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Idioms are fixed expressions whose meaning cannot be understood from the individual words. "A white elephant" does not mean a white-colored elephant — it means a costly but useless possession. BCS exams test idioms in two ways: (1) given an idiom, choose its meaning, or (2) given a meaning, identify the correct idiom. The challenge is that idioms must be memorized — there is no grammar rule to derive their meaning. However, grouping them by theme makes memorization much easier.
| Idiom/Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A bed of roses | A comfortable/easy life |
| A bolt from the blue | A sudden unexpected event |
| A white elephant | A costly but useless possession |
| At daggers drawn | In bitter enmity |
| At sixes and sevens | In disorder/confusion |
| At the eleventh hour | At the very last moment |
| Bad blood | Enmity/ill feeling between people |
| Beat about the bush | Avoid talking about the main topic |
| Between the devil and the deep sea | Between two equal dangers |
| Black sheep | A disgraceful member of a group |
| Blue blood | Of noble/aristocratic birth |
| Bone of contention | The main cause of a quarrel |
| Bring to light | Reveal something hidden |
| By and large | Mostly/on the whole |
| Carry the day | Win/be victorious |
| Cry over spilt milk | Regret something that cannot be undone |
| Dead letter | A law or rule no longer enforced |
| End in smoke | Come to nothing/fail completely |
| Fits and starts | Irregularly/not continuously |
| Gift of the gab | Natural talent for speaking |
| Green-eyed monster | Jealousy |
| Hand to mouth | Living with barely enough money |
| In cold blood | Deliberately and without emotion |
| Ins and outs | Full details of something |
| Keep an eye on | Watch carefully |
| Lion's share | The largest portion |
| Maiden speech | The first speech (especially in Parliament) |
| Null and void | Having no legal force/invalid |
| Once in a blue moon | Very rarely |
| Red tape | Excessive bureaucracy/official formalities |
| Swan song | The last work or performance before retirement/death |
| The bottom line | The final result/most important point |
| Tooth and nail | With all one's effort and energy |
| Wild goose chase | A hopeless/useless pursuit |
| With flying colors | With great success |
| Apple of discord | A subject of dispute |
| Crocodile tears | False/insincere tears |
| French leave | Absence without permission |
| Pandora's box | A source of many unforeseen troubles |
| Pyrrhic victory | A victory won at too great a cost |
| Achilles' heel | A weak point in spite of overall strength |
| Olive branch | A peace offering |
Group by Color:
Group by Animal:
Group by Body Part:
Mythology/History Idioms:
Q1. "A white elephant" means —
Q2. What does "Swan song" mean?
Q3. "He fought tooth and nail to win the case" means —
Q4. The meaning of "Red tape" is —
Q5. "Once in a blue moon" means —