Communication skills - CSEET Idioms
1. A bolt from the blue; An expected disaster
2. To blow one’s own trumpet; To boast
3. A bone of contention ; Cause of quarrel
4. To burn one’s fingers ; To suffer
5. To beat black & blue ; To beat mercilessly
6. To cast an aspersion ; To bring discredit
7. To cry over spilt milk ; To feel sorry for what has happened
8. To cut a sorry figure ; To make a poor impression
9. To die in harness ; To die while doing one’s duty
10. To end in smoke ; To fail
11. To go to the dogs ; To be ruined
12. To hang in the balance ; To remain undecided
13. To hit the nail on the head; To do the right thing at the right time
14. To hold water ; To sound logical
15. To live no stone unturned ; To try one’s level best
16. To live from hand to mouth ; To live with great difficulty
17. To make up one’s mind ; To decide
18. To see eye to eye with ; Agree
19. To play ducks and drakes ; Waste
20. To put the cart before the hors ; To do a thing in a wrong way
21. To have too many irons in the fire ; To have too many things in hand
22. To read b/w the lines ; To try to understand the hidden meaning
23. To turn over a new leaf ; To change for the better
24. To take the bull by horns; To face difficulties boldly
25. To win laurels ; To distinguish oneself
26. At daggers drawn ; At enmity or fighting
27. Blake and white ; Written
28. By leaps and bounds ; Very fast
29. In cold blood ; deliberately
30. Laid up with ; Confined to bed
31. Ins and outs ; Full details
32. A black sheep ; Scoundrel; a bad person
33. A cock and bull story ; An absurd tale
34. A gala day ; A day of festivity; a holiday with rejoicing
35. A hard nut to crack ; A difficult person or problem to deal with
36. Beat a retreat ; To retire before the enemy
37. To be on the horns of a dilemma; To have a choice b/w two equal evils
38. To beat about the bush ; Approach a subject in a round about method
39. Bury the hatchet ; To make peace
40. By hook or by crook ; By fair or foul means
41. Eat humble pie ; To face humiliation
42. Hit below the belt ; To act unfairly
43. In apple pie order ; In perfect order
44. Leave one in lurch ; To desert in difficulty
45. Pick holes in another’s coat ; To find fault with another
46. Scot free ; To go unpunished
47. Smell a rat ; To have a reason to suspect
48. Through thick and thin ; Through every difficulty
50. True to one’s salt ; Faithful to one’s master
51. To turn the corner ; To begin to improve
52. With a grain of salt ; To accept a statement with doubt as to its complete true
53. Worship the rising sun ; To respect one rising in power
54. A Herculean task ; An extremely difficult or dangerous task
55. A fish out of water ; In a wrong place
56. A leap in the dark ; An act of which we can’t force consequences
57. A thorn in one’s side ; A constant source of annoyance
58. To be at one’s beck and call ; Under one’s absolute control
59. Bread and Butter ; Means of subsistence
60. Burn one’s fingers ; To get into trouble
61. Cut and dried ; Ready-made
62. Feather one’s own nest ; To make money by unfair means
63. To fish in troubled water ; To do something under very unpromising
circumstance
64. To give oneself airs ; Affected manners
65. To give the devil his due ; To allow even a bad man the credit due
66. To hang by thread ; To be in a critical condition
67. A henpecked husband ; A man habitually snubbed by his wife
68. Hush money ; Money given as a bribe to hush or make one keep silent
69. Kick up a row ; Make a great noise
70. To let the cat out of the bag; To reveal a secret
71. Null and void ; Not valid; of no effect
72. On the spur of the moment; At once
73. Pay one back in one’s own coin ; To treat in the same way as one has been
treated
74. Put in cold storage; To forget or neglect something
75. Pull wires ; To manage the show by secret Influence
76. Read b/w the lines ; To hit at the real meaning
77. Sit on the fence ; To avoid taking sides; to remain neutral
78. A square deal ; Justice
79. Sword of Damocles ; Treating danger
80. To take up the gauntlet ; To accept the challenge