Matters of the head and heart
Issues involving both logic and emotions
(तर्क और भावना)
Sentence: Choosing a career is often a matter of the head and heart.
Mean business
To be serious about what one says or intends to do
(गंभीर होना)
Sentence: When she warned them, she clearly meant business.
Meat and potatoes
The basic, fundamental, or essential part of something
(किसी चीज का मुख्य या बुनियादी हिस्सा)
Sentence: Practice is the meat and potatoes of mastering any skill.
Meet with indifference
To be ignored or receive no reaction
(उदासीनता)
Sentence: His suggestions were met with indifference by the team.
Mend fences
To repair a damaged relationship
(रिश्ते सुधारना)
Sentence: They met to mend fences after the argument.
Might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb
If punishment is inevitable, commit the bigger act
(जब सज़ा मिलनी ही है तो बड़ा काम क्यों न करें)
Sentence: If I’m going to get blamed anyway, I might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb.
Might makes right
Those with power can impose their will as justice
(ताक़तवर की बात ही कानून)
Sentence: In a dictatorship, might makes right and people have no voice.
Misery loves company
Unhappy people want others to be unhappy too
(दुखी लोग दूसरों को भी दुखी देखना चाहते हैं)
Sentence: He kept complaining and discouraging others—misery loves company.
Money talks
Money gives power and influence
(पैसे की ताकत)
Sentence: In politics, money talks and influences decisions.
Money to burn
More money than one needs
(ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा पैसा)
Sentence: He spends like he has money to burn.
Muddy the waters
To make a situation more confusing or unclear
(स्थिति को और अधिक उलझा देना)
Sentence: His unclear explanation only muddied the waters.
Muster in force
To gather in large numbers
(बड़ी संख्या में इकट्ठा होना)
Sentence: The supporters mustered in force at the rally.
My way or the highway
Accept my terms or leave
(मेरी बात मानो या चलते बनो)
Sentence: The boss has a “my way or the highway” attitude.
Nail in the coffin
A final factor leading to failure or end
(असफलता का अंतिम कारण)
Sentence: The loss in the final match was the nail in the coffin for the team.
Necessity is the mother of invention
Difficult situations inspire creative solutions
(आवश्यकता आविष्कार की जननी है)
Sentence: During the crisis, they found new ways to work—necessity is the mother of invention.
Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today
Don’t delay tasks unnecessarily
(आज का काम कल पर मत टालो)
Sentence: Finish your homework now—never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
Next to nothing
Very little; almost nothing
(नाममात्र; बहुत कम)
Sentence: He bought the old bike for next to nothing.
Night brings counsel
Sleep on a problem before deciding; morning brings clearer thinking
(रात भर सोचकर लिया गया फैसला बेहतर होता है)
Sentence: Don’t rush your decision; night brings counsel.
No man is an island
Everyone depends on others; no one is self-sufficient
(इंसान अकेला नहीं रह सकता)
Sentence: We all need support at times—no man is an island.
No news is good news
The absence of news is a sign that nothing bad has happened
(कोई खबर न आना ही अच्छी खबर है)
Sentence: We haven’t heard from the hospital yet, but no news is good news.
Not have a ghost of a chance
To have no chance at all
(ज़रा भी संभावना न होना)
Sentence: Without preparation, you don’t have a ghost of a chance.
Not keep one’s word
To fail to keep a promise
(वादा न निभाना)
Sentence: He lost trust because he did not keep his word.
Not know someone from Adam
To not know someone at all; to have never met them
(अनजान होना)
Sentence: I don’t know him from Adam.
Nuts and bolts
The basic practical details of a subject or activity
(किसी चीज़ की बुनियादी कार्यप्रणाली या बारीकियां)
Sentence: Let’s discuss the nuts and bolts of the project.
Nutty as a fruitcake
Completely crazy
(पूरा पागल)
Sentence: His ideas sound nutty as a fruitcake sometimes.
Old habits die hard
Difficult to change long-standing behaviour
(पुरानी आदतें मुश्किल से छूटती हैं)
Sentence: He still wakes up early even on holidays—old habits die hard.
Old wives’ tale
A traditional belief that is untrue or unscientific
(अंधविश्वास)
Sentence: That remedy is just an old wives’ tale.
On hand
Available and ready
(उपलब्ध)
Sentence: We have enough staff on hand to manage the event.
On the bench (2)
To be a presiding judge; to be temporarily not involved in an activity
(न्यायाधीश के पद पर होना; अस्थायी रूप से किसी प्रक्रिया में शामिल न होना)
Sentence: He was kept on the bench during the entire match.
On the blink
Not functioning properly; out of order
(खराब)
Sentence: My laptop is on the blink again.
On the dot
At the exact time specified
(बिल्कुल सही समय पर)
Sentence: The train arrived at 9 a.m. on the dot.
On the fly
While in motion; without preparation
(चलते-फिरते बिना तैयारी के)
Sentence: He made the decision on the fly.
On the hook
To be responsible for something
(जिम्मेदार होना)
Sentence: You’ll be on the hook if the project fails.
On the other side
From a different perspective
(किसी बात का दूसरा पहलू या उल्टा पक्ष)
Sentence: Try to see the issue from the other side.
On the trot (2)
One after another without pause; continuously
(लगातार; एक के बाद एक)
Sentence: He won three matches on the trot.
On the up and up
Honest and legitimate; improving
(ईमानदार और साफ़-सुथरा; तरक्की की राह पर)
Sentence: The business is finally on the up and up.
One good turn deserves another
Kindness should be repaid with kindness
(भलाई का बदला भलाई)
Sentence: She helped me when I needed it, so I helped her back—one good turn deserves another.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure
What is worthless to one person may be valuable to another
(एक का कचरा दूसरे का खजाना)
Sentence: He sold his old furniture online—one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
One swallow does not make a summer
One single positive event does not mean everything is fine
(एक सफलता से स्थायी सफलता तय नहीं होती)
Sentence: Winning one match doesn’t make them champions—one swallow does not make a summer.
Opportunity makes the thief
Circumstances can tempt people to do wrong
(मौका इंसान को चोर बना देता है)
Sentence: Leaving valuables unattended can lead to theft—opportunity makes the thief.
Out of the way
Remote, far from main places
(दूर स्थित)
Sentence: They live in a small village out of the way.
Out on a limb (2)
In a risky, isolated, or vulnerable position
(जोखिम भरी या अकेली स्थिति में)
Sentence: He went out on a limb to support that decision.
Over the hill
To be past one’s prime; too old to be effective or attractive
(बूढ़ा होना)
Sentence: He feels he is over the hill, but he still performs well.
Over the top
To do something excessively; to exceed limits
(ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा करना)
Sentence: His reaction to the small mistake was completely over the top.
Overstep the mark
To go beyond acceptable limits; to behave inappropriately
(हद पार करना)
Sentence: He overstepped the mark when he made personal comments in the meeting.
Paint the town red
Go out to celebrate wildly
(खूब मौज-मस्ती करना)
Sentence: After winning the match, the team went out to paint the town red.
Palmy days
A time of prosperity and success
(अच्छे दिन)
Sentence: The company is enjoying its palmy days with record profits this year.
Palsy-walsy (or pally-wally) (2)
Very friendly, often in a way that seems insincere
(बहुत दोस्ताना)
Sentence: He suddenly became palsy-walsy with his boss to get a promotion.