Bend the elbow
To drink alcohol excessively
(अत्यधिक शराब पीना)
Sentence: He spent the evening bending the elbow with his friends.
Better bend than break
It is better to be flexible and adapt than to be stubborn and fail
(झुकना टूटने से बेहतर है)
Sentence: He adjusted to the new rules instead of resisting—better bend than break.
Better safe than sorry
It is wiser to be cautious than to take risks and regret it later
(सावधानी में ही बुद्धिमानी है)
Sentence: I carried an umbrella just in case—better safe than sorry.
Between whiles
During intervals; now and then; occasionally
(बीच-बीच में; कभी-कभी)
Sentence: He checked his phone between whiles during the meeting.
Bid someone welcome
To greet someone warmly
(स्वागत करना)
Sentence: The host bid all the guests welcome at the entrance.
Big cheese
An important or influential person
(प्रभावशाली व्यक्ति)
Sentence: He is the big cheese in the company.
Bigwig
An important or influential person
(प्रभावशाली व्यक्ति)
Sentence: Several bigwigs attended the conference.
Bite the hand that feeds you (3)
To act ungratefully or harmfully toward someone who has helped you
(एहसान फरामोशी)
Sentence: Don’t bite the hand that feeds you by insulting your boss.
Black spot
A place where accidents or crimes frequently occur
(दुर्घटनाओं या अपराध की जगह)
Sentence: That intersection has become a black spot for accidents.
Blood is thicker than water
Family bonds are stronger than other relationships
(खून का रिश्ता सबसे मजबूत होता है)
Sentence: He supported his brother despite everything—blood is thicker than water.
Bloom where you are planted
Accept your circumstances and make the best of them
(परिस्थिति में ढलना)
Sentence: She made the most of her small town—bloom where you are planted.
Blow one’s brains out
To commit suicide by shooting oneself in the head
(सिर में गोली मारकर आत्महत्या करना)
Sentence: The novel tells the tragic story of a man who nearly blew his brains out.
Blow one’s money
To spend money recklessly
(फिजूलखर्ची करना)
Sentence: He blew all his money on unnecessary gadgets.
Blow one’s stack
To suddenly become very angry
(बहुत गुस्सा होना)
Sentence: He blew his stack when he saw the mess in his room.
Blow the gaff (2)
To reveal a secret or expose a scheme
(राज़ खोलना; भेद उजागर करना)
Sentence: Someone in the team blew the gaff about the surprise party.
Blow-by-blow
Describing every detail of an event in the order it happened
(विस्तृत विवरण)
Sentence: The reporter gave a blow-by-blow account of the match.
Blue devils
A state of depression or low spirits
(उदासी या अवसाद की स्थिति)
Sentence: He’s been feeling the blue devils since he lost his job.
Blue-sky thinking (2)
A creative, imaginative thinking without practical constraints
(रचनात्मक सोच)
Sentence: The meeting encouraged blue-sky thinking for new ideas.
Bluestocking (4)
An educated, intellectual, or literary woman
(अत्यधिक पढ़ी-लिखी महिला)
Sentence: She was known as a bluestocking in her circle.
Bookworm
A person who loves reading and spends a lot of time reading
(पढ़ने का शौकीन)
Sentence: He’s a real bookworm who spends hours in the library.
Bounce off the walls
To be extremely excited, energetic, or hyperactive
(अत्यधिक उत्साहित होना)
Sentence: The kids were bouncing off the walls after the party.
Brain drain
The emigration of highly skilled or educated people from a country
(प्रतिभा पलायन)
Sentence: The country is facing a serious brain drain.
Brass monkey weather
Extremely cold weather
(बहुत ठंडा मौसम)
Sentence: It’s brass monkey weather outside today.
Break cover
To come out of hiding; to reveal oneself
(छिपने की जगह से बाहर आना)
Sentence: The thief broke cover when the police arrived.
Break ground (2)
To start construction; to be innovative or pioneering
(शिलान्यास करना; नई खोज करना)
Sentence: The company broke ground on a new project last week.
Break the back of
To complete the most difficult or largest part of a task
(काम का सबसे कठिन हिस्सा पूरा करना)
Sentence: We’ve broken the back of the project; only minor tasks remain.
Bring owls to Athens
To do something unnecessary; to bring something to where it already exists in abundance
(व्यर्थ के काम करना)
Sentence: Selling books to that library is like bringing owls to Athens.
Broken-hearted
Overwhelmed by grief, sorrow, or disappointment
(बेहद दुखी)
Sentence: She was broken-hearted after hearing the news.
Build bridges
To improve relationships between people or groups
(संबंध सुधारना; मेल-मिलाप करना)
Sentence: The leaders are trying to build bridges between the communities.
Burn oneself out
To exhaust oneself through overwork
(खुद को पूरी तरह थका देना)
Sentence: He burned himself out working long hours every day.
Butter someone up
Flatter someone to gain favour or advantage
(चापलूसी करना)
Sentence: He tried to butter up the manager for a promotion.
By long odds
By a great difference; most certainly
(बड़े अंतर से; निश्चित रूप से)
Sentence: He is by long odds the best player on the team.
Call it a night
To stop what you are doing, especially in the evening
(आज के लिए काम बंद करना)
Sentence: It’s getting late, let’s call it a night.
Call to the colours (2)
Summon to military service
(सेना में बुलावा)
Sentence: During the war, many young men were called to the colours.
Can’t see the forest for the trees
To fail to understand the main point because of focusing on details
(बारीकियों में उलझकर मुख्य बात भूलना)
Sentence: He can’t see the forest for the trees when analyzing the project.
Carry a torch for
To have unrequited love for someone; to champion a cause
(एकतरफा प्यार करना; किसी मुद्दे का समर्थन करना)
Sentence: She still carries a torch for her childhood friend.
Cast aspersions
To make damaging remarks about someone
(बदनाम करना)
Sentence: It’s wrong to cast aspersions on someone without proof.
Cast one’s bread upon the waters
To do good without expecting anything in return
(बिना स्वार्थ के भलाई करना)
Sentence: He believes in casting his bread upon the waters by helping strangers.
Cast-iron stomach
The ability to eat anything without digestive problems; strong digestion
(मजबूत पाचन शक्ति)
Sentence: He has a cast-iron stomach and eats street food without worry.
Cat got your tongue
Used to ask someone why they are not speaking
(बोल न पाना)
Sentence: Why are you so quiet—cat got your tongue?
Catch one’s breath
To pause to rest and recover normal breathing; to take a break
(थोड़ा आराम करना)
Sentence: He stopped running to catch his breath.
Catch someone’s eye (2)
To attract someone’s attention
(ध्यान आकर्षित करना)
Sentence: The bright dress caught everyone’s eye.
Charity begins at home
One should help family and close ones first
(भलाई की शुरुआत अपने घर से होती है)
Sentence: Take care of your parents first—charity begins at home.
Chewed and digested
Fully understood or thoroughly thought over
(अच्छी तरह समझा हुआ)
Sentence: The concept was chewed and digested before the exam.
Child in the cradle
An innocent or inexperienced person
(भोला या अनुभवहीन व्यक्ति)
Sentence: He’s still a child in the cradle when it comes to business.
Chock-a-block
Completely full
(खचाखच भरा हुआ)
Sentence: The bus was chock-a-block during rush hour.
Cleanliness is next to godliness
Being clean is a sign of spiritual purity
(स्वच्छता ईश्वर भक्ति के समान है)
Sentence: Keep your surroundings clean—cleanliness is next to godliness.
Clear-cut
Definite and easy to understand
(साफ-साफ; स्पष्ट)
Sentence: The rules are clear-cut and leave no room for confusion.