Here are the list of most important Idioms which appeared most frequently in the SSC examinations:-
2. Beating around the bush: (Meaning-Avoiding the main topic )
Application -The President was beating around the bush when the citizens demanded a reason for the forgery of legal documents.
3. Chip on your shoulder: (Meaning-When someone is upset about something that happened a while ago )
Application -He has a chip on his shoulder for being abandoned by his parents in his childhood.
4. Cry over split milk: (Meaning-Complaining about a loss or failure from the past)
Application -He was mad because he couldn’t clear the cut off due to a silly mistake. But, then he realized there was no use crying over spilt milk and decided to become more careful.
5. Spill the beans: (Meaning-To disclose a secret )
Application -The little one spilled the beans about the surprise vacation we had planned.
6.Piece of cake: (Meaning-Something that is easy to understand or do )
Sentence-I thought that the problem would be tough, but it turned out to be a piece of cake!
7. Blessing in disguise: (Meaning-Something good and useful that did not initially seem that way) Application -His accident was a blessing in disguise because it gave him a lot of time to think about his life while he was recovering, and as a result, he made some important decisions that improved his life.
8. Come hell or high water: (Meaning-Possible obstacles in your path that won't stop you)
Application -I have decided that come hell or high water I will become an engineer.
9. Taste of your own medicine: (Meaning-When someone receives the same treatment, usually negative, that he/she gives to others)
Application -She is always taunting others and hurting their sentiments. I just wish someone would give her a taste of her own medicine.
10. Golden handshake: (Meaning-A big sum of money given to a person when he/she leaves a company or retires)
Application -The management of the company wanted to decrease their workforce. They offered a golden handshake to their aged employees.
11. Mean business: (Meaning-Being serious/dedicated)
Application -The border is sealed by troops who mean business.
12. Apple of one’s eye: (Meaning-Being cherished more than others are)
Application -Sam is adored by his teacher for his childlike nature. He is the apple of her eye.
13. The best of both worlds: (Meaning-The benefits of widely differing situations, enjoyed at the same time)
Application -I had the best of both worlds since I worked as an ordinary member of the team but got to learn from the leaders.
14. Feeling a bit under the weather: (Meaning-Feeling slightly ill)
Application -I may not be able to jog today, as I am feeling a bit under the weather.
15. Icing on the cake: (Meaning-Something that turns good into great)
Application -India’s victory over England on India’s Independence Day was like icing on the cake.
16. Cost an arm and a leg: (Meaning-Be very expensive)
Application -His laziness made him miss his flight to Chandigarh. The next ticket cost him an arm and a leg.
17. Jump the bandwagon: (Meaning-To join a popular activity or trend)
Application -When he was detected with diabetes, he quickly jumped on the bandwagon and joined the Zumba dance class.
18. Ball is in your court: (Meaning-When it is up to you to make the next decision or step) Application -Now the ball is in your court; decide whether you want to reply or not.
19. Bite off more than you can chew: (Meaning-To take up a task which you may not be able to accomplish due to lack of ability)
Application -I bit off more than I could chew when I decided to take up the 300-page research project.
20. Can’t judge a book by its cover: (Meaning-Cannot judge something primarily on appearance) Application -The house looked impressive in the advertisement. Still I made a trip to the house to check everything. It is wise not to judge a book by its cover.
21. Hear it on grapevine: (Meaning-To hear rumors about something or someone)
Application -I heard it on grapevine that he had stiffed an old man asking for his pension.
22. It takes two to tango: (Meaning-Actions or communications need more than one person) Application -Even though I thought I would be fired after the altercation with my manager, thankfully upper management realized that it takes two to tango.
23. Last straw: (Meaning-The final problem in a series of problems)
Application -My body was already in bad shape. The accident was the last straw. I am now on complete bed rest.
24. To be in the doldrums: (Meaning-To be in low spirits)
Application -Sam was in the doldrums after he was insulted by the boss in front of his colleagues.
25. To sit on the fence: (Meaning-To remain neutral)
Application -Since I wasn’t aware of the details, I decided to sit on the fence during the argument between my cousins.
26. Break the ice: (Meaning-To initiate a social conversation or interaction)
Application -At the start of the lecture, the new professor tried to break the ice by telling a joke.
27. :A bird’s eye view: (Meaning-A view from a very high place that allows you to see a very large area)
Application -The Singapore Big Wheel offers a bird’s eye view of the city.
28. A litmus test: (Meaning-A method that helps to know if something is correct)
Application -Taking up the job served as a litmus test for me to know how good I was at applying my knowledge.
29. At the drop of a hat: (Meaning-Willingness to do something instantly)
Application -She expects me to make dinner at the drop of a hat even if I am very busy with office work.
30. Afraid of one’s own shadow: (Meaning-To become easily frightened)
Application -Her creepy encounter with the supernatural had a devastating effect on her. She is now afraid of her own shadow.
31. A house of cards: (Meaning-A poor plan)
Application -The State’s new scheme was initially welcomed, but later turned out to be a house of cards when it was discovered how easy it was to perpetrate a scam.
32. Black and blue: (Meaning-Full of bruises)
Application -The young lad was all black and blue after a tiff with a raging senior.
33. Be on cloud nine: (Meaning-Be very happy)
Application -I will be on cloud nine when my first article gets published.
34. Bone of contention: (Meaning-A subject or issue over which there is continuing disagreement) Application -The examination system has long been a serious bone of contention in the HRD Ministry.
35. Eat humble pie: (Meaning-To apologize humbly)
Application -He will have to eat humble pie for the disrespect shown to the Captain.
36. Fool’s paradise: (Meaning-False sense of happiness or success)
Application -They were living in a fool’s paradise, refusing to accept that they were facing poverty.
37. Give cold shoulder: (Meaning-To ignore )
Application -I sent her a message to apologize for my misbehavior, but she gave me the cold shoulder.
38. Get a raw deal: Meaning-(To not be treated as well as other people)
Application -The fact is that students in government schools get a raw deal.
39. Hit the nail on the head: (Meaning-To do the correct thing)
Application -She hit the nail on the head when she laid out a list of justifiable grievances she had with the company.
40. Hand to mouth: (Meaning-live on only basic necessities)
Application -The severe drought led the farmers to live hand to mouth.
41. Hit the bull’s eye: (Meaning-To be exactly right about something or achieve the best result possible)
Application -The detective hit the bull’s eye when he figured out that nobody but the doctor could have had access to the poison.
42. Let the cat out of the bag: (Meaning-To reveal the secret carelessly or by mistake)
Application -Now that she had let the cat out of the bag, she had no option but to confess.
43. Make a face: (Meaning-To show dislike or disappointment through facial expressions) Application -Little Stella made a face at the sight of bitter gourd in her food.
44. Open Pandora’s Box: (Meaning-To find a source of great troubles and problems)
Application -Finding the wallet on the road opened up a Pandora’s box, I was arrested for stealing when I went to report it at the police station.
45. It’s Greek to me (Meaning-Something that is not understandable)
Application -I failed my commerce test; it was all Greek to me!
46. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: (Meaning-Do not put all your resources in one basket.) Application -The boy put all his money into his dream startup that eventually failed. I had told him not to put all his eggs in one basket.
47. To call a spade a spade: (Meaning-To be brutally frank, outspoken, blunt in speech)
Application - Let’s call a spade a spade – popular he may be, but that man is a liar.
48. To be a Good Samaritan: (Meaning-To be kind and compassionate to someone in distress) Application -I was sure I would be stuck on the highway till the morning, but a Good Samaritan offered me a ride home.
49. To put in a nutshell: (Meaning-To say in a few words or to make something concise)
Application -The Textbook Development Committee decided to put the 30-page chapter in a nutshell to help save time for students during revision.
50. To pour oil on troubled waters: (Meaning-To make peace)
Application -I am always stuck pouring oil on troubled waters when my mother and wife start their bickering.
51. To move heaven and earth: (Meaning-To exert all efforts)
Application -He moved heaven and earth to ensure that his family was taken care of in the foreign land in his absence.
#Note: Kindly, provide your valuable suggestions and feedback along with the necessary inputs that would make the article more beneficial for the aspirants.
1. Once in a blue moon: (Meaning-Something that happens very rarely )
Application - Once in a blue moon, the blue jay can be seen in these parts of the forest.2. Beating around the bush: (Meaning-Avoiding the main topic )
Application -The President was beating around the bush when the citizens demanded a reason for the forgery of legal documents.
3. Chip on your shoulder: (Meaning-When someone is upset about something that happened a while ago )
Application -He has a chip on his shoulder for being abandoned by his parents in his childhood.
4. Cry over split milk: (Meaning-Complaining about a loss or failure from the past)
Application -He was mad because he couldn’t clear the cut off due to a silly mistake. But, then he realized there was no use crying over spilt milk and decided to become more careful.
5. Spill the beans: (Meaning-To disclose a secret )
Application -The little one spilled the beans about the surprise vacation we had planned.
6.Piece of cake: (Meaning-Something that is easy to understand or do )
Sentence-I thought that the problem would be tough, but it turned out to be a piece of cake!
7. Blessing in disguise: (Meaning-Something good and useful that did not initially seem that way) Application -His accident was a blessing in disguise because it gave him a lot of time to think about his life while he was recovering, and as a result, he made some important decisions that improved his life.
8. Come hell or high water: (Meaning-Possible obstacles in your path that won't stop you)
Application -I have decided that come hell or high water I will become an engineer.
9. Taste of your own medicine: (Meaning-When someone receives the same treatment, usually negative, that he/she gives to others)
Application -She is always taunting others and hurting their sentiments. I just wish someone would give her a taste of her own medicine.
10. Golden handshake: (Meaning-A big sum of money given to a person when he/she leaves a company or retires)
Application -The management of the company wanted to decrease their workforce. They offered a golden handshake to their aged employees.
11. Mean business: (Meaning-Being serious/dedicated)
Application -The border is sealed by troops who mean business.
12. Apple of one’s eye: (Meaning-Being cherished more than others are)
Application -Sam is adored by his teacher for his childlike nature. He is the apple of her eye.
13. The best of both worlds: (Meaning-The benefits of widely differing situations, enjoyed at the same time)
Application -I had the best of both worlds since I worked as an ordinary member of the team but got to learn from the leaders.
14. Feeling a bit under the weather: (Meaning-Feeling slightly ill)
Application -I may not be able to jog today, as I am feeling a bit under the weather.
15. Icing on the cake: (Meaning-Something that turns good into great)
Application -India’s victory over England on India’s Independence Day was like icing on the cake.
16. Cost an arm and a leg: (Meaning-Be very expensive)
Application -His laziness made him miss his flight to Chandigarh. The next ticket cost him an arm and a leg.
17. Jump the bandwagon: (Meaning-To join a popular activity or trend)
Application -When he was detected with diabetes, he quickly jumped on the bandwagon and joined the Zumba dance class.
18. Ball is in your court: (Meaning-When it is up to you to make the next decision or step) Application -Now the ball is in your court; decide whether you want to reply or not.
19. Bite off more than you can chew: (Meaning-To take up a task which you may not be able to accomplish due to lack of ability)
Application -I bit off more than I could chew when I decided to take up the 300-page research project.
20. Can’t judge a book by its cover: (Meaning-Cannot judge something primarily on appearance) Application -The house looked impressive in the advertisement. Still I made a trip to the house to check everything. It is wise not to judge a book by its cover.
21. Hear it on grapevine: (Meaning-To hear rumors about something or someone)
Application -I heard it on grapevine that he had stiffed an old man asking for his pension.
22. It takes two to tango: (Meaning-Actions or communications need more than one person) Application -Even though I thought I would be fired after the altercation with my manager, thankfully upper management realized that it takes two to tango.
23. Last straw: (Meaning-The final problem in a series of problems)
Application -My body was already in bad shape. The accident was the last straw. I am now on complete bed rest.
24. To be in the doldrums: (Meaning-To be in low spirits)
Application -Sam was in the doldrums after he was insulted by the boss in front of his colleagues.
25. To sit on the fence: (Meaning-To remain neutral)
Application -Since I wasn’t aware of the details, I decided to sit on the fence during the argument between my cousins.
26. Break the ice: (Meaning-To initiate a social conversation or interaction)
Application -At the start of the lecture, the new professor tried to break the ice by telling a joke.
27. :A bird’s eye view: (Meaning-A view from a very high place that allows you to see a very large area)
Application -The Singapore Big Wheel offers a bird’s eye view of the city.
28. A litmus test: (Meaning-A method that helps to know if something is correct)
Application -Taking up the job served as a litmus test for me to know how good I was at applying my knowledge.
29. At the drop of a hat: (Meaning-Willingness to do something instantly)
Application -She expects me to make dinner at the drop of a hat even if I am very busy with office work.
30. Afraid of one’s own shadow: (Meaning-To become easily frightened)
Application -Her creepy encounter with the supernatural had a devastating effect on her. She is now afraid of her own shadow.
31. A house of cards: (Meaning-A poor plan)
Application -The State’s new scheme was initially welcomed, but later turned out to be a house of cards when it was discovered how easy it was to perpetrate a scam.
32. Black and blue: (Meaning-Full of bruises)
Application -The young lad was all black and blue after a tiff with a raging senior.
33. Be on cloud nine: (Meaning-Be very happy)
Application -I will be on cloud nine when my first article gets published.
34. Bone of contention: (Meaning-A subject or issue over which there is continuing disagreement) Application -The examination system has long been a serious bone of contention in the HRD Ministry.
35. Eat humble pie: (Meaning-To apologize humbly)
Application -He will have to eat humble pie for the disrespect shown to the Captain.
36. Fool’s paradise: (Meaning-False sense of happiness or success)
Application -They were living in a fool’s paradise, refusing to accept that they were facing poverty.
37. Give cold shoulder: (Meaning-To ignore )
Application -I sent her a message to apologize for my misbehavior, but she gave me the cold shoulder.
38. Get a raw deal: Meaning-(To not be treated as well as other people)
Application -The fact is that students in government schools get a raw deal.
39. Hit the nail on the head: (Meaning-To do the correct thing)
Application -She hit the nail on the head when she laid out a list of justifiable grievances she had with the company.
40. Hand to mouth: (Meaning-live on only basic necessities)
Application -The severe drought led the farmers to live hand to mouth.
41. Hit the bull’s eye: (Meaning-To be exactly right about something or achieve the best result possible)
Application -The detective hit the bull’s eye when he figured out that nobody but the doctor could have had access to the poison.
42. Let the cat out of the bag: (Meaning-To reveal the secret carelessly or by mistake)
Application -Now that she had let the cat out of the bag, she had no option but to confess.
43. Make a face: (Meaning-To show dislike or disappointment through facial expressions) Application -Little Stella made a face at the sight of bitter gourd in her food.
44. Open Pandora’s Box: (Meaning-To find a source of great troubles and problems)
Application -Finding the wallet on the road opened up a Pandora’s box, I was arrested for stealing when I went to report it at the police station.
45. It’s Greek to me (Meaning-Something that is not understandable)
Application -I failed my commerce test; it was all Greek to me!
46. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: (Meaning-Do not put all your resources in one basket.) Application -The boy put all his money into his dream startup that eventually failed. I had told him not to put all his eggs in one basket.
47. To call a spade a spade: (Meaning-To be brutally frank, outspoken, blunt in speech)
Application - Let’s call a spade a spade – popular he may be, but that man is a liar.
48. To be a Good Samaritan: (Meaning-To be kind and compassionate to someone in distress) Application -I was sure I would be stuck on the highway till the morning, but a Good Samaritan offered me a ride home.
49. To put in a nutshell: (Meaning-To say in a few words or to make something concise)
Application -The Textbook Development Committee decided to put the 30-page chapter in a nutshell to help save time for students during revision.
50. To pour oil on troubled waters: (Meaning-To make peace)
Application -I am always stuck pouring oil on troubled waters when my mother and wife start their bickering.
51. To move heaven and earth: (Meaning-To exert all efforts)
Application -He moved heaven and earth to ensure that his family was taken care of in the foreign land in his absence.
#Note: Kindly, provide your valuable suggestions and feedback along with the necessary inputs that would make the article more beneficial for the aspirants.
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