Here are some useful and popular idioms and phrases to improve English writing and speaking, very useful for new learners
- To win laurels; To win fame
Sachin has won laurels as a poet - To turn a deaf ear: to neglect
Nowadays many students turn a deaf ear to parents’ and teachers’ advice - a bone of contention: a cause of quarrel
This compound wall is the bone of contention between these two neighbors - To move heaven and earth: to make all possible efforts
He moved heaven and earth to get admission to the college - Now and then: occasionally
He drinks now and then so he is stable now - a red letter day: a memorable day
15th August is a red letter day in Indian history - to smell a cat: to suspect
To be honest, I smell a rat about your percentage in the school report - a dead letter: no longer in practice
The practice of the Sati system is a dead letter in India - out of spirits: to be depressed
He got fewer marks and now he is out of spirits - To build castles in the air: to dream more than reality
some people have a habit of building castles in the air - all in all: everything
In most families, the grandfather is all in all in taking important decisions - The apple of one’s eye: loved
Dont trouble him, he is the apple of his parents’ eye - a cock and bull story: the false story
Please don’t tell me a cock and bull story - Better half: wife
My better half is a very considerate lady - like a fish out of water: in trouble
When I went to Mumbai for the first time, I felt like a fish out of water - Bad blood: enmity
There is bad blood between India and Pakistan for Kashmir - Blue blood: belonging to the royal family
He has a graceful nature as he has blue blood - to throw cold water: to discourage
Please don’t throw cold water on our new ideas - Mutton-headed: foolish
Don’t listen to him, he is mutton headed - a black sheep: a disrespectful person
We hate him, he is a black sheep in our society - Once in a blue moon: rarely
He comes to Nanded once in a blue moon - a cat nap: a short sleep
I am going to have a cat nap - chicken-hearted: coward
He will not go to that house, he is chicken-hearted - butter hearted: very emotional
please don’t trouble him, he is butter hearted - stone hearted: strong-willed emotionless
He will not cry , he is stone hearted - a rat race: fierce competition
Today in every field there is a rat race - a wild goose chase: useless effort
If you want to compete with Bill Gates, it is a wild goose chase - Mad as a hornet: very angry
Dont trouble him, he is mad as a hornet - Let sleeping dogs lie: Leave it alone or in peace
Don’t make noise, let sleeping dogs lie or else we will be in danger - Hen pecked husband: one who is in the supremacy of better half
He won’t do anything without asking her, he is a hen-pecked husband
