Short fuse
A tendency to get angry very quickly
(तुनक मिज़ाज; जल्दी गुस्सा होना)
Sentence: He has a short fuse, so be careful with your words.
Shoulder to shoulder
Side by side; working together in unity
(एकजुट होकर)
Sentence: The team stood shoulder to shoulder during the crisis.
Show one’s hand (2)
To reveal one’s intentions or plans
(योजना प्रकट करना)
Sentence: He showed his hand too early in the negotiation.
Show-stopper
A performance or act that is so impressive it receives overwhelming applause
(शानदार और प्रभावशाली प्रदर्शन)
Sentence: Her dance performance was a real show-stopper.
Sick at heart
Very unhappy or disappointed; deeply troubled
(बहुत निराश)
Sentence: He felt sick at heart after hearing the bad news.
Silence is golden
Sometimes it’s better to say nothing
(मौन रहना कई बार बुद्धिमानी होती है)
Sentence: In heated arguments, silence is golden.
Sing from the same hymn sheet
To express the same opinion or give the same information publicly
(समान बात कहना)
Sentence: The managers are singing from the same hymn sheet regarding the new policy.
Sink or swim
To fail or succeed by one’s own efforts alone
(अपने दम पर आर या पार)
Sentence: In this job, you have to sink or swim without much guidance.
Sixth sense
An intuitive ability to perceive things beyond the five senses
(पूर्वाभास)
Sentence: She had a sixth sense that something was about to go wrong.
Slow and steady wins the race
Consistency and patience are more important than speed
(धैर्य और निरंतरता से सफलता मिलती है)
Sentence: He studied daily instead of cramming—slow and steady wins the race.
Smell something fishy
To sense something suspicious
(संदेह होना)
Sentence: I smelled something fishy when he avoided answering my questions.
Someone’s ears are burning
A feeling that someone is talking about you in your absence
(पीठ पीछे चर्चा होना)
Sentence: My ears are burning—someone must be talking about me.
Someone’s ears are flapping
A feeling that someone is listening intently to a private conversation
(छिपकर सुनना)
Sentence: Keep your voice down; someone’s ears might be flapping nearby.
Spare no expense
To spend as much money as necessary without limiting costs
(खर्च की परवाह न करना)
Sentence: They spared no expense in organizing the grand wedding.
Square the circle
To attempt an impossible task
(असंभव काम करने की कोशिश)
Sentence: Trying to please everyone is like trying to square the circle.
Stuff and nonsense
Used to express that something is ridiculous or untrue
(बेकार की बातें)
Sentence: His excuses are nothing but stuff and nonsense.
Swim with sharks
To associate or compete with dangerous people
(खतरनाक लोगों के बीच रहना)
Sentence: In the corporate world, you often have to swim with sharks.
Take a stand
To publicly express and defend an opinion or position
(अपना रुख स्पष्ट करना)
Sentence: She decided to take a stand against corruption.
Take as gospel
To believe something without question
(आँख मूँदकर विश्वास करना)
Sentence: Don’t take everything you read online as gospel.
Take it up a notch
To increase the level or intensity of something
(अधिक प्रयास करना)
Sentence: We need to take it up a notch to beat our competitors.
Take no prisoners
To be ruthless or uncompromising
(निर्दयता से काम करना)
Sentence: The new manager takes no prisoners when it comes to discipline.
Take someone/something by storm
To quickly gain popularity or success
(अचानक ज़बरदस्त सफलता पाना)
Sentence: The new app took the market by storm.
Take the biscuit
To be the most surprising, annoying, or extreme example of something
(सबसे बुरा उदाहरण होना)
Sentence: Of all his mistakes, this one really takes the biscuit.
Take the law into one’s own hands
To punish someone without legal authority
(कानून अपने हाथ में लेना)
Sentence: It’s wrong to take the law into your own hands.
Take the plunge
To decide to do something risky
(जोखिम उठाना)
Sentence: He finally took the plunge and started his own business.
Talk big
To boast; to speak with exaggerated self-importance
(बड़ी-बड़ी बातें करना)
Sentence: He talks big but rarely delivers results.
Talk nineteen to the dozen
To talk very quickly and continuously
(बहुत तेज और लगातार बोलना)
Sentence: She was talking nineteen to the dozen about her trip.
Talk someone’s head off
To talk to someone for a very long time, often boringly
(बहुत बातें करना)
Sentence: He talked my head off during the entire journey.
Tall talk
Boastful or exaggerated speech
(लंबी-चौड़ी हांकना)
Sentence: His promises sound like tall talk to me.
Ten out of ten
A perfect score; used to express that something is excellent
(पूर्ण अंक या बिल्कुल सही)
Sentence: I’d give this movie ten out of ten for its storytelling.
That which is not sought is lost
If you do not actively look or try, you will fail to gain or keep something
(जो ढूंढा नहीं, वो मिला नहीं)
Sentence: If you never apply for opportunities, you won’t succeed—that which is not sought is lost.
The bare bones
The basic facts or essential elements without details
(मुख्य बिंदु)
Sentence: Give me the bare bones of the plan.
The age of miracles is past
Miracles or extraordinary events no longer happen; such things are no longer believed in
(चमत्कार का समय बीत गया)
Sentence: Don’t expect sudden luck to solve your problems—the age of miracles is past.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
Children resemble their parents in character
(संतान के गुण अपने माता-पिता से मिलते-जुलते होते हैं)
Sentence: She is just as hardworking as her mother—the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
The best wine comes out of an old bottle
Experience and age bring refinement and quality
(पुराने लोग या चीज़ें अनुभव के कारण बेहतर होते हैं)
Sentence: His wisdom shows that the best wine comes out of an old bottle.
The bigger they are, the harder they fall
Powerful people have more to lose when they fail
(जितना अधिक शक्तिशाली, पतन या हार से उबरना उतना ही मुश्किल)
Sentence: The famous company collapsed overnight—the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
The coast is clear
There is no danger or obstacle
(रास्ता साफ है)
Sentence: The guard has left; the coast is clear now.
The cobbler’s children have no shoes
Experts often fail to apply their skills to benefit their own family
(कारीगर के घर ही कमी रह जाती है)
Sentence: The doctor never has time for his own health—the cobbler’s children have no shoes.
The curtain falls
The end of an event or performance
(समाप्ति होना)
Sentence: As the curtain fell, the audience applauded loudly.
The darkest hour has only sixty minutes
Even the worst times will pass
(बुरा वक्त भी बीत जाता है)
Sentence: Stay strong during tough times—the darkest hour has only sixty minutes.
The devil makes work for idle hands
If people have nothing to do, they are more likely to get into trouble
(खाली रहने से बुरे विचार आते हैं)
Sentence: Keep yourself busy; the devil makes work for idle hands.
The face is the index of the mind
Facial expressions reveal inner feelings
(चेहरा मन का दर्पण होता है)
Sentence: I knew he was upset—the face is the index of the mind.
The feathers fly
A heated argument or fight breaks out
(गरमागरम बहस)
Sentence: When the topic came up, the feathers flew in the meeting.
The jewel in the crown
The most valuable possession or achievement
(सबसे मूल्यवान हिस्सा)
Sentence: This project is the jewel in the crown of our company.
The onus is on
The responsibility is entirely yours
(जिम्मेदारी आपके कंधों पर है)
Sentence: The onus is on you to prove your claim.
The order of the day (2)
The prevailing state of things; what is usual, popular, or currently accepted
(वर्तमान प्रचलन)
Sentence: Online learning has become the order of the day.
The pen is mightier than the sword
The written or spoken word is more powerful than violence
(तलवार से ज्यादा ताकत कलम में होती है)
Sentence: Journalists shape opinions—the pen is mightier than the sword.
The primrose path
A life of pleasure that leads to ruin
(सुखद लेकिन विनाशकारी रास्ता)
Sentence: He followed the primrose path and eventually lost everything.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions
Good intentions without proper action can still lead to harmful results
(केवल अच्छे इरादों से काम नहीं चलता)
Sentence: He meant well but caused harm—the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
The school of hard knocks
Learning through difficult life experiences rather than formal education
(ठोकर खाकर सीखना)
Sentence: He learned business the hard way in the school of hard knocks.