1. Black sheep : A person who is considered a disgrace to a particular group, usually a family . Uncle jack, who was imprisoned fro forgery,is the black sheep of the family.
2. By hook or by crook : By whatever means possible, fair on unfair.
3. Call the tune : To be in control. the government has been able to call the tune in the riot hit areas.
4. carry a torch for : to be infatuated with.
Frank may be engaged to helen, But I think he still carries a torch for Laura.
5. Clean slate : a new start : especially to make a new start by clearing the record. It was a clean slate for the minister once he was exonerated of the corruption charges brought against an action.
6. Cold feel : To "have cold feel" is to be too fearful to undertake or complete an action.
The backup quarterback was called into the game, but he got cold feel and refused to go in
7. feather in one's cap : An accomplishment a person can be proud of.
The negotiator's success in getting the terrorists to release their hostages was a real feather i er cap.
8. from pillar to post : from one place or thing to another in rapid succession.
He couldn't stick to one project and was always dashing from pillar to post.
9. Green Thumb : A knack fro growing plants and keeping them healthy.
All my plants are in a sorry state; it's clear I don't have a green thumb.
10.Blow one' own trumpet : To brag about oneself .
Although usually modest, Sunita has to blow her own trumpet a bit during the job interview.
11. As the crow flies :The most direct route between two places.
From here to the hill station.It's only ten miles as the crow files, but twenty miles by the winding mountain road.
12. Bee in one's bonnet : A chornic preoccupation ,often fanciful or eccentric.
My cousin has a bee in his bonnet about the rudeness of local cabdrivers; he ;s written four letters to the editor on the subject.
13.Break the ice : To remove the tension at a first meeting, at the opening of party , etc,
That joke really broke the ice at the conference; we all relaxed afterwards.
14.Cold shoulder : To 'give someone the cold shoulder, is to ignore someone deliberately.
at the party , Rahul tried to talk to rohan , but he gave him the cold shoulder.
15. Castles in the air : extravagant hopes and plans that will never be carried out.
I told him he should stop building castles in the air and train for a sensible profession.
16. Chip of the old block : An expression used of people who closley resemble their perents in some way. Mark just won the same sailboat race his father won twenty years ago; he's chip off the old block.
17. Cock -and-bull story : a story is false.
When the son came home at 3:30 A.M. he gave his mother cock-and-bull story about having a falt tire on the way home.
