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Gowher Ahmad Naik, LPU Unit 16: Vocabulary and Usage: Idioms and Idiomatic Phrases and Their Usages

Unit 16: Vocabulary and Usage: Idioms and Notes
Idiomatic Phrases and Their Usages

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
16.1 Idioms and Phrases (Meaning and Usage)
16.2 Idioms and Phrases (Objectives Multiple Choice Type)
16.3 Idiomatic Expressions
16.4 Review Questions
16.5 Further Readings

Objectives
After reading this unit students will be able to:
• Understand the meaning of Idioms and Phrases and their usages.

Introduction

A phrase is a group of words without a verb, especially one that forms part of a sentence. In short, it is
a group of words forming a short expression. An idiom is a phrase or group of words, the meaning of
which is not clear from tin meaning of its individual words and which must be learnt as a whole unit.
Idioms and phrases are relative terms and both terms imply almost the same meaning. Idioms and
phrases beautify and adorn a sentence.

16.1 Idioms and Phrases (Meaning and Usage)

1. To back up (to support): He backed up the ruling party to gain their favour.
2. Blow over (pass off): The present unfavourable tide wili soon blow over.
3. To bear out (substantiate): The police produced evidence to bear out the charge of murder.
4. To dispose of (sell): I am going to dispose of my furniture as soon as possible.
5. To close with (accept): I readily closed with his offer.
6. To eat away (corrode): Too many chocolates have eaten away my teeth completely.
7. To grow upon (have stronger and stronger hold over): The habit of smoking is steadily growing
upon him.
8. Hear someone out (to hear upto the end): The teacher pleaded with the students to hear him out.
9. To hit upon (to find): She hit upon the perfect title for her new novel.
10. To keep hanging about (loitering about): Most of the students in our college keep hanging about
the campus even after the completion of classes.
I I. Led up to (culminated in): The continuous tension between the two groups finally led up to a
communal war.
12. To shake off (get rid of): She has been trying to shake off some of her weight.
13. Long for (desire): Throughout his life, he has longed for a good friend in whom he could confide.
14. Stave off (prevent, avert): He is the only person who can stave off violent encounter between the
two brothers.

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