Page 159 - English Grammar - 7
P. 159
Given below is a list of idioms along with their meanings.
Idiom Meaning
let the cat out of the bag reveal a secret
a penny for your thoughts a way of asking what someone is thinking
actions speak louder than people’s intentions can be judged better by what they do
words than what they say
add insult to injury to make fun of a person who is already suffering
at the drop of a hat without hesitating
the ball is in your court it is your responsibility to take action next
be barking up the wrong tree to have the wrong idea about how to get or achieve
something
beat about the bush to talk about something for a long time without coming to
the main point
the best of both worlds the benefits of two or more completely different situations
that you can enjoy at the same time
bite off more than you can to take on a task that is too difficult
chew
a blessing in disguise something that seems to be a problem at first, but that has
good results in the end
burn the midnight oil to study or work until late at night
don’t judge a book by its do not judge anything by its appearance
cover
cost an arm and a leg to cost a lot of money
bridge the gap/gulf/divide to reduce or get rid of the differences that exist between
(between A and B) two things or groups of people
cry over spilt milk to regret something that has already happened or cannot
be changed
curiosity killed the cat used to tell somebody not to ask questions or try to find
out about things that do not involve them
cut corners to do something in an easy, cheap or fast way
don’t count your chickens don’t make plans based on something that may not
(before they are hatched) materialise
put all your eggs in one make everything dependent on one thing Glossary
basket
every cloud has a silver every sad or difficult thing has a positive side
lining
hue and cry strong public protest about something
under the weather to feel slightly ill
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