💬 Idioms & Phrases - Complete Theory

Master figurative language - understand the hidden meanings!

🎯 What are Idioms & Phrases?

Idiom: A group of words with a meaning different from the literal meaning of individual words.

Example:

"It's raining cats and dogs"
Literal: Cats and dogs falling from sky ✗
Idiomatic: It's raining heavily ✓

Phrase: A group of words functioning as a unit with a specific meaning.

Importance in IBPS:

• Prelims: 3-5 questions
• Mains: 5-10 questions
• Question Types:
  1. Identify meaning of idiom
  2. Fill idiom in sentence
  3. Replace idiom with meaning

📐 Common Question Formats

Format 1: Meaning Identification

Question:

What does "beat around the bush" mean?

A) To hit plants
B) To avoid the main topic
C) To work in garden
D) To make noise

Answer: B (To avoid the main topic)

Format 2: Usage in Sentence

Question:

Choose the correct usage of "piece of cake":

A) The exam was a piece of cake. (meaning: very easy)
B) He gave me a piece of cake. (literal meaning)
C) The cake has many pieces.
D) All of the above

Answer: A (idiomatic usage)

Format 3: Fill in the Blank

Question:

"He _____ when he saw the police."

A) turned a blind eye
B) took to his heels
C) pulled his socks up
D) hit the nail on the head

Answer: B (took to his heels = ran away)

📚 100+ Must-Know Idioms for IBPS

Category 1: Success & Achievement

1. Hit the nail on the head

Meaning: To be exactly right
Example: "Your analysis hit the nail on the head."

2. Piece of cake

Meaning: Very easy
Example: "The exam was a piece of cake for him."

3. Break the ice

Meaning: To initiate conversation in awkward situation
Example: "He told a joke to break the ice."

4. Cutting edge

Meaning: Most advanced, innovative
Example: "They use cutting-edge technology."

5. Turn over a new leaf

Meaning: Start fresh, change behavior
Example: "After the incident, he turned over a new leaf."

6. Make the grade

Meaning: To succeed, meet required standard
Example: "Only qualified candidates will make the grade."

Category 2: Failure & Difficulty

7. Back to square one

Meaning: Return to the beginning, start over
Example: "The project failed; we're back to square one."

8. Bite off more than one can chew

Meaning: Take on more than one can handle
Example: "He bit off more than he could chew by accepting too many projects."

9. Hit rock bottom

Meaning: Reach the lowest point
Example: "The company hit rock bottom during the recession."

10. Go down in flames

Meaning: Fail spectacularly
Example: "His business idea went down in flames."

11. Throw in the towel

Meaning: Give up, quit
Example: "After many failures, he threw in the towel."

12. Barking up the wrong tree

Meaning: Looking in the wrong place, pursuing wrong course
Example: "If you think I stole it, you're barking up the wrong tree."

Category 3: Money & Finance

13. Cost an arm and a leg

Meaning: Very expensive
Example: "The new car cost him an arm and a leg."

14. Break the bank

Meaning: Exhaust one's financial resources
Example: "The wedding won't break the bank."

15. Make ends meet

Meaning: Manage financially, earn enough to survive
Example: "With his salary, he can barely make ends meet."

16. In the red

Meaning: In debt, losing money
Example: "The company has been in the red for years."

17. Cash cow

Meaning: Profitable business or product
Example: "This product line is our cash cow."

18. Nest egg

Meaning: Savings for future
Example: "He has built a substantial nest egg for retirement."

Category 4: Time & Urgency

19. In the nick of time

Meaning: Just in time, at the last moment
Example: "We reached the station in the nick of time."

20. Beat the clock

Meaning: Finish before deadline
Example: "We need to beat the clock to submit the proposal."

21. Round the clock

Meaning: All day and night, 24/7
Example: "The hospital provides round-the-clock service."

22. Against the clock

Meaning: Racing against time
Example: "We're working against the clock to meet the deadline."

23. Kill time

Meaning: Pass time doing something unimportant
Example: "I read magazines to kill time while waiting."

Category 5: Communication & Speech

24. Beat around the bush

Meaning: Avoid the main topic, speak indirectly
Example: "Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth."

25. Spill the beans

Meaning: Reveal a secret
Example: "Don't spill the beans about the surprise party."

26. Let the cat out of the bag

Meaning: Accidentally reveal a secret
Example: "He let the cat out of the bag about their engagement."

27. Word of mouth

Meaning: Oral communication, spoken promotion
Example: "The restaurant became popular through word of mouth."

28. Get straight to the point

Meaning: Speak directly without delay
Example: "Let's get straight to the point."

29. Hear it on the grapevine

Meaning: Hear a rumor, unofficial information
Example: "I heard it on the grapevine that he's leaving."

Category 6: Effort & Work

30. Go the extra mile

Meaning: Do more than expected
Example: "He always goes the extra mile for his clients."

31. Pull one’s weight

Meaning: Do one's fair share of work
Example: "Everyone must pull their weight in this project."

32. Get down to business

Meaning: Start working seriously
Example: "Let's stop chatting and get down to business."

33. Work one’s fingers to the bone

Meaning: Work extremely hard
Example: "She worked her fingers to the bone to support her family."

34. Burn the midnight oil

Meaning: Work late into the night
Example: "He burned the midnight oil preparing for exams."

35. Cut corners

Meaning: Do something poorly to save time/money
Example: "Don't cut corners on quality."

Category 7: Understanding & Knowledge

36. Get the hang of

Meaning: Learn how to do something
Example: "After practice, I got the hang of it."

37. In the dark

Meaning: Unaware, without knowledge
Example: "We were kept in the dark about the decision."

38. Know like the back of one’s hand

Meaning: Know very well
Example: "He knows this city like the back of his hand."

39. Learn the ropes

Meaning: Learn the basics, understand how things work
Example: "The new employee is still learning the ropes."

40. Crack the code

Meaning: Solve a difficult problem, understand
Example: "Scientists finally cracked the code of the disease."

Category 8: Emotions & Feelings

41. Over the moon

Meaning: Extremely happy
Example: "She was over the moon when she got the job."

42. On cloud nine

Meaning: Very happy, euphoric
Example: "After winning, he was on cloud nine."

43. Down in the dumps

Meaning: Sad, depressed
Example: "He's been down in the dumps since he lost his job."

44. Get cold feet

Meaning: Become nervous and hesitant
Example: "He got cold feet before the wedding."

45. Lose one’s temper

Meaning: Become angry
Example: "Try not to lose your temper in meetings."

Category 9: Action & Decision

46. Take the bull by the horns

Meaning: Face a difficult situation bravely
Example: "He took the bull by the horns and confronted the issue."

47. Bite the bullet

Meaning: Endure a painful situation bravely
Example: "I had to bite the bullet and accept the loss."

48. Jump on the bandwagon

Meaning: Join a popular trend
Example: "Everyone jumped on the bandwagon of online shopping."

49. Sit on the fence

Meaning: Avoid taking sides, remain neutral
Example: "Stop sitting on the fence and make a decision."

50. Cross that bridge when one comes to it

Meaning: Deal with problem when it arises
Example: "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Category 10: Deception & Dishonesty

51. Stab someone in the back

Meaning: Betray someone
Example: "He stabbed me in the back by revealing my secrets."

52. Pull the wool over someone’s eyes

Meaning: Deceive someone
Example: "Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes."

53. A wolf in sheep’s clothing

Meaning: Someone dangerous pretending to be harmless
Example: "He seemed friendly but was a wolf in sheep's clothing."

54. Cook the books

Meaning: Falsify financial records
Example: "The accountant was caught cooking the books."

Category 11: Problem & Solution

55. A blessing in disguise

Meaning: Something bad that turns out to be good
Example: "Losing that job was a blessing in disguise."

56. Nip in the bud

Meaning: Stop something at early stage
Example: "We must nip this problem in the bud."

57. Get out of hand

Meaning: Lose control
Example: "The situation got out of hand quickly."

58. Add fuel to the fire

Meaning: Make a bad situation worse
Example: "His comments added fuel to the fire."

59. Weather the storm

Meaning: Survive a difficult period
Example: "The company weathered the storm of recession."

Category 12: Miscellaneous Important Idioms

60. Once in a blue moon

Meaning: Very rarely
Example: "He visits us once in a blue moon."

61. The ball is in your court

Meaning: It's your turn to take action
Example: "I've made my offer; the ball is in your court."

62. Under the weather

Meaning: Feeling ill
Example: "I'm feeling under the weather today."

63. A dime a dozen

Meaning: Very common, not valuable
Example: "Such opportunities are a dime a dozen."

64. Burn bridges

Meaning: Destroy relationships
Example: "Don't burn bridges when you leave a job."

65. Get one’s act together

Meaning: Organize oneself, improve behavior
Example: "You need to get your act together before the exam."

66. Keep one’s chin up

Meaning: Stay positive in difficult times
Example: "Keep your chin up; things will improve."

67. Let sleeping dogs lie

Meaning: Don't stir up old problems
Example: "Let sleeping dogs lie; don't mention the past."

68. Miss the boat

Meaning: Lose an opportunity
Example: "If you don't apply now, you'll miss the boat."

69. No pain, no gain

Meaning: Success requires effort and sacrifice
Example: "He trained hard believing no pain, no gain."

70. On the same page

Meaning: In agreement, having same understanding
Example: "Let's make sure we're on the same page."

⚡ Memorization Strategies

Strategy 1: Categorize by Theme

Group idioms by topic:
- Money idioms together
- Time idioms together
- Emotion idioms together

Easier to remember related idioms!

Strategy 2: Create Visual Images

"Raining cats and dogs" → Visualize cats and dogs falling
"Spill the beans" → Visualize beans spilling everywhere

Visual memory is stronger!

Strategy 3: Use in Daily Life

Try using 2-3 new idioms daily in conversation
Practice makes permanent!

"Today's meeting was a piece of cake."
"We need to get down to business."

Strategy 4: Make Flashcards

Front: Idiom
Back: Meaning + Example

Review 10 cards daily

💡 Solved Examples

Example 1: Meaning Identification

Question:

"Pull someone's leg" means:

A) Help someone walk
B) Tease or joke with someone
C) Trip someone
D) Support someone

Answer: B (Tease or joke with someone)

Example 2: Usage in Sentence

Question:

Choose the sentence with correct usage:

A) "The exam was raining cats and dogs." ✗
B) "It's raining cats and dogs outside." ✓
C) "He rained cats and dogs." ✗
D) "Cats and dogs are raining." ✗

Answer: B

Example 3: Fill in Blank

Question:

"After many attempts, I finally _____ how to solve the problem."

A) hit the nail on the head
B) got the hang of it
C) let the cat out of the bag
D) pulled someone's leg

Answer: B (got the hang of it = learned how to do)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Mistake 1: Literal Interpretation

Wrong: Thinking idioms mean literal words ✗
Right: Understanding figurative meaning ✓

"Break a leg" ≠ Actually break leg
"Break a leg" = Good luck

❌ Mistake 2: Mixing Up Similar Idioms

"Spill the beans" = Reveal secret
"Let the cat out of the bag" = Reveal secret (accidentally)

Both similar but slightly different!

❌ Mistake 3: Wrong Context Usage

Wrong: Using idiom in inappropriate context ✗

"It's raining cats and dogs" → weather ✓
"The economy is raining cats and dogs" → ✗ (doesn't fit)

🎯 Exam Strategy

Time Management

IBPS Prelims: 2-3 minutes for 5 questions
Per question: 30-40 seconds

IBPS Mains: Similar timing

Priority

1. Idioms you know well → 20 sec
2. Eliminate obviously wrong options → 30 sec
3. Guess from remaining options

Elimination Strategy

If unsure:
1. Remove literal meanings (usually wrong)
2. Remove extreme meanings
3. Choose most logical remaining option

📝 Practice Approach

Daily Routine

Week 1-2: Learn 10 new idioms daily
Week 3-4: Review + practice in sentences
Week 5+: Solve previous year questions

Target: 100+ idioms before exam

🔗 Related Topics

Uses Concepts From:

• Vocabulary building
• Figurative language
• Cultural expressions

Related English Topics:

• One-word Substitution - Vocabulary
• Reading Comprehension - Context understanding

Practice:

• Idioms & Phrases Questions

Master Idioms & Phrases - Learn the meaning, not the words! 💬