Idioms & Phrases - Theory & Concepts
đŦ Idioms & Phrases - Complete Theory
Master figurative language - understand the hidden meanings!
đ¯ What are Idioms & Phrases?
Idiom: A group of words with a meaning different from the literal meaning of individual words.
Example:
“It’s raining cats and dogs” Literal: Cats and dogs falling from sky â Idiomatic: It’s raining heavily â
Phrase: A group of words functioning as a unit with a specific meaning.
Importance in IBPS:
- Prelims: 3-5 questions
- Mains: 5-10 questions
- Question Types:
- Identify meaning of idiom
- Fill idiom in sentence
- Replace idiom with meaning
đ Common Question Formats
Format 1: Meaning Identification
Question:
What does “beat around the bush” mean?
A) To hit plants B) To avoid the main topic C) To work in garden D) To make noise
Answer: B (To avoid the main topic)
Format 2: Usage in Sentence
Question:
Choose the correct usage of “piece of cake”:
A) The exam was a piece of cake. (meaning: very easy) B) He gave me a piece of cake. (literal meaning) C) The cake has many pieces. D) All of the above
Answer: A (idiomatic usage)
Format 3: Fill in the Blank
Question:
“He _____ when he saw the police.”
A) turned a blind eye B) took to his heels C) pulled his socks up D) hit the nail on the head
Answer: B (took to his heels = ran away)
đ 100+ Must-Know Idioms for IBPS
Category 1: Success & Achievement
1. Hit the nail on the head
Meaning: To be exactly right Example: “Your analysis hit the nail on the head.”
2. Piece of cake
Meaning: Very easy Example: “The exam was a piece of cake for him.”
3. Break the ice
Meaning: To initiate conversation in awkward situation Example: “He told a joke to break the ice.”
4. Cutting edge
Meaning: Most advanced, innovative Example: “They use cutting-edge technology.”
5. Turn over a new leaf
Meaning: Start fresh, change behavior Example: “After the incident, he turned over a new leaf.”
6. Make the grade
Meaning: To succeed, meet required standard Example: “Only qualified candidates will make the grade.”
Category 2: Failure & Difficulty
7. Back to square one
Meaning: Return to the beginning, start over Example: “The project failed; we’re back to square one.”
8. Bite off more than one can chew
Meaning: Take on more than one can handle Example: “He bit off more than he could chew by accepting too many projects.”
9. Hit rock bottom
Meaning: Reach the lowest point Example: “The company hit rock bottom during the recession.”
10. Go down in flames
Meaning: Fail spectacularly Example: “His business idea went down in flames.”
11. Throw in the towel
Meaning: Give up, quit Example: “After many failures, he threw in the towel.”
12. Barking up the wrong tree
Meaning: Looking in the wrong place, pursuing wrong course Example: “If you think I stole it, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
Category 3: Money & Finance
13. Cost an arm and a leg
Meaning: Very expensive Example: “The new car cost him an arm and a leg.”
14. Break the bank
Meaning: Exhaust one’s financial resources Example: “The wedding won’t break the bank.”
15. Make ends meet
Meaning: Manage financially, earn enough to survive Example: “With his salary, he can barely make ends meet.”
16. In the red
Meaning: In debt, losing money Example: “The company has been in the red for years.”
17. Cash cow
Meaning: Profitable business or product Example: “This product line is our cash cow.”
18. Nest egg
Meaning: Savings for future Example: “He has built a substantial nest egg for retirement.”
Category 4: Time & Urgency
19. In the nick of time
Meaning: Just in time, at the last moment Example: “We reached the station in the nick of time.”
20. Beat the clock
Meaning: Finish before deadline Example: “We need to beat the clock to submit the proposal.”
21. Round the clock
Meaning: All day and night, 24/7 Example: “The hospital provides round-the-clock service.”
22. Against the clock
Meaning: Racing against time Example: “We’re working against the clock to meet the deadline.”
23. Kill time
Meaning: Pass time doing something unimportant Example: “I read magazines to kill time while waiting.”
Category 5: Communication & Speech
24. Beat around the bush
Meaning: Avoid the main topic, speak indirectly Example: “Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth.”
25. Spill the beans
Meaning: Reveal a secret Example: “Don’t spill the beans about the surprise party.”
26. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: Accidentally reveal a secret Example: “He let the cat out of the bag about their engagement.”
27. Word of mouth
Meaning: Oral communication, spoken promotion Example: “The restaurant became popular through word of mouth.”
28. Get straight to the point
Meaning: Speak directly without delay Example: “Let’s get straight to the point.”
29. Hear it on the grapevine
Meaning: Hear a rumor, unofficial information Example: “I heard it on the grapevine that he’s leaving.”
Category 6: Effort & Work
30. Go the extra mile
Meaning: Do more than expected Example: “He always goes the extra mile for his clients.”
31. Pull one’s weight
Meaning: Do one’s fair share of work Example: “Everyone must pull their weight in this project.”
32. Get down to business
Meaning: Start working seriously Example: “Let’s stop chatting and get down to business.”
33. Work one’s fingers to the bone
Meaning: Work extremely hard Example: “She worked her fingers to the bone to support her family.”
34. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: Work late into the night Example: “He burned the midnight oil preparing for exams.”
35. Cut corners
Meaning: Do something poorly to save time/money Example: “Don’t cut corners on quality.”
Category 7: Understanding & Knowledge
36. Get the hang of
Meaning: Learn how to do something Example: “After practice, I got the hang of it.”
37. In the dark
Meaning: Unaware, without knowledge Example: “We were kept in the dark about the decision.”
38. Know like the back of one’s hand
Meaning: Know very well Example: “He knows this city like the back of his hand.”
39. Learn the ropes
Meaning: Learn the basics, understand how things work Example: “The new employee is still learning the ropes.”
40. Crack the code
Meaning: Solve a difficult problem, understand Example: “Scientists finally cracked the code of the disease.”
Category 8: Emotions & Feelings
41. Over the moon
Meaning: Extremely happy Example: “She was over the moon when she got the job.”
42. On cloud nine
Meaning: Very happy, euphoric Example: “After winning, he was on cloud nine.”
43. Down in the dumps
Meaning: Sad, depressed Example: “He’s been down in the dumps since he lost his job.”
44. Get cold feet
Meaning: Become nervous and hesitant Example: “He got cold feet before the wedding.”
45. Lose one’s temper
Meaning: Become angry Example: “Try not to lose your temper in meetings.”
Category 9: Action & Decision
46. Take the bull by the horns
Meaning: Face a difficult situation bravely Example: “He took the bull by the horns and confronted the issue.”
47. Bite the bullet
Meaning: Endure a painful situation bravely Example: “I had to bite the bullet and accept the loss.”
48. Jump on the bandwagon
Meaning: Join a popular trend Example: “Everyone jumped on the bandwagon of online shopping.”
49. Sit on the fence
Meaning: Avoid taking sides, remain neutral Example: “Stop sitting on the fence and make a decision.”
50. Cross that bridge when one comes to it
Meaning: Deal with problem when it arises Example: “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Category 10: Deception & Dishonesty
51. Stab someone in the back
Meaning: Betray someone Example: “He stabbed me in the back by revealing my secrets.”
52. Pull the wool over someone’s eyes
Meaning: Deceive someone Example: “Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes.”
53. A wolf in sheep’s clothing
Meaning: Someone dangerous pretending to be harmless Example: “He seemed friendly but was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
54. Cook the books
Meaning: Falsify financial records Example: “The accountant was caught cooking the books.”
Category 11: Problem & Solution
55. A blessing in disguise
Meaning: Something bad that turns out to be good Example: “Losing that job was a blessing in disguise.”
56. Nip in the bud
Meaning: Stop something at early stage Example: “We must nip this problem in the bud.”
57. Get out of hand
Meaning: Lose control Example: “The situation got out of hand quickly.”
58. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: Make a bad situation worse Example: “His comments added fuel to the fire.”
59. Weather the storm
Meaning: Survive a difficult period Example: “The company weathered the storm of recession.”
Category 12: Miscellaneous Important Idioms
60. Once in a blue moon
Meaning: Very rarely Example: “He visits us once in a blue moon.”
61. The ball is in your court
Meaning: It’s your turn to take action Example: “I’ve made my offer; the ball is in your court.”
62. Under the weather
Meaning: Feeling ill Example: “I’m feeling under the weather today.”
63. A dime a dozen
Meaning: Very common, not valuable Example: “Such opportunities are a dime a dozen.”
64. Burn bridges
Meaning: Destroy relationships Example: “Don’t burn bridges when you leave a job.”
65. Get one’s act together
Meaning: Organize oneself, improve behavior Example: “You need to get your act together before the exam.”
66. Keep one’s chin up
Meaning: Stay positive in difficult times Example: “Keep your chin up; things will improve.”
67. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: Don’t stir up old problems Example: “Let sleeping dogs lie; don’t mention the past.”
68. Miss the boat
Meaning: Lose an opportunity Example: “If you don’t apply now, you’ll miss the boat.”
69. No pain, no gain
Meaning: Success requires effort and sacrifice Example: “He trained hard believing no pain, no gain.”
70. On the same page
Meaning: In agreement, having same understanding Example: “Let’s make sure we’re on the same page.”
⥠Memorization Strategies
Strategy 1: Categorize by Theme
Group idioms by topic:
- Money idioms together
- Time idioms together
- Emotion idioms together
Easier to remember related idioms!
Strategy 2: Create Visual Images
“Raining cats and dogs” â Visualize cats and dogs falling “Spill the beans” â Visualize beans spilling everywhere
Visual memory is stronger!
Strategy 3: Use in Daily Life
Try using 2-3 new idioms daily in conversation Practice makes permanent!
“Today’s meeting was a piece of cake.” “We need to get down to business.”
Strategy 4: Make Flashcards
Front: Idiom Back: Meaning + Example
Review 10 cards daily
đĄ Solved Examples
Example 1: Meaning Identification
Question:
“Pull someone’s leg” means:
A) Help someone walk B) Tease or joke with someone C) Trip someone D) Support someone
Answer: B (Tease or joke with someone)
Example 2: Usage in Sentence
Question:
Choose the sentence with correct usage:
A) “The exam was raining cats and dogs.” â B) “It’s raining cats and dogs outside.” â C) “He rained cats and dogs.” â D) “Cats and dogs are raining.” â
Answer: B
Example 3: Fill in Blank
Question:
“After many attempts, I finally _____ how to solve the problem.”
A) hit the nail on the head B) got the hang of it C) let the cat out of the bag D) pulled someone’s leg
Answer: B (got the hang of it = learned how to do)
â ī¸ Common Mistakes
â Mistake 1: Literal Interpretation
Wrong: Thinking idioms mean literal words â Right: Understanding figurative meaning â
“Break a leg” â Actually break leg “Break a leg” = Good luck
â Mistake 2: Mixing Up Similar Idioms
“Spill the beans” = Reveal secret “Let the cat out of the bag” = Reveal secret (accidentally)
Both similar but slightly different!
â Mistake 3: Wrong Context Usage
Wrong: Using idiom in inappropriate context â
“It’s raining cats and dogs” â weather â “The economy is raining cats and dogs” â â (doesn’t fit)
đ¯ Exam Strategy
Time Management
IBPS Prelims: 2-3 minutes for 5 questions Per question: 30-40 seconds
IBPS Mains: Similar timing
Priority
- Idioms you know well â 20 sec
- Eliminate obviously wrong options â 30 sec
- Guess from remaining options
Elimination Strategy
If unsure:
- Remove literal meanings (usually wrong)
- Remove extreme meanings
- Choose most logical remaining option
đ Practice Approach
Daily Routine
Week 1-2: Learn 10 new idioms daily Week 3-4: Review + practice in sentences Week 5+: Solve previous year questions
Target: 100+ idioms before exam
đ Related Topics
Uses Concepts From:
- Vocabulary building
- Figurative language
- Cultural expressions
Related English Topics:
- One-word Substitution - Vocabulary
- Reading Comprehension - Context understanding
Practice:
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