List-9
1. To curry favour
Meaning: – to seek favour by flattery
Use:- He does not work but tries to curry the favour of his officer.
2. Cut and dry
Meaning: –ready-made
Use:-He is in search of a cut and dry formula for success.
3. To cut a dash
Meaning: –to make an impression
Use:-He cut a dash by his excellent performance.
4. A cut-throat
Meaning: –a murderer
Use:-The police has caught the cut-throat who committed two murders.
5. To be at daggers drawn
Meaning: –to be deadly enemies
Use:-Santa Singh and Banta Singh are at daggers drawn over a piece of land.
6. A dare-devil
Meaning: –a fearless, reckless man
Use:-He fought like a dare-devil in the battle.
7. He has seen better days
Meaning: –He was once prosperous
Use:-He is bankrupt, but he has seen better days.
8. Evil days
Meaning: –a period of misfortune
Use:-I have fallen on evil days. You should face these evil days bravely.
9. To give the devil his due
Meaning: –give a person credit for his good qualities however worthless he may be
Use:-He is mischievous, but to give the devil his due he is intelligent also.
10. Go to the devil
Meaning: –Be oft
Use:-Go to the devil, and don’t disturb me.
11. To be a dog in the manger
Meaning: –to prevent others from using what one cannot use one; to be selfish
Use:-He neither plays himself nor lets others play. He is a dog in the manger
12. Down and out
Meaning: –penniless, ruined
Use:-After a loss in business, he is down and out.
13. Eagle-eye
Meaning: –quick to discover, very discerning
Use:-nothing can escape Mohan’s eagle-eye
14. To eat one’s words
Meaning: –to apologies; to take back what one has said)
Use:-He spoke without thinking and had to eat his words later.
15. To turn turtle
Meaning: –to overturn
Use:-In the accident, the car turned turtle.
16. A white elephant
Meaning: –a useless possession which is extremely expensive to keep
Use:-His imported car is a white elephant for him.
17. At the eleventh hour
Meaning: –at the last moment
Use:- I reached the railway station at the eleventh hour and caught the train.
18. At his wit’s end
Meaning: –utterly confounded
Use:-He was at his wit’s end when he got the news of his failure.
19. At the end of his tether
Meaning: –unable to proceed any further
Use:-after working for ten hours, I was at the end of my tether
20. Odds and ends
Meaning: –Remnants
Use:-He gathered his odds and ends and went away.
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