Idioms & Phrases

What you'll learn

Learn how English idioms and phrases work for SSC-CGL: why their meaning is figurative, high-frequency idioms with meanings, a method to guess unknown ones from context, and a self-check quiz.

This chapter has

Idioms & Phrases — solved practice questions

8 SSC / Banking English Language questions with step-by-step solutions. Attempt each, then reveal the answer.

1. Q1easy

   Meaning of 'Bite the bullet':

   • Ato eat quickly
   • Bto endure pain bravely
   • Cto be cowardly
   • Dto speak loudly
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) to endure pain bravely

   'Bite the bullet' means to endure a painful or difficult situation with courage.

2. Q2easy

   Meaning of 'Beat around the bush':

   • Ato work hard
   • Bto avoid the main topic
   • Cto garden
   • Dto search for something
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) to avoid the main topic

   'Beat around the bush' means to avoid talking about what is important; to be indirect.

3. Q3easy

   Meaning of 'Cost an arm and a leg':

   • Ato be cheap
   • Bto be very expensive
   • Cto buy body parts
   • Dto lose money
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) to be very expensive

   'Cost an arm and a leg' means to be extremely expensive.

4. Q4easy

   Meaning of 'Let the cat out of the bag':

   • Ato release an animal
   • Bto reveal a secret
   • Cto lose something
   • Dto be careless
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) to reveal a secret

   'Let the cat out of the bag' means to reveal a secret by accident.

5. Q5easy

   Meaning of 'Under the weather':

   • Ain the rain
   • Bfeeling ill
   • Cunder a cloud
   • Dfeeling happy
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) feeling ill

   'Under the weather' means feeling unwell or slightly sick.

6. Q6medium

   Meaning of 'Burning the midnight oil':

   • Awasting fuel
   • Bworking late at night
   • Csetting something on fire
   • Dsleeping early
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) working late at night

   'Burning the midnight oil' means working late into the night.

7. Q7easy

   Meaning of 'Hit the nail on the head':

   • Ato work with tools
   • Bto punch someone
   • Cto be exactly correct
   • Dto fix something
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (C) to be exactly correct

   'Hit the nail on the head' means to describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem; to be exactly right.

8. Q8easy

   Meaning of 'Once in a blue moon':

   • Aevery night
   • Bvery rarely
   • Cmonthly
   • Dduring an eclipse
   Show answer & solution

   Correct answer: (B) very rarely

   'Once in a blue moon' means very rarely.

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