100+ Idioms and Phrases for BCECE LE | Complete List with Meanings & Examples
Master 100+ idioms and phrases for BCECE LE exam. Complete list with meanings, examples, and previous year questions. Includes 'piece of cake', 'break a leg', 'hit the nail on the head' & more commonly tested phrases.
So BCECE has idioms and phrases questions, and honestly? They're free marks if you study them properly.
Here's what happens - you'll see questions like "Blood is ___ than water" and you need to fill in the blank. Or they give you an idiom like "piece of cake" and ask what it means. Simple stuff. No tricks, no confusion.
I remember when my friend was preparing, he ignored idioms thinking "how many questions will even come?" Then exam day - 5 questions straight. He knew maybe 2. Lost easy marks.
Don't be that person.
This guide has 100+ idioms that actually show up in BCECE. Not random fancy idioms nobody uses. Real exam stuff. Each one has its meaning and example so you understand how it's used. I've also included previous year questions from 2023 and 2024 so you know exactly what they're asking.
Some of these are funny (who decided "when pigs fly" means never?), some make no sense at first (why is "piece of cake" easy?), but once you learn them, they stick. And the best part? You can use them in your writing section too. Examiners love when students use idioms correctly.
Idioms and Phrases – Multiple Choice Questions
Q1. Sit on the fence
(a) To make someone suddenly notice you
(b) To fail completely
(c) To delay making a decision ✓
(d) To behave very badly
Answer: (c) To delay making a decision
Q2. Have the last laugh
(a) To be the worst example of something
(b) To succeed when others thought that you would not ✓
(c) To solve all the problems of life
(d) To laugh at someone secretly
Answer: (b) To succeed when others thought that you would not
Q3. Count your blessings
(a) To start to understand how badly something has affected you
(b) An event which gradually becomes worse
(c) To be grateful for good things in your life ✓
(d) Something that you say in order to warn someone
Answer: (c) To be grateful for good things in your life
Q4. Bad blood
(a) Feelings of hatred between people ✓
(b) A situation which goes from bad to worse
(c) A fatal accident
(d) To accept the unpleasant situation
Answer: (a) Feelings of hatred between people
Q5. A white lie
(a) An offensive way of describing something
(b) To do something completely impossible
(c) A lie that is absolutely and universally true
(d) A lie that you tell to avoid hurting someone ✓
Answer: (d) A lie that you tell to avoid hurting someone
Q6. Be hard up
(a) Find it very difficult to wake up early
(b) Have very little money ✓
(c) Unable to calculate
(d) Have difficulty in climbing stairs
Answer: (b) Have very little money
Q7. Damocles' sword
(a) A blunt sword
(b) A closely impending disaster ✓
(c) A sword of Damocles
(d) A disputed sword
Answer: (b) A closely impending disaster
Q8. Lose your touch
(a) Doing someone a favour in hopes that the favour will be returned
(b) To be passed from one person to another
(c) Not being as successful as previously ✓
(d) Something being very difficult to find
Answer: (c) Not being as successful as previously
Q9. At one's elbow
(a) Next to someone ✓
(b) Far away
(c) Strong grip
(d) Strong bond
Answer: (a) Next to someone
Q10. Rank and file
(a) Documents and files
(b) Only the top-rank people
(c) Ordinary people ✓
(d) Officers
Answer: (c) Ordinary people
Q11. Blow up
(a) To suffice
(b) To live up greatly
(c) To destroy by an explosion ✓
(d) To stand upright
Answer: (c) To destroy by an explosion
Q12. Fair-weather friends
(a) People who help all the time
(b) People who desert in times of trouble ✓
(c) People who speak ill of others all the time
(d) People who are of no use at any point of time
Answer: (b) People who desert in times of trouble
Q13. Draw the line at something
(a) Coming to a conclusion
(b) Making pencil sketches
(c) Accept something up to a particular point ✓
(d) Agreeing to an idea
Answer: (c) Accept something up to a particular point
Q14. Playing the devil's advocate
(a) One who is composed at all times
(b) One who argues against something just for the sake of arguing ✓
(c) One who is good at judgement
(d) One who pits the culprit against the lawyer
Answer: (b) One who argues against something just for the sake of arguing
Q15. Bad blood
(a) Ill feeling ✓
(b) Poor quality
(c) Low status
(d) Hard luck
Answer: (a) Ill feeling
Common Idioms with Meanings and Examples
Idiom/Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
A dime a dozen | Common, easy to get | Good ideas are a dime a dozen, but it takes hard work to turn them into a reality. |
Beat around the bush | To avoid getting to the point | Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you want. |
Bite the bullet | To face a difficult situation bravely | When the time comes, you'll just have to bite the bullet and take your exams. |
Break a leg | Good luck | Break a leg in your performance tonight! |
Barking up the wrong tree | Making a false assumption or accusation | He's barking up the wrong tree if he thinks I took his lunch. |
Burn the midnight oil | To work late into the night | To finish this project on time, we might have to burn the midnight oil. |
Catch someone's eye | To attract someone's attention | The bright red dress really caught my eye. |
Cut to the chase | To get to the point | Let's cut to the chase, why did you call this meeting? |
Draw the line | To set a limit | We have to draw the line somewhere or we'll end up doing all the work. |
Fit as a fiddle | In good health | Even at 80 years old, my grandfather is as fit as a fiddle. |
Go the extra mile | To make an extra effort | She always goes the extra mile to make her customers feel welcome. |
Hit the nail on the head | To get something exactly right | You really hit the nail on the head with that answer. |
In hot water | In trouble | He got in hot water for missing the deadline. |
Jump the gun | To act before it's the appropriate time | You jumped the gun by announcing the deal before it was final. |
Keep your chin up | Stay positive | Things are tough now, but keep your chin up. They will get better. |
Let the cat out of the bag | To reveal a secret | I accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party. |
Make a long story short | To summarize | To make a long story short, we missed the train and had to take a cab. |
No pain, no gain | Improvement requires hard work | I've been training every day for the competition. No pain, no gain. |
On the ball | Alert, competent | She's really on the ball. Nothing gets past her. |
Pull someone's leg | To joke or tease someone | Don't take him seriously, he's just pulling your leg. |
Raining cats and dogs | Raining heavily | I forgot my umbrella, and it's raining cats and dogs out there! |
Spill the beans | Reveal a secret | I hope he doesn't spill the beans about the party. |
Take it with a grain of salt | To consider something to be not completely true or right | I'd take anything he says with a grain of salt. |
Under the weather | Feeling ill or sick | I think I'm coming down with a cold, I'm feeling a bit under the weather. |
You can't judge a book by its cover | You can't judge someone or something solely by appearance | He might not look very athletic, but you can't judge a book by its cover. |
Zip your lip | To remain silent, to stop talking | My little brother wouldn't stop talking during the movie, so I told him to zip his lip. |
Out of the blue | Unexpectedly | My old friend called me out of the blue yesterday. |
Hit the books | To study hard | With exams coming up, it's time to hit the books. |
When pigs fly | Something that will never happen | He'll clean his room when pigs fly! |
Cut corners | Doing something poorly to save time or money | If you cut corners when you're painting, the room will look sloppy. |
Kick the bucket | To die | I want to travel the world before I kick the bucket. |
Hit the road | To begin a journey | We hit the road early to beat the morning traffic. |
A piece of cake | Easy, not requiring much effort | This homework is a piece of cake. |
The ball is in your court | It is up to you to take the next step | I've done all I can; the ball is in your court now. |
Kill two birds with one stone | To solve two problems at once | By taking the bus, I save money and get to read my book, killing two birds with one stone. |
Bite off more than you can chew | To take on a task that is too big | He bit off more than he could chew when he agreed to paint the house in one day. |
Costs an arm and a leg | Very expensive | This car costs an arm and a leg. |
Feel under the weather | Feel sick | I'm feeling under the weather, so I'm going to bed early. |
Give the benefit of the doubt | Believe someone's statement, without proof | She couldn't prove her innocence, but we gave her the benefit of the doubt. |
In the heat of the moment | Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment | In the heat of the moment, he said things he later regretted. |
Once in a blue moon | Very rarely | He only visits his parents once in a blue moon. |
See eye to eye | Agree | They don't see eye to eye on many things, but they're still best friends. |
The last straw | The final problem in a series of problems | Missing my bus was the last straw. I decided to buy a car. |
Take with a grain of salt | Not take something too seriously | I take everything he says with a grain of salt because he tends to exaggerate. |
Straight from the horse's mouth | From a reliable source | I know it's true; I heard it straight from the horse's mouth. |
Throw in the towel | To give up | After hours of trying to solve the problem, he finally threw in the towel. |
Miss the boat | To miss an opportunity | If we don't act now, we might miss the boat. |
Get your act together | Start to organize yourself | You need to get your act together or you'll fail the class. |
Off the hook | No longer have to deal with a tough situation | The teacher let me off the hook when she extended the deadline. |
Sit on the fence | To not make a decision | I was sitting on the fence about the job offer, because the pay was lower than I wanted. |
Take a rain check | Postpone a plan | I have a lot of homework, can we take a rain check on going to the movies? |
Every cloud has a silver lining | Every bad situation has some good aspect | He failed his test, but every cloud has a silver lining; he now knows he needs to study harder. |
Don't cry over spilled milk | Don't be upset about something that has already happened and cannot be changed | Yes, you made a mistake, but don't cry over spilled milk. Just try to fix it. |
Bite the hand that feeds you | Act ungratefully towards someone who helps you | Complaining about your boss's fair decision is like biting the hand that feeds you. |
Go back to the drawing board | Start over | Our plan didn't work out, so it's time to go back to the drawing board. |
Let sleeping dogs lie | Avoid restarting a conflict | I know you want to talk about it, but it might be better to let sleeping dogs lie. |
At the drop of a hat | Immediately | If you need help, I'll be there at the drop of a hat. |
Read between the lines | Understand the hidden meaning | She said she wasn't upset, but reading between the lines, I could tell she was. |
Throw someone under the bus | Sacrifice someone else to save oneself | I can't believe he threw me under the bus to save his own job. |
Have a chip on your shoulder | Hold a grudge | He has had a chip on his shoulder since he didn't get the promotion. |
Play devil's advocate | To argue against an idea for debate | Let me play devil's advocate and see if your plan holds up. |
Up in the air | Uncertain | Our holiday plans are still up in the air. |
The early bird gets the worm | The person who takes the earliest opportunity will gain the advantage | She started studying for the exams early; the early bird gets the worm. |
Spitting image | Looks exactly like another person | You are the spitting image of your mother. |
Take the bull by the horns | To face a problem head-on | He decided to take the bull by the horns and confront his bully. |
Through thick and thin | In all situations, good or bad | We've been best friends for years, through thick and thin. |
On thin ice | In a risky situation | If you continue to come late, you'll be on thin ice with the boss. |
Put all your eggs in one basket | Rely completely on one course of action | Don't put all your eggs in one basket; apply to a few different colleges. |
Beat a dead horse | Waste time on a lost cause or unalterable situation | Arguing about this is like beating a dead horse. Let's move on. |
Put your foot in your mouth | Say something embarrassing or wrong | I really put my foot in my mouth when I asked about her job, not knowing she'd been fired. |
Bury the hatchet | Make peace | After years of rivalry, the two companies decided to bury the hatchet. |
Out of the frying pan and into the fire | Move from a bad situation to a worse one | After quitting his job, he couldn't pay his bills. He really went out of the frying pan and into the fire. |
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush | What you already have is worth more than what you might get | I was offered a better job, but a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. |
Off the beaten track | Not known or popular | For our vacation, we went off the beaten track and explored some less-known towns. |
As cool as a cucumber | Very calm and composed | Despite the stressful situation, she remained as cool as a cucumber. |
Hold your horses | Wait and be patient | Hold your horses, the dinner isn't ready yet. |
Make ends meet | To have enough money to cover expenses | After losing his job, he had to work odd jobs to make ends meet. |
Easier said than done | Not as easy as it appears to be | Cleaning the entire house in one day is easier said than done. |
The whole nine yards | Everything, all of it | He decided to clean the house and went the whole nine yards, doing every single room. |
Cut someone some slack | Give someone an extra amount of leeway | He's been having a tough time recently, let's cut him some slack. |
Speak of the devil | The person we were just talking about showed up | We were just talking about you, speak of the devil! |
Apple of my eye | Someone very precious or dear | My youngest daughter is the apple of my eye. |
Get a kick out of something | Enjoy something very much | I get a kick out of watching old sitcoms. |
A penny for your thoughts | A way of asking what someone is thinking | You seem preoccupied, a penny for your thoughts? |
Back to square one | Back to the beginning | Our project didn't work, so it's back to square one. |
Cross your fingers | To hope for good luck | Cross your fingers that it doesn't rain during our trip. |
Have a heart of gold | Be very kind and good-natured | My grandmother has a heart of gold; she always helps anyone in need. |
Over the moon | Extremely happy | I was over the moon when I got accepted into my dream college. |
Paint the town red | Go out and enjoy oneself flamboyantly | After the final exam, we decided to paint the town red. |
To smell a rat | To suspect foul play | The deal was too good to be true; I smelled a rat. |
Turn a blind eye | Refuse to acknowledge something you know is real or happening | The teacher turned a blind eye to the cheating student, which surprised us all. |
Hit the hay | Go to bed | It's been a long day. I think it's time to hit the hay. |
The tip of the iceberg | A small part of a larger, more complex issue | These symptoms are just the tip of the iceberg. The patient has more underlying health issues. |
Take the plunge | To commit oneself to a course of action that is momentous or challenging | After thinking about it for years, he finally took the plunge and started his own business. |
Complete Idioms List with Meanings (A-Z)
A
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush - Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything.
A blessing in disguise - Something good that isn't recognized at first
Bull in china shop - One who causes damage
A chip on your shoulder - Being upset for something that happened in the past
A damp squib - Complete failure
A dime a dozen - Anything that is common and easy to get
A doubting Thomas - A skeptic who needs physical or personal evidence in order to believe something
A drop in the bucket - A very small part of something big or whole
A fool and his money are easily parted - It's easy for a foolish person to lose his/her money
A gentleman at large - An unreliable person
A green horn - Inexperienced
A house divided against itself cannot stand - Everyone involved must unify and function together or it will not work out.
A leopard can't change his spots - You cannot change who you are
A lost cause - A hopeless case, a person or situation having no hope of positive change.
A man of straw - A weak person
A mare's nest - A false invention
A penny saved is a penny earned - By not spending money, you are saving money (little by little)
A picture paints a thousand words - A visual presentation is far more descriptive than words
A piece of cake - A task that can be accomplished very easily
A slap on the wrist - A very mild punishment
A stalking horse - Pretense
A steal - Very inexpensive, a bargain
A taste of your own medicine - When you are mistreated the same way you mistreat others
A toss-up - A result that is still unclear and can go either way
A wolf in sheep's clothing - A dangerous person pretending to be harmless
ABC - Very common knowledge
Above all - Mainly, especially
Above board - Fair and honest
According to - In the order of; on the authority of
Actions speak louder than words - It's better to actually do something than just talk about it
Add fuel to the fire - Whenever something is done to make a bad situation even worse than it is
Against the clock - Rushed and short on time
All (day, week, month, year) long - The entire day, week, month, year
All along - All the time, from the beginning (without change)
All and sundry - Without making any distinction
All bark and no bite - When someone is threatening and/or aggressive but not willing to engage in a fight
All Greek to me - Meaningless and incomprehensible like someone who cannot read, speak, or understand
All in all - Considering everything
All in the same boat - When everyone is facing the same challenges
All of a sudden - Suddenly, without warning (All at once)
All right - Acceptable, fine; yes, okay
Alpha and omega - First and last letter of Greek alphabet, means beginning and end
An arm and a leg - Very expensive, a large amount of money
An axe to grind - To have a dispute with someone
An eye wash - A pretense
An iron hand - By force
Apple of my eye - Someone who is cherished above all others
As a matter of fact - Really, actually
As for - Regarding, concerning (also: as to)
As high as a kite - Anything that is high up in the sky
As soon as - Just after, when
As usual - As is the general case, as is typical
At all - To any degree (also: in the least)
At heart - Basically, fundamentally
At last - Finally, after a long time
At least - A minimum of, no fewer (or less) than
At odds - In dispute
At sixes and sevens - Persons who are having different opinions
At the drop of a hat - Willing to do something immediately
B
Back and call - At the service
Back and forth - In a backward and forward motion
Back seat driver - People who criticize from the sidelines, much like someone giving unwanted advice
Back to square one - Having to start all over again
Back to the drawing board - When an attempt fails and it's time to start all over
Bag and baggage - With all goods
Baker's dozen - Thirteen
Bank on - Depend on, count on
Barking up the wrong tree - A mistake made in something you are trying to achieve
Bated breath - In anxiety, expectancy
Beat a dead horse - To force an issue that has already ended
Beating around the bush - Avoiding the main topic, not speaking directly about the issue
Bend over backwards - Do whatever it takes to help. Willing to do anything
Between a rock and a hard place - Stuck between two very bad options
Between Scylla and Charybdis - Choice between two unpleasant alternatives
Between the cup and the lips - On the point of achievement
Bite off more than you can chew - To take on a task that is way too big
Bite your tongue - To avoid talking
Black and white - In writing
Blood is thicker than water - The family bond is closer than anything else
Blow hot and cold - Having no stand, shows favor at one time and disfavor at another
Blue moon - A rare event or occurrence
Body and soul - Entirely
Break a leg - A superstitious way to say 'Good Luck' without saying 'Good Luck'
Buy a lemon - To purchase a vehicle that constantly gives problems or stops running after you drive it
By & by - Gradually
By all means - Certainly, definitely, naturally (also: of course); using any possible way or method
By far - By a great margin, clearly
By fits and starts - Irregularly
By heart - By memorizing
By hook or by crook - By any means
By leaps and bounds - Speedily
By oneself - Alone, without assistance
By the way - Incidentally
C
Call a spade a spade - Straight talk
Can't cut the mustard - Someone who isn't adequate enough to compete or participate
Cast iron stomach - Someone who has no problems, complications or ill effects with eating anything
Cats and bull story - Untrue story
Cats and dogs - Heavy rain
Charley horse - Stiffness in the leg/a leg cramp
Chew someone out - Verbally scold someone
Chip on his shoulder - Angry today about something that occurred in the past
Chow down - To eat
Clear-cut - Clearly stated, definite, apparent
Close but no cigar - To be near and almost accomplish a goal, but fall short
Close call - A situation involving a narrow escape from danger
Cock and bull story - An unbelievable tale, untrue story
Come hell or high water - Any difficult situation or obstacle
Crack someone up - To make someone laugh
Cross your fingers - To hope that something happens the way you want it to
Cry wolf - Intentionally raise a false alarm
Cup of joe - A cup of coffee
Curtain lecture - A reproof by wife to her husband
Cut and dried - Ready made form
Cut to the chase - Leave out all the unnecessary details and just get to the point
D
Dark horse - One who was previously unknown and is now prominent
Day in and day out - Continuously, constantly
Dead ringer - 100% identical, a duplicate
Devil's advocate - Someone who takes a position for the sake of argument without believing in that
Dog days of summer - The hottest days of the summer season
Don't count your chickens before they hatch - Don't rely on it until you are sure of it
Don't look a gift horse in the mouth - When someone gives you a gift, don't be ungrateful
Don't put all your eggs in one basket - Do not put all your resources in one possibility
Doozy - Something outstanding
Down to the wire - Something that ends at the last minute or last few seconds
Drastic times call for drastic measures - When you are extremely desperate you need to take extremely desperate actions
Drink like a fish - To drink very heavily
Dry run - Rehearsal
E
Egg on - To urge somebody
Eighty six - A certain item is no longer available; or to throw away
Elvis has left the building - The show has come to an end. It's all over
Ethnic cleansing - Killing of a certain ethnic or religious group on a massive scale
Ever and anon - Now and then
Every cloud has a silver lining - Be optimistic, even difficult times will lead to better days
Every other (one) - Every second (one), alternate (ones)
Everything but the kitchen sink - Almost everything and anything has been included
Excuse my French - Please forgive me for cursing
F
Fabian policy - Policy of delaying decisions
Face-to-face - Direct, personal; directly, personally
Fair and wide - Equal opportunity to all
Far and wide - Everywhere
Few and far between - Not frequent, unusual, rare
Field day - An enjoyable day or circumstance
Fifty-fifty - Divided into two equal parts
Finding your feet - To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing
Finger licking good - A very tasty food or meal
Fire and brimstone - Fearful penalties
Fire and fury - Extreme enthusiasm
First and foremost - Highest priority
Fishy - Doubtful
Fixed in your ways - Not willing or wanting to change from your normal way of doing something
Flash in the pan - Something that shows potential or looks promising in the beginning but fails to deliver
Flea market - A swap meet. A place where people gather to buy and sell inexpensive goods
Flesh and blood - Living material of which people are made of, or it can refer to human nature
Flip the bird - To raise your middle finger at someone
Foam at the mouth - To be enraged and show it
Fools' gold - Iron pyrites, a worthless rock that resembles real gold
Foot the bill - Bear expenses
For good - Permanently, forever
For once - This one time, for only one time
For sure - Without doubt (also: for certain)
For the time being - Temporarily (also: for now)
Free and easy - Natural and simple
French kiss - An open mouth kiss where tongues touch
From now on - From this time into the future
From rags to riches - To go from very poor to being very wealthy
Fuddy-duddy - An old-fashioned and foolish type of person
Full monty - "The whole thing" or "Completely nude"
Funny farm - A mental institutional facility
G
Gall and wormwood - Source of irritation
Get down to brass tacks - To become serious about something
Get over it - To move beyond something that is bothering you
Get up on the wrong side of the bed - Someone who is having a horrible day
Get your walking papers - Get fired from the job
Gird up the loin - To be ready
Give and take - Compromise, cooperation between people
Give him the slip - To get away from, to escape
Give in - Surrender
Go down like a lead balloon - To be received badly by an audience
Go for broke - To gamble everything you have
Go out on a limb - Put yourself in a tough position in order to support someone/something
Go the extra mile - Going above and beyond whatever is required for the task at hand
Good Samaritan - Someone who helps others when they are in need, with no expectation for return
Graveyard shift - Working hours from about 12:00 am to 8:00 am
Great minds think alike - Intelligent people think like each other
Green room - The waiting room, especially for those who are about to go on a TV or radio show
Gut feeling - A personal intuition you get, especially when feel something may not be right
H
Had better - Should, ought to, be advisable to
Hand and glove - Very intimate friends
Hard and fast - Certain
Hard of hearing - Partially deaf, not able to hear well
Haste makes waste - Quickly doing things results in a poor ending
Hat trick - When one player scores three goals in the same hockey game
Haughty and naughty - Arrogant and naughty
Have an axe to grind - To have a dispute with someone
Have got - To have, to possess
Have got to - Must (also: have to)
He lost his head - Angry and overcome by emotions
Head and shoulders - Superior
Head over heels - Very excited and/or joyful, especially when in love
Heart and soul - With full devotion
Hell in a hand basket - Deteriorating and headed for complete disaster
Helter skelter - Here and there
Herculean task - A tedious job
High five - Slapping palms above each others heads as celebration gesture
High on the hog - Living in luxury
Hit below the belt - Contrary to the principles of fairness
Hit the books - To study, especially for a test or exam
Hit the hay - Go to bed or go to sleep
Hit the nail on the head - Do something exactly right or say something exactly right
Hit the sack - Go to bed or go to sleep
Hither and thither - Here and there
Hocus pocus - In general, a term used in magic or trickery
Hold your horses - Be patient
Hole and corner policy - A secret policy for an evil purpose
Hornet's nest - Raise controversy
Hue and cry - Great noise
Hush money - A bribe
I
Icing on the cake - When you already have it good and get something on top of what you already have
Idle hands are the devil's tools - You are more likely to get in trouble if you have nothing to do
If it's not one thing, it's another - When one thing goes wrong, then another, and another…
Ill at ease - Uncomfortable or worried in a situation
In a hurry - Hurried, rushed (also: in a rush)
In case - In order to be prepared if something happens
In hand - Under firm control, well managed
In like Flynn - To be easily successful, especially when sexual or romantic
In no time - Very quickly, rapidly
In the bag - To have something secured
In the buff - Nude
In the heat of the moment - Overwhelmed by what is happening in the moment
In the long run - Eventually, after a long period of time
In the worst way - Very much, greatly
In time to - Before the time necessary to do something
In touch - Having contact
In vain - Useless, without the desired result
In your face - An aggressive and bold confrontation
Ins and outs - Full detail
Inside out - With the inside facing the outside
Intents and purposes - Practically
It figures - It seems likely, reasonable, or typical
It takes two to tango - A two-person conflict where both people are at fault
It's a small world - You frequently see the same people in different places
It's anyone's call - A competition where the outcome is difficult to judge or predict
Ivory tower - Imaginary world
Ivy league - Since 1954: Columbia, Brown, Cornell, and other prestigious universities
J-K
Jaywalk - Crossing the street (from the middle) without using the crosswalk
Joshing me - Tricking me
Keep an eye on him - You should carefully watch him
Keep body and soul together - To earn a sufficient amount of money in order to keep yourself alive
Keep your chin up - To remain joyful in a tough situation
Kick the bucket - Die
Kith and kin - Blood relatives
Kitty-corner - Diagonally across. Sometimes called Catty-Corner as well
Knock on wood - Knuckle tapping on wood in order to avoid some bad luck
Know the ropes - To understand the details
L
Last but not least - An introduction phrase to let the audience know that the last person mentioned is also very important
Last straw - The final event in a series of unacceptable actions
Latin and Greek - Unable to understand
Leave no stone unturned - Make all possible efforts
Lend me your ear - To politely ask for someone's full attention
Length and breadth - All over
Let alone - And certainly not (also: not to mention, to say nothing of)
Let the cat out of the bag - To share a secret that wasn't supposed to be shared
Level playing field - A fair competition where no side has an advantage
Life and soul - Main support
Like a chicken with its head cut off - To act in a frenzied manner
Liquor someone up - To get someone drunk
Little by little - Gradually, slowly (also: step by step)
Live-wire - Energetic
Loaves and fish - Material interests
Lock and key - In safe place
Long in the tooth - Old people (or horses)
Loose cannon - Someone who is unpredictable and can cause damage if not kept in check
M
Make no bones about - To state a fact so there are no doubts or objections
Method to my madness - Strange or crazy actions that appear meaningless but in the end are done for a good reason
Might and main - With all enthusiasm
Milk and water - Weak
More or less - Approximately, almost, somewhat, to a certain degree
Mumbo jumbo - Nonsense or meaningless speech
Mum's the word - To keep quiet, to say nothing
Narrow-minded - Not willing to accept the ideas of others
Additional Important Idioms
Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
Decked up | Put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive |
Doing the rounds | To be passed from one person to another |
Between the cup and the lips | On the point of achievement |
Put off | To delay doing something, often to avoid it |
Takes a beating | To be damaged or criticized harshly |
Bits and pieces | Small, various items |
Previous Year Questions (PYQ)
BCECE 2024 Questions
Q.No | Question | Answer | Option |
|---|---|---|---|
131 | Blood is ________ than water. | thicker | C |
132 | A drowning man will clutch at a ________. | straw | B |
133 | Cut your ________ according to your cloth. | coat | C |
134 | To ________ the cat. | bell | A |
135 | To be up to your ________ in work. | ears | B |
BCECE 2023 Questions
Idiom / Phrase | Correct Word | Option | |
|---|---|---|---|
141 | To jump from the frying ________ into the fire. | pan | B |
142 | To have your ________ in your mouth. | heart | C |
143 | To draw the ________. | line | D |
144 | To burn the ________ oil. | midnight | C |
145 | To hit the ________ on the head. | nail | B |
Conclusion
Now here's how to actually study these:
Don't try learning all 100 in one day. Your brain will explode. Instead, do 10 idioms daily. That's it. In 10 days, you're done with the whole list.
Focus on the PYQ ones first. See those 2023 and 2024 questions at the end? Those patterns repeat. "Blood is thicker than water", "Burn the midnight oil", "Hit the nail on the head" - these keep coming back.
Make stories in your head. Like "raining cats and dogs" - imagine cats and dogs actually falling from sky. Weird image = you'll remember it. Works better than just reading meanings.
Practice fill-in-the-blanks. Take any idiom, blank out one word, test yourself. "A bird in the ___ is worth two in the bush." Can you fill it? (hand, btw)
Group similar ones together. All animal idioms in one go. All body part idioms together. Makes patterns easier to spot.
One week before exam, just revise the meanings. Don't learn new ones. Just go through this list once daily. By exam time, you'll see "bite the bullet" and instantly know it means "face difficulty bravely."
These questions are literally free marks. Don't skip them.
Good luck with your BCECE. Go score those easy points!
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