Idioms & Phrases

An idiom means something its words do not say, and it is fixed: you cannot change even one word. "A bolt from the blue" cannot become "a bolt from the sky".

1. Idioms from everyday images. a bolt from the blue (a sudden shock), to smell a rat (to suspect something), to bell the cat (to take on the risky task), in cold blood (deliberately and cruelly), a wild goose chase (a futile search).
2. Verb-based idioms. to make both ends meet (to manage within one's income), to turn a deaf ear (to refuse to listen), to keep one's fingers crossed (to hope anxiously).
3. Idioms whose literal reading misleads. to eat humble pie (to apologise), to pull someone's leg (to tease), to give someone the cold shoulder (to ignore).
4. Near-identical phrases that differ. at large (free, uncaught) vs at length (in detail) vs at last (finally); in time (early enough) vs on time (punctually).

The single most common mistake is translating word by word, in either direction — reading "to bell the cat" literally, or rendering a Marathi phrase such as "हात दाखवून अवलक्षण" straight into English words. Idioms are not translated; they are matched to an equivalent.

How to check: substitute your chosen meaning into the sentence and read it plainly. "The news of his sudden death came as a complete shock" reads sensibly, which confirms the choice.

An idiom is fixed — no word may be changed or added · meaning is figurative, never literal · learn confusable sets together: at large / at length / at last, in time / on time · confirm by substituting the meaning back into the sentence

What does the idiom mean? "The announcement of his transfer came as a bolt from the blue." Options: (a) a welcome relief (b) a complete and sudden shock (c) a long-expected event (d) a minor irritation. → (b). Sanity check: read the sentence with the meaning in place — "The announcement of his transfer came as a complete and sudden shock" makes sense, while (c) directly contradicts "bolt", which is by definition unexpected.