Idioms and Phrases: Meanings and Tricks for SSC Exams
More than 50 high-frequency idioms and phrasal verbs with meanings, grouped by theme, plus a method to beat the literal-meaning trap in idiom MCQs.
60-second revision
An idiom's meaning cannot be worked out from its words: 'a wet blanket' is a person, not bedding.
The literal meaning of the words is almost always a trap option.
Many idioms come from stories or history: bell the cat (a fable), Hobson's choice (a horse-hirer in Cambridge).
The sentence around the idiom shows its tone (praise, blame, worry) and narrows the options.
Learn idioms in themed groups: effort, success and failure, deception, trouble, people, time.
Near-twins differ: 'call it a day' means stop working; 'call a spade a spade' means speak plainly.
Phrasal verbs change meaning with the particle: put off (postpone), put up with (tolerate), put out (extinguish).
How idiom questions are set
SSC asks idioms in two ways: choose the meaning of a given idiom, or choose the idiom that best fits a blank in a sentence. Sometimes an idiom is placed inside a sentence and you choose its meaning there. Either way, you need the fixed meaning of the expression, not the meaning of its separate words.
Read the idiom and recall it in a sentence you have heard or read.
Strike out the option that only repeats the literal words (burning oil, a coloured fish, a real elephant).
Use tone: is the idiom about praise, blame, difficulty or deceit? Drop options with the wrong tone.
For a blank, read the full sentence; the situation (waste, delay, surprise) points to the idiom.
Effort and work
Idiom
Meaning
Leave no stone unturned
try every possible way
Go the extra mile
do more than is expected
Bite the bullet
force yourself to do something unpleasant
Put one's shoulder to the wheel
work hard at a task
Make both ends meet
manage to live on a limited income
Call it a day
stop working for now
Take the bull by the horns
face a difficulty directly and boldly
Success and failure
Idiom
Meaning
A feather in one's cap
an achievement to be proud of
Rest on one's laurels
stop trying because of past success
Throw in the towel
give up; admit defeat
A flash in the pan
a sudden success that does not last
A dark horse
a little-known contender who does unexpectedly well
Win hands down
win very easily
Bite the dust
fail or be defeated
Deception and doubt
Idiom
Meaning
Cry wolf
raise false alarms, so that one is not believed later
Pull someone's leg
tease someone playfully
Smell a rat
suspect that something is wrong
A wolf in sheep's clothing
an enemy pretending to be a friend
Crocodile tears
false sorrow
Throw dust in someone's eyes
mislead or deceive someone
Take with a pinch of salt
not believe completely
Trouble and difficulty
Idiom
Meaning
In hot water
in trouble
Between the devil and the deep sea
facing two equally bad choices
A bolt from the blue
a sudden, unexpected event
In the same boat
in the same difficult situation
Face the music
accept criticism or punishment for one's actions
Keep the wolf from the door
earn just enough to avoid hunger and want
A storm in a teacup
a lot of fuss over a small matter
Throw down the gauntlet
issue a challenge
People and behaviour
Idiom
Meaning
The apple of one's eye
a person who is dearly loved
A wet blanket
a person who spoils others' fun
Show the white feather
behave like a coward
Eat humble pie
admit a mistake and apologise humbly
Steal someone's thunder
take the attention or praise meant for someone else
