20 Popular English Idioms With Meaning

HOLD IN LEASH
Meaning:
- to control or restrain
As - We need to hold in leash the rioters for the peace of city.

BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS
Meaning:
1) if progress or growth happens in leaps and bounds, it happens very quickly.
2) rapidly; by large movements forward.
Examples:
As - The Facebook has grown by leaps and bounds over the years.

HOLD NO BRIEF FOR
Meaning
1) not to tolerate someone or something to be opposed to someone or something.
2) Refuse to support
Examples
- You have to fight for yourself, nobody is going to hold the brief for you.

HOBSON'S CHOICE
Meaning
- the choice of taking either that which is offered or nothing; the absence of a real alternative.
Examples
- My teacher gave me hobson's choice that she will give me one more chance if I do the assignment otherwise I will get nothing.

HANG/HOLD FIRE
Meaning
- to delay
Examples
- I think we should hang fire about the decision of firing John and give him a chance to explain.
- There is no need to hang fire the meeting for latecomers.

HOLD IN ABEYANCE
Meaning
- to stall or postpone something.
Examples
- Let's hold the idea of war in abeyance and give a chance to peace.
- I have to hold in abeyance my plan to buy new phone because this month I have to buy new refrigerator.

MAKE LIGHT OF
Meaning
- to treat something as if it were unimportant or humorous.
- To treat as unimportant
Examples
- You shouldn't make light of your health.
- Every made light of Climate Change, now people's lives are at risk because of that.

MOOT POINT
Meaning
- a point or question to be debated; a doubtful question.
Examples
- Do less traveled path always make a difference is a moot point.
- It's still a moot point that who killed princess Diana.

MARE'S NEST
Meaning
- an extremely confused, entangled, or disordered place, situation.
Examples
- The problem of ISIS has become a mare's nest now, no body knows how to stop them.

FINAL/LAST STRAW
Meaning
- the last in a series of unpleasant events that finally makes you feel that you cannot continue to accept a bad situation
Examples
- Losing her father was the last straw for Nayra, now she is working really hard to get in the ivy leagues.
- Losing job was bad enough but being evicted was the final straw.

KICK THE BUCKET
Meaning
- To die.
Examples
- Raju was too young but his drinking habit made him to kick the bucket.
- Shaan was suffering from cancer form few years, he kicked the bucket yesterday at least he get rid of that painful life.

GIVE CURRENCY
Meaning
- to spread a story around.
- to give publicity
- To give importance
Examples
- Social media is good way to give currency to your business.

KEEP ABREAST OF
Meaning
- Stay or cause to stay up-to-date with
- to have the most recent information about something
Examples
- Please keep me abreast of the latest openings in your company.
- Keep me abreast of the match score.

HOLD WATER
Meaning
- to survive evaluation or scrutiny.
- To stand up to critical examination.
Examples
- He will not be able to hold water in front of the investigators.
- I wasn't able to hold the water in the job interview.

HAUL/RAKE OVER THE COALS
Meaning
1) When you "haul someone over the coals" you criticize them severely for something that they have done.
Examples
1) Ronit was raked over coals by his boss for not finishing his report.
2) John's father haul him over the coals for breaking his new car.

GIVE ONE A LONG ROPE
Meaning
-to let someone commit mistakes
Examples
- When your enemy is doing a mistake then you should give him a long rope.

FULL OF YOURSELF
Meaning
- If you are full of yourself you think you're better or more important than you really are.
Examples
- "Give respect to your subordinates, don't be so full of yourself." said Sikta's boss.

GIRD UP LOINS
Meaning
- To prepare for hard work.
Examples
- My exams are just a week away, I need to gird up my loins.
- If you need a job then gird up your loins.

BY AND BY.
Meaning
- Gradually.
Examples
- You just keep working hard and don't give up, you will get success by the by.