Idioms and Phrases for competitive exams like SSC, CAT, GMAT, etc.

Idioms and phrases are undoubtedly important parts of any competitive exams like SSC, RRB, Banks, CAT, GMAT and other government and non-government exams. To score better it is must to remember some of the most important idioms and phrases. Though definition does not matter, just for general sense we would see what actually idioms and phrases are.

Note: These idioms and phrases are not just for passing exams. If you are interested in spoken English, you could definitely use these words for day to day life.

What are idioms and phrases?

It’s an expression that can not be understood from the individual meaning of its constituent parts but has a separate meaning of its own.

Idioms and Phrases List for Competitive Exams

We have tried to come up with top idioms and phrases are frequently asked in various competitive exams. So without further ado, let jump into the topic.

A dime a dozen – something very common and easily available

# Super Splendor in India are like a dime a dozen.

# Online study materials are now a dime a dozen.

A man of straw – a man whose character is weak

# These are the responses of straw men with straw policies.

A taste/dose of someone’s own medicine – When someone is mistreated the same way he mistreat others

# Don’t be rude to others, if you don’t like it when you get a taste of your own medicine.

Apple of one’s eye – A most lovable person

# He being the only child, is an apple of parent’s eye.

At sixes and sevens – In a disordered/disorganized manner, chaotic

# You cannot follow strict rule as you always live at sixes and sevens.

At the drop of a hat – ready to to do something instantly

# People cut relation now a days at the drop of a hat.

# In freshers’ party everyone was shocked at how she accepted the proposal of dancing with seniors at the drop of hat.

Beat around/about the bush – talking without coming to the main point

# Stop beating around the bush. What’s he done?

Between the cup and the lips – On the verge of achievement

# He is between the cup and lips.

Bite off more than one can chew – to try to do something too difficult for you

# Since when I have started writing, I am learning keyword research, SEO, WordPress, HTML, CSS, Analytics, AdSense and more. I am really biting more than I can chew.

Bite one’s tongue – make a desperate effort to avoid saying something.

# I had to bite my tongue and accept his explanation.

Black sheep – An odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within a family.

# He is a black sheep of that family.

Blow a fuse/gasket – to loose temper

# The lady blew a gasket when she heard that govt. had decided to abolish their roadside room.

Blow hot and cold – To say contrary things at the same time

# I could no understand him as he was blowing hot and cold.

Blue blood – Member of high class society

Broken reed – An unreliable or unsupportive person.

# Saiful proved to be a broken reed. He did not support me when I seriously needed his help.

Call a spade a spade – Straightforward talk with no circumlocution

# Everyone knows him for calling a spade a spade.

Can’t cut the mustard – someone is unable to succeed or meet expectations.

# Handing over the project lead to Manohar is not a good idea. I think he can’t cut the mustard.

Chase one’s tail – spending a lot of time and energy doing things but achieving too little

# At the initial days, you blogging careers may seem to be chasing your tail.

Chip on one’s shoulder – When someone is upset about something that happened a while ago

# I’d got a chip on my shoulder when I couldn’t mane rank under AIR 100.

Cry over spilled milk OR cry over spilt milk (in UK) – Complaining about a loss or failure from the past

# It’s no use crying over spilled milk, your brother has eloped with his own niece and already punctured family prestige.

Damp squib – Someone or something fails to meet expectations

# There was lot of hype about IPO of LIC, but it came as a damp squib.

Devil’s Advocate – To present a counter argument

# Jim sir often played devil’s advocate with us so that we could participate in group discussion and listen to others point of view.

Do the rounds – To go person to person

# We’re doing the rounds and calling all of our alumni for donations.

Dog days – Very hot days

# Now dog days are prevailing in whole area.

Dog’s life – miserable

# Life in private companies like KTPL is dog’s life.

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch – Don’t make plans based on outcome of something which is yet to come

# They were planning to buy a car with the won price of the lottery ticket they have just bought, but I told them don’t count your chickens before they hatch.

Every inch – in all respect

# He’s every inch the gentleman.

# He’s every inch a lovable man.

Field day – An enjoyable day or circumstance

# The local Youtubers and FB content creators had a field day when the protesting failed HS student pronounced ‘amrela’ instead of umbrella.

Fits and starts OR [in fits and starts] OR [by fits and starts] – Irregularly

# I post articles in fits and starts.

# Those who work by fits and starts can’t succeed in life.

Follow suit – to do the same thing

# When one airline reduces its ticket prices, the rest usually follow suit.

# Sheep follows suit.

French leave – Leave without permission

# In industry French leave is not allowed at all.

From the horse’s mouth – from the genuine or authentic source

# DA hike won’t happen this year – It’s a news straight from the horse’s mouth.

Go broke – become bankrupt by running out cash

# Some people will definitely go broke who have lost their job in pandemic.

# He went broke after his start-up failed.

Hard and fast – Strict, fixed

# There is no hard and fast rule that you have to write answer sequentially.

Have an axe to grind – A personal selfish reason for doing something

# Environmentalists have no political axe to grind – they just want to save the planet.

Head over heels

1. [head over heels in love] completely in love with another person

# Dev was head over heels in love with Payel.


2. used to mean that somebody really likes or is obsessed with something or someone

# Tina fell head over heels for clearing UPSC by this year.

Heart-to-heart – a candid and intimate conversation

# a heart-to-heart talk/chat.

# I always had a heart-to-heart with my dad.

Hue and cry – A public clamor, as of protest or demand

# The Higher Secondary failed students raised a hue and cry to make them pass in the exam.

In a fit of anger – In a paroxysm of rage

# He hit his fellow student in a fit of anger.

In a tight corner OR in a tight spot – In a very difficult situation

# Never lose your head even if you are in a tight corner.

In the limelight – At the center of attention

# Nayanthara after getting married is in limelight.

Iron hand – stern or rigorous control

# British ruled in India with an iron hand.

Itsy-bitsy – very small or tiny

# She, as a relationship manager in SBI, has to to perform itsy-bitsy query of customer all day.

Judas kiss – hypocritical affection

# Kalaavathi asked loan from Mahesh by applying Judas kiss.

Kick the bucket – slang for die

# Hey! Did you hear that the devilish ruler has kicked the bucket.

Know the ropes – To know how a particular task is done

# I was initially weak in Mathematics, but since when Satil sir make me know the ropes, I am very much comfortable in it.

Lame excuse – A silly reason to explain why you have done a task

# Oh! Please. Stop giving that lame excuse again and again.

Latin and Greek – Unable to understand

Leave no stone unturned – Use all available means to achieve what are you looking for

# I left no stone unturned when I was searching for my bike key.

Leave someone in the lurch OR Leave somebody holding the bag OR Leave someone high and dry – To abandon somebody and leave him/her in a difficult situation; to stop providing assistance at a crucial moment

# He left me in the lurch and I have to complete the project myself.

# He just walked out and left her high and dry with two kids and mortgage.

Like a cat on the hot bricks – Very nervous

# Before interview she was like a cat on the hot bricks.

Like a chicken with its head cut off – behave like a crazy, frenzied person

# The mother around the fair was searching for her lost baby like a chicken with its head cut off.

Make a clean breast (of it) – Confess your wrong doings to someone

# Make a clean breast of it to God, you could feel internal peace.

Mare’s nest

1. A false invention

# The mare’s nest of perfect safety.


2. A muddle

# Your desk’s usually a mare’s nest.

Nine days’ wonder – A short time sensation

# After failing in HS exam some students came to road for make them pass. It was a nine days’ wonder.

Old flame – a former lover

# She proved to be an old flame of grandpa.

Out of one’s element – in a place or situation where someone doesn’t feel comfortable

# I have tried to attend some birthday party, but soon realized it is out of my element.

Past master – a person with unbeatable skill in a particular activity

# Khan Sir is a past master at teaching while performing comedy.

Play a double game – to act dubiously

# Raju was playing a double game.

Play ducks and drakes

1. to treat someone badly by misusing your power

# Days of playing ducks and drakes with juniors is over-Government is more strict now towards ragging.


2. to carelessly misuse one’s wealth

# My mother can not allow me to play ducks and drakes with her hard-earned money.

# Please don’t play ducks and drakes with this money.

Poker face – a dull expression

# a person with a poker face.

Show a clean pair of heels – Run away, usually from battlefield.

# The opponent showed a clean pair of heels when other party started fusillade.

Snake in the grass – A person who befriends other to deceive

# Beware of him, he is a snake in grass.

Speak of the devil – This means that the person you’re just talking about actually turns up at that moment

# Hey Nisha, speak of the devil, I was telling Sanu to call you and you are here!

Take a beating – To be defeated

# The team took quite a beating.

Take to one’s heels – To flee or run away in fear

# The thief took to his heels when the house owner woke up.

Too many irons in the fire – to be involved in many activities at a time

# The Headmaster cannot but have too many irons in the fire. (This means that the Headmaster always gets involved in many task at the same time)

Toss-up – A result that is still unclear and can go either way (The word toss-up is noun form for the phrasal verb toss up)

# It’s a toss-up between India and Pakistan cricket match.

When pigs fly – Something that not gonna happen

# I may cook for you when pigs fly.

White lie – A lie spoken for someone’s good or with good intention

# In childhood when maa offered me a cup of milk, drinking a part of it I gave it back to maa telling “I am full of my stomach”. This was just a white lie to feed her a little of the milk.

see all Four Colors of Lies

With a fine-tooth comb – to do something meticulously

# The CID team went over the murder spot with a fine-tooth comb.

Young blood – young generation with lot of energy and ideas

# Sir, you are lucky. You’ve got so many young blood in your college.

Consider reading these post too:

Must know 150+ Important Phrasal Verbs List for Competitive Exams

Basic English Phrases