Professional Documents
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1- Carry out
Accomplish, bring to a conclusion
They carried out the mission successfully.
2- Taken over
Assume control, management, or possession of
The pilot told his copilot to take over the controls.
3- Bring about
cause
She hopes to bring about a change in his attitude.
4- Beat out
Knock into shape by beating
She managed to beat out all the dents in the screen
5-Beat out of
Cheat someone of something
He was always trying to beat the conductor out of the full train fare.
6- Bear with
to tolerate
I cannot bear with a statement like that of yours
7-To fall back on something / fall back upon
Rely on, have recourse to
I fall back on old friends in time of need.
8- To fall through
Fail, miscarry
I hope our plans won't fall through. [Late 1700s]
9- On right earnest
seriously; Concerned authorities should take up the matter of modernization and upgradation of the facilities in Museum on right earnest.
10- Vested interests
A personal stake in something
She has a vested interest in keeping the house in her name.
11- Meaningful dialogue (useful discussion) The global summit will encourage meaningful
dialogue on the issue
12-turn something to good account
to use something in such a way that it is to one's advantage; to make good use of a situation,
experience, etc. Pam turned her illness to good account and did a lot of reading
There are a few people in our country who are still willing to break a lance for
sovereignty and legitimate authority
15- To foul of, (foul play)
Unfair or treacherous action, especially involving violence
The police suspected he had met with foul play.
16- To keep open house
To entertain friends at all times, to be hospitable
He did not retaliate and pocketed an insult when his friend called him by names
24-Hard shoulder
(A paved strip beside a motorway for stopping in emergencies) You're not supposed to park
on the hard shoulder except in an emergency.
25-Detract from
(to make something seem less good) One mistake is not going to detract from your
achievement.
26-Laconic speech
(using few words, very concise or terse) I have claimed an affinity for laconic speech/ The
speech was laconic but still very effective
27-Monkey with
(to adjust something) It seems like any time they monkey with taxes, wealthy people
benefit the most.
28-On the sky
(On the rise) His reputation for being a good schemer is on the sky now-a-days.
29-Petticoat Government
(government by women, whether in politics or domestic affairs.)
Modern Romeos prefer to live under petticoat government
30-Pocket the affront
(to receive an affront without open resentment, or without seeking redress.) The remark
was a rude one but the man chose to pocket the affront.
31-Point blank
(refuse completely and not to change decision)
Journalists were infuriated by her point-blank refusal to discuss their divorce.
32-Push to the walls
(to place in a desperate or extreme position) When two persons fight, the weaker must push
to the wall.
33-Ruling passion
(a controlling desire) He has the ruling passion that is why he cleared exam with flying
colors.
34-Strike ones colours
(keep strongly to ones opinion, decisions etc) Even when they know that they are wrong,
they stick to their colours in discussion.
35-Look your age
(to seem as old as you really are and not younger or older) She barely looks her age.
36-Out to lunch
(Not in touch with the real world, crazy; inattentive.) She was so out to lunch that she didn't
hear a word.
Apparently he's turned over a new leaf and he's not drinking any more.
45- An axe to grind
to have a selfish reason for saying or doing something The best reporting is done by people who don't
have an ax to grind.
46- Burn the candle at both ends
Exhaust one's energies or resources by leading a hectic life
to work very hard and stay up very late at night.
She'd been burning the candle at both ends studying for her exams and made herself ill.
47- Goes without saying
Be self-evident, a matter of course
It goes without saying that success is the product of hard work.
This expression is a translation of the French cela va sans dire. [Second half of 1800s]
My lawyer said I didn't have a leg to stand on, so I shouldn't sue the company.
50- Under the thumb of
Controlled or dominated by someone
He's been under his mother's thumb for years.
51- The writing on the wall / handwriting on the wall
If the writing's on the wall for something, it is doomed to fail. A warning or danger
The Company was losing money, and seeing the handwriting on the wall, she started to look
for another job.
52- Storm in a tea cup
If someone exaggerates a problem
I think it's all a storm in a teacup - there's probably no danger to public health at all.
53- To sow one's wild oats
Behave foolishly, immoderately or promiscuously when young
Brad has spent the last couple of years sowing his wild oats, but now he seems ready to
settle down.
54- To keep late hours
Stay awake until late at night
Never call Ethel before noon; she keeps late hours and sleeps all morning.
55- To throw cold water on
to discourage, to remove hope, deter
Steve wanted to expand the business into China, but his boss threw cold water on the idea,
and told him to focus on the domestic business.
56- Tied to apron-strings of
if someone, usually a man, is tied to their mother's apron strings, they still need their mother and cannot
think or act independently He's 30 but he's still tied to his mother's apron strings.
57- To move heaven and earth
Exert the utmost effort
I'd move heaven and earth to get an apartment here.
This hyperbolic expression was first recorded in 1792.
58- To blow ones own trumpet / blow one's trumpet
67-Its "All ears":(very attentive) When someone speaks to you, be all ears.
68-To carry the cross:(an unpleasant situation or responsibility that you must accept
because you cannot change it) I can't help you with it. You'll just have to carry your own cross.
69-On the sky: (On the rise) His reputation for being a good schemer is on the sky now-adays.
70-To monkey with: (to adjust something) It seems like any time they monkey with
taxes, wealthy people benefit the most.
71-Pocket the affront: (to receive an affront without open resentment, or without
seeking redress.) The remark was a rude one but the man chose to pocket the
affront.
72- Raise Cain to make a lot of trouble; to raise hell. Fred was really raising Cain about the
whole matter.
73- Win Laurels: to get accolades; Dr Abdul Qadir win laurels in the field of science.
74- a sting in the tail ;an unpleasant end to something that began pleasantly, especially a
story or suggestion
At the start, it's humorous and light but like most of her short stories, there's a sting in the
tail.
5. A casting vote
decisive vote
The speaker used his casting vote in the favour of proposition
6. Look down upon
to consider someone lesser
Do not look down upon the poors
7. Iconoclast
One who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional or popular ideas or institutions.
One who destroys sacred religious images.
He was an iconoclast who refused to be bound by tradition.
8. A swan song
A farewell or final appearance, action, or work.
I'm resigning tomorrow; this project was my swan song
9. Leave in the lurch
Abandon or desert someone in difficult straits
Where were you Karman, you really left me in the lurch
10. Hard and fast
Defined, fixed, invariable
There is no hard and fast rule to start a computer
11. Weather the storm
Survive difficulties
Bob lost his job, but somehow his family weathered the storm.
12. Bear the brunt
Put up with the worst of some bad circumstance
It was the secretary who had to bear the brunt of the doctor's anger.
13. Meet halfway
If you meet someone halfway, you accept some of their ideas and make concessions.
If you want to settle the issues you have to meet me halfway
14. Turncoat
traitor
The turn-coats are responsible for the failure of democracy in our country
15. Where the shoe pinches
The source of trouble, grief, difficulty, etc.
She's sure the public transport system works perfectly, but she'll find out where
the shoe pinches when she starts using it!
16-To fight shy of
to try to avoid something. Ellen fights shy of parties - she hates crowds.
17- To cry over the spilt milk
You're just crying over spilt milk, get on with life!
18- To rob peter to pay Paul
to take or borrow from one in order to give or pay something owed to another
If you rob Peter to pay Paul, you try to solve one problem,
but create another in doing so, often through short-term planning
There's no point in robbing Peter to pay Paul. You will still be in debt.
18- To take the bull by the horns
To confront a problem head-on and deal with it openly. It's time to take the bull by the horns and get
this job done.
If you rub shoulders with people, you meet and spend time with them, especially when they
are powerful or famous.
He's Hollywood's most popular hairdresser and regularly rubs shoulders with top movie star
35- Thin end of the wedge
The thin end of the wedge is something small and seemingly unimportant that will lead to
something much bigger and more serious.
the start of a harmful development There are those who see the closure of the hospital as the thin end of
the wedge.
36- Flash in the pan
Something that happens only once or for a short time and will not be repeated We're hoping that this is a
long-term opportunity, and not just a flash in the pan.
37- To keep at
Persevere or persist at doing something.
If you keep at your Math, you'll soon master it.
38-Keep at someone
Nag, harass, or annoy someone
You have to keep at Carl if you want him to do the work.
39- At one's beck and call
Always ready to carry out someone's wishes He has servants at his beck and call
Ready to comply with any wish or command
40- Go against the grain
A person who does things in an unconventional manner, especially if their methods are not
generally approved of, is said to go against the grain. Such an individual can be called a
maverick.It goes against the grain for William to admit that he's wrong.
41- Bring grist to the mill
Something that you can use to your advantage is grist for the mill.
As an actor, all experience is grist to the mill.
42- Upset the apple cart
Spoil carefully laid plans
Now don't upset the apple cart by revealing where we're going.
9- Hoist on one's own petard
If you are hoist with your own petard, you get into trouble or caught in a trap that you had
set for someone else.
The most enjoyable moment in any action film occurswhen the villain is hoist with his own petar
d
43- Live on the fat of the land
The best or richest of anything
The tiny upper class lived off the fat of the land while many of the poor were starving.
44- To have your cake and eat it too
If someone wants to have their cake and eat it too, they want everything their way,
especially when their wishes are contradictory.
Don't buy a car if you want to walk and stay healthy. You can't eat yourcake and have it too.
45- To be on the carpet
to be in trouble with someone in authority He's going to be on the carpet for his rudeness.
46- It never rains but it pours
when things go wrong, they go very wrong.
First of all it was the car breaking down, then the fire in the kitchen and now Mike's accident. It never rain
s but it pours!
47- A miss is as good as a mile
Coming close to success but failing is no better than failing by a lot
He was beaten by just one vote, but a miss is as good as a mile.
48- To give oneself airs
Airs here means a manner of superiority.
I'm sick of Claire and the way she puts on airs.
49- To have the courage of ones convictions
to have enough courage and determination to carry out one's goals.
Jane was successful because she had the courage of her convictions.
50- The onlooker sees most of the game
51- Out of sight out of mind
something that you say which means if you do not hear about or see someone or something for
a period of time, you stop thinkingabout them You'll soon forget about him after he leaves out of
sight, out of mind.
52- To come to a dead end
A passage that has no exit
This street's a dead end, so turn back.
The Supreme Court said there was a need for action, but Congress has turned a deaf ear to the
Court.
54- Every dark cloud has a silver lining
You're eating your dessert first!You've put the cart before the horse.
58- To sail in the same boat
If people are in the same boat, they are in the same predicament or trouble.
Suddenly Paul was in the same boat as any other worker who had lost a job.
59- A Swan Song
A final accomplishment or performance, one's last work.
I'm resigning tomorrow; this project was my swan song.
60- To look a gift horse in the mouth
Be critical or suspicious of something received at no cost
Dad's old car is full of dents, but we shouldnt look a gift horse in the mouth.
61-To have an axe to grind
to have a selfish reason for saying or doing something The best reporting is done by people wh
She will talk to anyone about herproblems. Why does she wash her dirty linen in public?
63) To take to one's heels
Run away
When the burglar alarm went off they took to their heels.
64) To win laurels-to win honor
He is a very hardworking boy, he is sure to win laurels in life
65) A gentleman at large
Free, unconfined, especially not confined in prison
To our distress, the housebreakers were still at large.
66) By and by
After a while, soon
She'll be along by and by/ by a by a man appeared
67) The lion's share
The greater part or most of something
As usual, Uncle Bob took the lion's share of the cake.
This expression alludes to Aesop's fable about a lion, who got all of a kill because its fellow
hunters, an ass, fox, and wolf, were afraid to claim their share.
68) In black and white
in written or printed form. Your offer sounds good, but I want you to put it in black and white.
69) To bring to book
Call to account, investigate
He was acquitted, but one day soon he'll be brought to book.
70) To read between the lines
If someone is suspected of having done something wrong, they are under a cloud.
Someone stole some money at work, and now everyone is under a cloud of suspicion. Even the
manager is under a cloud.
73) By fits and starts / in fits and starts
With irregular intervals of action and inaction, spasmodically
The campaign is proceeding by fits and starts.
i. Blow one's top
To be very angry, Explode in anger, lose one's temper, go into a rage
When my dad found out I had failed the exams, he just blew his top.
ii. A cock and bull story
An unbelievable tale that is intended to deceive; a tall tale
Jack told us some cock and bull story about getting lost.
iii. Find one's feet
to become familiar with a new place or situation New students need a little time to find their feet.
iv. Call it a night
to end what one is doing at night and go [home] to bed. At midnight, I called it a night and went t
o bed.
v. The tip of the iceberg
A small evident part or aspect of something largely hidden: afraid that these few reported cases
of the disease might only be the tipof the iceberg.
vi. Below par
Less than average, less than normal
not as good as average or normal. I feel a little below par today. I think I am getting a cold
vii. From pillar to post
From one place or thing to another in rapid succession
My father was in the army, and we moved from pillar to post year after year.
viii. Hang up
a machine or a computer to grind to a halt; to stop because of some internal complication. I was afraid
that my computer would hang up permanently.
ix. Turn some one in
To hand someone in to police.
Tell me the truth about robbery or I will turn you in
(i) Leave in the lurch
Abandon or desert someone in difficult straits
Jane was angry enough to quit without giving notice, leaving her boss in the lurch.
Where were you Karman, you really left me in the lurch
(ii) Hard and fast
Defined, fixed, invariable
We have hard and fast rules for this procedure.
There is no hard and fast rule to start a computer
(iii) Weather the storm
Survive difficulties
Bob lost his job, but somehow his family weathered the storm.
(iv) Bear the brunt