Phrases and Idioms

english hum-1109 Hum-1109 Technical English

The material is divided into:

1. The “Foreign Phrases” List (From Munshi Sir’s Slides - Highly important for definitions).
2. The “Thematic Idioms” List (From Handwritten Notes).
3. The PYQ Practice Bank (All questions from 2017–2024 with answers).

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Part 1: Foreign Phrases & General Idioms (From Slides)

These are Latin/French phrases commonly asked in exams. The definitions are from the slides.

Phrase	Meaning/Usage	Source
Ab origine	From the origin.
Ad hoc	For this (special purpose).
Ad interim	For the meantime.
Alma mater	School/University one graduated from.
Ante meridiem (a.m.)	Before noon.
Billet doux	Love letter.
Bona fide	Genuine / Good faith.
Charge d’ affairs	A subordinate diplomat.
Coup d’etat	Violent overthrow of government.
Cul-de-sac	Blind alley / Dead end.
Curriculum vitae	Course of life (Resume).
De facto	Actual state of affairs (in reality).
De jure	By the law (legally).
El Dorado	A place of great wealth.
Emeritus	Veteran/Honorary title (retired but retained).
En masse	In a body / All together.
En route	On the way.
Erratum	Error (in writing/printing).
Et alibi (et al.)	And elsewhere.
Et cetera (etc.)	And the rest.
Ex officio	From the office / By virtue of position.
Exempli gratia (e.g.)	For example.
Fac simile	Make a similar thing (Exact copy).
Id est (i.e.)	That is.
In fine	In the end.
In toto	In a whole / Completely.
Liaison	Communication/Link.
Magna Carta	Great Charter (Human rights document).
Magnum opus	A great work (Masterpiece).
Nota Bene (N.B.)	Mark well / Note carefully.
Per capita	By heads (per person).
Per diem	By the day (Daily allowance).
Persona non grata	Unacceptable person (diplomatic term).
Post meridiem (p.m.)	After noon.
Post mortem	After death (Autopsy).
Prima facie	At first sight.
Sine die	Without a day (Indefinitely).
Status quo	The situation in which things were before.
Sub judice	Under a judge (Under judicial consideration).
Veni, vidi, vici	I came, I saw, I conquered.
Verbatim	Word for word.
Vice versa	With position turned (Conversely).
Vide	See / Refer to.
Vis-à-vis	Face to face / In relation to.
Viva voce	Living voice (Oral exam).
Vox populi	Voice of the people.

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Part 2: The “Apple & Money” List (Handwritten Notes)

These appear in Tasaddik’s notes and are specific idioms often ignored in standard lists.

1. Apple of discord: Source of conflict. (Example: The land was the apple of discord between brothers.)
2. Apple of an eye: Someone cherished above all others. (Example: She is the apple of her father’s eye.)
3. Apple of Sodom: Something that looks perfect on the surface but has problems underneath.
4. Pin money: Small allowance for trivial purchases.
5. Pocket money: Small amount for minor personal expenditure.
6. Speed money: A small bribe to expedite performance.
7. Hush money: Money paid to keep someone silent.
8. Curtain lecture: A scolding given by a wife to her husband in private.
9. “Smooth seas never make skilled sailors”: Adversity creates opportunities for growth.

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Part 3: PYQ Practice Bank (2017–2024)

I have compiled the questions and the provided solution sentences. If a year is missing, it did not have a specific “Make sentences with Phrases” section.

2024 (CSE)

• As good as gold: The little child is as good as gold. (Meaning: Very well-behaved).
• In the common interest: We should work in the common interest.
• Call off: The strike was called off yesterday. (Meaning: Cancel).
• Sign out: Please sign out before leaving the office.
• Put back: Put back the book on the shelf.
• Note: “To need for variety” appears in the source, but seems grammatically odd. Use: We need variety in food.

2023

• At stake: My grades are at stake if I fail the final exam. (Meaning: At risk).
• Get rid of: We need to get rid of these old computers. (Meaning: Dispose of).
• Pandora’s box: Discussing politics opened a Pandora’s box of arguments. (Meaning: Source of unexpected trouble).
• Soft soap: Don’t try to soft soap me with compliments. (Meaning: Flattery).
• Sine die: The meeting was adjourned sine die. (Meaning: Indefinitely).
• Walk on eggshells: Everyone walks on eggshells around the angry boss. (Meaning: Be extremely cautious).

2022

• A dark horse: John was a dark horse who surprised everyone by winning. (Meaning: Unknown competitor).
• Butter someone up: She tried to butter up her boss. (Meaning: Flattery).
• Come to terms: They finally came to terms with the agreement. (Meaning: Reach agreement).
• Get rid of: We need to get rid of these newspapers.
• In a fix: I am in a fix because I forgot my wallet. (Meaning: In a difficult situation).
• Adhoc: The committee formed an adhoc group. (Meaning: For this specific purpose).

2021

• A blessing in disguise: Losing that job was a blessing in disguise. (Meaning: Good outcome from bad event).
• Draw the line: I draw the line at lending money repeatedly. (Meaning: Set a limit).
• Live hand to mouth: He had to live hand to mouth for months. (Meaning: Surviving with barely enough money).
• In hot water: He found himself in hot water after missing the meeting. (Meaning: In trouble).
• Bread and butter: Teaching is his bread and butter. (Meaning: Main source of income).

2020

• Bear with: Please bear with me while I explain. (Meaning: Be patient).
• Carry out: The scientists will carry out research. (Meaning: Perform/Execute).
• En masse: The students protested en masse. (Meaning: All together).
• Get together: Our family gets together every year.
• Hanker after: He always hankers after expensive cars. (Meaning: Strong desire).

2019

• All out: The team went all out to win. (Meaning: Using all energy).
• Breath one’s last: The old man breathed his last peacefullly. (Meaning: Died).
• Back and forth: The child ran back and forth.
• Bear away the palm: Our team bore away the palm in the competition. (Meaning: To win).
• Bee line: Students made a bee line for the dining hall. (Meaning: Direct route).

2018

• Top dog: Everyone wants to be the top dog. (Meaning: Leader/Dominant).
• Pull well: The team must pull well together. (Meaning: Cooperate).
• Point blank: He refused the offer point blank. (Meaning: Directly/Bluntly).
• Lame excuse: His absence was just a lame excuse.
• Rank and file: The rank and file employees supported the policy. (Meaning: Ordinary members).
• Out and out: He is an out and out gentleman. (Meaning: Thoroughly).

2017

• Fair game: The politician became fair game for criticism. (Meaning: Legitimate target).
• Street smart: He is street smart and knows how to survive.
• Pros and cons: Consider the pros and cons before deciding.
• Come of: Nothing good will come of this behavior. (Meaning: Result from).

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Expert Comments & Helpful Hacks

1. The “Get Rid Of” & “Sine Die” Frequency:

   • Get rid of appeared in 2022 and 2023. It is a favorite.
   • Sine die appeared in 2017 and 2023. Memorize “The meeting was adjourned sine die.”
   • Butter up appeared in 2021 and 2022.

2. Latin Phrases are Easy Marks:

   • Phrases like Ad hoc, En masse, Sine die, Alma mater appear frequently. Since they have very specific definitions in the slides (Part 1), memorize those one-line meanings.

3. Sentence Strategy:

   • If you don’t know the exact meaning, try to use a generic context (though it’s risky).
   • Risky Example: “I know the meaning of [Phrase].” (Avoid this).
   • Better Strategy: Memorize the 2022, 2023, and 2024 CSE sentences. They cover about 30% of the likely questions for upcoming exams due to repetition trends.

4. “Apple” Idioms:

   • Note the specific “Apple” list in Part 2. If you see “Apple of Sodom,” remember it means “Looks good, but bad inside.”

Study Plan:

1. Memorize Part 3 (PYQs) first.
2. Memorize the Latin definitions in Part 1.
3. Read Part 2 once to be familiar with the “Money” and “Apple” idioms.