Concise Dictionary Of Phrases E-Book

• Herausgeber: V&S Publishers
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Seitenzahl: 102

Beschreibung

Using Phrases to write attractive English

Leseprobe

CONCISE

DICTIONARY OF

PHRASES

A Perfect Reference for Students of all age groups. Useful guide for aspirants of IAS, CAT, GMAT, Civil Services, IELTS, TOEFL & Other Examinations

Published by:

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© Copyright: ISBN 978-93-505741-7-1

DISCLAIMER

While every attempt has been made to provide accurate and timely information in this book, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, unintended omissions or commissions detected therein. The author and publisher make no representation or warranty with respect to the comprehensiveness or completeness of the contents provided.

All matters included have been simplified under professional guidance for general information only without any warranty for applicability on an individual. Any mention of an organization or a website in the book by way of citation or as a source of additional information doesn't imply the endorsement of the content either by the author or the publisher. It is possible that websites cited may have changed or removed between the time of editing and publishing the book.

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It makes sense to elicit advice from well informed sources before implementing the ideas given in the book. The reader assumes full responsibility for the consequences arising out from reading this book. For proper guidance, it is advisable to read the book under the watchful eyes of parents/guardian. The purchaser of this book assumes all responsibility for the use of given materials and information. The copyright of the entire content of this book rests with the author/publisher. Any infringement / transmission of the cover design, text or illustrations, in any form, by any means, by any entity will invite legal action and be responsible for consequences thereon.

Contents

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Publisher’s Note

Considering the growing importance of English in all spheres of life, we recently published an EXC-EL Series (Excellence in English Language) composed of four books - English Vocabulary Made Easy, English Grammar & Usage, Spoken English, and Improve Your Vocabulary. We thought we have done our bit. No sooner, the Series hit the market; a volley of readers sought our help to improve diction, presentation and attractiveness of their conversation - both in writing and speaking.

Being aware that our existence as a publishing house depends solely upon fulfilling readers' expectations and continued patronage, we decided to come out with something that can add spark to any conversation while making it appear interesting. This Dictionary of Phrases is the outcome. There are three more companion dictionaries on - Idioms, Proverbs and Metaphors & Similes.

This book explains the meaning behind hundreds of phrases that you hear or read in English each day. The meanings are shown in italics. In order to keep it concise, this dictionary attempts to present most commonly used phrases. Having an exhaustive one will just overwhelm you with thousands of phrases that nobody uses anymore. English remains immensely popular, attractive, articulate and rich language but its phrases are often 'tough nuts to crack'.

What led us to publish this? Phrases appear in every language, and English has thousands of them. They are often confusing because the meaning of the whole group of words taken together has little, often nothing, to do with the meaning of the words taken one by one. In order to understand a language, you must be aware of what the phrases in that language mean. If you try to figure out the meaning of a phrase literally, word by word, you will get completely befuddled.

We would be happy to have your views and comments for improving the content and quality of the edition.

Introduction

What are Phrases?

In everyday speech, a phrase may refer to any group of words. In linguistics, a phrase is a group of words (or sometimes a single word) that form a constituent, and so function as a single unit in the syntax of a sentence. They have a meaning but do not convey the complete meaning. A phrase is lower on the grammatical hierarchy than a clause. A phrase is always a part of a sentence and usually qualifies a Noun or Verb.

Example

The house at the end of the street is red in colour. At the end of the street-Phrase is a list of Phrases with their respective Meanings. Read, understand and learn as many as you can to speak and write better English, and improve as well as enrich your vocabulary.

A

A Bad Egg

Someone/thing that disappoints one’s expectations.

A Bed of Roses

An easy Situation.

A Bee in Your Bonnet

To be obsessed with something.

A Blot on the landscape

Something that spoils a comfortable situation.

A bolt from the blue

A surprise.

A bun in the oven

To be pregnant.

A bunch of Fives

A fist.

A chip on your shoulder

Keeping a grudge.

A day late and a dollar short

Late and ill prepared.

A different ballpark

Something totally unrelated or of a vastly different scale or scope.

A dime a dozen

When something is extremely simple to obtain.

A dime's worth

An insignificant amount.

A drop in the bucket

An effort or action having very little overall influence, especially as compared to a huge problem.

A drop in the ocean

A very small amount in comparison to the amount that is needed.

A dumb priest never got a parish

Those who fail to speak up fail to get what they want.

A few sandwiches short of a picnic

Exhibiting disquiet or unsoundness of mind; not sane; mad.

A fly in the ointment

Something that creates or introduces an impediment

A fools' paradise

False hopes for a foolish person

A gentleman and a scholar

An admirable person.

A golden key can open any door

Sufficient money can accomplish anything.

A good beginning makes a good ending

Good beginnings promise a good end; start off on a good note to reap the benefits at the end.

A good man is hard to find

Men who make good husbands or workers are rare.

A good voice to beg bacon

Said in ridicule of a bad voice.

A great deal

Very much; to a great extent; a lot; lots.

A house is not a home

A home is not merely a building but requires inhabitants and a friendly atmosphere.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

Even the longest and most difficult ventures have a starting point

A leopard cannot change its spots

One cannot change one's own nature.

A lie has no legs

You can't get away with a lie, the truth will always come out.

A life of its own

An independent existence with some characteristics of life.

A little bird told me

Of information which was gathered from a source not to be overtly exposed.

A million times

By a factor of a million

A nod is as good as a wink

The hint, suggestion etc can be understood without further explaining.

A notch above

Superior to; of a higher quality than.

A number of

Several of.

A Piece of cake

Something that is simple.

A question of

The important question is; the necessary question is.

A riddle wrapped up in an enigma

Something very mysterious and hidden.

A watched pot never boils

A process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it rather than engaging in other activities.

A wide berth

Wide distance.

Abide by

To accept a decision or law and act in accordance with it; to conform to; to acquiesce; as, to abide by an award.

Abide by

To remain faithful to something or someone; to stand to; to adhere.

Abide with

To remain or live with someone.

Able seaman

Ordinary sailor

Abominable snowman

Yeti

Abound in

To have something in great numbers or quantities; to possess in such abundance as to be characterized by.

Abound with

To have something in great numbers or quantities; to possess in such abundance as to be characterized by.

About time

Close to the right time.

About time

Far past the desired time.

About to

Indicates something that will happen very soon; indicates that something is imminent.

About turn

A complete change of opinion, direction, etc.

About turn

An about face; a military command to a formation of soldiers to reverse the direction in which they are facing.

Above and beyond

More than is expected or required.

Above board

Honestly, reputably.

Above one's bend

Out of one's control or power.

Above the law

Exempt from the laws.

Above the salt

Honorable.

Abstract nonsense

Details which involve unnecessary diagrams.

Abut on

To border on.

Accident of birth

The circumstances around one's birth determine a lot about that person.

Accident waiting to happen

Something which will eventually lead to an accident.

According to

Based on what is said or stated.

Account for

Clarify.

Ace in the hole

A hidden strength.

Ace up one's sleeve

A surprise and hidden advantage..

Ache for

To desire; to want.

Acid test

A hard test searching for the truth.

Acknowledge the corn

To agree to have made a small mistake but not the bigger one.

Across the board

To be relevant to everything.

Across the pond

Referring to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

Act like a bull in a china shop

To act rudely in a sensitive situation.

Act on

To act decisively on something.

Act one's age

Be mature as your age.

Act out

To go through a scene; to express one's feelings.

Act up

Misbehave; cause trouble.

Adams ale

Water

Add fuel to fire

To worsen a situation.

Add insult to injury

To taunt someone after a loss.

Add up to

Have a particular effect.

Add up

To sum up; accumulate; make sense.

Adds up

Enhance.

After all

In spite of everything.

After one's own heart

Persons having the same preferences.

After the fact

After something is finished.

Against all odds

Despite all difficulties.

Against the clock

Within a deadline.

Against the collar

To be in a tight spot.

Against the grain

Something which is unexpected; unwilling.

Age before beauty

To allow older people to move before younger ones.

Agree to disagree

Agreeing to tolerate each individual opinion but not agree to the opinions itself.

Ahead of one's time

Having something which was expected much later.

Ahead of the game

Completed a task before it is ready.

Aim at

Made for a particular audience.

Air bed

Inflatable mattress

Air out

Leave out; discuss openly.

Air rage

Problematic behaviour on an aircraft.

Albatross

An emotional burden.

Ale post

A maypole.

All along

Always.

All and sundry

Each one.

All and sundry

Everyone.

All at once

At the same time.

All at once

Unexpected.

All bark and no bite

Talking a lot but not actually acting upon it.

All but

Nearly.

All cats are grey in the dark

Physical appearance is negligible in the dark.

All clear

Permission to go ahead

All duck or no dinner

Everything or nothing.

All ears

Focused and listening.

All ears

Waiting for an explanation.

All eyes and ears

Attentive.

All eyes

Observing attentively.

All fired up

Excited.

All fur coat and no knickers

Superficial appearance with no character.

All good things come to an end

Nothing lasts forever.

All Greek to me

Something that is illegible and can't be understood.

All hell breaks loose

Chaos.

All hollow

A foregone conclusion.

All important

Important

All in a day's work

Dismissal of a significant accom- plishment.

All in all

Mostly.

All in

Tired

All it's cracked up to be

As good as reputation would suggest.

All kidding aside

To attempt to make a serious point in a jocular conversation.

All mouth and no trousers

Boastful.

All of a sudden

Suddenly.

All one's eggs in one basket

Investing heavily in just one area.

All out

The state of a side having no more men to bat, ending its innings.

All over but the shouting

The contest is over, but the cheering is still there.

All over grumble

Inferior.

All over hell's half acre

All over the place.

All over the board

Showing a wide range of values with no particular pattern.

All over the map

Widely scattered or distributed.