Idioms and Proverbs in Practical Use
Idioms and Proverbs in Practical Use
This topic supplies two questions and it is the fastest-answered part of the qualifying paper, because the answer is either remembered or it is not. The idioms stay at school level and very nearly the same list returns every year, so the whole set can be secured with a short effort.
The Idioms Asked Most Often
| Idiom | Meaning |
|---|---|
| आँखों का तारा | very dear |
| नाक में दम करना | to trouble greatly |
| अंगूठा दिखाना | to refuse outright |
| आस्तीन का साँप | a treacherous friend |
| लोहे के चने चबाना | to do something very difficult |
| नौ दो ग्यारह होना | to run away |
The meaning of an idiom is never literal. So among the options, the one giving the plain sense of the words is always wrong — strike it out first and one of the five choices is gone at once.
✗ अंगूठा दिखाना means to give consent | ✓ It means to refuse outright
More Useful Idioms
- ईद का चाँद होना — to appear after a long time.
- घी के दिए जलाना — to rejoice greatly.
- टेढ़ी खीर — a hard task.
- थाली का बैंगन — one who keeps changing sides.
- दाल न गलना — for a plan not to succeed.
- आँखें बिछाना — to await eagerly.
Major Proverbs
| Proverb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| नाच न जाने आँगन टेढ़ा | blaming circumstances for one's own failure |
| अंधों में काना राजा | the slightly able among the wholly unable |
| ऊँट के मुँह में जीरा | far too little for the need |
| एक अनार सौ बीमार | few goods and many claimants |
| दूर के ढोल सुहावने | distant things appear attractive |
Keep the distinction in mind — a proverb is a complete sentence in itself and conveys a lesson, while an idiom is a phrase and yields its meaning only after joining a sentence. That difference is asked directly.
याद करने का तरीका: हर मुहावरे के साथ एक छोटा वाक्य बना लीजिए। वाक्य याद रहेगा तो अर्थ अपने आप याद रहेगा।
TRE pointer: The literal-meaning option is always wrong — that one rule removes an option in every idiom question. The difference between idiom and proverb is a settled question too: a proverb is a full sentence, an idiom a phrase. आस्तीन का साँप and नौ दो ग्यारह होना are the idioms that recur most.
60-Second Recap
- The meaning of an idiom is never literal.
- आँखों का तारा means very dear and अंगूठा दिखाना means to refuse.
- आस्तीन का साँप means a treacherous friend.
- लोहे के चने चबाना means to do something very difficult.
- A proverb is a full sentence and gives a lesson; an idiom is a phrase.
- नाच न जाने आँगन टेढ़ा means blaming circumstances for one's own failure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can one option be eliminated in an idiom question?
Strike out the option that gives the plain literal sense of the words. By definition an idiom means something other than what its words say, so that option is never correct. This removes one of the five choices immediately and improves the odds on the rest.
What is the difference between an idiom and a proverb?
An idiom is a phrase and becomes complete only when used inside a sentence, as with नौ दो ग्यारह होना. A proverb is a complete sentence in itself and conveys a lesson, as with नाच न जाने आँगन टेढ़ा. This difference is asked directly.
What does आस्तीन का साँप mean?
A person who stays close and appears trustworthy yet does harm, that is, a treacherous friend. It appears very often in the qualifying paper, and the options sometimes offer merely hidden enemy, which is close but incomplete.
What is the best way to learn idioms?
Build a short sentence around each one. Inside a sentence the idiom stays alive, so it is learnt quickly and remembered for longer. The same preparation then answers both kinds of question, the one on meaning and the one on correct use.