IDIOMS/PHRASES
   l She was tired and out of sorts        663. (3) a man of letters : a man who        The best option is amused the
     by the time she arrived home.              is devoted to literary/scholarly        audience greatly
     The best option is not well.               pursuits.                          672. (4) chapter and verse : the ex-
655. (1) to keep the wolf away from           l A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was a man            act details of something, espe-
     the door : to have enough mon-             of letters.                             cially by the exact place where
     ey to avoid going hungry; to stop          The best option is a literary per-      particular information may be
     somebody feeling hungry.                   son                                     found.
   l I don‘t make a lot of money, just     664. (3) take fancy : to attract or        l I can’t give chapter and verse,
     enough to keep the wolf from               please somebody; to start liking        but that’s the rough outline of our
     the door.                                  somebody/something often with-          legal position.
     The best option is to keep off             out an obvious reason.                  The best option is provided
     starvation.                              l She’s got enough money to buy           minute details
656. (1) a vexed question : a prob-             whatever takes her fancy.          673. (3) a dog in the manger : a per-
     lem that is difficult to deal with ;       The best option is developed lik-       son who stops other people from
     thorny.                                    ing for                                 enjoying what he or she cannot
   l The conference spent days dis-        665. (3) carry out : to do and com-          use or does not want.
     cussing the vexed question of              plete a task.                         l Stop being such a dog in the
     border controls.                         l Extensive tests have been car-          manger and let your sister ride
     The best option is controversial           ried out on the patient.                your bike if you’re not using it
657. (2) a golden mean : a course of            The best option is complete             The best option is selfish
     action that is not extreme.                something                          674. (2) vote with your feet : to show
   l The importance of the golden          666. (4) beat about the bush : to talk       what you think about something
     mean is that it re–affirms the             about something for a long time         by going or not going some-
     balance needed in life.                    without coming to the main              where.
     The best option is middle course           point.                                l Shoppers voted with their feet
     between two extremes.                    l Stop beating about the bush             and avoided the store.
658. (3) clean hands : not offensive;           and tell me what you want.              The best option is show their
     not doing anything immoral.                The best option is does not talk        disapproval
   l I’m clean hands, so I’m not afraid         specifically.                      675. (3) throw up cards : to give in ;
     of appearing before the judge.        667. (3) part and parcel : an essen-         to confess defeat
     The best option is innocent                tial part; an important part.         l Things looked black for her, but
659. (3) get on somebody’s nerves :                                                     she did not intend to throw up
     to annoy somebody                        l Keeping the accounts is part and        the cards on that account.
   l It really gets on my nerves                parcel of something.                    The best option is gave up my
     when people hang up without                The best option is important part       plans
     leaving a message.                    668. (3) kith and Kin : friends and     676. (4) feather your nest : to make
     The best option is annoys me.              relatives.                              yourself richer, especially by
660. (4) catch time by the forelock           l I sent cards to my kith and kin,        spending money on yourself that
     (Id.) : not slip an opportunity ; act      inviting them on my 25th Anni-          should be spent on something
     quickly and decisively                     versary.                                else.
   l Wise men catch time by the                 The best option is relatives.         l Raju’s many profitable consult-
     forelock.                             669. (4) telling : showing effectively;      ing assignments enabled him to
     The best option is seize oppor-            having strong effect.                   feather his nest quite comfort-
     tunity.                                                                            ably.
                                              l His sleepless nights are telling
661. (1) a shot in the arm : something          upon his performance.                   The best option is provide for
     that gives encouragement                                                           his own needs
                                                The best option is affecting
     The opening of a new research                                                 677. (4) a chip off the old block : a
   l                                       670. (4) give somebody/something
     centre will give a much-needed                                                     person who is very similar to
                                                a wide berth : to not go too near
     shot in the arm.                                                                   their mother or father in the way
                                                somebody/ something; to avoid
                                                                                        they look or behave.
     The best option is something               somebody/something
                                                                                      l She enj oys bossi ng p eop l e
     that gives encouragement                 l He gave the dog a wide berth.
                                                                                        around just like her mother used
662. (4) horse sense : basic common             The best option is to stay away         to do - she’s a real chip off the
     sense; ordinary practical knowl-           from                                    old block!
     edge of the best way to deal with     671. (2) bring the house down : to           The best option is someone sim-
     people and situations.                     make everyone laugh or cheer,           ilar in character to one’s father.
   l He is not a scholar but has a lot          especially at a performance in     678. (1) an arm-chair critic : know-
     of horse sense.                            the theatre.                            ing about a subject through
     The best option is basic com-              She really brought down the
                                              l                                         books and television, rather than
     mon sense                                  house with her comedy.                  by doing it for yourself.
                                                         SEE–777