Take stock of (5)
To think carefully about a situation before making a decision
(आकलन करना)
Sentence: It’s time to take stock of your progress.
Take the bull by the horns (10)
To face a difficult situation directly and with courage
(मुसीबत का डटकर सामना करना)
Sentence: She took the bull by the horns and solved the problem.
Take the heat
To accept criticism, pressure, or responsibility
(आलोचना झेलना)
Sentence: The manager had to take the heat for the failure.
Take the veil
To become a nun; to join a religious order
(संन्यासिन बनना)
Sentence: She decided to take the veil at a young age.
Take the wind out of one’s sails
To suddenly take away someone’s confidence or enthusiasm
(उत्साह कम करना)
Sentence: His harsh words took the wind out of her sails.
Take time by the forelock
To seize an opportunity promptly; to act quickly
(अवसर का तुरंत लाभ उठाना)
Sentence: You must take time by the forelock when opportunities arise.
Take to heart (4)
To think about something seriously and let it affect you
(गहराई से प्रभावित होना)
Sentence: Don’t take criticism to heart.
Take to one’s heels (8)
To flee; to run away in fear
(भाग खड़ा होना)
Sentence: The thief took to his heels when he saw the police.
Take to task (7)
To criticize someone strongly for a mistake
(डाँटना)
Sentence: The teacher took him to task for cheating.
Take up (or pick or accept) the gauntlet (3)
To accept a challenge
(चुनौती स्वीकार करना)
Sentence: He took up the gauntlet and proved everyone wrong.
Take up space (or room)
To fill or use a certain amount of space
(जगह घेरना)
Sentence: These old boxes are taking up too much space in the room.
Take up the gauntlet
To accept a challenge or invitation to fight
(चुनौती स्वीकार करना)
Sentence: He took up the gauntlet and agreed to compete.
Take up the hatchet
To start a fight or conflict
(युद्ध की तैयारी करना)
Sentence: The rivals took up the hatchet over the dispute.
Take with a pinch (or grain) of salt (16)
To be skeptical about something; to not fully believe it
(संदेह के साथ मानना)
Sentence: You should take his claims with a pinch of salt.
Taken aback (4)
Surprised and slightly upset
(हक्का-बक्का रह जाना)
Sentence: She was taken aback by his rude comment.
Talk through one’s hat (3)
To talk about something without knowing the facts
(बकवास करना)
Sentence: He is just talking through his hat about the issue.
Tall tale
An unlikely and exaggerated story
(बढ़ा-चढ़ाकर कही गई कहानी)
Sentence: His story about meeting a celebrity sounded like a tall tale.
Teething problems (2)
Problems that happen in the early stages
(प्रारंभिक कठिनाइयाँ)
Sentence: The new system is facing some teething problems.
Tell tales out of school
To reveal private or confidential information to outsiders
(भेद खोलना)
Sentence: He got into trouble for telling tales out of school.
That ship has sailed
It is too late to do something; the chance is gone
(मौक़ा निकल जाना)
Sentence: You can’t apply now—the ship has sailed.
That’s all she wrote
The end of the story; nothing more to add
(बस इतना ही)
Sentence: He lost all his money, and that’s all she wrote.
The ABC of something (2)
The most basic or fundamental aspects of something
(किसी चीज़ की बुनियादी बातें)
Sentence: You must learn the ABC of grammar first.
The alpha and omega (2)
The beginning and the end; the most essential part
(आदि और अंत; सबसे महत्वपूर्ण हिस्सा)
Sentence: For her, her family is the alpha and omega.
The ayes have it
Most people have voted yes
(बहुमत पक्ष में है)
Sentence: The motion passed—the ayes have it.
The ball is in your court (8)
It is now your turn to act or make a decision
(अब फ़ैसला आपका है)
Sentence: I’ve done my part; now the ball is in your court.
The beauty of it
The most pleasing feature of something
(सबसे अच्छी बात; आकर्षक पहलू)
Sentence: The beauty of it is that anyone can use this app.
The bee’s knees
An outstanding person or thing
(कमाल की चीज़; बेहतरीन)
Sentence: This new phone is the bee’s knees.
The calm before the storm
A quiet period before a period of activity or trouble
(मुसीबत से पहले का सुकून)
Sentence: The silence felt like the calm before the storm.
The devil is beating his wife
Rain while the sun is shining
(धूप में बारिश होना)
Sentence: Look outside—the devil is beating his wife!
The die is cast
A decision has been made and cannot be changed
(फैसला हो जाना)
Sentence: He submitted his resignation—the die is cast.
The early bird catches the worm
Those who start early have the best chance of success
(जागरूक और सक्रिय व्यक्ति को फायदा होता है)
Sentence: She got the best seat by arriving early—the early bird catches the worm.
The elixir of life
A magical potion believed to grant eternal life or cure all diseases
(अमृत, संजीवनी)
Sentence: Scientists have long searched for the elixir of life.
The end justifies the means
A good result excuses any method used to achieve it
(अच्छा परिणाम गलत साधनों को भी जायज़ ठहराता है)
Sentence: He cheated to win, believing the end justifies the means.
The fur flies
A fierce argument or fight breaks out
(बवाल मचना)
Sentence: When the issue was raised, the fur began to fly.
The game is up
The deception or scheme is exposed
(भेद खुलना)
Sentence: When the truth came out, the game was up.
The gnomes of Zurich
Powerful international bankers
(बड़े अंतर्राष्ट्रीय बैंकर)
Sentence: The policy seemed influenced by the gnomes of Zurich.
The grass is always greener on the other side (2)
Other people’s situations always seem better than your own
(दूसरों की चीजें अपनी तुलना में बेहतर लगती है)
Sentence: She envies others’ lives, forgetting the grass is always greener on the other side.
The graveyard shift
A work shift during the night, typically midnight to 8am
(देर रात का काम)
Sentence: He works the graveyard shift at the factory.
The green-eyed monster (2)
Jealousy
(ईर्ष्या)
Sentence: The green-eyed monster took over when he saw her success.
The lion’s share (9)
The largest or best portion of something
(सबसे बड़ा हिस्सा)
Sentence: She took the lion’s share of the profits.
The movers and shakers
People who have influence and make important things happen
(प्रभावशाली लोग; निर्णय लेने वाले)
Sentence: The conference was attended by the movers and shakers of the industry.
The nitty-gritty
The practical or essential aspects of something
(मूल बातें)
Sentence: Let’s focus on the nitty-gritty of the project.
The old Adam
The tendency to be sinful; original sin
(पाप की प्रवृत्ति)
Sentence: His anger revealed the old Adam within him.
The passing bell
A church bell rung to announce someone’s death
(शोक सूचक)
Sentence: The passing bell tolled across the village.
The penny drops (or dropped)
Suddenly understands or realises something
(अचानक बात समझ में आना)
Sentence: When he explained it again, the penny finally dropped.
The pot calling the kettle black (2)
Criticizing someone for a fault you have yourself
(उल्टा चोर कोतवाल को डांटे)
Sentence: He accused others of being lazy—that’s the pot calling the kettle black.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating
Something’s true value is only known by trying it
(असली परख अनुभव से होती है)
Sentence: Try the product yourself—the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
The pros and cons (5)
The arguments for and against something
(पक्ष और विपक्ष)
Sentence: You should consider the pros and cons before making a decision.
The seamy side (2)
The unattractive or sordid aspects of life
(अप्रिय पहलू)
Sentence: The documentary showed the seamy side of the city.
The smallest room in the house
A euphemism for the toilet or bathroom
(शौचालय)
Sentence: Excuse me, I need to use the smallest room in the house.