लालच बुरी बला है Lalach Buri Bala Hai प्रायः सभी धर्मग्रन्थों में लोभ-वृत्ति को त्याज्य बताया गया है। गुरु ग्रन्थ साहिब में लोभ की तुलना कुत्ते की आदत से की गई है। पवित्र कुरान में भी लालची व्यक्ति की निन्दा...
Get into hot water When you get into hot water you get into trouble. Like Aruna, who got into hot water for trying to cheat during the exams. “I would have stood by you,” said her friend Ekta, “but I would...
Give someone a piece of one’s mind Fortunately, this term doesn’t have any literal meaning! Figuratively, however, it means to rebuke, scold or reproach someone. Rishi had been breaking all the rules of the school. Nothing his teachers said to him...
Good show “Good show!” the headmistress told the staff members of the school, after the School Day was a big success. Coming from her, this was praise indeed, for she was not usually generous with her compliments. `Good show!’ is the...
Give short shrift To give short shrift is to treat someone in an unfriendly or inconsiderate way. When Mrs Das left Delhi, no one wrote to her. She, however, missed her friends terribly and could not understand why she was being...
A grass window “We must invite Mrs Mehra to our party,” said Mrs Kapoor to her husband. “She’s a grass window, and must be lonely.” “What’s that?” asked Mr Kapoor. His knowledge of English idioms didn’t stretch to this one. “A...
Gut feelings A gut feeling is one that comes from one’s innermost being. “I have a gut feeling that something is wrong,” said Mrs Das, when her husband had not returned home till midnight. “He just got his driver’s licence two...
Flying Blind This expression is meant to describe a person who is uncertain, confused or wrong about something. In other words, he is like a bird who doesn’t know in which direction he is flying. “Your answers,” said Rohit’s teacher...
Fish out of water Imagine that you were a fish and out of water. How would you feel? Just like Mrs Verma who hadn’t studied past school, and had to attend a social gathering where she met some very learned and...
Free-loader If you’re a free-loader you eat and drink at another’s expense — like a sponge which absorbs liquid. “I don’t want to have anything to do with Sachin. He’s a free-loader, and how long can I continue to feed him?”...