IDIOMS/PHRASES
    l I think I’m right, but, if I’m wrong, 637. (1) alma mater : the school, col-   645. (4) under the weather : slightly
      I’ll eat humble pie.                       lege or university that somebody         ill/sick and not as well as usual.
      The best option is suffer humil-           went to.                               l She said she was under the
      iation                                  l He donated 20 Lakh to his alma            weather and couldn’t make it to
629. (3) wild goose chase : a search             mater.                                   the meeting.
      for something that is impossible           The best option is institution           The best option is sick.
      for you to find, that makes you            where I got education.              646. (2) keep a level head : to remain
      waste a lot time.                     638. (4) go Dutch : to share the cost         calm and sensible in a difficult
  l   The police had been sent on a              of something with somebody.              situation.
      wild goose chase.                       l How about dinner tonight ? We’ll        l You have to keep a level head
                                                 go Dutch.                                during business negotiations.
      The best option useless search
                                                 The best option is divide the            The best option is was sensible
630. (2) make a beeli ne : to go
                                                 costs                               647. (4) go for the jugular : to attack
      straight towards something as
                                            639. (3) high and dry : a boat in a           somebody’s weaker point during
      quickly as you can; rush.
                                                 position out of the water ; in a         a discussion , in an aggressive
  l   As soon as she arrived at the par-
                                                 difficult situation without help or      way.
      ty, she made a beeline for the
                                                 money.                                 l She went straight for the jugu-
      food.
                                               l They walked out on the party,            lar at the end of the game.
      The best option rushed                                                              The best option is attack all out
                                                 leaving me high and dry. (aban-
631. (4) at one’s wit’s end : to be so           doned)                              648. (4) make believe that... : to pre-
      worried by a problem that you do           The best option is left me done          tend that something is true.
      not know what to do next.                                                           Let’s make believe we’re elves.
                                                 to do the work                         l
  l   She was at her with’ end won-                                                       (dwarfs)
                                            640.(3) make amends for : compen-
      dering how she’d manage it all
                                                 sate                                     The best option is pretence.
      in the time.
                                               l They must make amends for the       649. (1) to set the Thames on fire :
      The best option is Not knowing
                                                 harm they’ve caused.                     to do such a work that needs a
      what to do.                                                                         strenuous effort.
                                                 The best option is compensate
632. (4) all thumbs : to be                                                            l To win Mount Everest is like set-
                                            641.(4) spill the beans : to tell some-
      awkward with your hands so                                                          ting the Thames on fire.
                                                 body something that should be
      that you drop things or are un-                                                     The best option is do a heroic
                                                 kept secret or private.
      able to do something; clumsy.                                                       deed.
  l   You know when you get nervous,           l There is a surprise party for her.
                                                                                     650. (1) a close - fisted person : not
      you are all-thumbs.                        Please don’t spill the beans.
                                                                                          liking to spend money; miser.
      The best option is clumsy                  The best option is revealed the
                                                                                        l She has always been a close-fist-
                                                 secret information.
633. (3) get up/rise with the lark :                                                      ed person with her money.
      to get out of bed very early in       642.(1) make a mountain out of a
                                                 molehill : to make an unimpor-           The best option is miser
      the morning.
  l   She always rises up with the               tant matter seem important.         651. (1) a red-letter day : an impor-
      lark.                                    l Sita is always making moun-              tant/auspicious day.
      The best option is very early              tains out of molehills.                l Republic Day is a red–letter day
634. (3) as daft as a brush : very sil-          The best option is exaggerate a          in our history.
      ly;                                        minor problem.                           The best option is an important
  (1) daft : silly, often in a way that is  643. (3) a snake in the grass : a per-        day
      amusing.                                   son who pretends to be your         652. (4) finish with something : to
   l As a kid, he was as daft as a               friend but who cannot be trust-          have something at the end, to
      brush.                                     ed.                                      stop doing something, be
      The best option is really silly                                                     through.
                                               l It’s upsetting to learn that some-
635. (4) back : to give help or sup-                                                    l I’ll be finished with this matter
                                                 one you once viewed as a good
      port to somebody/something.                colleague is in fact a snake in          by the end of the day.
   l Doctors have backed plans to                the grass.                               The best option is be through
      raise the tax on cigarettes.               The best option is an unreliable    653. (1) gut feeling : based on feeling
      The best option is support                 and deceitful person.                    and emoti ons rather than
636. (3) close fisted : tight fisted; not                                                 thought and reason.
                                            644. (2) at loggerheads : in strong
      willing to spend much money;                                                      l My gut feeling was that she was
                                                 disagreement.
      stingy.                                                                             lying.
                                               l The two governments are still at
   l My parents are very closefisted                                                      The best option is strong instinct
                                                 loggerheads over the island.
      with money and expenditure.                                                    654. (4) out of sorts : ill/sick or up-
                                                 The best option is disagreeing
      The best option is a miser                                                          set
                                                 on everything.
                                                           SEE–776