SSC English Free study material: Idioms & Phrases (Set-1)

Idioms and phrases are very important in SSC exams. There are nearly 2-3 questions are framed in every SSC exams. These questions are very easy in nature and do not require much efforts. It only demands your skills to identify the meaning. These are phrases containing more than two words carrying the same meaning every time, wherever these are used.

In this article, we have shared a couplet of 50 phrases in below. Go through and memorize them-

SSC English Free Questions: Idioms & Phrases

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01) Chip on his shoulder- Angry today about something that occurred in the past

02) Chow down- To eat                 

03) Clear- cut- Clearly stated, definite, apparent

04) Close but no cigar- To be near and almost accomplish a goal, but fall short

05) Close call- A situation involving a narrow escape from danger

06) Cock and bull story- An unbelievable tale, untrue story

07) Come hell or high water- Any difficult situation or obstacle

08) Crack someone up- To make someone laugh

09) Cross your fingers- To hope that something happens the way you want it to

10) Cry wolf- Intentionally raise a false alarm

11) Cup of joe- A cup of coffee

12) Curtain lecture- A reproof by wife to her husband

13) Cut and dried- Ready made form

14) Cut to the chase- Leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point

15) Dark horse- One who was previously unknown and is now prominent

16) Day in and day out- Continuously, constantly

17) Dead Ringer- 100 % identical, a duplicate

18) Devil’s advocate- Someone who takes a position for the sake of argument without believing in that

19) Dog days of summer- The hottest day of the summer season

20) Don’t count your chickens before they hatch- Don’t rely on it until you sure of it

21) Don’t look a gift horse in the month- When someone gives you a gift, don’t be ungrateful

22) Don’t pull all your eggs in one basket- Do not pull all your resources in one possibility

23) Doozy- Something outstanding

24) Down to the wire- Something that ends at the last minute or last few seconds

25) Drastic times call for drastic measures- When you are extremely desperate you need to take extremely desperate actions

26) Drink like a fish- To drink very heavily, drinking anything

27) Dry run- Rehearsal

28) Egg on- To urge somebody

29) Eighty six- A certain item is no longer available. Or this idiom can also mean, to throw away

30) Elvis has left the building- The show has come to an end. It’s all over

31) Ethnic cleansing- Killing of a certain ethnic or religious group on a massive scale

32) Ever and anon- Now and then

33) Every cloud has a silver lining- Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days

34) Every other (one)- Every second (one), alternate (ones)

35) Everything but the kitchen sink- Almost everything and anything has been included

36) Excuse my French- Please forgive me for cussing

37) Fabian policy- Policy of delaying decisions

38) Face-to-face- Direct, personal; directly, personally (written without hyphens)

39) Fair and wide- Equal opportunity to all

40) Far and wide- Every where

41) Few and far between- Not frequent, unusual, rare

42) Field day- An enjoyable day or circumstance

43) Fifty- fifty- Divided into two equal parts

44) Finding your feet- To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing

45) Finger licking good- To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing

46) Fire and brimstone- A very tasty food or meal

47) Fire and fury- Fearful penalties

48) First and foremost- Extreme enthusiasm

49) Fishy: doubtful- Highest priority

50) Fixed in your ways- Not willing or wanting to change from your normal way of doing something