A bad workman blames his tools
An unskilled person blames their equipment rather than their own lack of ability
(अपनी अयोग्यता छिपाने के लिए साधनों को दोष देना)
Sentence: He failed the exam and blamed the question paper—a bad workman blames his tools.
A blind man is no judge of colours
A person who lacks knowledge or experience in a field cannot offer a valid opinion
(अनुभवहीन व्यक्ति विषय की परख नहीं कर सकता)
Sentence: He has never studied art, so his criticism doesn’t matter—a blind man is no judge of colours.
A chain is only as strong as its weakest link
The overall strength of a group depends on its weakest member
(पूरी व्यवस्था की ताकत उसके सबसे कमज़ोर हिस्से पर निर्भर करती है)
Sentence: Our project failed because one team member didn’t deliver—after all, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
A closed mouth catches no flies
Avoiding unnecessary talk prevents trouble
(कम बोलो तो फायदा)
Sentence: He stayed silent during the argument, knowing that a closed mouth catches no flies.
A cold day in hell
Used to say that something is extremely unlikely to happen
(कभी न होने वाली बात)
Sentence: He’ll apologize for his mistake on a cold day in hell.
A door must either be open or shut
One must make a clear decision between two options
(स्पष्ट निर्णय ज़रूरी है)
Sentence: Stop hesitating and choose one option—a door must either be open or shut.
A drowning man will clutch at a straw
A desperate person will try anything to save themselves
(संकट में मामूली सी मदद भी बड़ी लगती है)
Sentence: He agreed to the risky deal as a last hope—a drowning man will clutch at a straw.
A fair crack of the whip
A fair opportunity to do something
(समान अवसर)
Sentence: Everyone deserves a fair crack of the whip in the competition.
A fair exchange is no robbery
If both parties agree to an equal trade, no one is cheated
(समान मूल्य का आदान-प्रदान न्यायसंगत है)
Sentence: We swapped our roles with mutual consent—a fair exchange is no robbery.
A fine kettle of fish (3)
An awkward or difficult situation
(उलझन भरी या मुश्किल स्थिति)
Sentence: Losing the tickets at the last minute put us in a fine kettle of fish.
A fish rots from the head down
Problems in an organization originate from its leadership; failure starts at the top
(नेतृत्व खराब तो पूरा संगठन खराब)
Sentence: The company’s downfall began with poor management—a fish rots from the head down.
A fool and his money are soon parted
Foolish people quickly lose their wealth
(मूर्ख के हाथ में पैसा नहीं टिकता)
Sentence: He wasted all his savings on gambling—a fool and his money are soon parted.
A fool’s errand
A task or activity that has no chance of success
(असफल होने वाला प्रयास)
Sentence: Trying to change his stubborn mind is a fool’s errand.
A foregone conclusion
A result that is certain or inevitable before it happens
(पहले से तय नतीजा)
Sentence: With her skills, her victory was a foregone conclusion.
A friend in need is a friend indeed
A true friend helps during difficult times
(मुसीबत में काम आए वही सच्चा दोस्त)
Sentence: She supported me when everyone else left—a friend in need is a friend indeed.
A friend to all is a friend to none
A person who is friends with everyone is not truly loyal to anyone
(जो सबका मित्र है वह किसी का सच्चा मित्र नहीं)
Sentence: He tries to please everyone, but a friend to all is a friend to none.
A golden key can open any door
Money can achieve or obtain anything
(धन से सब कुछ संभव है)
Sentence: He used his wealth to influence decisions—a golden key can open any door.
A good listener is a silent flatterer
Listening attentively makes others feel valued
(ध्यान से सुनना भी एक तरह की प्रशंसा है)
Sentence: She listens carefully to everyone, proving that a good listener is a silent flatterer.
A good mind possesses a kingdom within itself
Inner peace and wisdom are more valuable than material wealth
(अच्छा मन ही सच्चा साम्राज्य है)
Sentence: Despite his simple life, he is content—a good mind possesses a kingdom within itself.
A goose quill is more dangerous than a lion’s claw
The written word can cause more damage than physical force
(कलम की धार तलवार से तेज़ होती है)
Sentence: His article exposed corruption—a goose quill is more dangerous than a lion’s claw.
A happy heart is better than a full purse
Happiness is more valuable than wealth
(खुशी धन से बेहतर है)
Sentence: She chose a peaceful life over a high-paying job—a happy heart is better than a full purse.
A heart of gold
A very kind and generous nature
(बहुत दयालु स्वभाव)
Sentence: She may seem strict, but she has a heart of gold.
A hungry belly has no ears
A hungry person cannot pay attention to reason or advice
(भूखा पेट किसी की नहीं सुनता)
Sentence: Don’t try to explain anything to him right now—he hasn’t eaten since morning, and a hungry belly has no ears.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Every great achievement starts with taking the first step
(हज़ार मील की यात्रा एक कदम से शुरू होती है)
Sentence: Start preparing today; after all, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
A man is known by the company he keeps
People are judged by their friends and associates
(व्यक्ति की पहचान उसकी संगत से होती है)
Sentence: Stay away from bad influences—a man is known by the company he keeps.
A man of his word
A person who keeps their promises
(ज़ुबान का पक्का)
Sentence: You can trust him completely; he is a man of his word.
A match made in heaven
A perfect marriage, especially of two people who are ideally suited to each other
(आदर्श जोड़ी)
Sentence: Everyone says they are a match made in heaven.
A matter of life and death
An extremely urgent or critical situation
(बहुत महत्वपूर्ण या गंभीर मामला)
Sentence: Getting medical help quickly was a matter of life and death.
A mile a minute
Very fast
(बहुत तेज़ गति से)
Sentence: She was talking a mile a minute during the presentation.
A mile off
Very easily noticeable or recognizable from far away
(दूर से ही पहचाना जा सकने वाला; स्पष्ट)
Sentence: I could tell a mile off that he was lying.
A millstone around one’s neck
A heavy burden that makes progress difficult or impossible
(भारी बोझ या जिम्मेदारी)
Sentence: That huge debt became a millstone around his neck.
A nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse
Only a small hint is needed for someone who already understands
(समझदार को इशारा काफी है)
Sentence: I just gave her a look, and she understood everything—a nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse.
A notch above
Slightly better than others
(औरों से थोड़ा बेहतर)
Sentence: This restaurant is a notch above the rest in quality.
A passing resemblance
A slight or superficial similarity that is not very noticeable
(हल्की-सी समानता)
Sentence: The two brothers bear only a passing resemblance to each other.
A penny saved is a penny earned
Money saved is as valuable as money earned
(बचत भी कमाई है)
Sentence: I started saving a little every month because a penny saved is a penny earned.
A purple patch
A period of exceptional success or good luck
(सफलता का दौर)
Sentence: The team is going through a purple patch this season.
A ray of sunshine
Source of happiness
(खुशी लाने वाला)
Sentence: Her smile is like a ray of sunshine on a gloomy day.
A rising tide lifts all boats
General prosperity benefits everyone in a society
(प्रगति से सबको लाभ होता है)
Sentence: When the economy grows, jobs increase—a rising tide lifts all boats.
A roaring success
A great and impressive success
(जबरदस्त सफलता)
Sentence: The event turned out to be a roaring success.
A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for
Taking risks is necessary to achieve meaningful success
(जोखिम उठाए बिना बड़ी सफलता नहीं मिलती)
Sentence: Don’t stay in your comfort zone—remember, a ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.
A shrinking violet
A very shy, timid, or modest person
(अत्यंत शर्मीला या संकोची व्यक्ति)
Sentence: He’s no shrinking violet when it comes to expressing his views.
A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor (or mariner)
Adversity and challenges develop competence and character
(कठिनाइयाँ ही इंसान को मजबूत और कुशल बनाती हैं)
Sentence: Tough times taught him resilience—a smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.
A snowball’s chance in hell
No chance at all or impossible
(बिल्कुल भी संभावना न होना)
Sentence: He doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning the race.
A soft answer turns away wrath
A gentle, calm reply can defuse anger
(मीठी वाणी से क्रोध शांत होता है)
Sentence: She responded politely to the insult, knowing a soft answer turns away wrath.
A stalking horse (3)
A person or thing that is used to conceal someone’s real intentions
(असली मकसद को छुपाने के लिए मुखौटा)
Sentence: The proposal was just a stalking horse for their hidden agenda.
A stroke of luck (2)
An unexpected piece of good fortune
(किस्मत चमकना)
Sentence: Finding that job was a stroke of luck.
A stumble may prevent a fall
A small mistake can help avoid a bigger one
(छोटी गलती बड़ी गलती से बचा सकती है)
Sentence: This minor setback taught me a lot—a stumble may prevent a fall.
A tall order (3)
A difficult or demanding task that is hard to accomplish
(मुश्किल काम)
Sentence: Finishing the project in one day is a tall order.
A turn of the screw
An additional action that worsens an already bad situation
(बद से बदतर)
Sentence: Increasing taxes now would be another turn of the screw for citizens.
A volunteer is worth twenty pressed men
Willing workers are more effective than forced ones
(स्वेच्छा से किया काम अधिक प्रभावी होता है)
Sentence: The project succeeded because of dedicated volunteers—a volunteer is worth twenty pressed men.