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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




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