Directions (1-15): Four alternatives are given for the idiom/phrase bold in the sentence. Choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the idiom/phrase and mark it in the Answer sheet.
Q1. To be hard up
(a) To look depressed
(b) To keep starvation away
(c) To act excitedly
(d) To be short of money
Q2. To wrangle over an ass’s shadow
(a) To act in a foolish way
(b) To quarrel over trifles
(c) To waste time on petty things
(d) To do something funny
Q3. To take with a grain of salt
(a) To take with some reservation
(b) To take with total disbelief
(c) To take wholeheartedly
(d) To take seriously
Q4. Hobson’s choice
(a) Feeling of insecurity
(b) Accept or leave the offer
(c) Feeling of strength
(d) Excellent choice
Q5. To take the bull by the horns
(a) To punish a person severely for his arrogance
(b) To grapple courageously with a difficulty that lies in our way
(c) To handle it by fierce attack
(d) To bypass the legal process and take action according to one’s own
Q6. To cast pearls before swine
(a) To spend recklessly
(b) To spend a lot of money on the upkeep of domestic hogs
(c) To waste money over trifles
(d) To offer to a person a thing which he cannot appreciate
Q7. To bring one’s eggs to a bad market
(a) To face a humiliating situation
(b) To bring one’s commodities to a market where there is no demand for them
(c) To show one’s talents before audience which is incapable of appreciating them
(d) To fail in one’s plans because one goes to the wrong people for help
Q8. give someone the bird
(a) To get the awaited
(b) To have good luck
(c) To shout or insult someone
(d) To get the impossible
Q9. Will o’ the wisp
(a) Anything which eludes or deceives
(b) To act in a childish way
(c) To act in a foolish way
(d) To have desires unbacked by efforts
Q10. To fly off the handle
(a) To take off
(b) To be indifferent
(c) To dislocate
(d) To lose one’s temper
Q11. To keep the ball rolling
(a) to earn more and more
(b) to work constantly
(c) to keep the conversation going
(d) to make the best use of
Q12. To have brush with
(a) To start painting
(b) To have good and pleasing terms
(c) To be impressed
(d) To have a slight encounter
Q13. Dog in the manger
(a) An undersized bull almost the shape of a dog
(b) A dog that has no kennel of its own
(c) A person who puts himself in difficulties on account of other people
(d) A person who prevents others from enjoying something useless to himself
Q14. Something up one’s sleeve
(a) A grand idea
(b) A secret plan
(c) A profitable plan
(d) Something important
Q15. To keep the wolf from the door
(a) To keep away from extreme poverty
(b) To keep off an unwanted and undesirable person
(c) To keep alive
(d) To hold the difficulties and dangers in check
Solutions
S1. Ans.(d)
Sol. hard up (for something)-greatly in need of something, especially money
S2. Ans.(b)
Sol. To wrangle over an ass’s shadow-To quarrel over trifles
S3. Ans.(a)
Sol. take something with a grain of salt-to consider something to be not completely true or right
S4. Ans.(b)
Sol. Hobson’s choice-a situation in which it seems that you can choose between different things or actions, but there is really only one thing that you can take or do
S5. Ans.(b)
Sol. To take the bull by the horns-deal decisively with a difficult or dangerous situation.
S6. Ans.(d)
Sol. To cast pearls before swine-offer valuable things to people who do not appreciate them.
S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. To bring one’s eggs to a bad market-To fail in one’s plan because one goes to the wrong people for help
S8. Ans.(c)
Sol. give someone the bird-to show contempt and defiance by holding up the extended middle finger toward someone
S9. Ans.(a)
Sol. will-o’-the-wisp- a person or thing that is difficult or impossible to reach or catch.
S10. Ans.(d)
Sol. To fly off the handle- lose one’s temper suddenly and unexpectedly.
S11. Ans.(b)
Sol. To keep the ball rolling- maintain the momentum of an activity.
S12. Ans.(d)
Sol. To have brush with- to have a brief contact with something; to have an experience with something. (Especially with the law
S13. Ans.(d)
Sol. Dog in the manger-a person who prevents others from having or using things even though he or she does not need them.
S14. Ans.(b)
Sol. have something up one’s sleeve – to have a secret or surprise plan or solution (to a problem). (Alludes to cheating at cards by having a card hidden in one’s sleeve.)
S15. Ans.(a)
Sol. To keep the wolf from the door- have enough money to avert hunger or starvation (used hyperbolically).
