Important English Idioms – Collected from Past papers of PPSC FPSC SPSC KPPSC BPSC AJKPSC

1. What does the idiom “A blessing in disguise” mean?
(A) A clear opportunity for success
(B) Something bad that turns out to be good
(C) A situation that brings immediate rewards
(D) A problem that has no solution

2. The idiom “A dime a dozen” refers to something that is:
(A) Unique and valuable
(B) Very rare
(C) Common and of little value
(D) Difficult to obtain

3. If someone “beats around the bush,” they are:
(A) Speaking directly
(B) Avoiding the main topic
(C) Giving a clear explanation
(D) Making an immediate decision

4. What does “Bite the bullet” mean?
(A) To endure pain or hardship with courage
(B) To act recklessly
(C) To avoid a difficult situation
(D) To get hurt in an accident

5. The phrase “Break the ice” means:
(A) To ruin a friendship
(B) To start a conversation in a social setting
(C) To face a difficult challenge
(D) To give someone the cold shoulder

6. “Burn the midnight oil” refers to:
(A) Wasting time at night
(B) Staying up late working or studying
(C) Relaxing after a long day
(D) Burning fuel at night

7. If someone decides to “Call it a day,” they:
(A) Start a new project
(B) Continue working hard
(C) Stop working for the day
(D) Take a vacation

8. “Cry over spilled milk” means:
(A) To be happy about an unexpected event
(B) To regret something that cannot be changed
(C) To find a solution quickly
(D) To celebrate success

9. If a person “Hits the nail on the head,” they:
(A) Say exactly the right thing
(B) Make a huge mistake
(C) Avoid answering a question
(D) Try to escape from a situation

10. What does “Kill two birds with one stone” mean?
(A) To fail in two attempts
(B) To achieve two things at once
(C) To lose everything
(D) To be cruel to animals

11. If someone “Lets the cat out of the bag,” they:
(A) Keep a secret
(B) Reveal a secret
(C) Rescue an animal
(D) Start a fight

12. “Once in a blue moon” refers to:
(A) Something that happens very rarely
(B) A regular occurrence
(C) A lucky event
(D) A disaster

13. The idiom “Spill the beans” means:
(A) To waste food
(B) To reveal a secret
(C) To fix a problem
(D) To gain success

14. When someone is “Under the weather,” they are:
(A) Feeling unwell
(B) Enjoying the outdoors
(C) Traveling to another country
(D) Facing financial difficulties

15. “Jump on the bandwagon” means:
(A) To avoid participating in something
(B) To join others in doing something popular
(C) To start a new trend
(D) To make a wrong decision

16. If someone “Burns their bridges,” they:
(A) Maintain strong relationships
(B) Destroy relationships or opportunities beyond repair
(C) Find a new job quickly
(D) Travel to a new place

17. “Throw in the towel” means:
(A) To win a competition
(B) To give up or surrender
(C) To start a fight
(D) To clean up a mess

18. If a person “Goes the extra mile,” they:
(A) Travel long distances
(B) Put in more effort than expected
(C) Work slowly
(D) Take shortcuts

19. The idiom “Hit the sack” means:
(A) To go to bed
(B) To get fired from a job
(C) To go on a journey
(D) To hit someone in anger

20. “By the skin of one’s teeth” means:
(A) To fail completely
(B) To barely escape or succeed
(C) To cheat in an exam
(D) To make a firm decision

21. What does the idiom “Cost an arm and a leg” mean?
(A) To be very cheap
(B) Something very expensive
(C) To be easy to afford
(D) To be priceless

22. “Back to the drawing board” means:
(A) To finish a task successfully
(B) To take a break from work
(C) To start over after failure
(D) To celebrate success

23. If someone says, “Actions speak louder than words,” they mean:
(A) Speaking is more important than doing
(B) What people do is more important than what they say
(C) Writing is more powerful than speaking
(D) Talking too much is beneficial

24. “The ball is in your court” means:
(A) You have lost an opportunity
(B) It is your turn to take action
(C) The situation is out of control
(D) You have won a competition

25. What does “Put all your eggs in one basket” mean?
(A) To save money wisely
(B) To risk everything on a single opportunity
(C) To be cautious in decision-making
(D) To distribute risks evenly

26. If someone “Throws caution to the wind,” they:
(A) Act recklessly or take a big risk
(B) Remain careful in all decisions
(C) Follow strict rules
(D) Avoid making mistakes

27. “Barking up the wrong tree” means:
(A) Blaming the wrong person or following the wrong course of action
(B) Correctly identifying the problem
(C) Solving a problem effectively
(D) Taking good advice

28. “A piece of cake” refers to something that is:
(A) Very difficult to do
(B) Impossible to achieve
(C) Very easy to do
(D) Something that requires teamwork

29. If someone is “Hitting below the belt,” they are:
(A) Using unfair tactics
(B) Fighting fairly
(C) Playing by the rules
(D) Defending themselves

30. What does “Hit the books” mean?
(A) To study hard
(B) To hit someone with a book
(C) To take a break from studying
(D) To stop reading altogether

31. “At the eleventh hour” means:
(A) Very early in the process
(B) At the last possible moment
(C) Exactly on time
(D) Before starting a task

32. “On cloud nine” means:
(A) Extremely happy or joyful
(B) Feeling sad or depressed
(C) Feeling confused
(D) Living in the past

33. “An arm and a leg” means:
(A) Very cheap
(B) Very expensive
(C) Extremely common
(D) Impossible to afford

34. “Put the cart before the horse” means:
(A) To do things in the wrong order
(B) To plan carefully
(C) To follow instructions properly
(D) To be highly organized

35. “Read between the lines” means:
(A) To understand the hidden meaning
(B) To read carefully
(C) To ignore important details
(D) To focus only on facts

36. “A storm in a teacup” refers to:
(A) A natural disaster
(B) A big fuss over something unimportant
(C) A major political issue
(D) A serious argument

37. “In the same boat” means:
(A) Traveling together
(B) In the same difficult situation
(C) Competing against each other
(D) Completely different from one another

38. “A slap on the wrist” refers to:
(A) A mild punishment
(B) A serious warning
(C) A harsh penalty
(D) A legal victory

39. “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” means:
(A) Don’t assume success before it happens
(B) Expect things to go wrong
(C) Take success for granted
(D) Always plan for failure

40. “Hit the jackpot” means:
(A) To be very successful or lucky
(B) To lose everything
(C) To gamble recklessly
(D) To work very hard for a small reward

41. “Bite off more than you can chew” means:
(A) To take on a task that is too big to handle
(B) To chew food properly
(C) To eat more than necessary
(D) To share responsibilities equally

42. What does the idiom “Break the bank” mean?
(A) To save money carefully
(B) To spend all your money
(C) To invest wisely
(D) To open a new bank account

43. “Catch someone red-handed” means:
(A) To paint someone’s hands red
(B) To catch someone in the act of doing something wrong
(C) To blame someone falsely
(D) To punish someone severely

44. If someone plays “Devil’s advocate,” they:
(A) Always oppose good ideas
(B) Argue against a point just for discussion
(C) Defend criminals
(D) Support every argument

45. “Face the music” means:
(A) To listen to loud music
(B) To accept the consequences of one’s actions
(C) To play a musical instrument
(D) To run away from a problem

46. If someone “gets cold feet,” they:
(A) Feel physically cold
(B) Become nervous before doing something important
(C) Walk barefoot on a cold surface
(D) Avoid wearing shoes

47. “Give someone the cold shoulder” means:
(A) To offer a cold drink to someone
(B) To ignore or be unfriendly to someone
(C) To give someone advice
(D) To offer someone a warm welcome

48. “Go down in flames” means:
(A) To fail spectacularly
(B) To survive a dangerous situation
(C) To succeed unexpectedly
(D) To avoid danger

49. “Jump the gun” means:
(A) To start something too soon
(B) To wait patiently
(C) To follow proper procedure
(D) To stop before finishing

50. “Keep an eye on” means:
(A) To ignore something
(B) To watch closely or monitor
(C) To close one’s eyes
(D) To forget about something

51. If someone “leaves no stone unturned,” they:
(A) Avoid hard work
(B) Do everything possible to achieve a goal
(C) Ignore the details
(D) Take unnecessary risks

52. “Like a fish out of water” means:
(A) Feeling uncomfortable in a particular situation
(B) Enjoying the company of others
(C) Swimming in deep water
(D) Being highly skilled at something

53. “Make a mountain out of a molehill” means:
(A) To exaggerate a small problem
(B) To solve a big problem easily
(C) To ignore a minor issue
(D) To build something important

54. “Miss the boat” means:
(A) To be late for a trip
(B) To miss an opportunity
(C) To travel by sea
(D) To take unnecessary risks

55. If someone “pulls your leg,” they are:
(A) Helping you walk
(B) Joking or teasing you
(C) Causing physical harm
(D) Giving you advice

56. “Put your foot in your mouth” means:
(A) To say something embarrassing or inappropriate
(B) To eat too much
(C) To apologize quickly
(D) To walk carefully

57. “Rain on someone’s parade” means:
(A) To spoil someone’s plans or happiness
(B) To enjoy a festival in the rain
(C) To bring good luck
(D) To celebrate success

58. “Raining cats and dogs” refers to:
(A) A situation with too many animals
(B) Raining very heavily
(C) A peaceful environment
(D) A minor drizzle

59. “See eye to eye” means:
(A) To agree with someone
(B) To make eye contact
(C) To avoid an argument
(D) To misunderstand each other

60. If someone “sits on the fence,” they:
(A) Take a firm stand
(B) Avoid making a decision
(C) Support one side
(D) Climb over obstacles

61. “Steal someone’s thunder” means:
(A) To take credit for someone else’s idea or success
(B) To avoid making noise
(C) To help someone achieve success
(D) To encourage teamwork

62. “Stick to your guns” means:
(A) To refuse to change your opinion or belief
(B) To handle weapons carefully
(C) To surrender in an argument
(D) To follow orders without question

63. “The last straw” refers to:
(A) The final problem that makes a situation unbearable
(B) A piece of hay in a pile
(C) The first warning in a conflict
(D) A solution to a problem

64. “Throw the baby out with the bathwater” means:
(A) To clean something thoroughly
(B) To get rid of something valuable while trying to remove what is unwanted
(C) To take care of children properly
(D) To fix a small problem carefully

65. If someone “turns a blind eye,” they:
(A) Look at things carefully
(B) Ignore something wrong or bad
(C) Lose their vision
(D) Change their perspective

66. “Water under the bridge” means:
(A) Past events that are no longer important
(B) A river flowing under a bridge
(C) A difficult situation
(D) A new beginning

67. “Wear your heart on your sleeve” means:
(A) To openly express emotions
(B) To be secretive
(C) To protect your feelings
(D) To be physically strong

68. “When pigs fly” refers to:
(A) A rare event
(B) Something that will never happen
(C) A surprising situation
(D) A scientific discovery

69. “Wild goose chase” means:
(A) A successful hunt
(B) A pointless or hopeless pursuit
(C) A strategy for success
(D) A competitive race

70. “You can’t have your cake and eat it too” means:
(A) You can’t enjoy food without sharing
(B) You can’t have everything; making a choice means sacrificing something
(C) Eating cake leads to bad decisions
(D) Always choose wisely

71. “Bite the dust” means:
(A) To clean a dusty place
(B) To fail or be defeated
(C) To eat something unpleasant
(D) To escape a dangerous situation

72. “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” suggests:
(A) Don’t rely on one thing for success
(B) Be careful while carrying eggs
(C) Always choose one goal
(D) Plan for failure

73. “Hit the road” means:
(A) To start a journey or leave
(B) To repair a road
(C) To drive recklessly
(D) To stay in one place

74. “Jump ship” means:
(A) To abandon a difficult situation or organization
(B) To start swimming
(C) To board a ship
(D) To stay committed to a job

75. “Knock on wood” is a:
(A) Superstitious way to avoid bad luck
(B) Way to test the strength of wood
(C) Symbol of good fortune
(D) Dangerous activity

76. “Let sleeping dogs lie” means:
(A) To avoid bringing up an old issue that may cause trouble
(B) To take care of animals
(C) To fix past problems
(D) To argue about everything

77. “No pain, no gain” means:
(A) Success requires effort and hard work
(B) Pain leads to happiness
(C) Exercise is always painful
(D) Avoid all struggles

78. “On the ball” means:
(A) To be alert and aware
(B) To play a sport
(C) To be careless
(D) To avoid making decisions

79. “Play devil’s advocate” means:
(A) To argue against a point just to provoke discussion
(B) To support one side only
(C) To defend a criminal
(D) To ignore arguments

80. “Save face” means:
(A) To avoid embarrassment
(B) To protect one’s skin
(C) To wear a mask
(D) To take responsibility for a mistake

81. “Show your true colors” refers to:
(A) Dressing in bright clothes
(B) Revealing one’s true character
(C) Winning a competition
(D) Painting something beautifully

82. “Skeleton in the closet” means:
(A) A Halloween decoration
(B) A hidden secret from the past
(C) A serious health problem
(D) A fear of small spaces

83. “Through thick and thin” means:
(A) Supporting someone in good and bad times
(B) Eating a balanced diet
(C) Changing decisions frequently
(D) Being very careful with choices

84. “Turn the tables” means:
(A) To flip a table upside down
(B) To change a situation to your advantage
(C) To organize a dinner party
(D) To rearrange furniture

85. “Up in the air” means:
(A) Something uncertain or undecided
(B) Flying an airplane
(C) A successful event
(D) A floating balloon

86. “Wipe the slate clean” means:
(A) To erase a chalkboard
(B) To start fresh or forget past mistakes
(C) To clear debts
(D) To clean a surface properly

87. “Zero in on” means:
(A) To ignore something
(B) To focus on something specific
(C) To lose interest in something
(D) To remove something completely

88. “A penny for your thoughts” means:
(A) Asking someone what they are thinking
(B) Offering someone a small amount of money
(C) Saving money for future use
(D) Thinking deeply about wealth

89. “All ears” means:
(A) Fully listening
(B) Having large ears
(C) Ignoring someone
(D) Speaking loudly

90. “At the drop of a hat” means:
(A) Immediately, without hesitation
(B) Losing a competition
(C) Forgetting something important
(D) Making a slow decision

91. “Back to square one” means:
(A) To start over from the beginning
(B) To complete something successfully
(C) To take a break
(D) To win a game

92. “Back to the drawing board” means:
(A) To start planning again after a failure
(B) To draw something beautifully
(C) To revisit old memories
(D) To study an old book

93. “The ball is in your court” means:
(A) It is your decision to make
(B) Playing basketball
(C) Taking part in a competition
(D) Losing control of a situation

94. “Barking up the wrong tree” refers to:
(A) Making a wrong assumption or mistake
(B) Training a dog
(C) Finding a new pet
(D) Solving a mystery

95. “Beat around the bush” means:
(A) To avoid getting to the point
(B) Gardening as a hobby
(C) Running in circles
(D) Solving problems quickly

96. “Best of both worlds” means:
(A) Benefiting from two different opportunities at once
(B) Traveling around the world
(C) Having too many choices
(D) Being unsure about a decision

97. “Burning the candle at both ends” means:
(A) Overworking or exhausting yourself
(B) Lighting a candle for prayer
(C) Celebrating an event
(D) Being very careful with money

98. “By the skin of one’s teeth” means:
(A) Barely managing to do something
(B) Taking care of dental hygiene
(C) Speaking without thinking
(D) Completing something early

99. “Can’t judge a book by its cover” means:
(A) Don’t judge something by its appearance
(B) Always read the title of a book
(C) Books are more valuable than they seem
(D) First impressions are always right

100. “Cry over spilled milk” means:
(A) To be upset about something that cannot be changed
(B) To clean up a mess
(C) To complain about small problems
(D) To stop drinking milk

101. “Cut corners” means:
(A) To do something in a cheap or careless way
(B) To take a shortcut
(C) To make precise cuts
(D) To stop working altogether

102. “Cut to the chase” means:
(A) Get to the point quickly
(B) Avoid a serious topic
(C) Follow someone quickly
(D) Run away from a situation

103. “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” means:
(A) Raising chickens for profit
(B) Don’t assume success before it happens
(C) Always plan ahead
(D) Collecting eggs early

104. “Drag one’s feet” means:
(A) To walk slowly
(B) To delay doing something
(C) To dance carefully
(D) To be extremely tired

105. “Every cloud has a silver lining” means:
(A) Storms always pass
(B) Every difficult situation has some good in it
(C) Clouds are beautiful in the sky
(D) Life is unpredictable

106. “Give someone a run for their money” means:
(A) To steal money from someone
(B) To challenge someone with strong competition
(C) To donate money for a cause
(D) To avoid taking risks

107. “Go the extra mile” means:
(A) To take a long journey
(B) To make an extra effort
(C) To walk faster than others
(D) To take shortcuts

108. “Have a chip on your shoulder” means:
(A) Holding a grudge or feeling angry
(B) Carrying something heavy
(C) Eating food with bad manners
(D) Being careless in decision-making

109. “Hit the nail on the head” means:
(A) To strike an object correctly
(B) To describe exactly what is causing a problem
(C) To complete a project successfully
(D) To get injured while working

110. “In hot water” means:
(A) Taking a bath
(B) Drinking something warm
(C) In trouble
(D) Feeling relaxed

111. “It takes two to tango” means:
(A) Both parties are responsible for a situation
(B) Only experts can dance
(C) Dancing is difficult
(D) Some people are more responsible than others

112. “Jump on the bandwagon” means:
(A) To join a popular activity or trend
(B) To drive a wagon
(C) To leave a situation quickly
(D) To refuse to participate

113. “Keep your chin up” means:
(A) Stay positive and confident
(B) Avoid looking down
(C) Prepare for a fight
(D) Express frustration

114. “Make ends meet” means:
(A) To complete a task
(B) To have just enough money to survive
(C) To be successful in a business
(D) To make friends easily

115. “Not one’s cup of tea” means:
(A) A drink someone dislikes
(B) Something that a person does not like
(C) A beverage enjoyed by everyone
(D) A favorite activity

116. “On cloud nine” means:
(A) Extremely happy
(B) Lost in thoughts
(C) Afraid of heights
(D) Dreaming about success

117. “Out of the blue” means:
(A) Unexpectedly
(B) Something related to the ocean
(C) Wearing blue clothes
(D) Feeling sad

118. “Pull out all the stops” means:
(A) To stop all activities
(B) To do everything possible to succeed
(C) To avoid making an effort
(D) To remove obstacles from the way

119. “Put all your eggs in one basket” means:
(A) To have a healthy diet
(B) To risk everything on one opportunity
(C) To prepare for an emergency
(D) To organize everything perfectly

120. “Put your money where your mouth is” means:
(A) To take action rather than just talk
(B) To spend money on unnecessary things
(C) To speak wisely
(D) To save money for the future

121. “Read between the lines” means:
(A) To improve reading skills
(B) To understand a hidden meaning
(C) To ignore unnecessary details
(D) To follow instructions carefully

122. “Spill the beans” means:
(A) To reveal a secret
(B) To waste food
(C) To cook beans improperly
(D) To keep something confidential

123. “Take it with a grain of salt” means:
(A) To not take something too seriously
(B) To add salt to food
(C) To believe everything completely
(D) To follow instructions strictly

124. “The ball is in your court” means:
(A) It is up to you to take action
(B) A sports-related term
(C) To play carefully
(D) To pass responsibility to someone else

125. “To add insult to injury” means:
(A) To make a bad situation worse
(B) To apologize after an argument
(C) To make a minor mistake
(D) To recover from an illness

126. “Turn over a new leaf” means:
(A) To start fresh or improve one’s behavior
(B) To clean a garden
(C) To find something hidden
(D) To return to an old habit

127. “Under the weather” means:
(A) Feeling sick
(B) Going outside in bad weather
(C) Staying indoors
(D) Feeling happy

128. “Whole nine yards” means:
(A) Everything, all the way
(B) A short distance
(C) A complicated process
(D) To walk carefully

129. “Wouldn’t hurt a fly” means:
(A) Very gentle and harmless
(B) Afraid of insects
(C) A weak person
(D) A lazy individual

130. “Hit below the belt” means:
(A) To act unfairly or cruelly
(B) To exercise daily
(C) To fight in a fair manner
(D) To buy a new belt

131. “A snowball effect” means:
(A) A situation that becomes bigger and worse over time
(B) A fun winter activity
(C) A slow and steady progress
(D) An unexpected victory

132. “Play it by ear” means:
(A) To improvise rather than follow a plan
(B) To listen carefully
(C) To memorize something
(D) To avoid making a decision