Grammar Clinic: Idiomatic Expressions

IDIOMS

Idiomatic expressions or Idioms can be explained as a group of words in a fixed order, having a particular meaning different from the meaning of each word understood in its own. An Idiom is a phrase or a fixed expression that has a figurative, or sometimes literal

meaning. This means Idioms have a deeper meaning than their literal surface meaning.

Examples of some Idioms and their meanings

IDIOMS	MEANING
Draw the line	Know the limit of something
Let the cat out of the bag	Reveal a secret
Lead a woman to the altar	Marry her
Live under the cloud	Unpopular
Lock horns with each other	Contest
Let sleeping dogs lie	Don’t stir up a claim
Live form hand to mouth	To spend as soon as you receive
Leave no stone unturned	Try every means and method
Keep the flag flying	Continue the good work
Kick the bucket	To die
Keep one’s head above the water	To survive
Kiss the dust	Surrender
To pick to pieces	To analyse critically
To go parri-passu	To go hand-in-hand or at the same time
To prepare for the rainy day	To get ready for unfavourable future
To play to the gallery	To seek cheap popularity
To be a pace setter	To be the first to do something
To pour oil on troubled waters	To make peace
Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown	Not an easy task to be a leader
To sit on the fence	To be neutral , indecisive
To bell the cat	To attempt a dangerous task
Take the bull by the horn	To dare something perilous
A square peg in a round hole	Unfit

1. She is pulling my leg. – to pull someone’s leg means to tease them by telling them something untrue.

2. When will you drop them a line? – to drop someone a line means to send a note to or call someone.

3. You should keep an eye out for that. – to keep an eye out for something means to maintain awareness of it so that you notice it as it occurs.

4. I can’t keep my head above water. – to keep one’s head above water means to manage a situation.

5. It’s raining cats and dogs. – to rain cats and dogs means to rain very heavily (a downpour).

6. Oh no! You spilled the beans! – to spill the beans means to let out a secret.

7. Why are you feeling blue? – to feel blue means to feel sad.

8. That jacket costs an arm and a leg. – an arm and a leg means a large amount of money.

9. It is not rocket science. – not rocket science means something is not difficult.

10. Put a cork in it. – put a cork in it is an impolite way to say, “shut up!” (another idiom), be quiet, and stop talking.

11. I’m screwed . – to be screwed means that one is doomed, is in big trouble, or has really messed up.

Exercise

Find the meanings of these idioms

1. To meet one’s water loo
2. Once in a blue moon
3. Let bygone be bygone
4. Much ado about nothing
5. To bury one’s machete
6. A stitch in time saves nine
7. Cut your coat according to your cloth
8. To burn the candle at both ends
9. To develop a cold feet
10. A red letter day