Abandon oneself to someone or
something : To give
up, to surrender.to accept a situation
ABC of something: Basic facts or fundamentals of
something.
How can he read your palm, the poor
fellow does not know even the ABC of palmistry.
Able by something : To act upon, to follow the rules etc.
While driving we must abide by the
traffic rules.
Able to breathe again : To be able to take respite from a
stressful time or hard work.
Now that the annual examinations are
over children are able to breathe again.
About (someone’s) ears : All around someone, something ready to fall on
someone.
The ceiling needs an immediate
renovation, the plaster is falling off and there is a possibility that it may
fall about our ears any time .
About time : Not too soon.
Here comes the bus – and about time
too. I was about to think that I’ve missed it.
Above and beyond the call of duty : In addition to what is required by the terms
of one’s employment.
The English teacher helped the
students after school and taught them on Sundays also, even though it was above
and beyond the call of duty.
Above-board : Open, undisguised.
Don’t play suspicious, make sure that
everything is above-board.
Above means : Beyond one’s capacity or income.
Sending my ward to modern School is
above my means.
Above one’s head : Beyond one’d comprehension.
The lecture of Prof. Kohli was very
difficult – all his ideas went above my head.
Absolve of : To pardon, to acquit.
The accused has been, of late,
absolved of all charges against him.
Abstract from : To elicit by force.
The police, at last, overpowered the
accused and by applying third degree methods were able to abstract the
admission of guilt from him.
Accord to : Agree to
In view of the rising pollution in
the area the proposal to set up a factory was not accorded to by the ministry.
According to all accounts : From all the reports; judging from
what everyone is saying.
According to (by) all accounts the hockey
team put up a very bad show this year.
According to one’s (own) lights : According to the way one believes, according
to one’s conscience.
Nobody can advise you on this matter,
you’ll have to act according to your own lights.
According to schedule : As per plan.
According to schedule the minister
arrived at the site and issued instructions to expedite the project.
Account for : To give reason for something.
My untimely illness accounts for the
unexpected delay in sending this letter.
Accountable to : Answerable to, responsible to, give
reason to.
Every member of parliament is
accountable to the people of his constituency.
Achilles’ heel : Weak or vulnerable point in one’s personality.
He is otherwise a very intelligent
student, only mathematics is his Achilles’ heel.
Acid test : A severe or conclusive test whose
findings are beyond the pale of doubt.
He is not enjoying much popularity
among the masses, the next election will prove an acid test for him.
Acquire a taste for something : To cultivate a liking for something.
She acquired a taste for poetry
and music right from her childhood.
Acquit oneself well : To behave nicely, to fare very well.
Inspite of acquitting himself so well
in all the affairs of the office he was treated shabbily by his seniors.
Across the board : Equally for everyone.
The Fifth pay Commission hiked the
pay of all the government employees across the board.
Act of Faith : An act that is an expression of one’s faith.
As an act of faith I keep fast on
Shivratri.
Act of God : An occurrence usually an accident for which no human is responsible; an act of
nature such as natural calamity etc.
Storms and earthquakes are the acts
of God and their occurrence is beyond the human comprehension.
Act one’s age : To behave in a matured way.
Leave fighting over trifles you are
grown-up now, act your age !
Act up to : To behave in a suitable way.
I hope you well act up to your
promise and return all my books well before the examination.
Action speaks louder than words : It is better to do something about a problem
than just talking about it.
After listening to the prime
minister’s first speech in public, promising to root out corruption, my friend
said, “Action speaks louder than words.”
Ad hoc : For this special purpose only.
Ad hoc arrangement is not going to
work. You must go for a permanent arrangement if you want proper results.
Ad interim : For the meantime, serving for the present.
Ad interim relief of ten per cent of
the basic pay was given to the employees.
Add fuel to the fire: To make situation still worse.
He is already furious with your behaviour, don’t crack joke at this
moment, that’ll really add fuel to the fire.
Add insult to injury : To behave badly with somebody who is
already harmed in some other way.
By not forwarding my case but he
added an insult to injury when he asked me to pay penalty for delay.
Add
up: Make sense.
I don’t understand what he wants to
prove by his action-it just doesn’t seem to add up.
Addicted to: given to some bad habit.
Stop telling lies before you get
addicted to it.
Adhere to: To stick to, follow
In the fast changing society we must
not adhere to superstitious and orthodox way of life.
Advanced in year: Older in age and experience.
I’m much advanced in years and have
seen the world more than you have. So, whatever I’m suggesting is out of my
experience in life.
Affiliate to: Attach to .
Most of the colleges here are
affiliated to the University of Punjab.
Afraid of one’s own shadow: Timid and easily frightened.
The Impact of the incident was so
deep that Chunnu is afraid even of her own shadow.
After a fashion: Somehow or the other but not
satisfactorily.
He speaks Urdu after a fashion.
After all is said and done : After everything is concluded.
After all was said and done our trip
to Manali was very enjoyable.
After hours : After the regular closing time.
Nobody is allowed to enter the office
premises after hours.
After (someone’s) own heart : Of someone’s choice and like .
At last she got a man after her own
heart and decided to marry him.
After the style of someone or
something : In the manner or style or in imitation of
someone or something.
Many medieval buildings in Kashmir
are constructed after tge style of the Central Asian architecture.
Against the clock : So as to finish a task by a certain
time.
For the last three days we’ve been
working against the clock to complete our records before the audit party
arrives.
Against the grain : Against one’s nature or instinct.
To commit a theft is totally against her grain as far as I know.
Ahead of one’s time : Having ideas too enlightened to be accepted by
one’s contemporaries.
Ideas presented by Oscar Wilde in his
De Profundis were ahead if his time and were not acceptable to the society of
his times.
Ahead of time : Beforehand; before the schedule.
To get a clearer and closer view of
the Republic Day parade people started gathering at the Rajpath much ahead of
time.
Aid and abet : To provide assistance and conducive
situation in some illegal or anti-social activity.
The police arrested him for aiding and
abetting smugglers.
Air one’s grievances : To complain publicly.
He kept patient all these days but
today he aired his grievance in front of all.
Airs and graces : Behaviour adopted with a view to
effect or attraction.
Despite his air and graces Shrikant
comes from a very humble background.
Alive and kicking : Very much alive.
Even at the age of seventy-six my
uncle is alive and kicking.
All along the line : At every point while something is in
process.
All along the line I had been
exhorting him against taking the wrong course but he never listened to me.
All and sundry : One and all , everyone.
In the village fair tea was served to
all and sundry without discrimination.
All day long : Throughout the day.
They occupied the ground all day long
playing cricket.
All dressed up : Dressed formally in one’s best
clothes.
Children were all dressed up to go
out to a birthday party.
All for (something) : To be very much in forever of.
It was Sunday and children were all
for going to a circus.
All hell breaks loose : Refers to a situation where chaos and
commotion erupts suddenly.
People were quietly listening to the
their leader when suddenly the police posse started a lathicharge . Thus
provoked, the peaceful rally turned into an angry mob and all hell broke loose,
thereafter.
All in all : Taken as a whole, of supreme
importance.
Being the chairman of the selection
committee Dr. T. Jayaraman was all in all in matters of appointments.
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