The second mouse gets the cheese
Sometimes it’s safer to wait and learn from others’ mistakes instead of rushing in first
(दूसरों की गलती से सीखना)
Sentence: Let others take the first risk—the second mouse gets the cheese.
The ugly duckling
Someone unpromising who later becomes successful
(जो शुरुआत में साधारण या कमजोर लगे, लेकिन आगे चलकर श्रेष्ठ निकले)
Sentence: She was once the ugly duckling of the class but is now the most successful student.
There but for the grace of God go I
I could have been in the same bad situation if not for luck or mercy
(भगवान की कृपा न होती तो मेरी भी वही हालत होती)
Sentence: Seeing the accident, he thought, “there but for the grace of God go I.”
Thick in the head
To be slow to understand; stupid or dull
(मूर्ख या मंदबुद्धि)
Sentence: He’s a bit thick in the head when it comes to complex math problems.
Third time’s a charm
After failing twice, the third attempt is likely to succeed
(तीसरी बार में काम बनता है)
Sentence: He finally passed the exam—third time’s a charm.
Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones
Don’t criticize others if you have similar faults
(जिनके घर शीशे के होते हैं, वे दूसरों पर पत्थर नहीं फ़ेंका करते)
Sentence: Before blaming others, remember those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Throw into a tailspin
To cause someone or something to lose control or become chaotic
(अफरा-तफरी मचाना)
Sentence: The sudden announcement threw the company into a tailspin.
Throw one’s weight around
To act in a domineering or bullying manner
(रुतबा दिखाना)
Sentence: He throws his weight around to get things done his way.
Throw someone under the bus (2)
To betray or sacrifice someone for personal gain
(अपने फायदे के लिए किसी को फँसा देना)
Sentence: He threw his colleague under the bus to save his own job.
Tie someone’s hands
To prevent someone from acting freely
(कुछ करने से रोकना)
Sentence: Strict rules tied the manager’s hands in handling the issue.
Time and tide wait for no man
Opportunities don’t wait; time passes regardless
(समय किसी का इंतज़ार नहीं करता)
Sentence: Don’t delay your plans—time and tide wait for no man.
Time is money
Time is valuable and shouldn’t be wasted
(समय ही धन है)
Sentence: Finish your work quickly—time is money.
To strain at a gnat and swallow a camel
To worry about small matters while ignoring important issues
(छोटी बातों में उलझना और बड़े मुद्दों को नज़रअंदाज़ करना)
Sentence: He argues over minor details but ignores big problems—to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.
To the backbone
Through and through; completely and thoroughly
(पूरी तरह से)
Sentence: She is honest to the backbone.
To the bitter end
Until something is completely finished, however unpleasant
(अंत तक)
Sentence: He supported his team to the bitter end despite the losses.
To the hilt
Completely; to the maximum extent
(पूरी तरह से)
Sentence: He defended his actions to the hilt.
Toil and moil
To work very hard
(कठिन परिश्रम)
Sentence: They toiled and moiled for years to build their business.
Too many cooks spoil the broth
Too many people involved make things worse
(ज़्यादा लोग मिलकर काम बिगाड़ देते हैं)
Sentence: Everyone kept giving advice, and the plan failed—too many cooks spoil the broth.
Too much of a good thing
Even beneficial things can become harmful in excess
(किसी भी चीज़ की अधिकता बुरी है)
Sentence: Eating sweets is fine, but too much of a good thing can harm your health.
Top-notch
Of the highest possible quality
(अव्वल दर्जे का)
Sentence: The hotel provides top-notch service to its guests.
Topsy-turvy
In a state of complete disorder or confusion
(उलटा-पुलटा; अस्त-व्यस्त)
Sentence: After the storm, the whole house was topsy-turvy.
Toss and turn
To move restlessly in bed, unable to sleep
(बेचैनी में रात काटना)
Sentence: He tossed and turned all night thinking about the exam.
Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit
Good things take time to develop
(सब्र का फल मीठा होता है)
Sentence: Keep working patiently—trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.
Try one’s hand at
To attempt or try doing something for the first time
(पहली बार कोशिश करना)
Sentence: She decided to try her hand at painting.
Turn one’s stomach
To make someone feel disgusted or nauseous
(घृणा होना)
Sentence: The sight of rotten food turned my stomach.
Turn to account
To use something to one’s advantage
(परिस्थिति का फायदा लेना)
Sentence: He turned his skills to account in the new job.
Turn up the heat
To increase pressure
(दबाव बढ़ाना)
Sentence: The boss turned up the heat to meet the deadline.
Turn upside down
To search thoroughly; to create disorder
(अच्छी तरह खोजना; उलट-पुलट करना)
Sentence: She turned the house upside down looking for her keys.
Twenty-three skidoo
Hasty departure
(जल्दी निकलना)
Sentence: When the police arrived, it was twenty-three skidoo for the thieves.
Twist the knife
To make a bad situation even worse
(जले पर नमक छिड़कना)
Sentence: His sarcastic comment twisted the knife after her failure.
Two wrongs don’t make a right
Responding to wrongdoing with wrongdoing is not justified
(बुराई का जवाब बुराई से देने पर सब ठीक नहीं होता)
Sentence: Don’t take revenge—two wrongs don’t make a right.
Under lock and key (2)
Kept securely locked or guarded
(सुरक्षित रखना)
Sentence: The valuable documents are kept under lock and key.
Under the table
Done secretly, especially involving illegal payment
(गुप्त रूप से)
Sentence: The deal was made under the table to avoid taxes.
Up for grabs
Available to anyone who wants it
(उपलब्ध)
Sentence: The prize is still up for grabs.
Use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
To use excessive force or resources for a simple task
(ज़रूरत से ज़्यादा ताकत लगाना)
Sentence: Hiring a large team for this small task is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
Van Gogh’s ear for music
To be tone-deaf or have no musical ability at all
(संगीत की बिल्कुल समझ न होना)
Sentence: I have Van Gogh’s ear for music, so I avoid singing in public.
Variety is the spice of life
New and different experiences make life interesting
(जीवन में बदलाव और विविधता ही उसे मज़ेदार बनाती है)
Sentence: Try new hobbies—variety is the spice of life.
Verbal diarrhoea
The tendency to talk too much, often without substance
(अत्यधिक बातचीत)
Sentence: His verbal diarrhoea made the meeting unnecessarily long.
Virtue is its own reward
Doing good is rewarding in itself
(नेकी कर दरिया में डाल)
Sentence: Help others without expecting anything—virtue is its own reward.
Vows made in storms are forgotten in calms
Promises made in crisis are often forgotten when times improve
(बुरे समय में किया गया वादा अच्छे समय में भुला दिया जाता है)
Sentence: He promised to change during tough times but didn’t—vows made in storms are forgotten in calms.
Walk a mile in someone’s shoes
To try to understand someone else’s experiences or perspective
(किसी की जगह खुद को रखकर देखना)
Sentence: Before judging him, try to walk a mile in his shoes.
Walls have ears
Be careful, someone might be listening
(सावधान रहो)
Sentence: Speak softly about this matter—walls have ears.
Waste not, want not
If you use resources wisely, you will not face scarcity
(अगर आप आज चीज़ों को बर्बाद नहीं करेंगे, तो भविष्य में उनकी कमी नहीं होगी)
Sentence: Save your resources—waste not, want not.
Ways and means
Methods and resources for achieving something
(उद्देश्य प्राप्ति के तरीके)
Sentence: We must find ways and means to solve this problem.
Wear a long face
To look unhappy or disappointed
(उदास दिखना)
Sentence: She was wearing a long face after hearing the bad news.
Well begun is half done
A good start makes success easier
(अच्छी शुरुआत से सफलता की संभावना अच्छी होती है)
Sentence: Plan properly before starting—well begun is half done.
Weigh one’s words
To choose what one says carefully
(सोच-समझकर बोलना)
Sentence: You should weigh your words before speaking in a formal meeting.
What you lose on the swings, you gain on the roundabouts
Losses in one area are balanced by gains in another
(एक जगह का नुकसान दूसरी जगह पूरा हो जाता है)
Sentence: I paid more for travel but saved on accommodation—what you lose on the swings, you gain on the roundabouts.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
Adapt to local customs wherever you are
(जैसा देश, वैसा भेष)
Sentence: While visiting Japan, he followed their traditions—when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade
Make the best of a bad situation; turn adversity into opportunity
(आपदा में अवसर ढूंढना)
Sentence: She lost her job but started her own business—when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
When the cat’s away, the mice will play
People misbehave when authority is absent
(निगरानी न हो तो लोग मनमानी करते हैं)
Sentence: The students became noisy when the teacher left—when the cat’s away, the mice will play.
Wipe the smile off someone’s face
To cause someone to lose their happiness or confidence suddenly
(किसी की मुस्कान गायब कर देना)
Sentence: The unexpected defeat wiped the smile off his face.
Wish upon a star
To hope for something unlikely or dream of something
(किसी असंभव इच्छा की कामना करना)
Sentence: She kept wishing upon a star to become a famous singer.
With a heavy heart
With great sadness or reluctance
(बहुत दुख के साथ)
Sentence: He left his hometown with a heavy heart.
With all guns blazing
With maximum force and effort
(पूरी ताकत के साथ)
Sentence: The team started the match with all guns blazing.
Within an ace of
Very close to achieving something
(लगभग हासिल कर लेना)
Sentence: She was within an ace of winning the competition.
Without a doubt
Certainly; definitely
(निस्संदेह)
Sentence: He is without a doubt the best player on the team.
Wrestle with one’s demons
To struggle with personal problems, inner conflicts, past trauma, bad habits, or emotional issues
(अपनी कमज़ोरियों या बुरी आदतों से लड़ना)
Sentence: He has been wrestling with his demons for years.
Wring someone’s neck
To be very angry with someone
(बहुत गुस्सा होना)
Sentence: She felt like wringing his neck after hearing the lie.
X marks the spot
Used to indicate the exact location of something
(सटीक स्थान)
Sentence: Follow the map carefully—X marks the spot where the treasure is buried.
Yellow journalism
Sensationalist journalism that exaggerates news for readership
(सनसनीखेज़ और भ्रामक पत्रकारिता)
Sentence: Many tabloids rely on yellow journalism to attract readers.
You are what you eat
Your health depends on what you consume
(जैसा खाओ अन्न, वैसा बने मन)
Sentence: Eat healthy food because you are what you eat.
You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar
Kindness is more effective than harshness
(नम्रता और मिठास से काम जल्दी बनता है)
Sentence: She spoke politely and got help easily—you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink
You can offer opportunities but can’t force acceptance
(आप किसी को अवसर दे सकते हैं, पर उसे अपनाने के लिए मजबूर नहीं कर सकते)
Sentence: I advised him to study, but he didn’t listen—you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.