) to start
(c) to get rid of
(d) to drive off
27. Find the appropriate meaning of the following phrase — 'Hold good'. [IU '12-'13]
(a) Well
(b) Apply
(c) Safe
(d) Solve
28. 'Called for' refers to —. [DU '11-'12]
(a) asked for
(b) followed
(c) begged for
(d) summoned
29. A "white elephant" refers to a/ an —. [DU '11-'12]
(a) attractive thing
(b) elephant of white colours
(c) useless expensive thing
(d) rare species
30. 'At a low ebb' means —. [DU '11-'12]
(a) Increasing
(b) Decreasing
(c) Still
(d) Invalid
31. To markdown prices is to [DU '11-'12]
(a) make them remarkable
(b) reduce them
(c) deemphasize
(d) make them outstanding
(e) depress them
32. 'Through thick and thin' means —. [JNU '11-'12]
(a) To make the thick thin
(b) Under all conditions
(c) Not clear in understanding
(d) Of great density
33. 'To read between the lines' means —. [JNU '11-'12]
(a) To read all times
(b) To read some times
(c) To read quickly
(d) To read closely
34. 'Put up with' means —. [JNU '11-'12]
(a) Be patient
(b) Complain
(c) Tolerate
(d) Hate
35. 'Food obsessed person' means —. [IU '11-'12]
(a) A person who is much interested in food
(b) A person who dislikes food
(c) A fat person who likes food
(d) A fat person who dislikes food
36. "White elephant" means —. [IU '11-'12]
(a) pretty animal
(b) strong animal
(c) dubious matter
(d) an expensive possession
37. "To smell a rat" means —. [NU '11-'12]
(a) to give smelly food to rat
(b) to put rats in cages
(c) to suspect something wrong
(d) the smell of a rat
38. 'Look after' means to —. [NU '11-'12]
(a) take care
(b) look at
(c) follow
(d) try again
39. The meaning of "In a nutshell" is —. [RU '11-'12]
(a) in a fix
(b) likely
(c) in brief
(d) in fulfillment
40. 'Out and out' means —. [RU '11-'12]
(a) Not at all
(b) Man of outside
(c) To be last
(d) Thoroughly
41. A meaning of the idiom a "round dozen" —. [RU '09-'10]
(a) a little less than a dozen
(b) a little more than dozen
(c) round about a dozen
(d) a full dozen
42. 'To stove off' means —. [RU '09-'10]
(a) to avert
(b) to solve
(c) sort out
(d) to face
43. 'At a low ebb' means —. [RU '09-'10]
(a) increasing
(b) decreasing
(c) lowest
(d) still
44. The idiom 'look forward' means —. [RU '09-'10]
(a) Expect with pleasure
(b) Examine
(c) Take care of
(d) Find out
45. The idiom "man does not live by bread alone" means —. [RU '09-'10]
(a) man needs water too
(b) hunger is a relative concept
(c) man needs other things too
(d) man is never content
46. 'To meet one's waterloo' means — [JNU '09-'10]
(a) to die fighting
(b) to meet a strong adversary
(c) to fulfil a strong desire
(d) to meet one's final defeat
47. 'To smell a rat' is — [JNU '09-'10]
(a) to smell a bad smell
(b) to detect a dead person
(c) to suspect a trick or deceit
(d) to be sharp in smelling
48. The correct meaning of the idioms 'at large' is —. [JNU '09-'10]
(a) very big
(b) freely
(c) very long
(d) broad
49. 'To give up the ghost' is to — [JNU '09-'10]
(a) to die
(b) to leave useless a purists
(c) to go by a scientific out look
(d) to make a false appearance
50. The meaning of the phrase 'dog days'. [JU '09-'10]
(a) A period of being careful
(b) A period of misfortune
(c) Hot weather
(d) Rainy day
51. The meaning of 'soft soap' is —. [JU '09-'10]
(a) speak ill of others
(b) flatter for self-motives
(c) speaks high of others
(d) none
52. The meaning of 'on the wane' is —. [JU '09-'10]
(a) declining
(b) politeness
(c) increasing
(d) large
53. 'Capital punishment' means —. [CtgU '09-'10]
(a) mutilation
(b) death penalty
(b) exile
(d) life imprisonment
(e) severe reproof
54. 'Black sheep' means —. [IU '09-'10]
(a) wicked man
(b) a sheep of a black
(d) big sheep
(d) costly sheep
55. 'Nip in the bud' means —. [IU '09-'10]
(a) Destroy at the beginning
(b) Bed of roses
(c) Beginning
(d) Roll up
56. 'Dark horse' means —. [IU '09-'10]
(a) dark coloured horse
(b) large horse
(c) Arabian horse
(d) A person about whose past is not known
57. The 'pros and cons' means — [RU '08-'09]
(a) Good and evil
(b) Foul and fair
(c) Former and latter
(d) For and against a thing
58. He was excused — his age. [RU '08-'09]
(a) in view of
(b) in lieu of
(c) in keeping with
(d) in guest of
59. At last, the enemy —. [RU '08-'09]
(a) gives up
(b) gave up
(c) gave in
(d) gave away
60. Men of light and leading supported the cause of our liberation. [RU '08-'09]
(a) renowned
(b) fantastic
(c) familiar
(d) disrepute
61. Who will vote for a dark horse like him? [RU '08-'09]
(a) strange man
(b) rich man
(c) poor man
(d) strong mean
62. His arguments are stuff and nonsense. [RU '08-'09]
(a) critical
(b) bad
(c) without result
(d) win
63. Our team came out with flying colours. [RU '08-'09]
(a) defect
(b) lose
(c) without result
(d) win
64. 'Out and out' means —. [RU '08-'09]
(a) not at all
(b) brave
(c) thoroughly
(d) whole heartedly
65. The idioms 'from frying pan to fire' means —. [JNU '08-'09]
(a) to jump
(b) to be in a worse position
(c) to get burnt badly
(d) to get excited
66. 'He is a green horn in politics' means, he is quite —. [JNU '08-'09]
(a) experienced
(b) inexperienced
(c) efficient
(d) nervous
67. "To pour oil in troubled water" means —. [JNU '08-'09]
(a) to foment trouble
(b) to instigate
(c) to add to the trouble
(d) to calm someone or something down
68. 'Stand up for' means —. [JNU '08-'09]
(a) endure
(b) promote
(c) substitute
(d) defend
69. 'Make ends meet' means —. [JNU '08-'09]
(a) come to a close
(b) have a happy ending
(c) live within one's income
(d) stretch to the limit
70. "The powers that be" means —. [JNU '08-'09]
(a) people power in the past
(b) the people in charge
(c) warlords
(d) power-hungry people
71. "Living from hand to mouth" means [JNU '08-'09]
(a) live a poor life
(b) live a rich life
(c) live an active life
(d) live an idle life
72. 'Look before you leap' means — [JNU '08-'09]
(a) be wary
(b) be amazed
(c) be ready
(d) be successful
73. We searched — for the missing child. [CtgU '08-'09]
(a) far and far
(b) far and farther
(c) wide and far
(d) far and wide
(e) far and abroad
74. 'At the eleventh hour' means —. [NU '08-'09]
(a) at the best time
(b) at the last time
(c) at the first time
(d) at not time
75. The expression 'To breathe one's last' means. [NU '08-'09]
(a) to close one's eyes temporarily
(b) to breathe again and again
(c) to die
(d) to breathe a fresh
76. 'Hold water' means —. [RU '07-'08]
(a) keep water
(b) store water
(c) bear examination
(d) drink water.
77. He succeeds in life — his talents. [RU '07-'08]
(a) instead of
(b) by away of
(c) by virtue of
(d) by means of
78. The meaning of the idiom 'Swan song' is —. [RU '07-'08]
(a) sweet tone
(b) last work of playwright
(c) very angry man
(d) days of prosperity
79. 'White elephant' —. [RU '07-'08]
(a) a very costly possession
(b) elephant of white colour
(c) unknown elephant
(d) pet elephant
80. 'Heart and soul' —. [RU '07-'08]
(a) good and bad
(b) family relation
(c) with all energy
(d) without any delay
81. 'Hitting below the belt' means — [JNU '07-'08]
(a) doing something unfair in a competition
(b) injuring someone fatally
(c) striking someone in the abdomen
(d) beating someone in a competition
82. 'In black and white' means —. [JNU '07-'08]
(a) In writing
(b) Verbally
(c) Falsely
(d) In colour
83. 'Built-in' means — [JNU '07-'08]
(a) slowly and gradually built
(b) superadded
(c) inherent
(d) effective
84. 'Carried the day' means —. [Ctg. U '07-'08]
(a) won
(b) defeated
(c) lost the day
(d) passed the day
(e) None
85. A leader must be one whom the people can —. [SUST '07-'08]
(a) look up
(b) look down
(c) look on
(d) look up to
86. The expression 'look down upon' means — [NU '07-'08]
(a) to love
(b) to hate
(c) consider
(d) to be kind