English — Chapter 2
Idioms & Phrases — The Tested Idioms with Meanings & Example Sentences
Why this chapter matters: Idiom questions are the one English block where a single word’s literal meaning is a trap — “cold shoulder” has nothing to do with shoulders, and “kick the bucket” has nothing to do with buckets. Our verified banks hold 1,635 questions serving this topic: the three FPSC English idiom sets alone contain 1,597 questions — Set 128 Miscellaneous Vocabulary 1,218, Set 129 Idioms and Phrases Part 1: 129, Set 130 Idioms and Phrases Part 2: 250 (book pp. 674–715) — plus 38 explicitly labelled English idiom questions inside the actual past papers (FPSC 20, PPSC 18), in the same formats: “Choose the correct meaning of the idiom” and “What does the idiom … mean?”. Unlike vocabulary (Chapter 1), idioms cannot be derived from roots — they must be learned as whole phrases. This chapter teaches the three question formats, the method for cracking an unknown idiom, and the tested idioms themselves, grouped by theme so they stick.
1. How the idiom sets are built — three formats, one task
| Set | Book pages | Questions published | Question format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 128 — Miscellaneous Vocabulary | 674–698 | 1,218 of 1,218 entries (40 duplicate repeats dropped) | A–Z phrase dictionary converted to MCQs: “What does the phrase ‘X’ mean?” — answers = the book’s printed meaning, distractors authored from other entries’ meanings |
| 129 — Idioms and Phrases Part 1 | 699–705 | 129 of 129 printed (1 book-key override to the standard meaning) | Idiom inside a sentence — pick the meaning that fits the sentence |
| 130 — Idioms and Phrases Part 2 | 706–715 | 250 of 250 printed (0 overrides; Q71–80 repeat Q61–70 verbatim in the book, kept as printed) | Idiom named directly — “What does ‘X’ mean?” |
Three structural facts drive everything in this chapter:
- Part 1 and Part 2 barely overlap. Only 2 phrases appear in both (fair and square, in cold blood) — so the two sets together give 377 distinct tested idioms, not one list repeated twice. Learn both lists.
- Set 128 is a dictionary, not a test list. Its 1,218 entries run A–Z (heaviest at B: 133, then S: 103, C: 89, P: 74) and include many literary or historical phrases that papers rarely ask (“A Daniel come to judgement”, “A countenance more in sorrow than in anger”). Use it as a reference and for the famous entries in Section 7 — do not try to memorise it end to end. The marks live in Parts 1 and 2.
- Papers ask idioms in the same three ways. A sentence idiom (“he gave me the cold shoulder”), a directly named idiom (“What does ‘At daggers drawn’ mean?”), or a proverb completion (“A stitch in time saves ___” — Nine). The task is always the same: replace the phrase with its plain meaning.
2. The method: cracking an idiom you do not know
- Never translate word by word. The literal reading is the trap the paper-setter planted. “Burning the candle at both ends” is not about candles — it is overtaxing one’s energies. “To throw dust in someone’s eyes” is not about dust — it is to deceive. If your first reading is literal, discard it and look for the figurative sense.
- Read the sentence, not just the phrase (Part 1 format). The sentence tells you whether the idiom is praise, blame, trouble or triumph. “He was rolling in money” can only be very rich; “she took him to task” can only be reprimanded him. Tone first, exact meaning second.
- Use the body, animal and object clues. Idioms cluster around images: body parts (cold shoulder, tooth and nail, under his thumb, keep a straight face), animals (snake in the grass, crocodile tears, a black sheep), and everyday objects (silver spoon, storm in a tea cup, die is cast). The image usually points at the feeling: cold = unfriendly, snake = secret enemy, storm in a tea cup = fuss about a trifle.
- Eliminate the literal option first. In almost every idiom MCQ, one option restates the words literally (“At arm’s length” = “length of arm”). Strike it out immediately — it is never the answer.
- Watch for near-synonym options. Papers offer two plausible figurative meanings and one exact one: “built upon sand” is established on insecure foundations, not merely “resting on immature ideas”; “hanging fire” is going on slowly, not “delayed by fire”. Pick the meaning that fits the whole phrase, not just one word of it.
- Phrasal verbs are idioms too. Much of Part 2 is two-word verbs (back out, call it a day, eat your words, kick the bucket, nip it in the bud). Learn the verb + particle as one unit — the particle changes the meaning completely (make off with = steal, make up your mind = decide, make believe = pretend).
3. Sentence idioms (Set 129) — the tested list, by theme
These 129 idioms are the ones papers actually put inside sentences. Internal repeats in the book are kept once here with both meanings noted where they differ.
Enmity, deception & trouble
- Snake in the grass = a secret enemy · Bad blood = ill feeling · No love lost = intense dislike · Sharp practices = dishonest dealings · Throwing dust in his superiors’ eyes = to deceive · Wiped the nose = cheated · Blows his own trumpet = praises himself · Passed himself off = pretended to be · Crocodile tears = pretended sorrow · Pay lip-service = show only outward respect · Plays fast and loose = behaves in an unreliable and insincere way · Picking holes = finding fault with · Tread on the toes = to give offence · Backstairs influence = secret and unfair influence · Thrust your nose (into) = meddle officiously in · Rift in the lute = brought about disharmony · Power behind the throne = the person who had the real control and power · Lynch law = law of the mob.
Difficulty, effort & endurance
- Run into rough weather = encounter difficulties · Burn your fingers = suffer (for meddling) · Burning the candle at both ends = overtaxing his energies · Strained every nerve = worked very hard · Tooth and nail = with all their might · Bitten off more than he can chew = trying to do more than one can manage · Tall order = too much (to ask) · Left no stone unturned = used all available means · Hang fire = going on slowly · Let the grass grow under his feet = loitered around · Plough a lonely furrow = do without the help of others · Put a spoke in my wheel = thwarted in the execution of the plan · Die in harness = die while still working · Die is cast = decision is made · Chequered career = a variety of jobs and experiences · Bad patches = had a bad time · Bad business = an unfortunate event · On its last legs = about to perish · Broke down = stopped · Ran out of = exhausted one’s stock of · Ran amuck = ran about wildly · On the wane = growing less / declining · Far cry = a long way off.
Character, mood & behaviour
- Cold shoulder = ignored (someone) · Fish out of water = uncomfortable · Gentleman at large = has no serious occupation · Keeps himself to himself = unsociable · Cool customer = calm, not excitable · Keep a straight face = remain serious · High spirits = very cheerful · Lost heart = became discouraged · Flesh creep = fill with horror / frightened · Floored = puzzled · Cut to the quick = hurt intensely · Put you out = irritate you · Stuck his neck out = took a risk · Put his foot down = not to yield · Give in = yield · Went back on (his word) = withdrew · Held out = resisted · Standing up for = championing the cause of · Took him to task / pulled up = reprimanded him · Let him down = failed (someone) · Did me a good turn = did an act of kindness · Put in a word = recommend · Take after = resemble · Scream blue murder = make a great deal of noise and object vehemently · Small talk = light conversation · In vogue = in fashion · In the limelight = the centre of attraction · Big draw = a huge attraction · Ivory towers = detachment and seclusion · Rank and file = the ordinary members · Hand in glove = very good friends · Under his thumb = unduly under control · Silver spoon in his mouth = born in a wealthy family · Rolling in money = very rich · Worth a Jew (old book phrasing) = a possession of high value · As was his wont = as usual · By and by = gradually · Off and on = occasionally · Once for all = finally · For good / for a good = for ever · High time = already late · Look sharp = make haste · Setting up = to establish himself · Square up = settle · Bring to light = disclose · Brought home = emphasised · Went down well with = was appreciated by · Put up with = tolerate · Take it lying down = show no reaction · Took to his heels = ran away from the scene · Conceive of = imagine.
Argument, speech & truth
- Through his hat = talking nonsense · Go off at a tangent = change the subject immediately · Play to the gallery = attempt to appeal to popular taste · Draw the long bow = exaggerate · Burning question = a widely debated issue · Moot point = undecided · Hard and fast rule = a rule that cannot be broken or modified · Bell the cat = to take the lead in danger · Strike gold = uncover a valuable line of argument or information · Look a gift horse in the mouth = find fault with a gift · Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander = what is thought suitable for a man should also be for a woman · Making hay while the sun shines = making the best use of a favourable situation · Have your cake and eat it too = have it both ways · Fair and square = upright / honest · In cold blood = ruthlessly · Give a wide berth = keep away from · Tipped off = given advance information · Stew in his own juice = suffer for his own act · Hold out = offer · Shelve / held over = postpone · Out and out = thoroughly · For a song = very cheaply · Of his own accord = voluntarily and willingly · Cut off a corner = to take a short cut · Bird(‘s-eye view) = a general view.
4. Direct-meaning idioms (Set 130) — the tested list, by theme
These 250 items ask the meaning straight. The book repeats Q61–70 as Q71–80 (Easy does it, eat your words, eat out, edge out, eke out, En masse, keep an eye out, eat like a horse, egg on, ease up) — counted once below.
People & character
- A black sheep = scoundrel · A man of straw = one who has no influence · A turn coat = one who changes one’s opinion or party · A babe in the woods = someone innocent · Cheap skate = someone who doesn’t spend much money · Know-it-all = over-confident · Stuck up = snobbish · No spring chicken = not young · Along in years = getting old · Jailbait = still a minor · A golf widow = left at home when her husband plays golf · Down to earth = practical · Gung ho = enthusiastic · Means business = serious · After my own heart = liking the same things as me · The gift of the gab = skilled in talking · Quick on the uptake = understands quickly · Quick on the trigger = responds quickly · Know the ropes = experienced · Knock-out = very attractive · Pint-size = small · Heavy-duty = tough and powerful · In the pink = healthy · Out of shape = unfit · Long face = sad · Walking on air = happy · Up tight = worried · On edge = nervous · Quaking in your boots = afraid · Quiet as a mouse = timid · Dead tired = very tired · Fed up = had enough · Sick and tired = exasperated · A pain in the neck = bothersome · In your hair = annoying · Wear on = annoy · Hang your head = feel shameful · Heart goes out to someone = feel sorry for them · In the family way = pregnant · In the dog house = in trouble · Name is mud = in trouble · Be in deep water = in serious trouble · In the wind = imminent · Up in the air = undecided · In hand = under control · Upper hand = the advantage · Head start = begin before the others · Neck and neck = exactly even · Off the hook = out of trouble · Old hat = not new · Par for the course = typical · A matter of course = as a rule.
Conflict, trouble & danger
- At daggers drawn = at enmity · Below the belt = unfairly · Gun for = try to hurt · Rip into = attack · Lash out = kick or punch someone · Jump down someone’s throat = scold them · Talk back = answer rudely · Lean on = pressure someone · Walk all over = impose on · Kick around = treat badly · Act up = behave badly · Kick up a fuss = behave badly · A bad trip = an unpleasant drug experience · Gloss over = try to hide · Beat around the bush = avoid a question · Face the music = accept your punishment · Eat your words = apologise · Grin and bear it = put up with something · Ride out = survive safely · Nip it in the bud = prevent it at the start · Water down = weaken · Screw up = make a mess · Throw up = vomit · Kick the bucket = die · Out like a light = go to sleep quickly · Zonk-out = fall asleep quickly · Veg out = relax · Wet one’s whistle = have a drink.
Action, effort & success
- By leaps and bounds = very fast · Great guns = fast and hard · Go like clockwork = run smoothly · Like mad = enthusiastically · Against the clock = a test of speed or time · In less than no time = very soon · In the nick of time = in time · On time = not late · Just about = nearly · Month of Sundays = feels like a long time · Once in a blue moon = rarely · All hours = at irregular times · All along = all the time · Mark time = be idle · Call it a day = quit · Knock it off = stop it · Keep on = continue · Keep your shirt on = calm down · Ease up = make less nervous · No sweat = it’s easy to do · No hard feelings = don’t worry · Never mind = don’t worry about it · No doubt = certainty · Very well = giving consent · Say the word = give a sign · Make up your mind = decide · Think twice = hesitate · Jump at = accept quickly · Jump on the bandwagon = join in · Jump through hoops = obey any order · Joking apart = be serious · Join forces = unite · Pull off = succeed · Nail it down = finalise it · Iron out = complete small details · Beef up = make something stronger · Jazz up = make something more exciting · Hail from = come from · Hand it to = give credit to · A feather in your cap = an honour · Just what the doctor ordered = what you need · To a T = perfectly · Word for word = say it exactly the same · In toto / The works = everything · Far and wide = everywhere · Right and left = all around · Across the board = everyone or everything included · All and Sundry = everybody without distinction · En masse = as a group · Under the sun = on earth · Rain or shine = no matter what · Through thick and thin = through all kinds of experiences · Safe and sound = not harmed · Up front = sincere · Under wraps / on the QT / hush-hush = in secret · Under your breath = whisper · Under your nose = within sight · Zip your lip / Shut your trap = shut up / be quiet · Watch out = be careful · Rings a bell = sounds familiar · The way the wind blows = the way things are · Razzle dazzle = a fancy display · Vibes = feelings · Same here = agreeing · Uh-huh = yes.
Money, things & everyday life
- Bag and baggage = with all one’s belongings · Bed of roses = full of joys · Lion’s share = major share · A gala day = a day of festivity · A hard nut to crack = a difficult problem · A bone of contention = a reason for discord · A cock and bull story = an absurd tale · Chicken feed = a small amount of money · A dime a dozen = easy to get · A bit = a small amount · Fat chance = no possibility · Out of question = impossible · Up to the mark = standard · With open arms = warmly · In the teeth of = in the face of · Ins and Outs / the ins and outs = full details / the small details · The low down = the total truth · Bear in mind = remember something · Catch on = understand · Check up = investigate · Gather in = collect · Dish out = serve · Eat out = eat in a restaurant · Eat like a horse = eat a lot · Lap it up = take it in eagerly · Feel like = want to do something · Feel out = test an idea · Dare say = I suppose · Dash off = do something quickly · Rattle off = say things quickly · Dies down = fades away · Die out = disappear slowly · Falls through = fails to happen · Fall behind = not keep up · Back down = give up a claim · Back out = get out of an agreement · Do away with = stop something · Eke out = do with difficulty · Edge out = force out · Carry off = move · Cart before the horse = do things in the wrong order · Call the tune = give orders · Behind the scenes = privately · Be caught short = not have enough when needed · Egg on = encourage · Keep an eye out = watch carefully · Look alive = act busy · Lose heart = become unenthusiastic · Make off with / run away with / walk off with = steal · Make believe = pretend · Mixed up = confused · Makes sense = seems reasonable · Make a difference = matter · Neck of the woods = around here · Nose around = explore · Of age = old enough · Of service = useful · Out of order = doesn’t work · Pack off = send away · Pair off = put two things together · Part with = be separated from · Pass over = ignore · Pop up = appear suddenly · Put down = crush or stop · Raise eyebrows = shock · The rear end = the back part · Run away with = steal · Set your sight / zero in on = aim for · Shell out = spend money on it · Take charge = lead · Tell something apart = find the differences · Think up = invent · Tip off = warn · Used to = become accustomed to · Vote down = defeat · About time = at last · And then some = and a lot more · He didn’t bat an eye = he didn’t show surprise · At arm’s length = at a distance · Half baked = incomplete · Hook up = connect · Hush-hush = secret · In your hair = annoying · Easy does it = let’s do it carefully.
5. Master table: the proverbs and famous phrases papers repeat
These are the completions and classic phrases that recur in papers beyond the three sets — each verified against a paper-bank question or a Set 128 entry:
| Phrase | Meaning / completion |
|---|---|
| A stitch in time saves ___ | Nine (paper-bank completion) |
| A wild goose chase | A useless search |
| It never rains but it pours | Unfortunate events come together |
| Dark horse | An unexpected winner |
| Blue blood | Noble birth |
| A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush | A small actual advantage beats the chance of a greater one |
| A diamond in the rough | Basically good-hearted but lacking polish |
| A drop in the bucket | A very small proportion of the whole |
| Bite the bullet | Accept inevitable hardship and endure it |
| Let the cat out of the bag | Disclose a secret |
| Cost an arm and a leg | A very large amount of money |
| Barking up the wrong tree | Pursuing a false assumption |
| A wolf in sheep’s clothing | One who hides malice under kindliness |
| On cloud nine | Blissfully happy |
| Once in a blue moon | Very rarely (also in Set 130) |
| Through thick and thin | Through every obstacle (also in Set 130) |
| Cold feet | Losing enthusiasm or courage before an act |
| The apple of my eye | Someone cherished above all |
| Elephant in the room | An obvious topic nobody discusses |
| To see eye to eye | To agree with someone |
| To smell a rat | To suspect something is wrong |
| At one’s beck and call | Ready to obey at once |
| Against one’s grain | Against one’s nature or wishes |
| Spick and span | Neat and clean |
| Bring out | To reveal or make noticeable |
| Up to the ante | To become more competitive |
| Turn into pumpkin | To go to sleep (paper-bank keyed answer — the Cinderella midnight sense) |
5A. OPC idioms crib — Vocabulary book p. 30, rows 1–40
The OPC Vocabulary book opens its idioms list on p. 30 (OCR-verified in hidden_files/final-notes-intake/work/vocab-opc-pp21-30.txt, p. 30 clean; the list continues in Section 5B, pp. 31–40). Chapter-check result: of the 40 rows, 11 are already taught in this chapter (call it a day, burning question, dark horse, hard nut to crack, lion’s share, month of Sundays, all and sundry, at daggers drawn, bag and baggage, behind the scenes, bone to pick) and row 8 “Take out / Remove” is a plain phrasal verb, not an idiom — neither group is repeated. The 28 new idioms below are tabled with OPC’s meaning, corrected where loose. BankCount 1,635 unchanged.
| Idiom | Meaning (OPC gloss corrected where noted) |
|---|---|
| A bee in one’s bonnet | Be obsessed with an idea |
| Cheek by jowl | Close together |
| To swallow the bait | To fully accept something, especially a trick or lie |
| At the drop of a hat | Immediately, without hesitation |
| Groundbreaking | Innovative |
| A bull in a china shop | Aggressive and clumsy in a situation |
| To call the shots | Be in charge; make the decisions (OPC’s “take initiatives” is loose) |
| A fair-weather friend | A friend only in good times; false, selfish friend |
| A piece of cake | Easy to do |
| A pipe dream | An impracticable wish; an unrealistic idea |
| A slap on the wrist | A warning or small punishment |
| A wet blanket | Someone who spoils the fun |
| Above board | Honest, trustworthy |
| Above the fold | The top portion of a newspaper’s front page, visible when displayed folded |
| Airhead | A stupid or silly person |
| Alter ego | A very close friend; one’s second self |
| Apple pie order | Very neat and tidy |
| As fresh as a daisy | Very fresh and energetic |
| As the crow flies | The direct route; the shortest path between two points |
| At one’s fingertips | Easily available or accessible |
| At the eleventh hour | At the last possible moment |
| Beat about the bush | Avoiding the main topic |
| Between the devil and the deep sea | In a difficult situation between two dangers |
| Birds of a feather | People with similar interests or character |
| Blow one’s own trumpet | To boast; praise oneself |
| Bolt from the blue | A sudden and unexpected event |
| Blue-eyed boy | A favourite person |
| Break down | Stop working (of a machine); collapse, fail |
5B. OPC idioms crib — Vocabulary book pp. 31–40, rows 41–467
The idioms list continues on pp. 31–40 (vision-read in hidden_files/final-notes-intake/work/vocab-opc-pp31-40.txt, 10/10 pages; bank check script hidden_files/goldmine-notes-count-vocab-opc-pp31-40.py over 608 files / 58,098 questions — loose whole-text phrase matches only, so no 🔁/⭐/🆕 mark is claimed for any row here). Chapter-check result: of the 427 rows, 99 are already taught in this chapter (exact, article-variant or substance-variant — including ‘keep a straight face’, ‘put up with’, ‘bird’s-eye view’, ‘took to his heels’, ‘ran amuck’ and the rapid-fire/Section 5A families), 16 are in-book repeats of a new row tabled once here (rows 169, 232, 233, 266, 275, 279, 280, 283, 288, 295, 315, 384, 385, 448, 463, 466), and 3 are held (row 148 ‘give up smoking’ — a plain phrase, not an idiom; row 150 ‘hesitate / Demur’ — a single-word vocabulary pair; row 178 — a blank duplicate stub of row 181). The 309 new idioms below are tabled with OPC’s meaning, corrected where OPC’s wording misleads (clip the wings, pull strings, read between the lines, all in all, burn the candle at both ends, do away with, under a cloud, go to the wall, in the long run, hold up one’s head, go a long way, and the like — the transcription file records the printed wording). BankCount 1,635 unchanged.
| Idiom | Meaning (OPC gloss corrected where noted) |
|---|---|
| Break out | Occur suddenly |
| Break the ice | Start conversation |
| Burn midnight oil | Work hard |
| Bury the hatchet | To make peace |
| By fits and starts | Irregularly |
| By hook or by crook | By any means |
| Call a spade a spade | To speak in plain terms |
| Call on | Pay a visit to someone |
| Cap it all | The final, often worst, event completing a series |
| Carry on | Continue |
| Carry the day | To succeed; win |
| Clutch at straws | A desperate attempt to save oneself |
| Come up with | To think of; produce |
| Cool one’s heels | To be kept waiting |
| Couch potato | Lazy person |
| Cut the cake | To celebrate, as at a birthday |
| Diamond cut diamond | A cunning person matched against an equally cunning one; tit for tat |
| Eat one’s cake and have it | To enjoy both alternatives; have the benefit without the cost |
| Every trick in the book | Try every possible way |
| Eye wash | Misleading statement |
| Feel blue | Feel sad |
| Fender bender | Small car accident |
| Fight out | To fight until the end; settle by fighting |
| Fly in the face of | To go against; defy |
| Gain ground | To advance, to make progress |
| Get your goat | To irritate someone |
| Gordian knot | A very difficult task |
| Hairbreadth escape | A narrow escape |
| Hallmark | A mark of genuineness or quality |
| Have an axe to grind | To have a personal interest in a matter / selfish motive |
| Sick of life | Tired of life; living miserably |
| Heat up | Angry & agitated |
| Helter skelter | In disorderly confusion |
| Hide one’s light under a bushel | To conceal one’s talents |
| Hold one’s horses | Have patience |
| Hornet’s nest | A violent, angry situation |
| House of cards | A weak structure |
| In a jiffy | Without any delay |
| Just good enough | Barely adequate |
| Keep body and soul together | Have just enough money to live |
| Keep one’s own counsel | To preserve a discreet silence |
| Keep tabs on | To keep under observation / see carefully |
| Led astray | Misguided |
| Lionize | To treat a person as a celebrity |
| Make away with | To steal; run off with |
| Never-never land | An ideal, imaginary place |
| Not cricket | Unfair, illogical |
| Odds and ends | Remnants; small miscellaneous things |
| On the cards | To be likely to happen |
| On the fence | Undecided |
| Once in a while | Rarely; occasionally |
| Out of the blue | Unexpectedly |
| Over and above | In addition to |
| Pass away | Die |
| Prick up your ears | Listening carefully |
| Put on | Wear |
| Put out | Extinguish |
| Rule of thumb | A practical, experience-based rule |
| Side with | To support |
| Take a leaf out of someone’s book | Imitate or emulate someone in a particular way |
| Take someone’s word for | Believe what someone says |
| Take up | Start, To commence |
| The green-eyed monster | Jealousy |
| Tie the knot | Getting married |
| All ears | Ready and eager to listen |
| At loggerheads | In conflict with someone |
| Be green-eyed | Jealous |
| In two minds | To be uncertain |
| Old as the hills | Very ancient |
| Break a lance with | To engage in competition |
| Carry the day | To win a victory |
| Clip the wings | To limit someone’s power or freedom |
| Cross swords | To fight |
| Cry wolf | To give false alarm |
| Cut long story short | Come to the point |
| Drive home | To emphasize a point |
| End in smoke | To come to nothing |
| Fish in troubled waters | To profit from a disturbance |
| Flex one’s muscles | Show strength |
| Give one the sack | To dismiss a person |
| Have a green thumb | To have the ability to grow plants well |
| Hit the nail on the head | To say exactly the right thing |
| Hit the road | Start journey |
| Husband one’s resources | To manage one’s means with frugality |
| Lose face | To be humiliated |
| Make a clean breast | To confess |
| Make amend for | To compensate for damage |
| Meet one’s waterloo | To meet one’s final defeat |
| Pass by | Overlook |
| Pick holes | To criticize someone |
| Plough the sand | To work in vain |
| Pull one’s socks up | To make an effort to improve |
| Pull strings | To use influence to get something done |
| Put one’s hand to the plough | To take on a difficult task |
| Scratch somebody’s back | To give someone a favor expecting same in return |
| Set free | To release someone |
| Spill the beans | To reveal secret information |
| Take the bull by the horns | To deal with a difficult situation in a direct way |
| Take with a pinch of salt | To take with some reservation |
| Talk through one’s hat | Talk nonsense |
| Throw down the glove | To give a challenge (standard form: throw down the gauntlet) |
| Throw up the sponge | To give up; surrender |
| Turn over a new leaf | To change the old habits and adopt new ones |
| Wash one’s dirty linen in public | To discuss scandalous private matters in public |
| Wipe out | Eradicate something |
| Turn down | To dismiss; reject |
| Turn heads | Attract a lot of attention |
| Turn up | Appear |
| Under a cloud | Under suspicion; out of favour |
| Weal and woe | Joy and sorrow |
| Die away | Gradually / Diminish / disappear |
| Hit the sack | Go to bed |
| Come of age | Reach adulthood |
| Eager beaver | Extremely enthusiastic |
| Tongue in cheek | Being sarcastic, insincerity, irony |
| Too many irons in the fire | Engage in many activities |
| Cut the mustard | To meet expectations; be good enough |
| Eat, drink and be merry | Enjoy life, as it is short - often ascribed to Epicurus |
| A brain wave | A sudden bright idea |
| A casting vote | A deciding vote |
| A cat-and-dog life | Always quarrelling, like cat and dog |
| A close-fisted person | Miser |
| A drawn match | A game in which neither party wins |
| A lion in the path or way | A danger in one’s path |
| A maiden speech | The first speech |
| A man of letters | An educated person |
| A narrow escape | An escape at great risk |
| A red-letter day | A momentous day |
| A rotten egg | A black sheep |
| At short notice | With little time allowed |
| A snail’s pace | Very slowly |
| A square deal | A fair deal |
| Add fuel to fire | To aggravate trouble / intensify the situation |
| Add insult to injury | To humiliate more after insulting |
| Again and again | Repeatedly |
| All at sea | To be confused |
| All in all | On the whole; taking everything into account |
| All moonshine | A mere show |
| Alpha and omega | The beginning and the end |
| An open secret | A known secret |
| An uphill task | Difficult task |
| Animal spirits | Natural vigour and energy |
| Apple of discord | The cause of conflict |
| Apple of one’s eye | Very dear |
| As blind as a bat | Unable to see |
| As busy as a bee | To look very busy |
| At a stone’s throw | Very near, at a short distance |
| At arm’s length | To keep at a distance; avoid close involvement |
| At hand | Near, within reach |
| At times | Occasionally |
| Be at sixes and sevens | To be in confusion and disorder |
| Be cast down | Dejected |
| Beat one’s head against a brick wall | Try unsuccessfully |
| Bear the palm | To win something |
| Behind the times | Old-fashioned |
| Better half | Wife |
| Bird of passage | A person who shifts from place to place |
| Bread and butter | One’s livelihood; basic means of living |
| Break the news | To inform something |
| Bring home | Make others understand the meaning |
| Bring to book | Make someone to pay |
| Broken reed | A weak support; a person who fails you |
| Burn one’s fingers | Face the bad result of one’s own foolish action |
| Burn the candle at both ends | To exhaust oneself by working late and rising early |
| Burst into tears | Cry all of a sudden |
| By all | Most willing |
| By and large | Generally |
| By word of mouth | Orally |
| Call in question | To doubt the truth |
| Call names | Abuse |
| Call to account | Force to give an explanation |
| Call to mind | Remember |
| Cast a spell | Impress, influence |
| Cat’s paw | A person used as a tool |
| Catch at a straw | A desperate attempt to save oneself |
| Chicken hearted | Coward, lacking courage |
| Cold war | Hostility without open warfare, between states |
| Come off with flying colours | Succeed with great honour |
| Come to blows | To begin fighting |
| Come to grief | Face the loss |
| Come to light | Become known |
| Come to terms | Reach agreement |
| Create bad blood | To have enmity |
| Cry for the moon | Desire for the impossible |
| Cry over spilt milk | To cherish useless regrets |
| Cut a sorry figure | To make a bad impression |
| Day in, day out | All the time |
| Dead letter | Law or rule not in force |
| Die a dog’s death | To die a shameful death |
| Down and out | To be needy |
| Eat one’s words | To take back what one has said |
| Every cloud has silver lining | To have a ray of hope |
| Every inch | Completely |
| Fall prey to | To become a victim of |
| Fall in love | To be in love |
| Fall through | To fail |
| Feather one’s nest | Make oneself rich dishonestly |
| Few and far between | Few and rare |
| First and foremost | The first of all |
| Flesh and blood | Human nature with its weakness |
| From hand to mouth | To spend whatever one earns |
| Get into hot water | To be in trouble |
| Get on one’s nerves | Upset a person greatly |
| Get rid of | Get free from foolish or unwanted things |
| Get wind of | Hear about by rumor |
| Give and take | Be fair and honest in dealing with others |
| Give oneself airs | To be arrogant |
| Give the devil his due | Acknowledge good qualities of someone even enemy |
| Give up the ghost | To die |
| Go a long way | To help greatly; to last a long time |
| Go back on one’s words | Break the promise |
| Go hand in hand | Go side by side |
| Go through | To study |
| Go to the dogs | To go to ruin |
| Go to pieces | To be almost destroyed |
| Go to the wall | To fail; go bankrupt |
| Good for nothing | Worthless person |
| Hand in hand | Side by side |
| Heart and soul | Wholeheartedly |
| Hold one’s head high | To raise the head proudly |
| Hold one’s tongue | To be silent |
| Hold up one’s head | To remain proud; not be ashamed |
| Hope against hope | Very little hope |
| Hue and cry | A great noise |
| In a fix | In a difficult situation |
| In a nutshell | In short |
| In black and white | To write down on papers |
| In the air | Widely felt; going around (not ‘up in the air’ = undecided) |
| In consequence of | As a result of |
| In the long run | Eventually; over a long period |
| In the same boat | In the same unfortunate condition |
| Keep abreast | Keep in touch with |
| Keep an eye on | To watch over |
| Kith and Kin | Relatives |
| Lame excuses | Unsatisfactory reason |
| Laugh in one’s sleeve | To laugh secretly at a person |
| Laughing stock | Something or someone that causes laughter |
| Leave in the lurch | To leave a person in a difficult situation |
| Let down | Fail to help |
| Lick the dust | To be defeated or humiliated |
| Lose one’s head | To lose your presence of mind |
| Maiden flight | First flight of a plane |
| Make both ends meet | To live within short income |
| Make good | To compensate; make up for a loss |
| Make one’s blood boil | Make terribly angry |
| Make or break | Bring success or completely destroy |
| Move heaven and earth | Make great efforts |
| Neck or nothing | Every risk must be taken |
| Null and void | Make ineffective |
| Offhand | Without preparation |
| On the eve of | On the occasion of |
| On the face of it | In appearance |
| On the horns of a dilemma | Torn between two choices |
| On the whole | Taking everything into consideration |
| On top of | In addition to |
| Over head and ears | Deeply involved, in debt or love |
| Part and parcel | An essential part |
| Pay back in one’s own coin | Do to a person as he has done to you |
| Pay lip service to | To pretend to be faithful |
| Play a double game | To be deceitful |
| Play one’s trump card | Use one’s best chance to win |
| Play with fire | Invite danger |
| Pocket an insult | To submit to an insult |
| Poke one’s nose | To interfere, tease / irritate |
| Pros and cons | For and against |
| Put the cart before the horse | Put the wrong thing first |
| Rack and ruin | To be almost destroyed |
| Rainy day | Time of adversity |
| Read between the lines | To understand the hidden or implied meaning |
| Red tape | Official formality and delay |
| Rest on one’s laurels | To be satisfied with one’s achievement |
| Root and branch | Entirely |
| Royal road | An easy way to get success |
| Run short of | Lack of |
| Self-made | Having succeeded by one’s own efforts |
| Set a good example | To set a trend for others to follow |
| Set to work | To start working |
| Show the white feather | To show cowardice |
| Slip of the tongue | An unintended error in speaking |
| Split hairs | To dispute about things which do not matter |
| Spread like wild fire | To be made known everywhere in no time |
| Square meal | A full satisfying meal |
| Square peg in a round hole | A person in the wrong place |
| Stand on one’s own feet | Depend on oneself |
| Step into one’s shoes | To take another place |
| Stick to one’s guns | To remain firm |
| Storm in tea cup | To create much excitement over a petty thing |
| Sum and substance | Summary |
| Take a fancy to | To like |
| Take a leap in the dark | To take action without considering the result |
| Take advantage of | Taking benefits by using unfair means |
| Take for granted | Assume |
| Take into account | To consider |
| Take one’s time | Not to be in a hurry |
| Take upon oneself | Take the responsibility |
| Talk shop | To talk about one’s own business |
| The irony of fate | A stroke of misfortune |
| Throw cold water on | To discourage efforts |
| Throw light on | To illumine some matter |
| Back up | To encourage, to assist |
| Be at home in | To be at ease with; familiar with a subject |
| Be at a loss | To be unable to decide |
| In one’s bad books | To be in disfavour |
| In one’s good books | To be in favour |
| Be at one’s wits’ end | To be greatly confused |
| Sick of | Fed up |
| Beat black and blue | Badly bruised |
| Build castles in the air | To daydream |
| Carry weight | Have importance |
5C. OPC idioms crib — Vocabulary book p. 41, rows 468–504
The OPC idioms list ends on p. 41. Chapter-check result: of the 37 rows, 13 are already taught in this chapter (egg on, eke out, give up, go back on one’s words, keep body and soul together, make believe, smell a rat, tooth and nail, turn down, turn over a new leaf, weal and woe, with open arms, wolf in sheep’s clothing) and are not repeated. The 24 new idioms below are tabled with OPC’s meaning, corrected where loose.
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth | To be satisfied within one’s resources |
| Fall flat | To fail |
| Have clean hands | To be innocent |
| Keep up appearances | To pretend to be well off |
| Leave no stone unturned | To use all possible means |
| Lose sight of | To lose track of (OPC: “to lose, to de-track”) |
| Make one’s mark | To distinguish oneself |
| Shoot in the dark | To guess blindly (OPC: “to struggle in an uncertainty”) |
| Stand on ceremony | To pay great attention to rules of behaviour |
| Take French leave | To be absent without permission |
| Take to heart | To grieve over |
| To the backbone | Completely, thoroughly |
| Win the palm | To win a prize |
| Turn a deaf ear | To pay no attention |
| Turn one’s coat | To change one’s political side |
| Turn one’s head | To lose mental balance |
| Turn the tables | To reverse the position |
| Under the weather | Not feeling well |
| Ups and downs | Good and bad fortune, rise and fall |
| Wear and tear | Damage due to use |
| Well off | Rich |
| White elephant | A worthless possession giving no benefit |
| Win the laurels | To win honour |
| Work wonders | To act miraculously |
5D. OPC phrasal-verb crib — Vocabulary book pp. 42–45, rows 1–153
Phrasal verbs are idioms too (Section 1, rule 6) — and the book gives them their own list, “Important Phrasal Verbs”. Chapter-check result: of the 153 rows, 40 are already taught in this chapter (break down, break out, bring to book, call in, call to account, carry off, carry on, cast down, come of, come off, come up, fall in, fall through, get on, go through, go off, go back on, keep away, keep in, keep up, look sharp, look for, make off, make up, make up for, put down, put in, put on, put out, put up, put up with, run away with, run into, run in, run out of, set in, take back, take after, take in) and are not repeated. Rows 9–10 are one verb with two senses, tabled once. Nine further rows occur only as ordinary words in other English chapters, not as taught verbs, and are tabled here (break in, bring about, come in, fall out, get through, go up, go out, put off, take to). The 112 entries below carry OPC’s meaning, corrected where OPC misleads.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bear away | Win a prize |
| Bear down | Exert pressure |
| Bear out | Corroborate |
| Bear up | To endure |
| Bear with | Tolerate |
| Blow off | To give vent to one’s feelings |
| Blow out | To put out by blowing |
| Blow over | To move away, pass |
| Blow up | To fill with air; to burst or explode |
| Break in | Train a young horse; also, enter by force |
| Break into | Force entry |
| Break off | To stop suddenly |
| Break through | To enter by force |
| Break up | Disperse |
| Break with | To quarrel, to cease to be a friend |
| Bring about | Cause, to achieve |
| Bring down | To decrease |
| Bring forth | To produce |
| Bring off | To accomplish, pull off (OPC: “to carry”) |
| Bring on | Induce |
| Bring over | To import |
| Bring round | To revive |
| Bring up | To educate, to rear |
| Call at | To pay a short visit |
| Call down | To rebuke, scold (OPC: “condemned”) |
| Call for | Demand |
| Call off | Cancel |
| Call on / upon | To pay a visit |
| Call out | To draw forth |
| Call up | To recall, to ring up |
| Carry away | To be moved quickly and greatly |
| Carry out | Perform, to execute |
| Carry through | Sustain |
| Carry over | Postpone |
| Cast a glance | To look at |
| Cast away | To throw away |
| Cast off | To discard, to drive away, to disown |
| Cast aside | To reject as worthless |
| Come about | Happen |
| Come across | To meet by chance |
| Come down | To be reduced |
| Come in | To enter |
| Come out | To appear |
| Come round | To recover |
| Fall away | To decline gradually |
| Fall back | To yield |
| Fall back on | To have recourse to (printed “Fall back down” — garbled) |
| Fall in with | To meet |
| Fall off | Become less |
| Fall on / upon | Attack |
| Fall out | Quarrel |
| Fall to | To commence |
| Get about | To move |
| Get along | To agree |
| Get at | To attain to |
| Get away | To escape |
| Get off | To escape |
| Get over | Recover from illness, distress |
| Get through | To pass |
| Get on with | To live, get along with |
| Get up | Rise |
| Go abroad | To go to a foreign country |
| Go after | To chase |
| Go ahead | Proceed |
| Go along with | To agree, to follow |
| Go at | Attack |
| Go by | To be guided |
| Go down | Descend |
| Go in for | To take up as an interest or pursuit (OPC: “study”) |
| Go on with | Continue |
| Go over | Revise |
| Go up | To increase |
| Go out | Be extinguished |
| Keep back | Restrain |
| Keep down | Repress, control |
| Keep from | To avoid |
| Keep off | To stay away, keep at a distance (OPC’s “continue” is wrong — dropped) |
| Keep out | Prevent from entering |
| Keep up to | Stick to |
| Look after | Guard, to take care of |
| Look ahead | Think for the future |
| Look down upon | To despise, regard with contempt (OPC: “despite”) |
| Look forward to | Await eagerly |
| Look into | Investigate |
| Look over | Check quickly |
| Look through | To examine carefully |
| Look up | Seek a word (in a dictionary) |
| Look up to | Admire |
| Make for | To move in the direction of |
| Make out | Understand |
| Make over | To transfer |
| Make up one’s mind | To decide |
| Put aside | Save |
| Put back | Take back |
| Put forward | Advance, propose |
| Put off | Postpone |
| Run across | Meet |
| Run after | Follow |
| Run over | To drive over |
| Run down | Exhaust, be in poor health |
| Run away from | Avoid |
| Set about | Start a job |
| Set aside | To ignore or neglect |
| Set forth | To explain, describe |
| Set off / out | Start a journey |
| Set upon | To attack |
| Set up | To establish (OPC: “appoint” — one sense only) |
| Set up for | To pretend to be |
| Take down | Write down |
| Take off | Remove |
| Takeover | Gaining control of a company or organisation (OPC’s “inherit” is wrong — dropped) |
| Take to | To become addicted to |
5E. OPC proverbs crib — Vocabulary book pp. 46–47, rows 1–33
Chapter-check result: rows 17 and 27 are already taught in this chapter (sauce for the goose, put the cart before the horse), row 22 (fish in troubled waters) is already taught, and row 28 is an in-book repeat of row 17 with a second gloss — none is repeated. Row 12 (“He turned a deaf ear to my advice”) is the Section 5C idiom in sentence form and is not repeated. The 28 new proverbs below carry OPC’s meaning, corrected where OPC misleads.
| Proverb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A chip off the old block | Having the characteristics of one’s ancestors |
| A drowning man will catch at a straw (printed “drawing”) | Someone desperate will try anything for help |
| A house divided against itself cannot stand | A group divided against itself cannot survive (OPC gives only the Lincoln attribution) |
| A penny for your thoughts | To ask someone what they are thinking about |
| Actions speak louder than words | What a person does matters more than what they say |
| Bite more than you can chew | To try something too difficult, more than you can manage |
| Cross your bridges when you come to them | Deal with a problem when it occurs, not before |
| Don’t judge a book by the cover | Don’t judge by appearances |
| Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise | Franklin’s maxim for a disciplined life |
| Every cloud has a silver lining | A positive or hopeful side to every situation |
| Fair-weather friends | People who cease to be friends when one is in trouble |
| His bark is worse than his bite | He sounds dangerous but is not |
| It takes two to tango | No one person is responsible for the whole situation; everyone is involved |
| Let the sleeping dogs lie | Avoid reviving a conflict |
| Put the cat among the pigeons | To say or do something that makes many people angry |
| The best things in life are free | Money can’t buy the most important things in life |
| One man’s meat is another man’s poison | What one person likes may be distasteful to another |
| There is no smoke without a fire | There is some truth in a rumour |
| To cast pearls before swine | To offer something valuable to one who cannot appreciate it |
| To gather orange blossoms | To get a bride |
| Too many cooks spoil the broth | Too many people giving instructions causes problems |
| You have killed two birds with one stone | Find a single solution for two problems |
| None of this hanky-panky | No trickery, no deception (OPC: “jugglerly”) |
| You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours | If you do me a favour, I’ll return it |
| Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown | How tough the duty of kingship is |
| When angry, count a hundred | Give yourself time before reacting in anger |
| A friend in need is a friend indeed | A friend who helps when you really need help is a true friend |
| More to it than meets the eye | A hidden or deeper meaning beyond what is obvious |
5F. OPC proverb completions — Vocabulary book pp. 47–48, missing-words 1–49
Papers test proverbs by completion (Section 1): the tested word is bold. Chapter-check result: rows 2 (cry over spilt milk) and 43 (a stitch in time saves nine) are already taught in this chapter and are not repeated. The 47 new completions below are tabled as full proverbs with the book’s tested word bolded.
- A bad worker quarrels with his tools · Money makes the mare go · Keep the wolf from the door · The sun rises in the East · A blind man’s wife needs no paint · A frog in a well knows nothing of the ocean · A picture is worth a thousand words · Necessity is the mother of invention · Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched · Don’t put all your eggs in one basket · Even Homer sometimes nods · Familiarity breeds contempt · Fortune favors the brave · Heaven is high and the emperor is far away · Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned · If the cap fits, wear it · In for a penny, in for a pound · Justice delayed is justice denied · Rolling stone gathers no moss · Sleeping fox catches no poultry · The man once bitten by the snake fears every piece of rope · The more things change, the more they stay the same · The price of liberty is eternal vigilance · There is no place like home · Time is a great healer · To answer accurately is more important than to finish quickly · To rob Peter to pay Paul · Truth is stronger than fiction · You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink · Don’t change horses in midstream · You cannot have your cake and eat it too · He has a wisdom that doth guide his valour · Keep friends close and enemies closer · Fools rush in where angels fear to tread · Absence makes the heart grow fonder · While the grass grows, the steed starves · Hasty climbers have sudden falls · Law is never law unless it is enforced by sovereign authority · To pay off old scores is to have one’s revenge · Honest poverty is better than dishonest riches · Definitely it is a donkey’s year · Rome was not built in a day (printed “will not built”) · An early bird catches the worm · Best things come in small packages · Better late than never · Birds of a feather flock together · Still waters run deep.
5G. OPC Urdu-equivalent proverbs — Vocabulary book pp. 48–49, rows 1–14
The same proverbs with the Urdu equivalent the book prints — the English↔Urdu pair format papers also use (see UR-06 for the Urdu side). Chapter-check result: rows 10 (bread and butter) and 13 (take into account) are already taught in this chapter as English phrases and are not repeated; rows 3 and 5 are held — their Urdu lines are not confidently legible in the scan and are not transcribed rather than guessed. The 10 new pairs below give the Urdu equivalent as printed.
| Proverb | Urdu equivalent (as printed) |
|---|---|
| Out of sight, out of mind | نظروں سے اوجھل، دل سے اوجھل |
| All are not saints that go to church | بغل میں چھری، منہ میں رام رام |
| It takes two to make a quarrel | ایک ہاتھ سے تالی نہیں بجتی |
| Evidence does not need proof | ہاتھ کنگن کو آرسی کیا |
| More haste, less speed | آوے کا آوا بگڑا ہوا |
| A guilty conscience needs no accuser | چور کی داڑھی میں تنکا |
| A rolling stone gathers no moss | جو شخص ایک جگہ نہیں ٹھہرتا، وہ کچھ حاصل نہیں کرتا |
| A figure among ciphers | اندھوں میں کانا راجا |
| To pay through the nose | خمیازہ بھگتنا |
| To owe is to woe | ادھار محبت کی قینچی ہے |
5H. OPC Important Terms — Vocabulary book pp. 49–50, rows 1–72
Foreign, legal and Latin terms papers ask as vocabulary. Chapter-check result: in toto and per se are already taught in this chapter and are not repeated; rows 38 and 40 both concern one term and are tabled once as Intra. The 69 entries below carry OPC’s meaning, corrected where OPC mislabels or misleads.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ab initio | Initially, originally, at the beginning |
| Ad hoc | For a specific purpose |
| Ad interim | In the meantime |
| Ad libitum | To any extent |
| Affaire de cœur | An affair of the heart, love affair |
| Anarchist | A person who does not like any system |
| Audi alteram partem | A rule of Natural Justice (printed “National”) — hear the other side |
| Aqua | Latin for water |
| Bona fide | Genuine |
| Carte blanche | Full discretionary powers |
| Casus belli | An event or situation that provokes a war |
| Caucus | A closed political meeting; private group of party leaders |
| Chauvinism | Strong belief that one’s own country is important |
| Corrigendum | Things to be corrected |
| Coup d’essai | A first attempt |
| Coup d’état | Sudden overthrow of a government (OPC: “illegal”) |
| Cul-de-sac | A passage with one outlet; a dead end |
| Chargé d’affaires (printed “D’affaires”) | A diplomat who heads an embassy in the absence of the ambassador |
| Affaire d’amour | A love affair |
| D-Day | The day of a planned military operation (OPC: “a day of victory”) |
| De facto | Actual as a fact; in practice |
| De novo | New |
| De jure | Rightful, by law |
| Douceur | Bribe |
| Dyad | A two-member group |
| En route | On the way |
| Ex officio | By virtue of one’s position or status |
| Ex parte | On one side only |
| Ex post facto | With retrospective action or force |
| Extradition (printed “Extente”) | Transfer of a foreign fugitive to his home country |
| Faux pas | A false or incorrect step; blunder, mistake |
| Hegemony | Power to control others |
| Ibid | In the same book |
| In camera | In a judge’s private room; in the chamber of the judge |
| Instil | To introduce ideas (gradually) |
| Inter alia | Among other things |
| Intra | Within (rows 38–40: row 38 mislabels it “Intro”, row 40 reverses it as “Less than |
| Laissez-faire | Non-interference of the state in the economy; Adam Smith advocated the theory |
| Lingua franca | A common language |
| Locus standi | Legal right of a party to appear and be heard before a court |
| Magnum opus | A great work; masterpiece |
| Mala fide | In bad faith; treacherously |
| Mantra | A word with spiritual power |
| Mime | Acting where the story is told through movements and gestures without words |
| Modus operandi (printed “Modes operandi”) | Way things operate; working habits; plan of action |
| Modus vivendi | Mode of living |
| Monolith | A single, large organisation very slow to change |
| Nom de plume | Pen name |
| Portmanteau | A large travelling bag; in vocabulary use, a word blending two words (OPC: “large box”) |
| Pre-emptive attack | Attack before the enemy’s attack |
| Prima facie (printed “Priama Facie”) | At first view |
| Pro bono | For the good; free |
| Quid pro quo | A favour or advantage granted in return for something |
| Résumé | Short statement (of one’s career) |
| Rex | King |
| Sine die | Without fixing a date; indefinitely |
| Stare decisis | The doctrine of precedent (OPC: “doctrine of rule of law”) |
| Status quo | Present state |
| Sub judice | A court case under consideration |
| Sui generis | Latin for unique; of its own kind |
| Suo motu | On its own motion; action taken by the court itself |
| Tundra | Area of land in the north of Asia, America and Europe |
| Ultima ratio (printed “Ultra-ratio”) | Final argument |
| Ultra vires | Beyond one’s authority |
| Vice versa | Reversed, conversely (tabled here although the phrase occurs as ordinary text in EN-01/EN-05 — no chapter teaches it as a term) |
| Vide infra | See below |
| Vide supra | See above |
| Vis-à-vis | In relation to; face to face |
| Viva voce | By word of mouth; oral |
5I. OPC Important Terms — Vocabulary book pp. 51–53, rows 73–159 (tail)
The tail of the book’s Important Terms list, completing Section 5H (rows 1–72). Chapter-check result: row 73 “Viz-a-Viz — That is to say” is held, not re-taught — it is a mis-glossed repeat of Vis-à-vis, already taught correctly in Section 5H as “in relation to; face to face”. Rows 99, 124 and 151 are repeated “Term | Definition” headers, not terms. Six rows already taught as terms in EN-01/EN-06 are not repeated: Archives, Clique, Good offices, Hedonism, Jobbery, Shoal. OPC mis-glosses corrected below are flagged; no 🔁/⭐/🆕 mark is claimed for this section — the bank script found only loose whole-text matches.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 5 W’s term | Who, What, When, Where, Why — the journalist’s five questions (OPC: “related with journalism”) |
| Agenda | List of matters to be discussed in a meeting |
| Amicus Curiae (printed “Curie”) | A friend of the court; a person invited to advise a court on law |
| Anarchism | Lawlessness; absence of government |
| Apartheid | A policy of racial discrimination |
| Balance of Payments (printed “Balance of Payment”) | Balance between a nation’s payments for imports and receipts from exports |
| Banana republic | A small state that is politically unstable |
| Belief | The mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust in another |
| Binational state (printed “Binomial state”) | Two nations co-existing within one state |
| Birkenhead drill | Women and children first |
| Black gold | Petroleum |
| Bonanza | A situation where large profits are made |
| Bonded labour | Forced labour |
| Bootlegging | A form of smuggling (illicit liquor trade) |
| Brain drain | Migration of skilled labour to other countries |
| Bullet Vote | A ballot in which electors confine their interest to one issue or candidate |
| Condominium | A building with individually owned apartments and shared facilities |
| Contraband | Articles banned by government; illicit goods |
| Deportment | The way a person stands and walks |
| Digital divide | Socioeconomic gap related to technology access |
| Electoral system | Method of translating votes into seats; determining election outcomes |
| Empathy | The ability to understand and share others’ feelings |
| Environmental pollution | Contamination of air, land, and water due to human products |
| Ethics | Study of morality; from Greek Ethikos, from ethos |
| Federation | A voluntary union of sovereign and independent states |
| Fifth column | A secret group of supporters of an enemy who try to undermine a nation’s unity; treachery |
| Forgery | Fraudulent alteration of writing |
| Fourth estate | The press |
| Franchise | The right to vote in elections |
| Gerrymandering | Establishing a political advantage for a party or group by manipulating district boundaries |
| Habeas corpus | Writ requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge; constitutional guarantee of personal freedom (OPC gloss corrected) |
| Hippocratic oath | The oath taken by doctors (physicians) |
| Hobson’s choice | No choice at all; take it or leave it |
| Hung parliament | A parliament in which no single party has a majority |
| I.Q. (intelligence quotient) | Index of intelligence determined through answers to set questions |
| Immortal | One who cannot die |
| Inclusive education | An approach for educating students with special educational needs |
| Industrial revolution | Transformation of Britain from a mainly agricultural society to an industrial one, 1760 to 1840 |
| Inflation | A fall in the value of money; a general rise in prices (OPC: “money falls in value”) |
| Jingoism | Extreme nationalism and patriotism |
| Judicial activism | Independent decision-making by the court, going beyond strict interpretation |
| Judicial review | Doctrine under which a legislative statute or executive action is subject to possible invalidation by the judiciary |
| Kangaroo court | An unofficial court held by a group to try someone regarded, especially without good evidence, as guilty |
| Kerb | The open-market exchange rate of currencies (kerb market) |
| Leading questions | Questions suggesting the answer; prompting the answer wanted |
| Learning | A change in an individual’s behaviour prompted by information and experience |
| Migration | Instinctive movement of animals or people from one place to another and back again |
| Mixed economy | Co-existence of public and private sectors; market forces with government intervention |
| Mixed feeling | A feeling of love and hate; unclear feelings |
| Murphy’s Law | Everything that could go wrong would do so |
| Paper gold | Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) in the international monetary system |
| Pariah state | A state not acceptable to the world, avoided by every country |
| Parliamentary system | A system whose feature is collective responsibility |
| Polity | Originally applied to the Greek city-state |
| Population density | Average number of people per unit of area |
| Proletariat | The class of wage earners, associated with Marxism |
| Recycling | Processing of industrial and household waste so it can be reused |
| Reformation in European history | The Protestant Reformation |
| Reformative theory | Theory of punishment based on “kill the sin, not the sinner” — reform of the offender |
| Restitutio in integrum (printed “Restitution and integrum”) | Restoration to the original condition |
| Romance language | A language descended from Latin — Vulgar (popular) Latin (OPC gloss corrected) |
| Round house | A place where a train (locomotive) is turned around |
| Rubicon | A significant boundary; a point of no return |
| Rules of thumb | Easily applied procedures for making a determination; rough estimates |
| Shadow cabinet | A group of opposition critics shadowing ministers in parliament |
| Slump | A prolonged period of economic decline (OPC: “an economic term” — expanded) |
| Social interaction | The ways in which people respond to one another |
| Social mobility | Movement of individuals or groups between positions in a society’s stratification system |
| Social role | The set expectations of people occupying a given social position or status |
| Teetotalism | Abstinence from strong drink; one who never takes strong drinks |
| Third world | Underdeveloped countries (dated term for developing countries) |
| Track II Diplomacy | Managing relations between two countries using unofficial channels |
| Utilitarianism | Good consists in creating the greatest happiness for the largest number of people |
| Vassal state | A state completely subordinate to another state |
| White goods | Durable consumer goods like refrigerators, washing machines |
| Yellow journalism | Sensationalism; journalism meant to provoke the public |
| Yeoman’s service | Efficient or useful help in need |
6. Rapid-fire one-liners
- Cold shoulder = ignored · Snake in the grass = secret enemy · Crocodile tears = pretended sorrow · Tooth and nail = with all one’s might · Left no stone unturned = used all available means · In cold blood = ruthlessly / deliberately · Fair and square = honest / upright · Hand in glove = very good friends · Under his thumb = unduly controlled · Silver spoon = born wealthy · Rolling in money = very rich · Storm in a tea cup = fuss about a trifle · Die is cast = decision made · Bell the cat = take the lead in danger · Draw the long bow = exaggerate · Moot point = undecided · Hard and fast rule = unbreakable rule · Burning question = widely debated issue · Making hay while the sun shines = use a favourable situation fully.
- At daggers drawn = at enmity · Bag and baggage = with all belongings · Bed of roses = full of joys · Lion’s share = major share · By leaps and bounds = very fast · Up to the mark = standard · With open arms = warmly · A black sheep = scoundrel · A bone of contention = cause of discord · A cock and bull story = absurd tale · A hard nut to crack = difficult problem · A man of straw = no influence · A turn coat = changes party/opinion · Out of question = impossible · Ins and outs = full details.
- Kick the bucket = die · Nip it in the bud = stop it at the start · See eye to eye = agree · Beat around the bush = avoid the question · Face the music = accept punishment · Eat your words = apologise · Call it a day = quit · Know the ropes = experienced · Once in a blue moon = rarely · In the nick of time = just in time · To a T = perfectly · Under wraps = in secret · Off the hook = out of trouble · Back out = withdraw from an agreement · Make up your mind = decide · Think twice = hesitate · Jump on the bandwagon = join in · Give credit (hand it to) = acknowledge merit.
- A stitch in time saves Nine · Dark horse = unexpected winner · Wild goose chase = useless search · Blue blood = noble birth · Bird in the hand = certain small gain beats uncertain greater gain.
7. Most-asked facts (from our verified past-paper banks)
- The sets are the syllabus: 1,597 set questions dwarf the 38 labelled paper idiom questions — but the paper questions prove the formats. A student who masters Parts 1 and 2 has covered the idioms papers actually set; Set 128 is backup for the famous phrases in Section 5.
- 38 set phrases also appear verbatim in paper question text (cross-check, not added to the count): at daggers drawn, back out, bad blood, below the belt, bone to pick, crocodile tears, fed up, in cold blood, ivory towers, kick the bucket, left no stone unturned, put his foot down, rolling in money, see eye to eye, snake in the grass, tipped off, tooth and nail, took him to task, under his thumb, wiped the nose and others — these are the highest-priority idioms in the chapter.
- Paper formats to expect: “Choose the correct meaning of the idiom: To see eye to eye”, “What does the idiom ‘bad blood’ mean?”, “Meaning of the idiomatic sentence, ‘A wild goose chase’?”, and proverb completions (“A stitch in time saves ___”).
- Two-word verbs dominate Part 2: roughly half of Part 2 is phrasal verbs (back down, call it a day, eat out, fall behind, keep on, make off with, pack off, pull off, set your sight, think up). Learn them as units, not as verb + guess.
8. Traps & confusions
- In cold blood — two shades, one phrase: Part 1 keys it ruthlessly, Part 2 keys it deliberately. Both are the same idea (done without feeling, on purpose) — in a paper, pick the option closest to “deliberately and without pity”; do not treat the two keys as different idioms.
- Fair and square — same phrase, same answer: Part 1 upright, Part 2 honest. Identical meaning, different wording — another reminder to match sense, not exact words.
- On the wane appears twice (Part 1 Q26 and Q55) with answers growing less and declining — again the same meaning in different words.
- Took to his heels appears twice (Q33, Q47) — ran away both times. On its last legs appears twice (Q64, Q126) — about to perish both times. Flesh creep appears twice (Q35, Q71) — horror / frightened. Repeats in the book are revision signals, not errors.
- Diffident, not “very different”: one Part 1 stem is misprinted in the book; the keyed meaning is lacking self-confidence — the word is diffident. Learn the word, not the misprint.
- Built upon sand: the book’s key was corrected during extraction to the standard meaning established on insecure foundations — if a guidebook prints the looser “resting on immature ideas”, this chapter’s answer wins.
- Literal options are always wrong: “At arm’s length = length of arm”, “Kick the bucket = kick a bucket”, “Crocodile tears = tears of a crocodile” — strike the literal option first, every time.
- Look-alike pairs: hold out = offer, but held out = resisted; give in = yield, but give a wide berth = keep away; make off with = steal, but make up your mind = decide; take after = resemble, but take charge = lead; put up with = tolerate, but put his foot down = refuse to yield. The particle or the second word decides the meaning.
- Set 128 distractors are authored: its wrong options come from other entries’ meanings, so two options can both sound like real phrases — only the book’s printed meaning for that exact phrase is correct.
- Urdu idioms are a different chapter: PPSC papers also carry Urdu muhawaray (e.g. sabz bagh dikhana = false promises) — those belong to the Urdu chapters, not this one, and are excluded from this chapter’s count.
9. Memory tricks (professional recall hooks)
- The BODY ladder: shoulder (cold = unfriendly) → teeth and nails (fight with everything) → thumb (under someone’s control) → neck (stick it out = take a risk) → feet (cold feet = lose nerve) → face (keep it straight = stay serious). Walk the body top to bottom and the idioms hang on it.
- The ANIMAL gang: snake in the grass (secret enemy), crocodile tears (fake sorrow), black sheep (scoundrel), dark horse (surprise winner), wild goose chase (useless search), wolf in sheep’s clothing (hidden malice), kick the bucket (die — farmyard, final). Animals = character and fate idioms.
- The MONEY trio: rolling in money (very rich), silver spoon (born rich), cost an arm and a leg (very expensive) — rich, born rich, expensive, in that order.
- The FIGHT pair: tooth and nail (fight with everything) vs at daggers drawn (in enmity) — the first is how you fight, the second is the state you are in.
- The TIME set: in the nick of time (just in time), once in a blue moon (rarely), month of Sundays (feels endless), by and by (gradually), high time (already late) — five idioms, five positions on the clock.
- The SECRET set: under wraps, on the QT, hush-hush, behind the scenes, backstairs influence — all five mean hidden; if the question’s tone is secrecy, one of these five is usually the answer family.
- Phrasal-verb rule: OUT usually means finish or escape (back out, die out, eat out, run out of), UP usually means complete or raise (beef up, jazz up, screw up is the exception — it means ruin), OFF usually means away or stopped (call it a day is quit, pack off is send away, tip off is warn). The particle is the meaning.
10. Visuals (site build specs)
- INFOGRAPHIC — The three formats: side-by-side cards for Set 128 (dictionary), Part 1 (sentence) and Part 2 (direct), each with one worked example (cold shoulder in a sentence; at daggers drawn direct; bird in the hand from the dictionary) — placed in Section 1.
- DIAGRAM — The body ladder: a simple figure with Section 9’s body idioms labelled at shoulder, teeth, thumb, neck, feet and face — placed in Section 9.
- TABLE — The animal gang wall: Section 9’s animal idioms as a sticky revision card (snake, crocodile, black sheep, dark horse, wild goose, wolf) — placed in Section 3.
- INFOGRAPHIC — Literal-trap warning: each idiom shown with its literal reading struck through and its figurative meaning beside it (kick the bucket, cold shoulder, storm in a tea cup, burning the candle at both ends) — placed in Section 2.
11. Practice this topic
- Practice set: 1,635 verified questions serve this chapter — the three idiom sets (Miscellaneous Vocabulary 1,218 + Part 1: 129 + Part 2: 250 = 1,597) plus 38 explicitly labelled English idiom questions from the FPSC (20) and PPSC (18) paper banks, in the same three formats (sentence idiom, directly named idiom, proverb completion). The site serves them as this chapter’s practice set, filtered by the subject=english + idioms tags; Set 128’s 40 dropped duplicate repeats and Part 2’s verbatim repeat block (Q71–80 = Q61–70) are deduplicated at serve time.
- Book mode: ← Previous: Vocabulary Method · Next: Punctuation Rules →
Goldmine Notes · English · Chapter 2 · Sources: FPSC “Advanced FPSC & Other Federal Model Papers” Edition 32, English sets 128–130 (Miscellaneous Vocabulary, Idioms and Phrases Parts 1–2, book pp. 674–715), verified FPSC + PPSC past-paper banks. Standard answers only; book-key corrections recorded in the production log. 2026-11-02 OPC unit 3: Section 5A idiom crib (28 rows, Vocabulary book p. 30, rows 1–40; 11 rows already taught, row 8 “Take out” held as a plain phrasal verb, not an idiom); OCR-verified in hidden_files/final-notes-intake/work/vocab-opc-pp21-30.txt; bankCount 1,635 unchanged; 2026-11-02 OPC unit 4: Section 5B idiom crib (309 rows, Vocabulary book pp. 31–40, rows 41–467; 99 already taught, 16 in-book repeats, 3 held; bankCount 1,635 unchanged; 2026-11-02 OPC unit 5: Sections 5C–5H (Vocabulary book pp. 41–50 — idiom tail 24 rows, phrasal verbs 112 entries, proverbs 28, completions 47, Urdu pairs 10, terms 69; 290 entries total; bank check script hidden_files/goldmine-notes-count-vocab-opc-pp41-50.py over 608 files — loose whole-text matches only, no 🔁/⭐/🆕 claimed; bankCount 1,635 unchanged).