Grammar 374 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs

IDIOMS + PHRASAL VERBS

A
1. A blind alley  ) (L.B. 2010)
Dialogues on Kashmir issue always prove to be a blind alley.
2. Aim at    (Bpu 2014)
Nuclear missiles aimed at the main cities of enemies.or The talks are aiming at a
compromise.
3. At hand    (Sar 2015)
Students work hard when exams are at hand.
4. A man of word   (Sar 2015)
A man of word is respected everywhere.
5. A bluestocking    
Bano Qudsia was a bluestocking, and she is still respected in literary circles.
6. A bone of contention   (Bpur 2014)
Greed is a bone of contention between the two brothers.
7. Above board  ,  

 (Bpur 2014, D.G Khan 2014, Lhr, 2016)
He is open and above board in his dealings. or His financial dealings were always
above board.
8. A curtain lecture  
His wife gives him a curtain lecture if he is late from the office.
9. A far cry from  
    
Democracy is a far cry from dictatorship.
10. A man of letters     (Lhr, 2016)
Our English teacher is a man of letters.
11. An axe to grind       (Swl 2014)
I have no personal axe to grind in this matter.
12.    (Lhr 2014, 16,Guj.2014, 2015, Bpur 2014)
At the eleventh hour  
He paid his dues at the eleventh hour.
13. A maiden speech  (Lahore 2014, Guj 2015)
Her maiden speech impressed us.
Grammar 375 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
14. At length  
These issues have been dicussed at length.
15. A narrow shave / A hair breadth escape   (2014, 2015, Mirpur 2014)
Passengers had a narrow escape in an accident.
16. A rolling stone     
An inconsistent person never succeeds because a rolling stone gathers no moss.
17. A red letter day    (Bpur 2014, D.G Khan 2014)
The day I won the prize was a red letter day for me.
18. A dark horse    (Guj 2015), Sarghoda 2014)
He proved a dark horse and won many prizes in annaul sports.
19. A black sheep    
  (Fsd 2015, Rwp 2014, Lhr 2016)
Beware of black sheep in your company..
20. At cross purpose    
Two colleagues were at cross-purposes with the officials.
21.  
Add insult to injury  
He called him a thief and added insult to injury by saying that his father was a cheater.
22. Amazon   
She proved herself to be an amazon in the battlefield.
23. An eye wash    
American was just an eye wash for opportunists.
24. A rotten egg      
A rotten egg creates a lot of problems for his family.
25. (To be) all in all (  )   
Allah is all in all in the universe. or All in all,the party had been a great success.
26. (To be) a wet blanket     (Swl 2014)
He is a wet blanket because he ruins everyone's good time.
27. (To be) all at sea   
A young teacher was all at sea in his first class.
28. (To be) at daggers drawn    (Lahore 2012)
The two brothers have been at daggers drawn since the death of their father.
29. (To be) at home in    (Swal 2014)
 
My daughter was at home in using computer.
Grammar 376 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs

30. (To be) at one's wits' end  

He is at his wits' end due to the heavy loss in his business.
31. (To be) at large  
       (Lahore 2016)
The criminals are at large in the city.
32. (To be) an apple of discord   
Kashmir is an apple of discord between the two countries.
33. (To be) at one's beck and call    
A good Muslim should be at the beck and call of Allah.
34. (To be) a man of straw  
They don't trust him because he is a man of straw.
35. (To be) a bed of roses     
Those who think that life is a bed of roses live in a fool's paradise.
36. (To be) a drawn game    (Lahore 2013)
Both the teams got one point each after the drawn game.
37. (To be) a hard nut to crack   
To reduce poverty in Pakistan will be a hard nut to crack.
38. (To be) a bosom friend      (Fsd 2015)
A bosom friend does not leave you alone in uncertain cicumstances.
39. (To be) an apple of one's eye   
Being the only daughter,she is the aple of her father's eye.
40. (To be) in an apple-pie order    (Guj 2014)
A careful person keeps everything in an apple-pie order.
41. After one's own heart  
He has built his house after his own heart.
42. (To be) a bolt from the blue         (Mul 2015)
He was ready for going abroad,but his illness proved a bolt from the blue.
43. A wild goose chase     (Lahore 2011)
He wasted his life on a wild-goose chase. or His desire to succeed without hard work
would be a wild-goose chase.
44. A near miss       (2013)
His attempt to pass the Inter Examination was a near miss as he failed by a few marks.
Grammar 377 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
45. All and sundry    (Guj 2014)
All and sundry came to see the village fair.
46. A part and parcel  
Television has now become a part and parcel of our homes.

47. To add fuel to fire  

The speech of labour leader added fuel to the fire,and factory workers went on strike.
48. (To be) a stone's throw 
 
I never arrive late because my college is a stone's throw from my home.
49. A bird of passage      
You cannot find him because he is a bird of passage.
50. A blessing in disguise     (Lahore 2013, Swl 2014)
Losing that job was a blessing in disguise really,and I ended up in a much more
enjoyable career. or He could not get a seat in the plane;it was simply a blessing in
disguise in its flight.

51. At the risk of  

Labourers build big buildings at the risk of their lives.
52. At a loss  
I was so embarrassed that I was at a loss for words.
53. At a stretch   
He can study ten hours at a stretch.
54. An oily tongue  
   
The person who has an oily tongue can convince others easily.
55. A jack of all trades 
 
He is a jack of all trades but master of none.
56. Above all   
Quaid-e-Azam was honest, brave and above all truthful.
57. A.B.C   
I do not know even the A.B.C of computer.
58. A jail bird    (Lahore 2015, Sar 2015)
He was an escaped jail bird. or The police caught an escaped jail bird from the crime
site.
Grammar 378 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs

59. Alpha and Omega   

The Alpha and Omega of Islam is that God is one and Mohammad () is His last
Prophet.
60. At a loose end   
Anwer is at a loos end after his retirement.
61. A child's play     
It is not a child's play to pass the degree examination without hard work.
62. Allahdin's lamp     
Those who dream of Allahdin's lamp can achieve nothing.
63. Animal spirits   
The children romped on the lawn, full of animal spirits.
64. An iron will    
A man of iron will never gives up, even in difficult situation.
B
65. Between two fires     (Guj 2014)
Getting criticism on his failure from his father and mother has put him between
two fires.
66. Break the news    (2011)
She had to break the news to her father about her mother's death.
67. Burn the candle at both ends      
Those who burn the candle at both ends spoil their health.
Note: According to Oxford Advanced Learners' Dictionary, the idiom means to become
very tired by trying to do too many things and going to bed late and getting up
early.
68. Bread and butter   
Corruption is bread and butter issue of Pakistan.or My bread and butter is teaching.
69. Beard the lion (in his own den)  
If the landlord does not contact us soon,we will have to beard the lion in his den.
70. Burn one's fingers   
If you keep bad company, you will burn your fingers.
71. Bull's eye   
The finance minister's speech on attracting new investments hit the bull's eye.
72. By hook or by crook     (Sar 2014)
He wants to become rich by hook or by crook.
Grammar 379 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
73. Bag and baggage      (Lahore 2015, 2016 (Bpur 2014)
They left their city bag and baggage.
74. Beat about the bush       (Guj 2014)
You are wasting my time by beating about the bush.

75. By leaps and bounds    

Pakistan is making progress by leaps and bounds.
76. Breakthrough    
Modern scientists are making breakthroughs in the field of medicine.
77. Bring to book    (D.G Khan 2014)
Government should bring all criminals to book.
78. Birds of a feather  
After all, birds of a feather flock together.
79. Burning question   (Fsd 2015)
Corruption is a burning question of our society these days.
80. Burn the midnight oil   (Guj 2015)
He is burning the midnight oil now-a-days to get good marks.
81. A broken reed    (2013, Sar 2014)
I asked for his help,but he proved to be a broken reed.
82. Break the ice     (Lahore 2010)
Everyone was quiet in the hall until she broke the ice by cracking a joke.
83.   (Lhr 2010, 2013)
Blow hot and cold   
You cannot trust a person who blows hot and cold in the same breath.
84. Bury the hatchet    
It is time for the politicians to bury the hatchet and make peace with one another.
85. Bear the brunt of    
The lazy peon had to bear the brunt of his boss's anger.
86. A bird's eye view     (D.G Khan 2014)
This book gives a bird's eye view of the subject.
87.   (Rwp 2015)
Be at sixes and sevens  
Children are at sixes and sevens in the absence of their parents.
88. Blue blood  
Ali has a noble character because he has blue blood in his veins.
Grammar 380 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs

89. Bad blood   (Guj 2014)

Kashmir is the cause of bad blood between Pakistan and India.
90. By fits and starts    (Rwp 2014)
Ahmad worked on his film by fits and starts.
91. By and large   (Mul 2015)
I disagree with him on certain points,but by and large his speech was fine.
92. By dint of  
 
He succeeded in examinations by dint of his persistence.
93. To blow one's own trumpet   
He likes self praise;he always blows his own trumpet.
94. To bring to light    
At last his crime was brought to light by the police enquiry.

95. Better half    (Lhr 2010)

One must have complete trust and confidence in one's better half.
96. Bad debt   
 
The company collapsed because of bad debt.
97. Break new ground  
Advancements in computer technology break new ground almost every day.
98. Burn one's boats   
He has burnt his boats by signing the bond for serving the company for ten years.
99. A bee in the cap / bonnet    (Lahore 2012)
He has got a real bee in his cap |bonnet about keeping pets.
100. Be taken in    
A simple villager was easily taken in by a cheater.
101. Bear the palm    
Nawaz bore the palm in the declamation contest    .
102. Beat the air     (Mirpur 2014)
He merely beat the air, for his son was not ready to follow him.
103. Black and blue-(     
The dog had been beaten black and blue by its owner.
104. Bring down the house -       
As a rising star, she is always able to bring down the house during each performance.
Grammar 381 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs

105. Broken health -   

His broken health is the result of smoking.
106. Bury one's head in the sand -    
Burying your head in the sand will not change the situation; you must face it.
107. Cut / string / wound to the quick     (Bpur 2014)
The husband's cruel words cut his wife to the quick.
108. Be in a jam   
The captain was in a jam as his team lost the cup.
109. To be under a cloud      
The cabinet minister left his office under a cloud after a fraud scandal.
C
110. In cold blood    (Lahore 2011)
Robbers killed him in cold blood.
111. Come to grief     
If you don't reform yourself,you will come to grief.
112. Carry the day     (Lahore 2015, Sarg 2014)
Despite strong opposition the ruling party carried the day.
113. Cry over spilt milk    
After the bad result, it is no use crying over spilt milk.
114. Carry too far    
His jokes are funny,but sometimes he carries them too far.
115. Come to blows   
Players nearly came to blows with the opponents during the match.
116. Come of age   .
He will get the property of his father when he comes of age.
117. Cut a sorry figure   (Lhr 2012, Guj 2015)
She did not work hard and cut a sorry figure in the examinations.
118. Call into question     (Grw 2014)
His shady character calls his honesty into question.
119. Cat's paw     (Lhr. 2013)
He was merely a cat's paw of an older and cleverer man.
120. Cock - and - bull story    
Grammar 382 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
Nobody will believe your cock and bull story.
121. Cat and dog life     
They have lead a cat and dog life ever since they were married.
122. Cast pearls before swine    
Advising a stubborn person is just like casting pearls before swine.
123. Call a spade a spade    (Mul 2014)
It takes real courage to call a spade a spade.
124. To carry weight   
Your strong arguments carry weight.
125. (A) casting vote   
The chairman used his casting vote in favour of the opposition.
126. To cry for the moon   
Dreaming of success without work is as useless as crying for the moon.
127. (To) cast a slur upon    
    
He has cast a slur upon his family name by his evil deeds.
128. Crocodile tears  
She shed crocodile tears for her dead husband.
129. A close-fisted man      (Lahore 2013, Sar 2014, Swl 2014)
He is a close fisted man and spends sparingly on his family.
130. To come to the point  
Stop beating about the bush and come to the point.
131. To call (someone) names  
 (Grw 2015, Mul 2015)
It is bad to call someone's names.
132. To come to light   (Lhr 2010, Sar 2014)
 
Many facts came to light by the police inquiry.
133. Cast aside  
The project for building a new college was cast aside because of lack of funds.
134. Cast in one's lot with  
For better or worse, the husband cast in his lot with his wife.
135. Come down upon   
He came down upon his enemy with all his might.
136. As cool as a cucumber   (Lhr 2011)
A great leader remains as cool as a cucumber in all circumstances.
137. Call to account -   
Grammar 383 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
The principal called the mischievous student to account and fined him.
138. Cast / throw in one's teeth -      
Aslam did not finish the project in due time, therefore, his boss cast this mistake in his teeth.
139. Castles in the air -  
Building castles in the air is pleasant but useless.
140. Catch / Grasp / Clutch at a straw -     
A drowning man catches at a straw.
141.   (Lhr 2010)
Cheek by jowl - 
The master and the slave sat cheek by jowl on the prayer rug.
142. Cry wolf -     
The Indian leaders often cry wolf in order to get more weapons from their allies.
143. Cut your coat according to your cloth       (Fsd 2010)
A sensible person always cuts his coat according to his cloth.
D
144. A dog in the manger        (Fsd 2015)
No child wants to play with a dog in the manger.
145. Day in and day out   
He worked day in and day out to win the prize.
146. Die in harness    (Mul 2014)
Quad-e-Azam died in harness.
147. Dance attendance on   
A good servant always dances attendance on his master's words.
148. Day by day   
 
After using this medicine, he is recovering day by day.
149. To do away with   
We should do away with the customs of the Hindus.
150. Double-faced   (D.G Khan 2014)
Double-faced politicians cannot solve the problems of a common man.
 
151. To die by inches     (Rwp 2010)
Being a T.B. patient, he died by inches.
152. Dead letter   (Sar 2014)
Capital punishment is now a dead letter in some countries.
Grammar 384 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs

153. Down and out    (Mul 2015)

One should help those who are down and out.
154. Draw the line at   
He drew the line at one thousand rupees and refused to pay more.
155. Dutch courage    
Battles cannot be won by Dutch courage.
156. Die like a dog -    
Traitors die like a dog and they deserve it.
157. In the doldrums -  
Pakistani economy is in the doldrums.
E
158. End in smoke      (Grw 2012, 2015)(Bpur 2014, D.G Khan 2014 )
All the efforts of the teacher to make students learn the topic ended in smoke.
159. To eat one's words      (Lhr 2010)
He will eat his words when I win.
160. Every inch   (2014)
My father is every inch a gentleman.
F
161. Fall flat       (Rwl 2015)
My advice to mend his ways fell flat on him.
162. From the scratch    (Mul 2015)
He will start his business from the scratch after his father's death.
163. A fish story 
 
He tried to fool me with a fish story.
164. Fair play     (2014)
Islamic society should be based on fair play and honesty.
165. Fall in with  
After my convincing speech, he fell in with my idea at once.
166. From hand to mouth    (Lahore 2016)
Common people live from hand to mouth in Pakistan.
167. A fair weather friend    (Swl 2014)
Fair weather friends usually leave their companions in difficulty.
168. 
Few and far between    
Grammar 385 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
Unexpected respites are few and far between in our college.
169. For good   
He left Gujranwala for good.
170. Flog a dead horse  
To try to succeed half-heartedly is to beat a dead horse.
171. French leave   
The clerk faced the music after he had taken French leave.
172. To fish in troubled waters     (Mirpur 2014)
He wanted to fish in troubled waters by creating enmity between two brothers.
173. A fish out of water   
I felt fish out of water without my friends.
174. To feather one's own nest       
He feathers his nest by misusing his position.
175. First and foremost    
Our first and foremostduty is the care of our family.
176. Fair and square   
We followed all the rules and got the money fair and square
.
177. To fall a prey/victim to      (D.G Khan 2014)
She fell a prey/victim to bad habits.
178. To find fault with     (D.G Khan 2014, Sar 2014)
The people who always find fault with othersare not liked.
179. Foul play      
The referee sent off two players for foul play.
180. Fight with one's back to the wall   
The Muslims fought with their back to the wall and put the enemies to flight.
181.  
Flesh and blood    
I respect my flesh and blood. or Patriotism is in my flesh and blood.
182. Fly in the ointment     (2014)
His father proved a fly in the ointment in our parties.
183. Fair sex    (Lhr. B. 2014, 2015, Guj. 2015)
The concert has a great attraction for thefair sex.
184.   
Fall to work -    
Grammar 386 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
They fell to work as soon as they got the new consignment.
185. Follow suit  
When one airline reduces its price,the others follow suit.

G
186. To give vent to     (Multan 2014)
Children give vent to their anger in various ways.

187. Get into hot water   

You will get into hot water if you waste your time.
188. Give (a person) the cold shoulder   
He is very upset because everybody gives him a cold shoulder after his financial loss
.
189. Give the devil his due    

To give the devil his due, I admit his performance in the film.
190. Get wind of 
I don't want my fellows to get wind of the fact that I'm going abroad.
191. Go to dogs / pieces   
Young boys go to the dogs if they are not guided.
192. Go to the wall  
He is always willing to go to the wall for his friends.
193. Gift of the gab   
His gift of the gab made him a wonderful politician.
194. Give a good account of      
A hard working student gives a good account of himself in his exams.
195. Give loose (free) rein to   
The young boys gave loose rein totheir passions and fell a prey to wrong company.
196. Give oneself airs  
He always gave himself airs about his achievements.
197. Go through fire and water 
A determined man goes through fire and water bravely.
198. To go a long way   
A lot of contribution of the people towards the help of flood victims
will go a
long way
199. To get rid of     
Grammar 387 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
You should get rid ofsmoking.
200. To gird up one's loins   
Gird up your loins to get good marks in the exams
.
201. To give up the ghost   
Many people gave up the ghost during corona.
202. Give a false colouring to -  
He gave a false colouring to my statement and left me.
203. Give-and-take -     
Give-and-take policyprevails now a days.
204. Give (someone) the slip -   
Cunning peoplealways manage to give a slip totheir creditors.
205. Go back on one's words    (Lahore 2014)
Honest people do not go back on their words.
206. Go to law -   
The family could not settle thedispute and had to go to law.
207. Gala day     (Rwp 2011, Lahore 2014)
14th August is a gala day for the Pakistanis.

H
208. High and mighty   (Mul, 15)
He could punish her for buing high and mighty.
209. A hard pill swallow  (Fsd, 15)
His failure was a hard pill to swallow for his father.
210.  
Hand in glove with 
They were working hand in glove with our enemies.
211. Hobson's choice      
She opted for a clerical job as Hobson's choice because no other job was available.
212. Hue and cry   (Grw 2014, Rwp 2014, Bpur 2014)
The workers raised a great hue and cry against the new tax proposal
.
213. Hand in hand 
Good sleep and happiness alwaysgo hand in hand.
214. Heart and soul    (Lahore. 2013, 2016)
We love our country heart and soul.
Grammar 388 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs

215. Hard and fast   

We should follow the hard and fast rules of our college.
216.   (Lhr 2010, 2012)
Hope against hope  
We are hoping against hope for change in Pakistan..
217. Hang in the balance  
The two wrestlers were equally strong and the result hung in the balance for full one
hour.
218. Hold water     (Grw 2014)
An accused person story did not hold water.
219. To hit below the belt   
Onlt a coward hits below the belt.
I
220. In the teeth of    (Lhr. 2014)
The bill was passed in the teeth of strong opposition.
221. In the air     (Lhr. 2010)
The news of his resignation is in the air.
222. In full swing   
The arrangements of his birthday are in full swing.
223.  
In the nick of time  
The rescue team came in the nick of time.
224. In black and white   (Lhr. 2011)
We should make every agreement in black and white.
225. In short  
In short, he will not help us in this crisis.
226. (To be) in a fix    (Lhr 2010, 2013)
The new student is in a fix in his first class.
227. (To be) in one's good books of    
An honest servant remains in the good books of his master.
228. (The) ins and outs  
A student must know the ins and outs of all the subjects..
229. In the dark  
Parents should not be in the dark about the activities of their kids.
Grammar 389 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
230. In full bloom  
Fahid died in full bloom of his youth.
231. In a nutshell   (Lhr 2010)
In a nutshell, our country is full of resources.
232. In the long run    
Honesty will pay you in the long run.
K
233. Keep at arm's length    (D.G Khan 2014)
We should keep bad boys at arm's length to succeed in life.
234. Keep abreast of      
A good student keeps himself abreast of the current affairs.
235. Kith and Kin   (Rwp 2015)
 
He loves his kith and kin heart and soul.
236. Kick the bucket   
He had a heart attack and kicked the bucket.

237. Keep one's end up   

My friend keeps his end up even when he is in crises.
238. Keep the ball rolling         
He is vocal and knows well how to keep the ball rolling in a gathering.
239. Keep the wolf from the door  
He works hard to keep the wolf from the door.
240.  
Keep a straight face  
He always keeps a straight face when he is in adversity.
241. Keep up appearances  
 
They were angry but kept up appearances for the sake of their children.
242. Kick up a row   
Mr. Ralston kicked up a row with Mr. Chips.
243. Keep an eye on    (Lhr 2014)
Government should keep an eye on the prices of food items.

L
Grammar 390 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
244. Lame excuse     (Grw 2015)
You should not make lame excuses to avoid work.
245. Leave in the lurch   
Our best friend left us in the lurch at the peak of crises.
246. Lick the dust|bite the dust     (Lhr. 2011, 2015)
India had to lick the dust in the war.
247. Lead by the nose     (Lhr. 2013)
Uneducated people can be led by the nose by clever politicians.
248. To leave no stone unturned    
She left no stone unturned to get admission to a medical college.
249. Laughing stock    
His activities became the laughing stock of the college students.
250. Long and short  
The long and short of it is that they are willing to start the work in January.
251. Lend an ear  
Students are always willing to lend an ear to the teacher's advice.
252. Laugh in (up) one's sleeve -   
It is a bad habit to laugh in one's sleeve over the discomfort of others.
253. Lose one's head -      
The people who are short-tempered lose their head very quickly.
254. Look down upon     (Lhr. 2011, 2013)
The rich should not look down upon the poor.
255. Look forward to   
He is looking forward to meeting you soon.
M
256. Make both ends meet     (Rwl 2015, Swl 2014)
It is difficult for a poor man to make both ends meet in rising inflation.
257. To make a clean breast of     
She made a clean breast of her crime in the court.
258. To move heaven and earth   
He promised to move heaven and earth to win the scholarship.
259. To make up one's mind     
Grammar 391 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
I have made up my mind to complete higher studies.
260. To make one's mark  
   
Baber Azam made his mark as a great cricketer.
261. Make a mountain of a mole hill  
I am only five minutes late; you are making a mountain of a mole hill.
262. Make an ass of oneself    
She made an ass of herself in the class because of her foolishness.
263. Make faces at    
Ill-mannered children make faces at others.
264. To make headway     (Rwp 2014)
He is trying to make headway with the project.
N
265. A necessary evil  
Most Pakistanis accept taxes as a necessary evil.
266. Nip the evil in the bud   
The judge punished him for his first crime to nip the evil in the bud.
267. Null and void    (Lhr 2010, Bpur 2014)
The election was declared null and void.
O
268. Once and for all   (Fsd 2015)
They solved the problem once and for all.
269. Out and out  

No one believed her because what she said was an out - and - out lie.
270. On air    
The new radio station will be back on air tomorrow morning.
271. Off and on  
I have had toothache off and on for a couple of months.
272.  
Over and above   
The waiters get good tips over and above their salary.
273. Once in a blue moon    
He comes to see me once in a blue moon because of his busy routine.
274. Offhand   
Grammar 392 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
He tried to deliver the speech in an offhand manner.
275. Over head and ears   
He was over head and ears in debt of banks.
276. On account of   
He was expelled from the college on account of irregularity.
277. On the score of  
He was granted three days' leave on the score of injury.
278. On the horns of a dilemma  
 
Whether to go abroad or stay here, he is on the horns of a dilemma.
279. Odds and ends   
I cleared most of the big things,but there are a few odds and ends left to pick up.
280. Of one's own accord   
He constructed his house of his own accord.
281. On the spur of the moment   
He jumped into the river on the spur of the moment and saved the drowning child.
P
282. Put the cart before the horse      
Putting the cart before the horse results in failure.
283. Poke one's nose    (Mirpur 2014)
A lot of people poke their noses into the lives of others.
284. Pros and Cons    (Sar 2015)
We discussed the pros and cons of democracy.
285. To play truant    (2014, 2015)
He is often punished to play traunt.
286. To play a double game  
 
The commander played a double game in war to defeat his enemy.
287. To pull a long face   
She pulled a long face after hearing the news of her failure.
288. Pay back in one's own coin    
Pakistan paid back the USA in the same coin by rejecting its policies.
289. Pay through the nose    
Corrupt politicians have to pay through the nose for their corruption.
Grammar 393 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs

290. Play upon words  

Shakespeare pleases his readers by his artistic play upon words.
291. Play with fire   
He is ready to play with fire to get his goal.
292. Pay / give lip service to    (Lhr. 2013)
They pay lip service to quality of products,but they don't want to do anything about it..
R
293. Rainy day    
She saved some money for a rainy day.
294. Rank and file     (Grw 2015, Mul 2014)
The rank and file are not given their rights in Pakistan..
295. 
Rest on one's laurels     
The Muslims merely rest on their laurels of the past but do nothing.
296. To read between the lines   
Reading between the lines, I think Hassan wants to go abroad.
297. (A) royal road     (Grw 2014, Mul 2015)
There is no royal road to success in life.
298. To rise to the occasion     
In 1965 War, our soldiers rose to the occasion and defended the country.
299. Red tape     
Red tape always delays government projects.
300. To ride the high horse   (Mirpur 2014)
You will be hated by your friends one day if you go on riding the high horse.
301. To and fro    
She walked to and fro last night.

S
302. To steal a march upon     (Mul 2015)
He stole a march upon his fellows because of his continuous hardwork.
303. Set into motion   
The wheels of change have been set into motion in the world.
Grammar 394 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs

304. Small talk    (Rwp 2015)

Everyone was enjoying small talk during the party.

305. Scot - free  

The court let her off scot-free.
306. Spick and span   
My little house is spick and span.
307. Storm in a tea cup    (Rwp 2014)
He was very upset, but later it proved a storm in a tea cup.
308. To spread like wild fire     
Rumours spread like wildfire in the city.
309. To speak volumes of   
Obedient students speak volumes of their teachers.
310. Sum and substance  
The sum and substance of an argument is that he does not want to leave his country.
311. Show the white feather    
 (Sar 2015)

He showed the white feather in the war and slipped away.
312. Split hairs   
We should refrain from splitting hairs in our talk.
313. Square deal  
Pakistan and India should reach a sqaure deal on Kashmir to settle the dispute.
314. Stick to one's guns     
   
The people who stick to their guns succeed in life.
315. To smell a rat      (Rwp 2011, 2014)
Being a shrewd person, he is always smelling a rat against him.
316. Sail under false colours   
Those who sail under false colours lose their trust.
317. Slip through one's fingers -   
A diligent man does not allow any good chance to slip through his fingers.
318. Stop short     
He stopped short to see his chum.
319. Suit one's book  
To have all the meetings in the one day suits our book.
Grammar 395 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
320. Soft corner   
I have a soft corner for my friends.
321. (To be) sick of    
I am sick of garrulous people.
322. To swallow the bait    
Many persons swallowed the bait of Double Shah and deposited their hard-earned
money to him.
323. Snake in the grass    
We should beware of our friend who is a snake in the grass.
T
324. Tide over      (Mul 2014)
They tided over many crises last year.
325. Turn turtle    (Mul 2014)
They got injured when their car turned turtle.
326. Time and again    (Mul 2015)
He repeats his lesson time and again.
327. To stand on ceremony   
We were comfortable in our friend's house because we don't stand on ceremony.
328. To let the cat out of the bag     
I wanted to keep the party secret, but my brother let the cat out of the bag.
329. To sit on the fence   
The principal sits on the fence in meetings.
330. Lion's share   (D.G. Khan 2014)
The eldest son received the lion's share in the estate.
331. Take a fancy to    (SWL. 2018)
Katherine took a fancy to Chips' charming smile.
332. Through thick and thin    (Mul 2014)
My friend helped me through thick and thin of life.
333. Tooth and nail    (Rwp 2014)
Pakistan fought tooth and nail in the war of 1965.
334. To be in hot water   
Pakistan is in hot water because of its corrupt politicians.
Grammar 396 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
335. To catch red-handed:     
The thief was caught red-handed by the security guards.
336. To cast a spell    
His speech cast a spell on the public.
337. To come into contact     
I came into contact with MY old friend in London.
338. To face the music     (Lhr 2010, 2016,2012, Guj 2014, Fsd 2015,
Bpur 2014, Sar 2014)
He had to face the music when his lies were caught.
339. To have cold feet     
He had cold feet while playing his first international match.
340. To pocket the insult    (D.G. Khan 2014)
He had to pocket the insult when he spoke without thinking.
341. To play the second fiddle   
She plays the second fiddle to the principal in this college.
342. To a man   
All the celebrities turned up to a man in a show.
343. To see eye to eye with  
I see eye to eye with my boss in this matter.
344. To talk shop      
His wife gets angry when he talks shop with his colleagues.
345. To take into account   

A good architect takes into account the building's surroundings.
346. Take to task      (Mul 2014)
The teacher took the naughty students to task.
347. Take one's time:  
Take your time to learn the lesson completely.
348. To be taken aback   
He was taken aback to watch the juggler's tricks.
349. To take to heart   
Hubert took the incident to heart and died shortly.
350. To take to one's heels      
   
Grammar 397 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
As soon as the thief saw a policeman,he took to his heels.
351. To turn over a new leaf          
After marriage, he has now turned over a new leaf.
352. To turn a deaf ear to     (Rwp 2014)
He turned a deaf ear to all appeals.
353. Tall talk   
His tall talk always irritates me.
354. To throw light on       
Our teacher threw light on the energy crisis in Pakistan.
355. To throw cold water on   
Her failure in a medical test threw cold water on her father's hopes.
356. To weather the storm  
 
Our family has weathered the storms after the tragedies..
357. To win over    
Our convincing arguments won him over to our views at last.
358. To win laurels  
   
Dr. Abdul Qadeer won laurels in science by dint of hard work.
359. The last straw     
 
The death of his son proved to be the last straw for him and he died soon.
360. To keep body and soul together    
It is very difficult for the poor to keep their body and soul together in this inflation.
361. To let bygones be bygones      
Just let bygones be bygones and be friends again.
362. To the backbone  
He will not cheat anyone because he is a gentleman to the backbone.
363. Toe the line  
Zaheer didn't agree with the policy,but he decided to toe the company line.
364. To turn one's coat     (Sar 2015)
Selfish politicians always turn their coat for their personal interest .
365. Talk at random     
A good teacher doesn't talk at random in the class.
366. Throw dust in a person's eyes   
Grammar 398 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
He threw dust in our eyes by pretending to be a doctor,but later he proved to be a
quack.
367. To be caught napping   
The goalkeeper was caught napping and the ball went straight in.
368. To be in one's bad books   
Javed is in his boss's bad books.
369. To be sick of (a thing)     
I am sick of his talk shop.
370. To coin money   
Some greedy businessmen in our country are busy in coining money.
371. To have a finger in the pie   
India has a finger in the pie in the Lahore blast.
372. To have clean hands   
He has clean hands in this murder case.
373. To show a clean pair of heels  
The thief showed a clean pair of heels when he saw the policeman.
374. Take the bull by the horns   
Khalid took the bull by the horns in the battlefield.
375. To be born with a silver spoon in one's mouth    
She was born with a silver spoon in his mouth; there is always someone to pay her
bills.
U
376. An uphill task (   ) (RWP, 2015)
We are trying to expand our business,but it's an uphill task.
377. Up to the mark    (Guj, 2015, FSD, 15)
This book is up to the mark for the examinations.
378. Under a cloud  
   (Fsd 2015, Bpur 2014, Mirpur 2014)
The cabinet minister left his office under a cloud after a fraud scandal.
379. Ups and downs   
  
He faced many ups and downs in his life.
380. Up in arms     (Guj,2015, Mirpur,2014)
The Kashmiris have been up in arms against India.
W
381. Without fail    (Rwp 2014)
He has a walk every morning without fail.
Grammar 399 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
382. With a grain of salt 
I always took his stories with a grain of salt becaue he was a liar.
383. White lie  
When I was young, I told little white lies.
384. With a view to:    (Lhr. 2011)
With a view to meeting you, I came to Gujranwala.
385. White elephant   (Lhr. 2016)
An old car is a white elephant for me because it costs much but gives little benefit.
386. Wear and tear    
The damaged roads cause great wear and tear to the vehicles.
387. Worship the rising sun     
People always worship the rising sun.
388. Work wonders       (Lhr. 2013)
Running works wonders for the metabolism.
389. With open arms   
My friends always receive me with open arms.
390. Want for  
My son calls me whenever he is in want for money.
Y
     
391. A yeoman's service  
Pakistani people are ready to do a yeoman's service to help the flood victims.

IMPORTANT PHRASAL VERBS

ACT
1. Act upon  
They acted on|upon my advice.
2. Act up     
My old car always acts up in cold weather.
3. Act out   
The children acted out their favourite poem.
BEAR
Grammar 400 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs

1. Bear fruit    

Her hard work bore fruit and she succeeded.
2. Bear out    (D.G Khan 2014)
The facts don't bear this story out.
3. Bear up    
He bore up financial problems courageously.
4. Bear with   
Bear with me a moment while I make a phone call.
BEAT
1. Beat back/off  
Enemy forces were beaten back by our troops.
2. Beat down   
The attackers beat down the defenders.
3.    
Beat up  
The robbers beat me up and took my money.
4. Beat about     
I am beating about my lost phone here and there.
BLOW
1. Blow over    
The storm blew over last night.
2. Blow out      (Mul 2014)
I blew out the candles one by one.
3. Blow up   
The boiler suddenly blew up in the factory.
BREAK
1. 
Break away   
He broke away from the criminal group.
2. Break down     (Lhr 2011, Guj 2015)
My car broke down on the way.
3. Break into    (Lhr 2010, 2011, 2012)
Two robbers broke into my home last night.
4. Break up   
My phone broke up on the floor.
Grammar 401 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs

5. Break up  / 
Their long partnership broke up.

6. Break off       (Guj 2015, Fsd 2015)
One leg of the table broke off..
7. Break out        (Guj 2015, 2011, Lhr 2014, 2016, 2010)
Malaria broke out in the city.
8. Break with   (Sar 2015, Guj 2015, Lahore 2011)
He broke with his family two years ago.
BRING
1. Bring about  
Katherine brought about many changes in Chips.
2. Bring down   
Our government should bring down the food prices.
3. Bring in   
My business brought in a lot of profit.
4. Bring on    
Inflation brought on more problems for me.
5. Bring out    
I brought out a new book last year.
6. Bring out   
The crises brought out the best in her.
7. Bring up  
She brought up three sons on her own.

CALL
1. Call at   
The train calls at Gujranwala.
2. Call on    
I am planning to call on my friend today.
3. Call down  
My mother was calling down me for my misbehaviour.
4. Call for  
This job calls for someone with experience.
5. Call in   
Grammar 402 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
Please call in the lawyer.
6. Call upon  
I now call upon the principal to address the meeting.
7. Call out       
He was calling out to Ahmed for lunch..
8. Call up 
Please call up the teacher.
9. Call off    
He called off the wedding because the country was in a state of political turmoil.
CARRY
1. Carry off    
He carried off the top prizes.
2. Carry on     (Lhr 2015)
Carry on working hard to succeed in life.
3. Carry out  (Lhr 2013, 2016) (Bpur 2014, D.G Khan 2014) (Shw 2014)
They carried out their plan without incidents.
CAST
1. Cast about/around (
She cast around/about some quotations for an essay.
2. Cast aside   
He wanted to cast aside his old house.
3. Cast down  
He was cast down at the death of his friend.
COME
1. Come about|off   (Lhr. 2012)
His brother's marriage will come about|off next Sunday.
2. Come across     
I came across my old friend on the way.
3. Come apart   
The toy came apart in my hands.
4. Come down   
Prices rarely come down in Pakistan.
5. Come forward   
Grammar 403 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
We should come forward to help others in the time of need.
6. Come of   (Lhr. 2015)
He comes of an educated family.
7. Come upon|by     
Where did you come upon|by that new shirt?
8. Come round    (D.G Khan 2014)
He came round to his teacher's point of view.
CUT
1. (a) Cut down ( ) (Guj. 2014, Lhr. 2013)
Stop cutting the trees down.
(b) Cut down    (2013)
The hurricane cut down everything in its path.
2. Cut out (  ) (FSD. 2014)
I cut out extra essays from the book.
3. Cut off  
We were cut off in the middle of our conversation.
DO
1. Do for      
This lobby will do for the reading room.
2. Do with  
I shall sell the place and be done with it.
3. Do away with   
Pakistanis have done away with many old customs.
DIE
1. Die away     
The sound of his footsteps gradually died away.
2. Die down     
The fire died down and went out.
3. Die from/of     
He died from/of cancer.
4. Die out  
Dinosaurs died out millions of years ago.
FALL
1. Fall away   
Grammar 404 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
Relatives fall away in poverty.
2. Fall back  
The enemy fell back as our troops advanced.
3. Fall back upon / on    (Lhr. 2016)
I have a little money in the bank to fall back on.
4. Fall in    
The teacher ordered the students to fall in.
5. Fall in with  
Their views fall in with ours.
6. Fall off    (Lhr. 2014, Guj 2014, 2015)
Tourism falls off when the summer is over.
7. Fall on/upon  
The enemy fell on us suddenly from the rear.
8. Fall out   (Guj 2014, Rwp 2015, Sar 2014, Mirpur 2014, Lhr 2014)
They fell out over nothing.
9. Fall through     
The project fell through due to lack of money.
10. Fall short of   
He could not complete his project because he fell short of money.
11. Fall to   
There was a lot of work to do,so they fell to immediately.
GET
1. Get about\around    
It is difficult to get about\around in the summer season.
2. Get ahead     
Ahmed got ahead of others because of his hard works.
3. Get up   
I usually get up at 4 o'clock.
4. Get on/along     
He is getting on/along well in his profession.
5. Get over    (Lhr. 2016)
I got over the shock.
6. Get through   
He got through the examination with good marks.
7. Get into   (Mul. 2015)
He got into troubl by stealing cars.
Grammar 405 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
GIVE
1. Give away  
I decided to give away all my wealth.
2. Give up    
I gave up smoking.
3. Give in     (Lhr 2010, D.G Khan 2014)
The rebels were forced to give in.
4. Give vent to     (Mul 2014)
He gave vent to his annoyance in a strange way.
GO
1. Go about    
It is so hot that we cannot go about.
2. Go after    
I went after my child and stopped him.
3. Go ahead      
He wants to go ahead with his planning.
4. Go along with  
I went along with him in this matter.
5. Go at/for  
India went at us in 1965..
6. Go by    
Time goes by slowly in old age.
7. Go down   
Prices of food items rarely go down in Pakistan.
8. Go off   (Guj 2014)
The gun went off by accident.
9. Go over  
Go over your essay before you hand it to your examiner.
10. Go with   
Does this jacket go with this shirt?.
11. Go through  
I went through the lesson again.
12. Go back on    
A dishonest person wet back on his words.
Grammar 406 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs

HOLD
1. Hold out  
My friend held out to help me through thick and thin.
2. Hold back   
The police held back the protesters.
3. Hold down   
I held down my daily expenses.
KEEP
1. Keep on    
Students should keep on working hard.
2. Keep away    (Fsd, 2015)
Keep away from the bad boys.
3.  
Keep up    
Please keep up your speech.
4. Keep to  
Keep to the lofty aims.
5. Keep down    (Sar 2014)
It is difficult for the government to keep the prices of eatables down.
LOOK
1. Look after     (Mirpu 2014)
He looks after his younger brother.
2. Look for   
We are trying to look for our old friend in this city.
3. Look into    (Lhr. 2010, Sar. 2014)
The inspector looked into the case yesterday.
4. Look over  
Will you please look over my report before I submit it?.
5. Look down upon     
We should not look down upon the poor.
LAY
1. Lay by / Lay aside:   
We should lay by/aside something for a rainy day.
Grammar 407 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
2. Lay down     
The enemies were forced to lay down their arms.
MAKE
1. Make amends     (Bpur 2014)
I wanted to make amends for the worry I had caused him.
2. Make after   
The policeman made after the thief and caught him.
3. Make away with  
The thief made away with the jewelry.
4. Make for   
We made for a near refuge during rain.
5. Make for    
Our car is making for England.
6. Make out|of   
I couldn't make out this essay all.
7. Make up     (Lhr. 2010)
Government should make up the lost money of the poor people.
8. Make up for    
We have to do extra work to make up for Ahmad.
9. Make good  
He made good a huge loss.
PASS
1. Pass away    
Chips passed away at the age of eighty five.
2. Pass on     (Guj 2014, Sargodha 2014)
He passed the books on to his sons.
PUT

1. Put up with    (Mul 2015, Lhr 2015, 2016)

It is difficult for me to put up with this rude man.
2. Put aside   
We have put aside some money in the bank.
3. Put off    
Grammar 408 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs
Put off your shoes and sit down here.
4. Put off   
He had to put off his progress until December.
5. Put on  
Put on your coat during winter.
6. Put out    (Lhr 2010, D.G Khan 2014)
He put out the candle and slept.
7. Put by   
They put by some money for a rainy day.
8. Put down (  (Lhr 2011)
The enemies were put down by our army.
9. Put up   (Lhr 2015)
I shall put up these points in the next meeting.
RUN
1. Run after   
I ran after the child and caught him.
2. Run at   (Fsd. 2015)
He ran at me with a knife.
3. Run away with     
The thief ran away with her ornamnts.
4. Run over     (Lhr. 2010)
A man was run over and killed by a bus.
5. Run down    (Guj 2015, Fsd 2015, Mul 2014)
His health is running down with the passage of time.
6. Run short of    
His business couldn't flourish because he ran short of money.
SET
1. Set aside   (Lhr. 2013)
I set aside his foolish suggestion.
2. Set in     (Fsd. 2015)
The summer season has set in early this year.
3. Set off/out    
They set off/out together in a small car.
Grammar 409 Idioms + Phrasal Verbs

4. Set up   (Lhr. 2014, 2015)

We set up a new school for the poor students.
5. Set to work     
The students set to work earnestly in order to get good marks in examinations..
6. Send for    (Lhr. 2014)
If you don't go,I shall send for the police.
7. See through   
My family saw me through that very tough year.
TAKE
1. Take after   (Fsd. 2015, Rwp 2015, Bpur 2014)
She takes after her mother.
2. Take back  
I took my money from my friend.
3. Take down    (Lhr. 2015)
They are taking down the notes.
4. Take for   (D.G 2014)
Don't take silence for approval.
5. Take in    
He took me in with his appearance.
6. Take over    (Sar 2015)
He took over the farm after his father's death.
7. Take to      (Sahiwal 2014), (RWP. 2014)
He took to smoking last year.
8. Take to heart    
Hubert took the incident to heart and wasted away.
TURN
1. Turn about     
The teacher ordered the students to turn about.
2. Turn up     (Rwl 2014, 2015)
Many old friends turned up at the reunion.
3. Turn down   (Rwl 2011, 2014, D.G 2014)
He turned down my application.
4. Turn off  