Idioms/Phrases For Upcoming SSC Exams -6

Out of the frying-pan into the fire

Meaning:-

from bad to worse

Mind Tricks:-

Usages:-

I got out of the frying pan into the fire when I lost my job.

Draw on his fancy

Meaning:-

use of imagination

Mind Tricks:-

Draw on means to write something and Fancy means imagination, fantasy.

Usages:-

The poet drew on his fancy in his poem.
Painters draw on his fancy on their sketch.

Give someone a piece of my mind

Meaning:-

to reprimand him
to speak angrily to someone because they have done something wrong

Mind Tricks:-

Your younger brother does something wrong and you say him angrily -"you have no mind, I should give you a piece of my mind."

Usages:-

If he phones again, I am going to give him a piece of my mind.
If they stay here for all the night, I would give them a piece of my mind.

To stave (something) off

Meaning:-

to prevent
to delay something bad

Mind Tricks:-

Stave off looks like Save of means to prevent.

Usages:-

Soldiers staved citizen off hunger.
The company managed to stave off bankruptcy for another few months.

Take after

Meaning:-

resembles
to be like or to look like someone in your family

Mind Tricks:-

My son will take my company after me because he looks and behaves like me.

Usages:-

Ramesh takes after his father.
Most of my children take after my husband.

Make no bones about

Meaning:-

did not have any hesitation in
to say clearly what you think or feel about something

Mind Tricks:-

Here Bone resembles for bad or no bone for good. You would eat your food easily if your food does not contain any bones.

Usages:-

He made no bones about how bad he thought the food was.

Heads will roll

Meaning:-

used to say that some people will be punished because of something that has happened
transfers will take place

Mind Tricks:-

Just as in the French Revolution, they used to cut off the heads of noble, so we say nowadays that people in high positions will be fired and removed from position when a big change or upheaval in management comes. - History and Origin

Usages:-

It is evident from the minister;s statement that heads will roll in the Secretariat.

Make a clean breast of (things)

Meaning:-

confessed without reserve
to confess fully

Mind Tricks:-

The meaning used in 'make a clean breast of it' is an earlier and less literal one. The 'breast' there is the seat of the one's emotions and secrets; one's 'heart'. To disclose this openly was to clean one's heart of impurity. - www.phrases.org.uk

Usages:-

The criminal made a clean breast of everything he had done.

Rest/Sit on their/your/one's laurels

Meaning:-

to stop trying because one is satisfied with one's past achievements
to feel so satisfied with what you have already achieved that you do not try to do any more
to be complacent

Mind Tricks:-

Laurel means honour and praise given to somebody because of something that they have achieved.

Usages:-

Very ambitious people do not like to rest on their laurels.
Old people rest on their laurels.

Bad blood (between)

Meaning:-

unfriendly relations
a feeling of intense hatred or hostility

Usages:-

There is bad blood between Indian and Pakistan.
We should forget our bad blood.

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