PMS Exam English Subject Important Idioms

PMS Exam English Subject Important Idioms

• A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush:
• Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because
• Chances are you might lose everything.
• A Blessing In Disguise:
• Something good that isn’t recognized at first.
• A Chip On Your Shoulder:
• Being upset for something that happened in the past.
• A Dime A Dozen:
• Anything that is common and easy to get.
• A Doubting Thomas:
• A skeptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something.
• A Drop in the Bucket:
• A very small part of something big or whole.
• A Fool And His Money Are Easily Parted:
• It’s easy for a foolish person to lose his/her money.
• A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand:
• Everyone involved must unify and function together or it will not work out.
• A Leopard Can’t Change His Spots:
• You cannot change who you are.
• A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned:
• By not spending money, you are saving money (little by little).
• A Picture Paints a Thousand Words:
• A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words.
• A Piece of Cake:
• A task that can be accomplished very easily.
• A Slap on the Wrist:
• A very mild punishment.
• A Taste Of Your Own Medicine:
• When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others.
• A Toss-Up:
• A result that is still unclear and can go either way.
• Actions Speak Louder Than Words:
• It’s better to actually do something than just talk about it.
• Add Fuel To The Fire:
• Whenever something is done to make a bad situation even worse than it is.
• Against The Clock:
• Rushed and short on time.
• All Bark And No Bite:
• When someone is threatening and/or aggressive but not willing to engage in a fight.
• All Greek to me:
• Meaningless and incomprehensible like someone who cannot read, speak, or
• Understand any of the Greek language would be.
• All In The Same Boat:
• When everyone is facing the same challenges.
• An Arm And A Leg:
• Very expensive. A large amount of money.
• An Axe To Grind:
• To have a dispute with someone.
• Apple of My Eye:
• Someone who is cherished above all others.
• As High As A Kite:
• Anything that is high up in the sky.
• At The Drop Of A Hat:
• Willing to do something immediately.
• Back Seat Driver:
• People who criticize from the sidelines, much like someone giving unwanted advice
• From the back seat of a vehicle to the driver.
• Back To Square One:
• Having to start all over again.
• Back To The Drawing Board:
• When an attempt fails and it’s time to start all over.
• Baker’s Dozen:
• Barking Up The Wrong Tree:
• A mistake made in something you are trying to achieve.
• Beat A Dead Horse:
• To force an issue that has already ended.
• Beating Around The Bush:
• Avoiding the main topic. Not speaking directly about the issue.
• Bend Over Backwards:
• Do whatever it takes to help. Willing to do anything.
• Between A Rock And A Hard Place:
• Stuck between two very bad options.
• Bite Off More Than You Can Chew:
• To take on a task that is way to big.
• Bite Your Tongue:
• To avoid talking.
• Blood Is Thicker Than Water:
• The family bond is closer than anything else.
• Blue Moon:
• A rare event or occurrence.
• Break A Leg:
• A superstitious way to say ‘good luck’ without saying ‘good luck’, but rather the
• opposite.
• Buy A Lemon:
• To purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems or stops running after you drive
• It away.
• Can’t Cut The Mustard :
• Someone who isn’t adequate enough to compete or participate.
• Cast Iron Stomach:
• Someone who has no problems, complications or ill effects with eating anything or
• Drinking anything.
• Charley Horse:
• Stiffness in the leg / A leg cramp.
• Chew someone out:
• Verbally scold someone.
• Chip on his Shoulder:
• Angry today about something that occurred in the past.
• Chow Down:
• To eat.
• Close but no Cigar:
• To be very near and almost accomplish a goal, but fall short.
• Cock and Bull Story:
• An unbelievable tale.
• Come Hell Or High Water:
• Any difficult situation or obstacle.
• Crack Someone Up:
• To make someone laugh.
• Cross Your Fingers:
• To hope that something happens the way you want it to.
• Cry Over Spilt Milk:
• When you complain about a loss from the past.
• Cry Wolf:
• Intentionally raise a false alarm.
• Cup Of Joe:
• A cup of coffee.
• Curiosity Killed The Cat:
• Being Inquisitive can lead you into a dangerous situation.
• Cut to the Chase:
• Leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point.