Kerala PSC - Idioms and Phrases

Idioms and Phrases
To topple the apple cart	to destroy one's imaginary plans
To blow hot and cold	to change one's positions quickly
To build castles in the air	to indulge in imaginary schemes
To blow one's own trumpet	to praise oneself
To add fuel to flames	to make a bad situation worse
To foot the bill	to pay the charges
Dutch courage	courage made by taking intoxicated substance
Bury the hatchet	forget the difference
To make much ado about nothing	to make a lot of commotion over silly matters
To be born with a silver spoon	to be rich by birth
To play the game	to act honestly
To come off with flying colours	to be successful
To have clean hands	to be free from guilt
To make a clean breast of	to confess everything
To keep wolf from the door	to keep away starvation
To have no backbone	to have no character
To burn the candle at both ends	to spend lavishly
To put the cart before the horse	to do things in the reverse order
To play second fiddle	to take less important place
No love lost between	not in good terms
The boot is on the other leg	the true position is exactly the reverse
Between the devil and the deep blue sea	between two difficulties
Birds of the same feather	persons of like tastes
The best of both worlds	benefits connected with two different areas
To cry over split milk	to worry over past matters
To beat around the bush	to avoid main point
Gift of the gab	ability to speak eloquently
To bring to book	to punish
A bird's eye view	general view
An acid test	a difficult test
An apple of discord	a cause of rivalry
All and sundry	everyone without distinction
To give one a piece of mind	to give somebody an unpleasant truth
A close fisted person	a miser
Chip of the old block	child that inherits his father's or mother's traits
Black and blue	severely
Let the cat out of the bag	to make known a secret
To keep open house	show hospitality
To grease the palm	to bribe
The rank and the file	undistinguished mass
To read between lines	understand the hidden meaning
Pros and cons	the advantages and disadvantages of something
To rub shoulders with	to come into contact with
To play ducks and drakes	squander
To move heaven and earth	make every possible effort
To nip in the bud	destroy in the early stage of growth
Throw up one's card	accept defeat
To settle an old score	to take vengeance
Rolling stone	active person
The olive branch	offer of peace
To snap one's fingers	to be anxious
A pipe dream	an impractical plan
To lose one's head	to become confused and over excited
To spell the beans	to reveal secret information
To get cold feet	to be afraid

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