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 K:

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

Keep body and soul together : - (to maintain life) These days because of rising prices it is difficult to keep body and soul together.

Keep at an arm's length : - (to keep at a distance) Selfish people should always be kept at an arm's length.

Keep the wolf from the door : - (to avoid starvation) In India millions of people struggle hard to keep the wolf from the door.

Kith and kin : - (blood relation) If we have no love for our kith and kin, we cannot be expected to love humanity.

Knit the brow : - (to frown) Her mother-in-law always knits the brow at everything she does.

Kick the bucket : - (to die) He kicked the bucket after long illness in the prime of his life.

Keep up appearances : - (to maintain outward show) Though he is in financial crisis, he is able to keep up appearances.

Keep one's fingers crossed : - (to wait expectantly) We had to keep our fingers crossed till the last ball was bowled.

Keep the pot boiling : - (earn hardly enough for living) He is earning only to keep the pot boiling.

Kick one's heels : - (to waste time in waiting) As the train was late we had. kick our heals at the station.

Keep abreast of : - (not to fall behind) It is very important for the young persons to keep abreast of political developments in the country.

Idioms and Phrases Starting With Letter L:

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

Lost in the clouds : - (confused) My psychology teacher is often lost in the clouds as she sometimes is unable to explain the questions clearly.

Lose ground : - (fail to keep position) The belief in prophecies and losing ground these days.

Laugh in one's sleeves : - (to laugh secretly) The students laughed sleeves at the teacher's ignorance of the subject.

Leave no stone unturned : - (to make all possible efforts) The minister assured poor that he shall leave no stone unturned to uplift their condition.

Leap in the dark : - (to take a risk deliberately) You must not leap in the dark entering the business without experience.

Look sharp : - (to make haste) Look sharp, the bus is moving.

Let the cat out of the bag : - (to disclose) Sunita has, at last, let the cat out n the bag, by confessing that she had stolen her brother's money.

Live in a fool's paradise : - (false hope) My brother is living in a fool's paradise if he thinks that he can be a rich man without working hard.

Lion's share : - (large part) Generally the sons as compared to daughters have a lion's share of their mother's affection.

Loaves and fishes : - (material benefit) Most of the ministers are more concerned with the loaves and fishes of office than the service of man.

Live-wire : - (energetic) India needs live-wire political leaders who can put the country on the right track.

Look a gift horse in the mouth : - (criticize a gift) One should not look a gift horse in the mouth because it is given out of love and regards.

Lose one's head : - (to be carried away) One should not lose one's head even in such a victory.

Long and short : - (in brief) The long and short of the principal's speech was that examination would be held on time.

Latin and Greek : - (incomprehensible) The speech of literary persons is always Latin and Greek to illiterate persons.

Last nail in the coffin : - (causing ruin) Second world war proved to be a last nail in the coffin of British imperialism.

Lead up the garden path : - (to cheat) The traders lead the credulous customers up the garden path by assuring them of warranty.

Leaps and bounds : - (rapidly) In comparison to India, China has progressed by leaps and bounds in every field.

Last straw : - (the final trial of patience) The Rowlet Act was the last straw on the Camel's back and the whole India rose in protest against the British rule.

Let the grass grow under feet : - (to delay the matters) We are bound to suffer if we let the grass grow under feet by postponing action.

Idioms and Phrases Starting With Letter M:

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

Make both ends meet : - (to live within one's means) As my uncle has to bring up five children, he finds it difficult to make both ends meet.

Mend one's fences : - (to make peace) It is high time for the two brothers to bury the hatchet and mend their fences.

Make a clean breast : - (to confess) When asked by the Magistrate sternly, the thief made a clean breast of the whole crime.

Make amends : - (to give compensation) The government made amends to the family for the loss of their earning member in the war.

Make the most of : - (to utilize time) Students should make the most of their time if they want to get an administrative job.

Move heaven and earth : - (to try utmost) Ramesh moved heaven and earth to gain his end but failed.

Make sure : - (to ascertain) We went to the office to make sure if our exams would start in the next week.

Make neither head nor tail : - (not to understand) The students can make neither head nor tail of what Mr. Dev teaches them.

Moot point : - (a debatable point, undecided) The question of abolition of child marriage is a moot point as far as Indians are concerned.

Meet one's Waterloo : - (to face final defeat) Tipu Sultan met his Waterloo in the fourth battle of Mysore.

Man of letters : - (literary person) Dr. Radhakrishnan was a man of letters.

Make light of : - (not to care) He is in the habit of making light of the advice of his parents.

Midas touch : - (a touch which turns anything into gold) Our manager seems to be gifted with Midas touch because he is capable of selling every product.

Man of parts : - (a man of qualities) Our Principal is a man of parts and is respected by all and one.

Mealy mouthed : - (soft spoken) A mealy mouthed shopkeeper is always successful.

Man of straw : - (a weak person) The king being a man of straw, his orders were often disobeyed.

Mince matters : - (hide the truth and pretend) Tell the truth to your parents because it does not pay to mince matters.

Mare's nest : - (a false invention) The involvement of teachers in the sch proved to be a mare's nest.

Idioms and Phrases Starting With Letter N:

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

Null and void : - (ineffective) Strangely, the laws made by the British in India are not yet null and void.

Next to nothing : - (almost nothing) The thieves made off with everything from the kitchen and there was next to nothing left.

Neck and crop : - (completely) The decoits finished him off neck and crop beyond recognition.

No love lost : - (intense dislike) There is no love lost between the two neighbours.

Nip in the bud : - (to destroy in the very beginning) The evils of the society mus be nipped in the bud.

Not worth one's salt : - (not deserving) We should not help the persons who not worth their salt.

Illustration: Choose the correct meaning of the given idiom/phrase: Make no bones about.

A. To make no effort B. To admit something readily C. To make fuss about D. To create hinderance

Answer: B

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.

I just paid him a left handed compliment.

A. an honest B. A well deserved C. An insincere D. A flattering

Answer : C

Sample Questions

(More Questions for each concept available in Login)

Question : 1

Directions: - For each of the following sentences four alternatives are given. You are required to choose the correct meaning of the Idioms given in bold in the sentences. He is not worth his salt if he fails at this juncture .
A. Quite worthless	B. Very proud of himself	C. Quite depressed	D. Very strange
Right Option : A
View Explanation

Question : 2

Directions: - For each of the following sentences four alternatives are given. You are required to choose the correct meaning of the Idioms given in bold in the sentences. There is no need to make up on old quarrel.
A. Forget	B. Revive	C. Start	D. End
Right Option : B
View Explanation

Question : 3

Directions: - For each of the following sentences four alternatives are given. You are required to choose the correct meaning of the Idioms given in bold in the sentences. The party stalwarts have advised the president to take it lying down for a wedding
A. To show no reaction		B. To take rest
C. To be on the defensive		D. To be cautious
Right Option : A
View Explanation