Idioms And Phrases Beginning With G,H,I,J


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Idioms And Phrases Beginning With G,H,I,J

Idioms and Phrases

The command of idiomatic expressions in any language is pre-requisite for expressive writing and comprehension. Phrasal verbs, idiomatic adjectives and noun phrases and idiomatic pairs of nouns, adjectives and adverbs comprise such a vast portion of idiomatic expressions that it is nearly impossible to deal with them comprehensively in such a short space. However, this chapter contains the most important usages that are indispensable for any competitive examination. Students would do well to consult the dictionary for further improvement in this field.

Idioms and Phrases Starting With Letter G:

Here is a list of some idioms and phrases starting with G

  • Gain ground : - (to succeed slowly & steadily) The belief in the abolition of dowry system is gaining ground.
  • Get off scot free : - (to escape without punishment) A murderer can also very easily get off scot free for lack of evidence.
  • Grease the palm : - (to bribe) Now-a-days if you want to get your work done, you will have to grease the palm of someone or the other.
  • Gird up the loins : - (to prepare for hard work) Indians must gird up the loins to face any foreign attack on their country.
  • Go to the dogs : - (to be ruined) The rich industrialist will go to the dogs because of his son's bad habits.
  • Get oneself into a mess : - (to drift into trouble) Due to sheer ignorance, Vijay seems to have got himself into a mess in his office.
  • Give a wide berth : - (to avoid) We should always give a wide berth to all selfish and mean persons.
  • Gentleman at large : - (an unreliable person) We must not believe a gentleman at large.
  • Good Samaritan : - (one who helps strangers) He is a good Samaritan because he always comes to the help of the old and the children in difficulties
  • Give a good account of oneself : - (to act creditably) As the eldest son of his family he gave a good account of himself when calamity befell the family.
  • Give the devil his due : - (give credit to a worthless person for his good qualities) should give the devil his due for his good qualities.
  • Green horn : - (inexperienced) Though a green horn in political field, he appears to have a bright future.
  • Give up the ghost : - (pass away, die) After long illness he gave up the ghost last week.
  • Go the whole hog : - (to do something thoroughly) You will have to go the whole hog to come out of this mess.
  • Get into a scrape : - (awkward situation) He got into a scrape when his wife refused to let him help his sister.
  • Go broke : - (become bankrupt) As a result of heavy gambling he had to go broke in the long run.
  • Get into hot waters : - (get into trouble) He got into hot waters by marrying girl of another caste.
  • Give currency : - (to make publicly known) The Government has refused to give currency to a number of scams.
  • Great hand : - (expert) He is a great hand at organising social parties.
  • Get down to brass tacks : - (to deal with the matter straight) Instead of wasting time in discussion, please get down to brass tacks.
  • Give one a long rope : - (to let someone commit mistakes) He never gives his employees a long rope.
  • Good turn : - (an act of kindness) He did me a good turn by recommending me for the post of Vice-President.
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    Idioms and Phrases Starting With Letter H:

    Here is a list of some idioms and phrases starting with H

  • Hold water : - (sound, tenable) His statement will not hold water as it is not based on facts.
  • Hang together : - (support one another) The two statements delivered by the leader of the party do not hang together.
  • Hope against hope : - (hope inspite of disappointment) Sohan's case is very weak and everybody knows that finally he will lose, but he is still hoping against hope.
  • Have an axe to grind : - (to have a selfish interest) Reema is very selfish but the way she is being polite with everyone gives the impression that she has an axe to grind.
  • Have the gift of the gab  : - (art of speaking) Meena is not highly qualified but she has the gift of the gab.
  • Hit below the belt : - (to strike unfairly) We should always face the enemy boldly and never hit him below the belt.
  • Hold one's tongue : - (to keep quiet) We should always hold our tongue before our elders.
  • Herculean task : - (very difficult) It is a Herculean task to root out corruption in India.
  • Haul over the coals : - (to take to task) She was hauled over the coals by her parents for her misconduct.
  • Have one's finger in everyone's pie : - (to partake of something) My best friend likes to have her finger in everyone's pie as she is in the habit of meddling with the affairs of others.
  • Halcyon days : - (peaceful days) The days we spend in our school life are the halcyon days of our life.
  • Have an iron will : - (strong will) If we have to live among the mean and selfish people, we must have an iron will.
  • Hold out an olive branch : - (offer of peace) The terrorists are not prepared to hold out an olive branch to the Government of India.
  • Hanky hanky : - (jugglery) None of this hanky hanky, tell me the truth.
  • Have fact of clay : - (full of faults) The C.B.I. inquiry has revealed that many ministers have feet of clay.
  • Heart and soul : - (devotedly) He took part in the annual function heart and soul.
  • Hard and fast : - (strict) No hard and fast rule is laid down about being regular in the college.
  • Hang fire : - (remain unsolved) Kashmir problem has been hanging fire for many years.
  • High & dry : - (a difficult situation) He was left high & dry by his business partners.
  • Hit the nail on the head : - (to do the right thing at the right time) He hit the nail on the head by resigning his job.
  • Hobson's choice : - (no alternative) The employees in the private sector have. Hobson's choice because they are forced to accept what they are ordered to do.
  • Have too many irons in the fire : - (doing many things at a time) He is fickle minded and has too many irons in the fire.
  • Hold in abeyance : - (postpone) For lack of funds the district administration has held the construction of road in abeyance.
  • High and mighty : - (proud persons) The high and mighty forget that everything in the world is transient.
  • Hard nosed attitude : - (aggressive) I don't know why my teacher always has a hard nosed attitude towards me.
  • Hold in leash : - (to restrain) As a responsible leader of a party you must hold criticism of party workers in leash.
  • Head and shoulders : - (superior) Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee is head and shoulders above his predecessors.
  • Hold a brief : - (to defend someone) It is very improper for parents to hold a b for their children who are in the wrong.
  • Hush money : - (a bribe) He managed to escape punishment by paying hush money.
  • Hold at bay : - (to prevent enemy from coming) Maharana Partap could not hola the Mughal army at bay for long.
  • Hit the jack pot :- (unexpected success) He hit the jack pot by investing his money in shares.
  • Helter skelter : - (here and there) When the police arrived the rioters ran hel skelter.
  • Have a brush with : - (to have encounter) Our principal had a brush with the Vice Chancellor over the appointment of a lecturer.
  • Hornet's nest : - (raise controversy) The speaker stirred up hornet's nest by referring to impending changes in the rules.
  • Hold somebody to ransom : - (to demand concession by making someone captive) h is a pity that a handful of militants are holding the nation to ransom.
  • Hole and corner : - (secret) I have come to know of your hole and corner method of dealing with people.
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    Idioms and Phrases Starting With Letter I:

    Here is a list of some idioms and phrases starting with I

  • Ill at ease : - (uncomfortable) A student is often ill at ease when he has to seethe Principal after he has done something wrong.
  • In a fix : - (In a dilemma) The whole police department is in a fix about the threatening letters written by the kidnappers.
  • In a fair way : - (hopeful) The doctor feels that patient is in a fair way on to recovery.
  • In the good books of : - (to be in favour with a person) Sunita's brilliant success in her final examination has led her to be in the good books of her teachers,
  • In tune : - (in a mood) The teacher asked the students if they were in tune for study.
  • In the lurch : - (to leave a friend in difficulty) You must never leave your best friend in the lurch.
  • Ins and outs : - (secrets) The servants are generally familiar with the ins and outs of the family.
  • In the blues : - (in dumps, depressed) After his failure in the Examination he is in the blues these days.
  • In the red : - (suffer a loss) Most of our Public Sector Undertakings are in the red for lack of efficient administration.
  • In the limelight : - (prominent) After being out of favour with the leader of the party he is again in the limelight these days.
  • In the teeth of : - (inspite of bitter opposition) Hindu Code Bill was passed in the teeth of opposition by various organizations.
  • In a tight corner : - (in difficult situation) After losing in gambling heavily, he is in a tight corner.
  • In cold blood : - (to do something deliberately) The child was murdered in cold blood.
  • In doldrums : - (to be depressed) After his failure in the examination he is in doldrums these days.
  • In the family way : - (pregnant) She has been advised complete rest because she is in the family way.
  • Ivory tower : - (imaginary world) Those who talk of non-violence as a useful tool in international politics live in ivory tower.
  • In the dumps : - (in low spirits) Her visit cheered me up as I was in the dumps before her visit.
  • In a flutter : - (excited) My sister is in a flutter today because she is going for the interview.
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    Idioms and Phrases Starting With Letter J:

    Here is a list of some idioms and phrases starting with J

  • Jaundiced eye : - (prejudice) You must not evaluate the success of your rivals with a jaundiced eye.
  • Illustration: Choose the correct meaning of the given idiom/phrase: Get cold feet.

    A. To run for life             B. To get cold             C. To be afraid           D. To become discourteous

    Answer: C

    Illustration: Given below is a sentence with idiom/phrase underlined. In Bold Letters Choose the correct option which best express the meaning of the given idiom/phrase.

    At a party, he is always in high spirits.

    A. Takative                              B. Cheerful                           C. Drunk                             D. Uncomfortable

    Answer : B

     

    Sample Questions
    (More Questions for each concept available in Login)
    Question : 1

    Direction : - An idiomatic phrase is given followed by four alternatives. Choose the alternative that best expresses the meaning of the expression.

    Hang together

    Right Option : A
    View Explanation
    Explanation
    Question : 2

    Direction : - An idiomatic phrase is given followed by four alternatives. Choose the alternative that best expresses the meaning of the expression.

    To go scot - free

    Right Option : C
    View Explanation
    Explanation
    Question : 3

    Direction : - An idiomatic phrase is given followed by four alternatives. Choose the alternative that best expresses the meaning of the expression.

    To cut one short.

    Right Option : D
    View Explanation
    Explanation
     
     


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