List-14
1. An Apollo
Meaning: – a man with a perfect physique
Use: – Even an Apollo cannot lift this stone.
2. The apple of discord
Meaning: –a cause of strife, contention, or quarrel
Use: –Land is the apple of discord between the two brothers.
3. To upset the apple cart
Meaning: –to disturb the peace
Use: –His tricks have upset the apple cart of his rival.
4. Apple pie order
Meaning: –In perfect order
Use: –I keep all my things in an apple pie order
5. To be tied to his mother’s apron strings
Meaning: –to be under the control and influence of his mother
Use: – As he is tied to his mother’s apron strings, he cannot take any decision by himself.
6. To keep a person at arm’s length
Meaning: –Â to avoid coming in contact with a person
Use: –Â I always keep selfish friends at arm’s length.
7. To take up arms
Meaning: –to fight; to go to war
Use: –Bhagat Singh took up arms against the British Rule.
8. To receive with open arms
Meaning: –to welcome cordially
Use: –My friend in Mumbai received me with open arms.
9. To have an axe to grind
Meaning: –to have some selfish objective in view
Use: –Behind his offer of help he has an axe to grind
10. A Babel
Meaning: –A confused noise
Use: –Â I was disturbed by a Babel of voices from the next room.
11. Red tape
Meaning: –the term used to describe the delay in attending to matters in government departments because of official routine and formality
Use: –The case was delayed because of the red tape in the government office.
12. To give
Meaning: – (a person) plenty of rope (to allow a person to act as he pleases in order that he may commit some blunder)
Use: –He is spoilt because his father has given him plenty of rope.
13. Rough and tumble
Meaning: –in a disorderly manner
Use: –My books are rough and tumble in the room.
14. To win the rubber
Meaning: –to win the majority of a given set of matches in a tournament, e.g. cricket
Use: –Australia won the rubber in the tournament.
15. To cross the Rubicon
Meaning: –to take a decisive step from which there is no turning back; to cast the die
Use: –He has crossed the Rubicon and has become a poet.
16. To pay off old scores
Meaning: –to have one’s revenge for an offence of long-standing
Use: –By ruining his rival he paid off old scores.
17. To see daylight
Meaning: –to begin to understand
Use: –At first he did not believe me but in the end, he saw daylight.
18. To see red
Meaning: –to be mad with anger
Use: –When he found out the plot against him, he saw red
19. A close shave
Meaning: –a narrow escape
Use: –His car collided with a tractor but he had a close shave.
20. To take silk [to become a Q.C.
Meaning: –Queen’s Counsel
Use: –With hard labour, he was able to take silk.
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