SOME MORE IDIOMS

 SOME MORE IDIOMS

Some more idioms are presented. Carefully recognize their utility in your day-to-day life. Make the best use of them.

‘Under the weather’

It is a reference to being not well, suggesting of seeking help. Normally the listener tends to extend help by way of providing an umbrella or offering a seat in his car for reaching home.

‘The ball is in your court’.

It is a reference to life situation than to any sport. It means, one has to make up his/her mind to adopt a particular option among two or more alternatives.

‘Spill the beans’

To give away a secret is named so; more or less it is like the ‘cat is out of the bag’ The so-far held back information is not a secret any more.

‘Pull someone’s leg’

It reads straightforward and indicates that a practical joke is played on someone; More likely to happen between friends.

‘Sat on the fence’

A state of being undecided. One can come to any side of a fence, once [s]he chooses which side to go.

‘Through thick and thin’

It is not easy to grasp what does this idiom refer to. It relates to staying loyal to someone under all conditions. Normally used to explain lasting bondage between persons or families for decades.

‘It is the best thing since sliced bread’

An idiom that suggests that the item is really too good as applicable to food items.

‘Take it with a pinch of salt’

This idiom offers the advice ‘not to believe everything said, as most of it could be untrue, Cannot be readily consumed or accepted. So, take with a pinch of salt.

‘Go down in flames’

Means to fail spectacularly. The effort was inadequate and our attempt failed rather gloriously is the implication.

‘You can say that again’

Looks a straight forward approval of whatever was said or noticed, With all assurance one can repeat what [s]he said earlier is the suggestion.

‘As right as rain’

Another straightforward expression which endorses the truth in an observation because rain is felt inconvenient but its value cannot be wrong .

‘Beat around the bush’

It refers to one’s trick of delaying to accept the reality. Instead the person keeps presenting ideas which do not connect with the situation on hand.

‘Hit the sack’

Means the person is not fit and feels quite tired.[S]he needs rest now and claims to have hit the sack.

‘By the skin of your teeth’

This idiom suggests that the person managed to clear something like an examination rather narrowly or by a whisker. It also means the person could have failed too.  

These may be useful in handling the language especially for writing. As has been cautioned earlier never use any idiom unless its holistic idea is well perceived and appropriate to fit the context. .

Prof. K. Raman