IDIOMS/PHRASES
 45. He has a very nice manner, but                (1) accede (2) yield                 61. to blaze a trail
       you would better take what he               (3) oblige     (4) conform                 (1) to lead the way as a pioneer
       says with a grain of salt.            53. The young and the old sat cheek              (2) to light a track
       (1) to listen to something with             by jowl in the large audience.             (3) to set up a fire
           considerable doubt                      (1) very near (2) very far                 (4) to wear a bl azer while
       (2) to talk sensibly                                                                       running
                                                   (3) tongue tied (4) irritated
       (3) to criticise                                                                 62. red-letter day
                                             54. We wanted to keep the gift as a
       (4) to complement                                                                      (1) a colourful day
                                                   surprise for mother but my
     Direction s (46-55) : In the                                                             (2) fatal day
                                                   sister gave the game away.
following questions four alternatives                                                         (3) happy and significant day
                                                   (1) lost the game
are given for the Idiom/Phrase in bold
                                                   (2) gave out the secret                    (4) hapless day
in the sentence. Choose the alternative
which best expresses the meaning of                (3) played badly                     63. have the last laugh
the Idiom/Phrase.                                  (4) withdrew from the game                 (1) be of a cheerful nature
               (SSC Section Officer (Audit)                                                   (2) laugh only after understand-
                                             55. I don’t think the law will
                        Exam. 05.06.2005)                                                         ing something
                                                   interfere with us as we are just
 46. He didn’t tell me directly, but                                                          (3) to be victorious at the end of
                                                   trying to turn an honest penny.
       reading between the lines. I                                                               an argument
                                                   (1) make a legitimate living
       think he is not happy with them.                                                       (4) to crack the final joke
                                                   (2) make a good living
       (1) reading slowly and haltingly                                                 64. turn a deaf ear
                                                   (3) have dealings in white money
       (2) understanding the sense                                                            (1) disregard (2) defy
           rather than the actual words            (4) become more honest
                                                                                              (3) disobey (4) dismiss
       (3) understanding the meaning             Directions (56-65) : In the following  65. to smell a rat
           of words and not the sense       questions, four alternatives are given for
                                                                                              (1) to experience bad smell
                                            the Idiom/Phrase in bold. Choose the
       (4) reading superficially                                                              (2) to misunderstand
                                            one which best expresses the meaning
 47. Gopi works by fits and starts.                                                           (3) to see a hidden meaning
                                            of the Idiom/Phrase.
       (1) consistently                                                                       (4) to suspect a trick
                                                      (SSC Statistical Investigators
       (2) irregularly                                                                      Directions (66–70) : In the
                                                          Grade-IV Exam. 31.7.2005)
       (3) in high spirits                                                             following questions four alternatives
                                             56. a dark horse
       (4) enthusiastically                                                            are given for the Idiom/Phrase in bold
                                                   (1) an unforeseen competitor        in the sentence. Choose the alternative
 48. I cannot put up with your
       misconduct any longer.                      (2) a black horse                   which best expresses the meaning of
       (1) excuse (2) refuse                       (3) a nightmare                     the Idiom/Phrase.
                                                   (4) an unknown person                    (SSC Section Officer (Commercial
       (3) accept     (4) tolerate
                                             57. to run across                                        Audit) Exam. 25.09.2005)
 49. I did not mind what he was
       saying, he was only talking                 (1) to have an appointed meeting     66. A few days before his death, he
       through his hat.                            (2) to meet by chance                      made a clean breast of
       (1) talking nonsense                                                                   everything.
                                                   (3) to run in the playground
       (2) talking ignorantly                                                                 (1) confessed
                                                   (4) to run very fast                       (2) took off his shirt
       (3) talking irresponsibly
                                             58. to get one’s own back                        (3) suffered
       (4) talking insultingly
                                                   (1) to get one’s revenge                   (4) spoke ill
 50. He is so furious that he would
                                                   (2) to get control over someone      67. I am done for.
       go through fire and water to
       revenge himself on his foe.                 (3) to get one’s position back             (1) ruined       (2) rewarded
       (1) approach everybody for help             (4) to get hold of someone                 (3) answered (4) questioned
       (2) avai l hi m sel f o f any         59. to steer clear of                      68. For a healthy and l asting
           opportunity                             (1) drive carefully                        friendship one must be on the
       (3) use any conceivable method              (2) avoid                                  level.
       (4) undergo any risk                        (3) explain clearly                        (1) equally rich
 51. The watchdogs were asleep                                                                (2) mentally compatible
                                                   (4) escape
       when the bulls ran riot.                                                               (3) honest and sincere
                                             60. to beat a retreat
       (1) behaved cleverly                                                                   (4) ready for sacrifices
                                                   (1) to withdraw in defeat or
       (2) acted without restraint                                                      69. The foolish young man soon
                                                        humiliation
       (3) wandered aimlessly                                                                 made ducks and drakes of the
                                                   (2) to withdraw after scoring a            vast property his father left him.
       (4) had the best of time                         victory
 52. In spite of the immense pressure                                                         (1) squandered
                                                   (3) to march back after a                  (2) distributed
       exerted by the militants, the                    ceremonious parade
       Government, has decided not to                                                         (3) spent
       give in.                                    (4) to run away in fear                    (4) gave in charity
                                                             SEE–711