Q1. Fixed in one’s way.

Meaning :

To accept something that happened in the past and

move on.

Example :

Rahul —”I’m really upset that I lost the game last

night”

Sanjay— “You need to get over it and focus on

winning today’s game.”

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IDIOMS FROM SSC CHSL TIER – I PREVIOUS YEAR PAPERS

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Q2. To get up on the wrong side of the bed.

Meaning :

To start the day in a bad mood which continues all

day long.

Example :

Her behavior with everyone is very bad today, it seems

she got up on the wrong side of the bed !

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Q3. To bite the dust.

Meaning :

To die (possibly in a battle), to end in failure or suffer

defeat.

Example :

I am not going to bite the dust so easily because

throughout my life I have been a fighter.

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Q4. To burn the midnight oil.

Meaning :

To be working until late in the night, working long hours

and hard.

Example :

The assignment was very lengthy so I was forced

to burn the midnight oil to get it done on time.

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Q5. Head over heels.

Meaning :

To be madly in love, fall deeply and completely in love

especially suddenly.

Example :

He met her through a dating website and fell head

over heels for her.

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Q6. To lose one’s head.

Meaning :

To become angry or confused or emotional to the

point where you cannot think clearly, not have control

over your emotions, behave irrationally and lose self

control.

Example :

He did not lose his head when faced with a scary

situation and calmly got himself out of it.

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Q7. To have an axe to grind.

Meaning :

Have a selfish or private reason for doing something,

have a problem with someone.

Example :

When I see him strongly supporting someone who

could be his rival, I cannot help but think that he has

an axe to grind.

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Q8. Great minds think alike.

Meaning :

It is said when two people have the same opinion,

used playfully to imply that two people have the same

views.

Example :

Suman - “Let’s break for lunch.”

Riya - “I was thinking of the same thing, great minds

think alike!”

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Q9. To go for broke.

Meaning :

To risk everything in an all-out effort, try as hard as

possible, try everything possible to achieve something.

Example :

If you really want to become a successful singer, go for

broke. Give up everything else and focus only on your

singing career.

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Q10. To go the extra mile.

Meaning :

To make special efforts to achieve something, to

make an extra effort, to do more than expected.

Example :

The lady next door is a very nice person and is always

willing to go the extra mile to help others.

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Q11. Fixed in one’s ways.

Meaning :

Not wanting to change how one does things.

Example :

A cup of tea at six every evening for the past thirty

years. Grandma is really fixed in her ways.

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Q12. Flash in the pan.

Meaning :

A sudden but brief success which is not repeated,

something that is promising gin the beginning but

fizzles out later, something that shows potential initially

but fails to deliver in the end.

Example :

His initial good performances were a mere flash in the

pan. Nowadays, he delivers only mediocre work.

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Q13. To foam at the mouth.

Meaning :

Be extremely angry, display furious rage, be enraged

and show it.

Example :

The boy was foaming at the mouth when he heard

that the decision had gone against him.

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Q14. fuddy-duddy.

Meaning :

A person who is very old fashioned and pompous, a

person who is old-fashioned and conservative.

Example :

Old Mr. Wilson’s ideas are typical of the 1950’s. He’s an

old fuddy-duddy.

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Q15. Every cloud has a silver lining.

Meaning :

Every bad situation has good aspects to it, some

benefit can always be derived from a bad thing that

happens.

Example :

Even though you lost the race, every cloud has a silver

lining. The race, for example, helped motivate you to

exercise and get back in shape.

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Q16. Dead ringer.

Meaning :

A substitute for something, A duplicate of the exact

nature, An imposter (A candidate frequently

substituted for another in a competition).

Example :

The museum authorities change the crown jewels by

their dead ringers so that they are protected from

thieves.

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Q17. Dark horse.

Meaning :

A candidate about whom little is known but who

unexpectedly wins, someone who keeps their skills and

ideas secret and surprises others by doing something

unexpected.

Example :

No one knew about him earlier, but suddenly he is

being seen as the dark horse with such amazing

display of his abilities.

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Q18. Flea market.

Meaning :

A street market selling second hand goods, A market

where inexpensive goods are sold or bartered.

Example :

I'm going to stop by the flea market that's in town to

try and sell some of the junk that's taking up space in

our garage.

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Q19. Flesh and blood.

Meaning :

A person’s physical body and their needs and frailties,

refers to one’s family.

Example :

In such a terrible tragedy, flesh and blood was all over

the streets.

Nobody would have the heart to harm their own flesh

and blood.

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Q20. To drink like a fish.

Meaning :

To drink excessive amount of alcohol, .

Example :

At weddings people look for no excuses to drink like

fishes.

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Q21. Down to the wire.

Meaning :

A tense situation in a competition where the outcome

is clear only at or near the end, a situation where the

outcome is not decided until the very end.

Example :

With both teams being equally matched and putting

up an exceptional display, the match was very exiting

and went down to the wire.

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Q22. To buy a lemon.

Meaning :

Something you buy that is defective; doesn't work well

or breaks a lot (usually refers to a car or truck), to

purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems.

Example :

The car I bought is a lemon. This is the second time my

car broke down this month.

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Q23. Cast iron stomach.

Meaning :

To be able to eat or drink anything without any

problems, complications or ill effects.

Example :

If one does not have a cast iron stomach, it is not

advisable to try the hot and spicy food.

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Q24. To drive someone up the wall.

Meaning :

To make someone very irritated, To annoy someone or

make someone angry.

Example :

This stagnant traffic and constant honking is driving me

up the wall.

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Q25. To crack someone up.

Meaning :

To make someone laugh.

Example :

That comedian really knows hot to crack up an

audience.

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Q26. To cross your fingers.

Meaning :

To hope that things will happen in the way that one

wants them to happen.

Example :

I’m crossing my fingers that I get a guitar for my

birthday!

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Q27. Feeding frenzy.

Meaning :

An aggressive attack on someone by a group, A

group attack on prey by predatory animals, An

intense competition by a group of people striving to

get the same thing.

Example :

It wasn’t an office argument, it was a feeding frenzy

led by the head accountant.

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Q28. Excuse my French.

Meaning :

To apologize for swearing or using offensive language,

Saying sorry when you are going to use or have used

rude or offensive language.

Example :

If you’ll excuse my French, he’s a bloody fool.

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Q29. To cry over spilt milk.

Meaning :

To dwell pointlessly on past misfortunes or mistakes that

can no longer be changed, To cry about past events

that cannot be undone .

Example :

Its no use crying over spilt milk – it was a bad

investment, the money has been lost and there’s

nothing we can do.

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Q30. To cry wolf.

Meaning :

To raise a false alarm, give a false warning of danger

by crying unnecessarily for help.

Example :

There was no fire. Rohit was just crying wolf.

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