What are Idioms?

Idioms are phrases whose meaning cannot be understood from individual words.

Example: “Piece of cake” doesn’t mean actual cake - it means “easy task”

High-Frequency SSC Idioms (A-Z)

A

• A blessing in disguise - Something good in a bad situation
• A dime a dozen - Very common
• At the drop of a hat - Immediately
• Add fuel to the fire - Make bad situation worse
• A piece of cake - Very easy

B

• Back to square one - Start again
• Bite the bullet - Face difficulty bravely
• Break the ice - Start conversation
• Burn the midnight oil - Study/work late night
• Bite off more than you can chew - Take too much responsibility

C

• Call it a day - Stop working
• Come hell or high water - No matter what
• Cry over spilt milk - Regret past
• Cut corners - Do carelessly
• Costs an arm and a leg - Very expensive

D

• Devil’s advocate - Argue opposite view
• Down to earth - Practical, realistic
• Draw the line - Set limit
• Don’t count your chickens before they hatch - Don’t assume success

E-F

• Every cloud has a silver lining - Hope in bad situation
• Face the music - Accept consequences
• Few and far between - Rare
• Fit as a fiddle - Very healthy

G-H

• Get cold feet - Become nervous
• Go the extra mile - Do more than required
• Hit the nail on the head - Exactly right
• Hit the sack - Go to sleep

I-J-K

• In hot water - In trouble
• Jump the gun - Start too early
• Keep an eye on - Watch carefully
• Kill two birds with one stone - Achieve two things at once

L-M-N

• Let the cat out of the bag - Reveal secret
• Make a long story short - Summarize
• No pain, no gain - Hard work brings success
• Nip in the bud - Stop at early stage

O-P-Q

• On cloud nine - Very happy
• Once in a blue moon - Very rarely
• Pull someone’s leg - Joke with someone
• Put all eggs in one basket - Risk everything on one thing

R-S

• Read between the lines - Understand hidden meaning
• Raining cats and dogs - Heavy rain
• Spill the beans - Reveal secret
• Steal someone’s thunder - Take credit for others’ work

T-U-V-W

• The ball is in your court - Your decision now
• Through thick and thin - In good and bad times
• Under the weather - Feeling sick
• When pigs fly - Never
• Whole nine yards - Everything

Common Phrases

Time-Related

• In the nick of time - Just in time
• Against the clock - Limited time
• Round the clock - 24/7

Money-Related

• Break the bank - Very expensive
• Born with a silver spoon - Born rich
• Foot the bill - Pay the cost

Effort-Related

• Go out of your way - Make extra effort
• Leave no stone unturned - Try everything
• Bend over backwards - Try very hard

Question Format

Type 1: Meaning “Idiom ‘X’ means…”

• Choose correct meaning from options

Type 2: Usage “Which sentence uses idiom correctly?”

• Find correct usage

Type 3: Fill in the Blank “He succeeded _____ (idiom related to hard work)”

• Fill appropriate idiom

Solved Examples

Q1: “Break the ice” means:

• (A) Break something
• (B) Start conversation
• (C) Feel cold
• (D) End relationship

Answer: (B) Start conversation

Q2: Choose sentence with correct idiom usage:

• (A) He spilled the cats
• (B) He spilled the beans
• (C) He spilled the water
• (D) He spilled the secret

Answer: (B) He spilled the beans

Learning Strategy

Week 1: Learn 50 idioms

• 10 idioms daily
• Write meanings
• Make sentences

Week 2: Learn 50 more + revise Week 1

• Practice previous 50
• Add 50 new

Week 3-4: Complete 200 idioms

• Focus on SSC previous year
• Practice with questions

Revision Technique:

1. Flashcards - Idiom on one side, meaning on other
2. Grouping - Group by theme (money, time, effort)
3. Story Method - Create story using 5-10 idioms
4. Daily Use - Try using 2-3 idioms in conversation

Quick Tips

✅ Do:

• Learn 10 idioms daily
• Use them in sentences
• Revise every 3 days
• Group similar idioms

❌ Don’t:

• Try to learn all at once
• Memorize without understanding
• Ignore usage examples
• Skip revision

💡 Pro Tip: Learn idioms in context! Read English newspapers/stories - you’ll remember idioms better when you see them used naturally.

Download: Complete SSC Idioms PDF →