मुहावरे और वाक्यांश - भाग 8

Idioms are groups of words that have a fixed, figurative meaning different from their literal translation. In SSC and Railway exams, they are tested through direct meanings or sentence usage. Hindi-medium students often fail by trying to translate them word-for-word instead of learning their specific usage.

1. Putting the cart before the horse

It means to do things in the wrong order or to reverse the natural sequence of events. It describes starting a task from the end instead of the beginning.

Examples

• ✔ Buying a car before learning to drive is putting the cart before the horse. — गाड़ी चलाना सीखने से पहले कार खरीदना उल्टा काम करने जैसा है।
• ✔ Planning the honeymoon before the wedding is like putting the cart before the horse. — शादी से पहले हनीमून की योजना बनाना गलत क्रम में काम करना है।
• ✔ He is putting the cart before the horse by quitting his job before finding a new one. — नई नौकरी मिलने से पहले पुरानी छोड़कर वह गलत कदम उठा रहा है।

Common mistakes

• ✘ He put the horse before the cart to finish early.
• ✔ He put the cart before the horse and failed. (The order of words in an idiom is fixed; 'cart' must come before 'horse' to show the error.)

2. Barking up the wrong tree

It means to pursue a mistaken or wrong course of action or to accuse the wrong person. You are looking for a solution in the wrong place.

Examples

• ✔ If you think I stole your pen, you are barking up the wrong tree. — अगर तुम्हें लगता है कि मैंने तुम्हारा पेन चुराया है, तो तुम गलत व्यक्ति पर शक कर रहे हो।
• ✔ The police were barking up the wrong tree by arresting the neighbor. — पड़ोसी को गिरफ्तार करके पुलिस गलत दिशा में जांच कर रही थी।
• ✔ Studying history for a math exam is just barking up the wrong tree. — गणित की परीक्षा के लिए इतिहास पढ़ना गलत दिशा में मेहनत करना है।

Common mistakes

• ✘ He is shouting at the wrong tree.
• ✔ He is barking up the wrong tree. (Idioms use specific words like 'barking'; synonyms cannot replace them.)

3. Missing the boat

It means to lose an opportunity by being too slow to act. It is used when someone is too late to take advantage of something.

Examples

• ✔ I wanted to buy that house, but I missed the boat by waiting too long. — मैं वह घर खरीदना चाहता था, लेकिन बहुत देर करने के कारण मैंने मौका गँवा दिया।
• ✔ Apply for the job now, or you will miss the boat. — नौकरी के लिए अभी आवेदन करें, वरना आप अवसर खो देंगे।
• ✔ The discount ended yesterday; I really missed the boat. — छूट कल खत्म हो गई; मैंने वास्तव में मौका खो दिया।

4. Irons in the fire

It means to have many tasks, projects, or activities going on at the same time. It usually refers to having multiple options or being very busy.

Examples

• ✔ With three businesses to run, he has too many irons in the fire. — तीन व्यवसाय चलाने के कारण, वह एक साथ कई कामों में व्यस्त है।
• ✔ Don't take more work; you already have enough irons in the fire. — और काम मत लो; तुम्हारे पास पहले से ही बहुत सारे काम हैं।
• ✔ A good businessman always has several irons in the fire. — एक अच्छे व्यवसायी के पास हमेशा कई योजनाएं चल रही होती हैं।

Common mistakes

• ✘ He has many steels in the fire.
• ✔ He has many irons in the fire. (The word 'irons' cannot be replaced by 'steels' in this fixed expression.)

5. Tooth and nail

It means to fight or compete with great strength, energy, and determination. It implies using every possible effort.

Examples

• ✔ The villagers fought tooth and nail to save their land. — ग्रामीणों ने अपनी जमीन बचाने के लिए जी-जान से लड़ाई लड़ी।
• ✔ She is working tooth and nail to pass the CGL exam. — वह CGL परीक्षा पास करने के लिए कड़ी मेहनत कर रही है।
• ✔ Our team fought tooth and nail until the last minute of the match. — हमारी टीम मैच के आखिरी मिनट तक पूरी ताकत से लड़ी।

Common mistakes

• ✘ They fought with tooth and nail.
• ✔ They fought tooth and nail. (Grammatically, 'tooth and nail' acts as an adverbial phrase and does not require the preposition 'with'.)

6. Breaking the ice

It means to start a conversation in an awkward or new social situation to make people feel more relaxed.

Examples

• ✔ He told a joke to break the ice at the meeting. — उसने मीटिंग में माहौल हल्का करने के लिए एक चुटकुला सुनाया।
• ✔ It is hard to break the ice when you meet someone for the first time. — जब आप किसी से पहली बार मिलते हैं, तो बातचीत शुरू करना मुश्किल होता है।
• ✔ A simple 'hello' can often break the ice. — एक साधारण 'नमस्ते' अक्सर चुप्पी तोड़ सकता है।

Common mistakes

• ✘ He smashed the ice by talking.
• ✔ He broke the ice by talking. (The verb 'break' is fixed in this idiom; 'smash' is incorrect.)

7. Cock and bull story

It refers to a ridiculous, unbelievable, or made-up story used as an excuse for something.

Examples

• ✔ He told a cock and bull story about why he was late. — उसने देर से आने के बारे में एक मनगढ़ंत कहानी सुनाई।
• ✔ Don't give me that cock and bull story about losing your homework. — मुझे होमवर्क खोने की वह झूठी कहानी मत सुनाओ।
• ✔ Nobody believed his cock and bull story about the alien abduction. — एलियन द्वारा अपहरण की उसकी मनगढ़ंत कहानी पर किसी ने विश्वास नहीं किया।

Common mistakes

• ✘ It was a hen and cow story.
• ✔ It was a cock and bull story. (The animals 'cock' and 'bull' are specific to this idiom and cannot be changed.)

8. Song and dance

It means an elaborate or complicated excuse or an unnecessary fuss about something simple.

Examples

• ✔ She made a big song and dance about a small scratch on her car. — उसने अपनी कार पर एक छोटे से खरोंच के लिए बहुत हंगामा खड़ा कर दिया।
• ✔ I don't need a song and dance; just tell me the truth. — मुझे लंबे-चौड़े बहानों की जरूरत नहीं है; बस मुझे सच बताओ।
• ✔ He went into a whole song and dance to explain his mistake. — उसने अपनी गलती समझाने के लिए बहुत बढ़ा-चढ़ाकर बातें कीं।

Common mistakes

• ✘ He gave a music and dance for his delay.
• ✔ He gave a song and dance for his delay. (The word 'song' is part of the fixed idiom; 'music' is not used here.)

9. Lumps in your throat

A tight feeling in the throat caused by strong emotion, especially sadness or being moved by something.

Examples

• ✔ I had a lump in my throat during the farewell speech. — विदाई भाषण के दौरान मेरा गला भर आया।
• ✔ Watching the patriotic movie brought a lump to my throat. — देशभक्ति फिल्म देखकर मेरा गला भर आया।
• ✔ The child's sad story left a lump in everyone's throat. — बच्चे की दुखद कहानी ने सबका गला भर दिया।

Common mistakes

• ✘ I had a stone in my throat because of sadness.
• ✔ I had a lump in my throat because of sadness. (The word 'lump' conveys the feeling of being choked with emotion; 'stone' does not.)

10. Chips on your shoulder

To hold a grudge or have an angry attitude because you feel you have been treated unfairly in the past.

Examples

• ✔ He has a chip on his shoulder because he didn't get the promotion. — प्रमोशन न मिलने के कारण उसके मन में शिकायत और गुस्सा है।
• ✔ Stop being so rude; you always have a chip on your shoulder. — इतने असभ्य मत बनो; तुम्हारे मन में हमेशा कोई न कोई शिकायत रहती है।
• ✔ He carries a chip on his shoulder about his humble background. — वह अपनी साधारण पृष्ठभूमि को लेकर हमेशा चिड़चिड़ा रहता है।

Common mistakes

• ✘ He has a wood on his shoulder.
• ✔ He has a chip on his shoulder. (The word 'chip' is fixed; it refers to a small piece of wood used in the idiom's origin.)

11. By and by

It means eventually, after some time, or sooner or later.

Examples

• ✔ By and by, the sun came out from behind the clouds. — धीरे-धीरे, बादलों के पीछे से सूरज निकल आया।
• ✔ You will get used to the new city by and by. — धीरे-धीरे आपको नए शहर की आदत हो जाएगी।
• ✔ He promised that things would improve by and by. — उसने वादा किया कि कुछ समय बाद चीजें बेहतर हो जाएंगी।

Common mistakes

• ✘ By and then, he arrived.
• ✔ By and by, he arrived. ('By and by' is a fixed phrase meaning 'eventually'; 'by and then' is incorrect.)

12. By and large

It means generally, on the whole, or considering everything.

Examples

• ✔ By and large, the project was a success. — कुल मिलाकर, परियोजना सफल रही।
• ✔ It was a good show, by and large. — कुल मिलाकर, यह एक अच्छा शो था।
• ✔ By and large, Indian students are very hardworking. — सामान्य तौर पर, भारतीय छात्र बहुत मेहनती होते हैं।

Common mistakes

• ✘ Large and by, the food was good.
• ✔ By and large, the food was good. (The order of words in 'by and large' is fixed and cannot be reversed.)

13. Once and for all

It means finally and conclusively, so that it does not happen again.

Examples

• ✔ I want to settle this matter once and for all. — मैं इस मामले को हमेशा के लिए सुलझाना चाहता हूँ।
• ✔ They decided to quit smoking once and for all. — उन्होंने हमेशा के लिए धूम्रपान छोड़ने का फैसला किया।
• ✔ We must solve the water problem once and for all. — हमें पानी की समस्या को अंतिम रूप से हल करना चाहिए।

Common mistakes

• ✘ He left the village once for all.
• ✔ He left the village once and for all. (The conjunction 'and' is a necessary part of this fixed phrase.)

14. By mistake

It means accidentally or without intention.

Examples

• ✔ I took your umbrella by mistake. — मैंने गलती से आपका छाता ले लिया।
• ✔ He deleted the file by mistake. — उसने गलती से फाइल डिलीट कर दी।
• ✔ She called the wrong number by mistake. — उसने गलती से गलत नंबर मिला दिया।

Common mistakes

• ✘ I did it with mistake.
• ✔ I did it by mistake. (The correct preposition to use with 'mistake' in this context is 'by'.)

Quick revision

• Idioms add flavor to the language and should not be translated literally.
• 'Putting the cart before the horse' refers to doing things in the wrong sequence.
• 'Tooth and nail' signifies fighting or working with all your might.
• A 'cock and bull story' is an unbelievable tale used as an excuse.
• 'By and by' means eventually, while 'by and large' means generally.
• 'Once and for all' is used for settling something permanently.
• 'Barking up the wrong tree' means pursuing a wrong direction or person.
• Fixed words and prepositions in idioms cannot be altered or substituted.