Most common used “Idioms” with Hindi Explanations.

1. All and sumdry (छोटे मोटे सब ) All and sumdry went to see the fair.

2. At length ( अंत में ) At length, he agreed.

3. By hook or crook (किसी न किसी तरह ) He got his work done by hook or (by) crook.

4. In the long run (अन्त में ) India won the Kargil conflict in the long run.

5. At bay (दूर रखना ) We should keep bad company at bay.

6. At an arm’s length (दूर रखना ) Keep that naughty boy at an arm’s length.

7. By mean fair or foul (किसी भी तरह ) He believes in getting his goal achieved by mean fair of foul.

8. Once in a blue moon ( बहुत कम ) He come here only once in a blue moon.

9. At the eleventh hour (ठीक समय पर ) I reached the station at the eleventh hour.

10. To face the music (कठोर परिणामो का सामना करना )If you make any mischief, you’ll have to face the music.

11. At one’s wit’s end (परेशांन  होना ) I’m at my wit’s end what to do.

12. Between the devil and the deep sea (दो मुसीबतों में )He’s between the devil and the deep sea and can’t decide whether he should go there or not.

13. An apple of one’s eye (आँखों का तारा ) His only son is an apple of his eye.

14. An apple of discord (झगडे की जड़ ) Kashmir is the apple of discord between India and Pakistan.

15. A hard nut to crack (अति कठिन समस्या) Kashmir problem is a hard nut to crack.

16. A dark horse (छुपा रुस्तम ) Mr. Sukhdev came out a dark horse at the hustings.

17. A madien speech (प्रथम भाषण) It was my maiden speech.

18. A narrow escape (मुश्किल से जान बचाना ) He had a narrow escape in the accident.

19. A close shave (मुश्किल से जान बचाना )

20. Chips of the same block (एक ही ठेली के चट्टे – बट्टे ) They are chips of the same block.

21. A bosom friend (एक घनिष्ट मित्र ) Mr. Prem is my bosom friend.

22. A broken reed (एक अविश्वसनिय व्यक्ति ) Don’t depend upon him; he’s only a broken reed.

23. A loose canon (एक वियक्ति जिस से किसी समय भी हानि हो सकती हैं ) Be away from him; he’s a loose cannon.

24. A man of parts (कई गुणों वाला व्यक्ति ) Gandhiji was a man of parts.

25. A man of letters (एक विद्वान व्यक्ति ) Gurudev Tagore was a man of letters.

26. A snake in the grass (छिपकर हानि पहुचाने वाला व्यक्ति ) Beware of him, he is a snake in the grass.

27. A wet blanket (होंसला तोड़ने वाला व्यक्ति ) Don’t disclose your plans to him; he’s only a wet blanket.

28. Beside the mark (अयुक्तियुक्त) Your remarks are beside the mark.

29. All the rage (रिवाज होना ) There’s all the rage for such types of clothes these days.

30. To call a spade a spade (सत्य बोलना) It requires courage to call a spade a spade.

31. In a fix (संकट या परेशानी में) I’m in a fix as I don’t know what to do.

32. A shot in the arm (प्रोत्साहन मिलना) Clinton’s advice to Nawaaz Sharif to pull his forces out of Kargil, shot in India’s arm. 

33. A feather in the cap (कोई प्रशानिया काम) To have passed the I.A.S. examination is a (or another in his cap.

34. A hue and cry (बहुत शोर) On seeing the thief, the children raised a hue and cry.

35. All moonshine (सब दिखावा) This world is all moon-shine.

36. Crocodile tears (मगरमच्छ के आंसू ) Many people shed crocodile tears on a neighbour’s death.

37. By leaps and bounds (दिन दुगनी रात चोगनी) India is progressing by leaps and bounds.

38. To catch a Tartar (बहुत दर जाना ) The Pakistan army caught a Tartar due to the Indian forces.

39. To make neither head nor tail of (समझ न आना ) I make neither head nor tail of what you say.

40. To make a clean breast of (सब कुछ बक देना ) The convict at last made a clean breast of
everything. ,

41. To show a clean pair of heels (सिर पर पाँव रखकर भाग जाना) The mercenaries showed a clean pair of heels to the Indian army.

42. To get the wind of ( पता लगना ) I’ve got the wind of his plans.

43. To set the ball rolling (बात आरंभ करना ) You must set the ball rolling at the meeting.

44. A black sheep (ग़द्दार ) There are many black sheep in every country.

45. In full swing ( पूरे जोरों पर ) The fair in the full swing.

46. A blessing in disguise (छिपी नियामत ) His failure in the M.A. examination proved a blessing in disguise for him since he made great progress in business.

47. A laughing stock (हंसी का हव्वा ) Don’t make a laughing stock of yourself by talking nonsense”.

48. A white elephant (सफ़ेद हाथी) Public sector has proved a white elephant to India.

49. An axe to grind (अपना उल्लू सीधा करना ) I don’t have an axe to grind in this matter.

50. A bone of contention ( झगड़े का कारण ) This piece of property is a bone of contention between the two brothers.

51. A man of straw (एक अति साधारण व्यक्ति ) None cares for him; he’s only a man of straw.

52. A yeoman’s service (महत्वपूर्ण सेवा ) The martyrs hale done a yeoman’s service to the country.

53. A wolf in sheep’s clothing (एक धोखेबाज व्यक्ति ) Beware of him; It’s a wolf in sheeps’ clothing.

54. To be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth (अमीर घराने में जन्म लेना ) Pt. Nehru was born with a silver spoon is his mouth.

55. A cock and bull story (अक मनघडंत कहानी ) I can’t believe this-tack and bull story.

56. A dog in the manger (जो दुसरो के काम न बनने न दे ) He’s a dog in the manger who wouldn’t have the benefit of this scheme nor let others have it.

57. A red-letter day (एक अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण दिन ) 15th August in a red-letter day in the history of India.

58. A turn-coat (अपनी पार्टी पदलना ) He is a turn-coat and shouldn’t be depended upon.

59. An early rising bird (प्रातः जल्दी जागने वाला व्यक्ति ) My brother is an early rising bird.

60. To harp on one’s own tune (अपनी ही हांकना ) He’s always harping on his own tune.

61. To turn over a new leaf (अपने जीवन को बदन लेना ) He has turned over a new leaf in his life.

62. To take a leaf out of (किसी के जीवन से कुछ सीखना ) We should try to take a leaf out of Gandhiji’s life.

63. To give a wide berth to (दूर रखना ) We should give a wide berth to antisocial elements.

64. To have a blue blood (धनी घराने में सम्बन्ध रखना ) He has no blue blood in his veins.

65. To beat about the bush (इधर उधर की हांकना ) Please come to the point; don’t beat about the bush.

66. At one’s beck and call (सेवा के लिए सदा तयार रहना ) He’s always at my beck and call.

67. To flog a dead horse (गुजरी बातों को याद करना ) It’s of no use to flog a dead horse.

68. Above board (शंका रहित ) Our conduct must be above board.

69. For good (सदा के लिए ) The English left India for good.

70. Through and through (पूरी तरह ) He is through and through a patriot.

71. Every inch (पूरी तरह ) He’s every inch a patriot.

72. Off and on (कभी – कभी ) He visits this place of and on.

73. Hard and fast (पक्के तोर पर ) There are no hard and fast rules in this connection.

74. At sixes and sevens (बिखरे हुए ) His books are lying at sixes and sevens.

75. By fits and starts (रुक-रुक कर ) He studies only by fits and starts.

76. To make both ends meet (गुजरा करना ) It is very difficult for a poor man to make both ends meet these days.

77. To read between the lines (ध्यानपूर्वक पढना ) I read his letter between the lines.

78. In black and white (लिखकर ) The agreement was signed in black and white,

79. A white lie (सफ़ेद झूठ ) It is a white lie to say that India attacked Pakistan.

80. Ins and outs. (सब कुछ ) I know all ins and outs of this matter.

81. To catch time by the forelock (समय का लाभ उठाना ) We should catch time by the forelock to make our country a great one.

82. To tell upon one’s health (स्वास्थ्य बिगड़ना ) Hard work told upon his health.

83. A.B.C. (प्रारंभिक सिद्दांत ) I don’t know the A.B.C. of painting.

84 To turn a deaf ear to (ध्यान न देना )  He turned a deaf ear to my advice.

85. To poke one’s nose (दुसरो के काम में हस्तक्षेप करना ) Never poke your nose into others’ affairs.

86. All in all (सब कुछ ) He’s all in all in this office.

87. To grease the palm ( घूस देना ) You can’t done anything unless you grease the palm of the concerned official.

88. To get into hot water (कठिनाई में पड़ जाना ) Pakistan got into hot water after crossing the LoC in Kashmir.

89. A big gun (एक महत्वपूर्ण व्यक्ति ) He’s a big gun of this town.

90. To leave in the lurch (मुसीबत में छोड़ देना ) We should never leave anybody in the lurch.

91. To fall flat on (कोई प्रभाव न होना ) All my advice fall flat on him.

92. To carry the day ( जीत जाना ) India carried the day in the Kargil conflict.

93. To the backbone (पूर्ण-रूपरेखा ) He’s a patriot to the backbone.

94. For a song (बहुत कम मूल्य पर ) His works were sold for a song.

95. Spick and span (साफ सुथरा ) We must keep our homes spick and span.