Idioms and Phrases


Direction: In these questions, four alternatives are given for the Idiom/Phrase given in bold in the sentence. Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the Idiom/Phrase given in bold.

  1. His statement is out and out a lie.









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    out and out : in every way; complete
    ● What she said was an out and out a lie. The best option is totally.

    Correct Option: A

    out and out : in every way; complete
    ● What she said was an out and out a lie. The best option is totally.


  1. Raj couldn’t pay the bill, so he asked the owner to put it on the cuff.









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    on the cuff : on credit
    ● I helped him clean up the shop, so the mechanic gave me an oil change on the cuff. The best option is on credit.

    Correct Option: A

    on the cuff : on credit
    ● I helped him clean up the shop, so the mechanic gave me an oil change on the cuff. The best option is on credit.



  1. The story does not hold water.









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    does not hold water : cannot be believed
    ● His argument is baseless and does not hold water. The best option is cannot be believed.

    Correct Option: C

    does not hold water : cannot be believed
    ● His argument is baseless and does not hold water. The best option is cannot be believed.


  1. The effort to trace the culprit was a wild goose chase.









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    a wild goose chase : a search for something that is impossible for you to find or that does not exist, that makes you waste a lot of time
    ● I cannot accompany you in this wild goose chase. The best option is futile search.

    Correct Option: B

    a wild goose chase : a search for something that is impossible for you to find or that does not exist, that makes you waste a lot of time
    ● I cannot accompany you in this wild goose chase. The best option is futile search.



  1. The failure of crops in successive years put the farmer in a tight corner.









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    in a tight corner : in a difficult situation
    ● Unexpected excuses put him in a tight corner. The best option is in a difficult situation.

    Correct Option: C

    in a tight corner : in a difficult situation
    ● Unexpected excuses put him in a tight corner. The best option is in a difficult situation.