Phrases about looks(appearance)

1-cut a dash-

If a person cuts a dash, they make a striking impression by their appearance and attractive clothes.
Wearing his uniform, my grandfather cut a dash on his wedding day.

2-deck out-

If you deck out someone or something, you dress or decorate them in a special way.
Paul decked out his car for the occasion.

3-dressed to kill-

When someone, especially a woman, is dressed to kill, they are wearing very fashionable or glamorous clothes intended to attract attention.
She arrived at the reception dressed to kill.

4-dressed up to the nines-

Someone dressed up to the nines is wearing very smart or glamorous clothes.
Caroline must be going to a party - she's dressed up to the nines.

5-down at heel-

A person who is down-at-heel is someone whose appearance is untidy or neglected because of lack of money.
The down-at-heel student I first met became a successful writer.

6-face like a bulldog chewing a wasp-

To say that someone has a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp means that you find them very unattractive because they have a screwed-up ugly expression on their face.
Not only was he rude but he had a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp!

7-face only a mother could love-

This is a humoristic way of saying that someone is ugly or unattractive.
The poor guy has a face only a mother could love.

8-face that would stop a clock-

Someone who has a face that would stop a clock has a shockingly unattractive face.
You'll recognize him - he's tall and thin, with a face that would stop a clock!

9-five o'clock shadow-

This expression refers to a patch of stubble on the face of a man who hasn't shaved for at least a day.
He looked tired and had a five o'clock shadow.

10-not a hair out of place-

To say that someone does not have a hair out of place means that their appearance is perfect.
Angela is always impeccably dressed - never a hair out of place!

11-look a sight-

If a person looks a sight, their appearance is awful, unsuitable or very untidy.
She looks a sight in that dress!

12-look like a million dollars-

If you look like a million dollars, you look extremely good.
With a tan and a new hairstyle she looked a million dollars!

13-mutton dressed as lamb-

This expression refers to a middle-aged woman who tries to look younger by dressing in clothes designed for younger people.
The style doesn't suit her - it has a mutton-dressed-as-lamb effect on her!

14-pretty as a picture-

Someone who is (as) “pretty as a picture’ is very attractive or appealing in appearance.
The young bride looked (as) pretty as a picture in her beautiful dress.

15-all skin and bone-

If someone is all skin and bone, they are very thin or too thin.
After trekking in the Himalayas, he was all skin and bone.

16- thin on the top-

If someone, usually a man, is thin on the top, they are losing their hair or going bald.
Dad's gone a bit thin on the top in the last few years.

17-ugly as sin-

This expression is used to refer to people or things that are considered to be very unattractive.
Have you seen the new neighbour's dog? It's as ugly as sin!

18-vertically challenged-

This term is a humoristic way of referring to someone who is not very tall.
High shelves are difficult for vertically challenged shoppers.

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50 often-used idioms and phrases for upcoming exam.

1. Once in a blue moon:

Meaning-Something that happens very rarely

Sentence- Once in a blue moon, the blue jay can be seen in these parts of the forest.

2.  Beating around the bush:

Meaning-Avoiding the main topic

Sentence-The President was beating around the bush when the citizens demanded a reason for the forgery of legal documents.

3. Chip on your shoulder:

Meaning-When someone is upset about something that happened a while ago

Sentence-He has a chip on his shoulder for being abandoned by his parents in his childhood.

4. Cry over spilt milk:

Meaning-Complaining about a loss or failure from the past

Sentence-He was mad because he couldn’t clear the cut off due to a silly mistake. But, then he realized there was no use crying over spilt milk and decided to become more careful.

5. Spill the beans:

Meaning-To disclose a secret

Sentence-The little one spilled the beans about the surprise vacation we had planned.

6. Piece of cake:

Meaning-Something that is easy to understand or do

Sentence-I thought that the problem would be tough, but it turned out to be a piece of cake!

7. Blessing in disguise:

Meaning-Something good and useful that did not initially seem that way

Sentence-His accident was a blessing in disguise because it gave him a lot of time to think about his life while he was recovering, and as a result, he made some important decisions that improved his life.

8. Come hell or high water:

Meaning-Possible obstacles in your path (will not stop you)

Sentence-I have decided that come hell or high water I will become an engineer.

9. Taste of your own medicine:

Meaning-When someone receives the same treatment, usually negative, that he/she gives to others

Sentence-She is always taunting others and hurting their sentiments. I just wish someone would give her a taste of her own medicine.

10. Golden handshake:

Meaning-A big sum of money given to a person when he/she leaves a company or retires

Sentence-The management of the company wanted to decrease their workforce. They offered a golden handshake to their aged employees.

11. Mean business:

Meaning-Being serious/dedicated

Sentence-The border is sealed by troops who mean business.

12. Apple of one’s eye:

Meaning-Being cherished more than others are

Sentence-Sam is adored by his teacher for his childlike nature. He is the apple of her eye.

13. The best of both worlds:

Meaning-The benefits of widely differing situations, enjoyed at the same time.

Sentence-I had the best of both worlds since I worked as an ordinary member of the team but got to learn from the leaders.

14. Feeling a bit under the weather:

Meaning-Feeling slightly ill

Sentence-I may not be able to jog today, as I am feeling a bit under the weather.

15. Icing on the cake:

Meaning-Something that turns good into great

Sentence-India’s victory over England on India’s Independence Day was like icing on the cake.

16. Cost an arm and a leg:

Meaning-Be very expensive

Sentence-His laziness made him miss his flight to Chandigarh. The next ticket cost him an arm and a leg.

17. Jump the bandwagon:

Meaning-To join a popular activity or trend

Sentence-When he was detected with diabetes, he quickly jumped on the bandwagon and joined the Zumba dance class.

18. Ball is in your court:

Meaning-When it is up to you to make the next decision or step.

Sentence-Now the ball is in your court; decide whether you want to reply or not.

19. Bite off more than you can chew:

Meaning-To take up a task which you may not be able to accomplish due to lack of ability.

Sentence-I bit off more than I could chew when I decided to take up the 300-page research project.

20. Can’t judge a book by its cover:

Meaning-Cannot judge something primarily on appearance.

Sentence-The house looked impressive in the advertisement. Still I made a trip to the house to check everything. It is wise not to judge a book by its cover.

21. Hear it on grapevine:

Meaning-To hear rumors about something or someone

Sentence-I heard it on grapevine that he had stiffed an old man asking for his pension.

22. It takes two to tango:

Meaning-Actions or communications need more than one person

Sentence-Even though I thought I would be fired after the altercation with my manager, thankfully upper management realized that it takes two to tango.

23. Last straw:

Meaning-The final problem in a series of problems

Sentence-My body was already in bad shape. The accident was the last straw. I am now on complete bed rest.

24. To be in the doldrums:

Meaning-To be in low spirits

Sentence-Sam was in the doldrums after he was insulted by the boss in front of his colleagues.

25. To sit on the fence:

Meaning-To remain neutral

Sentence-Since I wasn’t aware of the details, I decided to sit on the fence during the argument between my cousins.

26. Break the ice:

Meaning-To initiate a social conversation or interaction

Sentence-At the start of the lecture, the new professor tried to break the ice by telling a joke.

27. A bird’s eye view:

Meaning-A view from a very high place that allows you to see a very large area

Sentence-The Singapore Big Wheel offers a bird’s eye view of the city.

28. A litmus test:

Meaning-A method that helps to know if something is correct

Sentence-Taking up the job served as a litmus test for me to know how good I was at applying my knowledge.

29. At the drop of a hat:

Meaning-Willingness to do something instantly

Sentence-She expects me to make dinner at the drop of a hat even if I am very busy with office work.

30. Afraid of one’s own shadow:

Meaning-To become easily frightened

Sentence-Her creepy encounter with the supernatural had a devastating effect on her. She is now afraid of her own shadow.

31. A house of cards:

Meaning-A poor plan

Sentence-The State’s new scheme was initially welcomed, but later turned out to be a house of cards when it was discovered how easy it was to perpetrate a scam.

32. Black and blue:

Meaning-Full of bruises

Sentence-The young lad was all black and blue after a tiff with a raging senior.

33. Be on cloud nine:

Meaning-Be very happy

Sentence-I will be on cloud nine when my first article gets published.

34. Bone of contention:

Meaning-A subject or issue over which there is continuing disagreement

Sentence-The examination system has long been a serious bone of contention in the HRD Ministry.

35. Eat humble pie:

Meaning-To apologize humbly

Sentence-He will have to eat humble pie for the disrespect shown to the Captain.

36. Fool’s paradise:

Meaning-False sense of happiness or success

Sentence-They were living in a fool’s paradise, refusing to accept that they were facing poverty.

37. Give cold shoulder:

Meaning-To ignore

Sentence-I sent her a message to apologize for my misbehavior, but she gave me the cold shoulder.

38. Get a raw deal:

Meaning-To not be treated as well as other people

Sentence-The fact is that students in government schools get a raw deal.

39. Hit the nail on the head:

Meaning-To do the correct thing

Sentence-She hit the nail on the head when she laid out a list of justifiable grievances she had with the company.

40. Hand to mouth:

Meaning-live on only basic necessities

Sentence-The severe drought led the farmers to live hand to mouth.

41. Hit the bull’s eye:

Meaning-To be exactly right about something or achieve the best result possible.

Sentence-The detective hit the bull’s eye when he figured out that nobody but the doctor could have had access to the poison.

42. Let the cat out of the bag:

Meaning-To reveal the secret carelessly or by mistake

Sentence-Now that she had let the cat out of the bag, she had no option but to confess.

43. Make a face:

Meaning-To show dislike or disappointment through facial expressions

Sentence-Little Stella made a face at the sight of bitter gourd in her food.

44. Open Pandora’s Box:

Meaning-To find a source of great troubles and problems

Sentence-Finding the wallet on the road opened up a Pandora’s box. I was arrested for stealing when I went to report it at the police station.

45. It’s Greek to me

Meaning-Something that is not understandable

Sentence-I failed my commerce test; it was all Greek to me!

46. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket:

Meaning-Do not put all your resources in one basket.

Sentence-The boy put all his money into his dream startup that eventually failed. I had told him not to put all his eggs in one basket.

47. To call a spade a spade:

Meaning-To be brutally frank, outspoken, blunt in speech.

Sentence- Let’s call a spade a spade – popular he may be, but that man is a liar.

48. To be a Good Samaritan:

Meaning-To be kind and compassionate to someone in distress

Sentence-I was sure I would be stuck on the highway till the morning, but a Good Samaritan offered me a ride home.

49. To put in a nutshell:

Meaning-To say in a few words or to make something concise

Sentence-The Textbook Development Committee decided to put the 30-page chapter in a nutshell to help save time for students during revision.

50. To pour oil on troubled waters:

Meaning-To make peace

Sentence-I am always stuck pouring oil on troubled waters when my mother and wife start their bickering.

Idioms and Phrases

1.Cry for the moon ------------------- Ask for the impossible

2.Be in a tight corner ---------------- In a very difficult situation
 
3.Cock and bull story ------------------ Made up story that one should not believe
   
4.Cat and dog life -------------------- Life full of quarrels
 
5.Like a cat on hot bricks --------------- Very nervous

6.Have a card up one’s sleeve --------- Have a secret plan in reserve
 
7.Tell against --------------------------- To prove adverse to; to go against
8.Run through --------------------------to squander or waste
9.Run over ------------------------------to drive over
 
10.Alive and kicking ------------------Active and healthy
   
11.To burn one’s fingers --------------To lose on account of foolish behavior

12.At sea ----------------------------------Confused or lost
    
13.Behind one’s back ---------------------In the absence of

14.To call a spade a spade ---------------To be frank and truthful
 
15.To break the ice ----------------------To break the silence
16.To bell the cat -------------------------To face the risk
 
17.A cat and dog life ---------------------To lead a life full of quarrels
18.A cold fish -----------------------------A person devoid of emotions
 
19.To cross the Rubicon ----------------To take a decisive step
 
20.Double-dealing----------------------Deceiving
    
21.To die hard --------------------------Change with great difficulty
 
22.To eat humble pie --------------------To apologise in a humble manner

23.To fight a losing battle --------------------Struggle without hope of success
 
24.A deadlock ----------------------------------A position when no progress can be made
   
25.A daredevil ------------------------------A person who does not care for any consequences

26.Once in a blue moon --------------------Very rarely
 
27.At a premium -------------------------------Difficult to get or obtain
28.To play the game ----------------------------To act honestly
 
29.To die in harness -------------------------------To work till the last day of one’s life
 
30.To plough a lonely furrow ----------------To work without help or support
31.Lock, stock and barrel ---------------------Completely
  
32.The long and the short ---------------------The main point

33.Bring to light -----------------------------------Disclose
  
34.The bottom line ------------------------------The final criteria
 
35.A cock and bull story ---------------------------------An improbable excuse

36.To kick one’s heels ---------------------------------To wait with nothing to do
 
37.Rain cats and dogs ----------------------------------Rain heavily
  
38.A hard nut to crack -------------------------------------A difficult problem

39.In high spirits -----------------------------------------------Very happy
    
40.Like a fish out of water ---------------------------------------In a strange situation

41.Smell a rat --------------------------------Suspect something foul
  
42.Read between the lines -----------------------Understand the hidden meaning

43.Tooth and nail -----------------------------With all one’s power
 
44.Spread like wild fire -------------------------------Spread quickly
  
45.Hit the nail on the head --------------------------Do or say the exact thing

46.Burn the midnight oil --------------------------Work or study hard
47.Under his thumb -----------------------------Under his control
   
48.With a high hand -------------------Oppressively

49. Gain ground -------------------------Become popular
50.By leaps and bounds --------------------Rapidly
 
51.Make off with ------------------------to run away with
 
52.Pass away ----------------------------------to die
 
53.To cry for the moon ---------------------Ask for the impossible
 
54.To make a pig of oneself ---------------------To over-eat
  
55.Donkey’s years ------------------------------A very long time

56.To pull one’s leg ------------------------------to joke; tease someone
 
57.To keep one’s fingers crossed ------------------To hope fervently
 
58.To call in question -----------------------------To disprove or doubt
 
59.To talk through one’s hat ---------------------------To talk ignorantly
 
60.To make up one’s mind -----------------------To decide
 
61.Hard and fast rules -----------------------------Rigid rules
 
62.To make one’s mouth water -----------------------To stimulate one’s appetite
 
63.By word of mouth ----------------------------------By spoken message
 
64.To get the better of someone -------------------To take advantage of someone
 
65.To rub shoulders ---------------------------To come into close contact
 
66.A snake in the grass -----------------------A hidden enemy

67.Between the devil and the deep blue sea -----------Between two dangers
 
68.Chew the cud -----------------------To discuss matters in a ponderous manner, especially reminiscing
 
69.To kill two birds with one stone ----------------To achieve two results with one effort
 
70.A close shave ---------------------A narrow escape
 
71.Chip off the old block -------------------------As good as one’s father
 
72.To pull a long face -----------------------------To look sad
 
73.Above board ---------------------------------Open and honest
 
74.To turn a deaf ear -----------------------------To ignore
 
75.To turn the tables -------------------------------To reverse the situation
  
76.To call someone names -------------------------To abuse someone
  
77.Above board --------------------------------Honest and open
 
78.At arms length -------------------------To keep at a distance
 
79.At the eleventh hour ----------------------At the last moment
  
80.An apple of discord -----------------------A cause of quarrel
 
81.To burn one’s boats --------------------Go back on a decision
 
82.To build castles in the air --------------------Make imaginary schemes
 
83.A burning question -------------------------An important topic
 
84.A brown study ---------------------------------Dreaming
 
85.Sitting on the fence ------------------------------Hesitate between two decisions