Useful Phrases and Idioms UPSC 2024 in English

‘The best of both worlds’ – means you can enjoy two different opportunities at the same time.

‘Speak of the devil’ – this means that the person you’re just talking about actually appears at that moment.

‘See eye to eye’ – this means agreeing with someone.

‘Once in a blue moon’ – an event that happens infrequently.

‘When pigs fly’ – something that will never happen.

‘To cost an arm and a leg’– something is very expensive.

‘A piece of cake’– something is very easy.

‘Let the cat out of the bag’ – to accidentally reveal a secret.

‘To feel under the weather’ – to not feel well.

‘To kill two birds with one stone’ – to solve two problems at once.

‘To cut corners’ – to do something badly or cheaply.

‘To add insult to injury’ – to make a situation worse.

‘You can’t judge a book by its cover’ – to not judge someone or something based solely on appearance.

‘Break a leg’ – means ‘good luck’ (often said to actors before they go on stage).

‘To hit the nail on the head’ – to describe exactly what is causing a situation or problem.

‘A blessing in disguise’ – An misfortune that eventually results in something good happening later on.

‘Call it a day’ – Stop working on something

‘Let someone off the hook’ – To allow someone, who has been caught, to not be punished.

‘No pain no gain’ – You have to work hard for something you want.

‘Bite the bullet’ – Decide to do something unpleasant that you have avoided doing.

‘Getting a taste of your own medicine’ – Being treated the same unpleasant way you have treated others.

‘Giving someone the cold shoulder’ – To ignore someone.

‘The last straw’ – The final source of irritation for someone to finally lose patience.

‘The elephant in the room’ – A matter or problem that is obviously of great importance but that is not discussed openly.

‘Stealing someone's thunder’ – Taking credit for someone else's achievements.

Important Note: These lists are only starting points meant to give you a head start. Only memorising these will not be enough. It is important you form a habit of practising as much as possible. A general tip for gaining confidence with unseen passages widely. This not only helps in increasing the vocabulary but it allows aspirants to grow familiar with the English language, an essential skill to possess. Since the passages come from a variety of topics dealing with current affairs, reading widely, across different kinds of reading media, like (newspapers, novels, blog posts) can help ease one’s fear of unfamiliar passages.