IDIOMS/PHRASES
     The best option is to give im-         l  Please stop running me down all        l He is prepared to face the music
     portance to little things.                the time.                                for his conduct at the meeting.
212. (1) hand in glove : working               The best option is criticise.            The best option is face the un-
     closely with somebody, especial-     221. (2) to make both ends meet : to          pleasant consequences.
     ly in a secret and/or illegal way         earn just enough money to be         230. (2) on the brink of : at the point of
  l  The teacher and the Principal             able to buy the things you need        l The economy, today, is on the
     work hand in glove.                    l  I have to work at two jobs to             brink of collapse.
     The best option is in close rela-         make both ends meet.                      The best option is at the point
     tionship.                                 The best option is to live with-          of.
213. (2) to add fuel to the fire : a           in one’s income.                     231. (3) in high spirits : cheerful; full
     thing that is said or done that      222. (1) pore over : to examine; to            of hope and enthusiasm
     makes something, especially an            look at or read something very         l When she came to know that
     argument, continue or get worse           carefully                                 she would receive a award that
  l  Shouting at a crying child just        l  She pored over the reports, look-         evening, she was in high spir-
     adds fuel to the fire.                    ing for errors.                           its.
     The best option is to cause ad-           The best option is go through.            The best option is cheerful.
     ditional anger.                      223. (4) crossed swords : to fight or     232. (3) catch red-handed : at the time
214. (2) wear and tear : the damage            argue with somebody                       of doing something wrong or com-
     to objects, furniture, property,       l  Reena and Meena always cross              mitting a crime
     etc. that is the result of normal         swords with each other.                l Many car thieves are caught red-
     use                                       The best option is disagreed.             handed.
  l  This sofa shows a lot of wear and    224.  (1) standstill : a situation in          The best option is at the time
     tear, we should replace it.               which all activity or movement            of committing the crime.
     The best option is damage.                has stopped                          233. (3) left me in the lurch : to fail
                                            l  The accident brought the work             to help somebody when he is re-
215. (3) gift of the gab : the ability to
                                               to a standstill.                          lying on you to do so
     speak easily
                                               The best option is complete halt.      l I hope they can find someone to
  l  My brother really has the gift of
                                          225. (1) cool as a cucumber : very             replace me at work. I don’t want
     gab. He can convince anyone of
                                               calm and controlled, especially           to leave them in the lurch.
     anything.
                                               in a difficult situation                  The best option is abandoned me
     The best option is talent for
                                            l  The politician kept cool as a cu-         when I needed help.
     speaking.
                                               cumber throughout the interview      234. (1) grease anybody’s palm :
216. (4) went a long way : to last a           with the aggressive journalist.           bribe; to give somebody money
     long time; covers a large area            The best option is not nervous            in order to persuade him to do
  l  Your plan went a long way in              or emotional.                             something dishonest
     helping us with our problem.         226. (3) a close shave : a narrow es-       l If you want to get something
     The best option is helped con-            cape                                      done around here, you have to
     siderably.                             l  The car passed so close to us; it         grease anybody’s palm.
217. (3) cope with : to deal success-          was really a close shave.                 The best option is bribe.
     fully with something difficult;           The best option is narrow escape     235. (4) a man of letters : a scholar
     manage                                    from danger.                              and a writer
  l  I don’t think I can cope with any    227. (1) had gone down the drain : to       l He was a distinguished states-
     more trouble.                             be wasted; to get very much               man and a man of letters.
     The best option is handle                 worse; go down the plug hole              The best option is proficient in
218. (3) at the eleventh hour : at the      l  All his savings are going down            literary art.
     last possible moment; just in time        the drain ever since he has tak-     236. (2) to pay off old scores : get
                                               en to gambling.                           revenge on someone for some
  l  She always revises for her ex-
     ams at the eleventh hour.                 The best option is was lost for-          grievance
                                               ever.                                  l Rishabh was satisfied as he had
     The best option is at the very
     last moment.                         228. (3) gift of the gab : the ability to      paid off old scores by beating
                                               speak easily                              Rohan’s little sister.
219. (3) maiden speech : first speech
                                            l  My brother really has the gift of         The best option is to take re-
  l  Margret Thatcher’s maiden                 gab. He can convince anyone of            venge.
     speech was one of the most suc-           anything.
     cessful ones.                                                                  237. (2) wears his heart on his sleeve :
                                               The best option is ability to             to allow your feelings to be seen by
     The best option is first speech.          speak impressively.                       other people
220. (4) run down : to criticize some-    229. (1) face the music : to bear the       l As she wears her heart on her
     body/something in an unkind               consequences for something you            sleeve, it is easy to hurt her feel-
     way                                       have done                                 ings.
                                                         SEE–760