Idioms and Phrases - 2

Idiomatic Pairs of Nouns

1. Bread and butter (material welfare )

 *  We should work hard for our bread and butter.

2. Body and soul ( entirely )

 *  Dinesh has given himself to the pursuit of pleasure, body and soul.

3. At the beck and call (at the service)

  *  My friend is always at my beck and call.

4. (To play) ducks and drakes (to waste money )

 *  Mohit has ruined himself by playing ducks and drakes.

5. (Through) fire and water ( through every sort of difficulty )

 *  Seema remained with Sohan through fire and water.

6. Flesh and blood ( human nature )

 *  Flesh and blood can bear it no longer.

7. ( By) fits and starts ( irregularly )

 *  Mita does her work by fits and starts.

8. Fire and fury ( enthusiasm )

*  The Principal's speech was full of fire and fury.

9. By hook or by crook (by fair or foul means )

 *  Today, every one wants to get ajob by hook or crook.

10. Heart and soul ( earnestly )

 *  He is working heart and soul to pass the examination in a good division.

11. Kith and kin (blood relations )

  *  One should love one's kith and kin.

12. By leaps and bounds ( rapidly )

  *  The population of India is increasing by leaps and bounds.

13. Over head and ears (excessively )

  *  He is running in debt over head and ears.

14. Ins and Outs ( full details )

  *  Everyone should know the ins and outs of their business.

15. Under lock and key ( in a safe place )

  *  Kanta keeps her ornaments under lock and key.

16. Latin and Greek ( unintelligible )

  *  Her speech proved to be Latin and Greek to the audience.

17. Odds and ends ( bits )

  *  The last chapter of his thesis deals with odds and ends.

18. Pros and cons ( For and against )

  *  Please consider the pros and cons of this issue.

19.Time and tide ( course of time )

 *  Time and tide wait for none.

20. Tooth and nail (vehemently )

 *  Gandhiji fought for India's freedom tooth and nail.

21. Part and parcel ( a thing which is a component part of a specified whole )

 *  Every citizen should consider himself as a part and  parcel of India.

22.The rank and file ( all with distinction )

 *  The government should make schemes keeping in view the wider interest of the rank and file.

23. Sum and substance ( the whole meaning )

  *  He told me the sum and substance of his plans.

24. Ups and downs ( change in fortunes )

  *  Life is full of ups and downs.

25. Null and void ( illegal )

  *  The order of the court has become null and void.

26. Ways and means ( neccessary funds )

  *  We should find out ways and means to carry out our plans.


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Idiomatic Pairs of Adjectives

1. All in all (Supreme, of the first importance )

*  The Principal is the all in all in college.


2. All and sundry ( all without distinction )

 *  He invited all and sundry to the feast.


3. In black and white ( in writing )

  *  The witness gave his statement in black and white.


4. Fair and square ( honest and proper )

  *  The sons made a fair and square distribution of their ancestral property among themselves.


5. Blow hot and cold ( to be in favour at one time and against at another )

  *  Harish blows hot and cold. None believes him.


6. Hard and fast ( strict, definite )

  *  There is no hard and fast rule in English.


7. High and low ( everywhere )

  *  God is high and low.


8. Long and short ( the sum and substance )

  *  Please tell me the long and short of this matter.


9. Rough and ready ( not elaborate )

  *   I have prepared a rough and ready scheme for building my house.


10. Slow and steady ( resolute,constant )

  *  Slow and ateady wins the race.


11.Safe and sound (quite well )

  * Mukesh returned from forest safe and sound.


12. Right or wrong ( if it be right or wrong )

  *  Right or wrong, I will do this work.


13. Well and good ( well as a thing goes )

  *  Well and good, you should try to help her.


14. Better half (wife )

  *  My better half is a good companion of mine.


15. High and mighty ( arrogant )

  *  The manager is very high and mighty in his behaviour.


16. (At ) sixes and seven ( in a state of disorder )

  *  When I reached his house, I found his books at sixes and sevens.

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