1000+ Idioms & Phrases MCQ for UPSC CSE [Solved]

1. At dagger's drawn
A. to be very friendly
B. to have bitter enmity
C. to be very familiar
D. to be unknown
Answer : B

2. To carry the coal to newcastle :
A. To work hard
B. To finish a jab
C. To do unnecessary things
D. To do menial jobs
Answer : C

3. To drive home.
A. To find ones root
B. To return to place of rest
C. Back to original position
D. To emphasise
Answer : D

4. played havoc
A. caused destruciton
B. caused disease
C. caused hardship
D. caused floods
Answer : A

5. Adolescence is a period of halcyon days .
A. hard days
B. of mental pressure
C. happy days
D. days of preparation
Answer : C

6. To make clean breast of
A. To gain prominence
B. To praise oneself
C. To confess without of reserve
D. To destroy before it blooms
Answer : C

7. He made away with ten thousand rupees in the course of three months.
A. earned
B. ran away with
C. squandered
D. saved
Answer : C

8. The students of that group have assured their project guide that they will all work against the clock .
A. work while keeping patience
B. work with vigour to finish in limited time
C. work with enthusiasm
D. work hard to go against the time
Answer : B

9. To have an axe to grind.
A. a private end to serve
B. to fail to arouse interest
C. to have no result
D. to work for both sides
Answer : A

10. The convict claimed innocence and stood his ground in spite of the repeated accusations.
A. knelt
B. surrendered
C. kept standing
D. refused to yield
Answer : D

11. To pull strings :
A. To exert hidden influence
B. To tease someone
C. To speed up
D. To start something
Answer : A

12. The sailors nailed their colours to their mast.
A. put up a colourful mast
B. refused to climb down
C. took over the ship
D. decided to abandon the ship
Answer : B

13. The man changed colours when I questioned him on the allocation of funds.
A. turned pale
B. got numbed
C. turned happy
D. get motivated
Answer : A

14. To take people by storm :
A. To put people in utter surprise
B. To captivate them unexpectedly
C. To exploit peoples agitation
D. To bring out something sensational attracting peoples attention
Answer : B

15. To be above board
A. To have a good height
B. To be honest in any business deal
C. They have no debts
D. To try to be beautiful
Answer : B

16. To give a false colouring :
A. To misrepresent
B. To submit the false report
C. To be dishonest
D. To conceal the facts
Answer : A

17. To let off steam , my friend started murmuring.
A. to release his tension
B. to show his anger
C. to show his approval
D. to show his disple
Answer : B

18. Hard-pressed :
A. Bewildered
B. Insulted
C. Hard discipline
D. In difficulties
Answer : D

19. In the teeth of
A. in the end
B. real cause
C. in the face of
D. to chase
Answer : C

20. To hit the nail right on the head
A. To do the right thing
B. To destroy one's reputation
C. To announce one's fixed views
D. To teach someone a lesson
Answer : A

21. Be in the mire :
A. Be under dept
B. Be in love
C. Be in difficulties
D. Be uneasy
Answer : C

22. To read between the lines :
A. To concentrate
B. To read carefully
C. To suspect
D. To grasp the hidden meaning
Answer : D

23. All and Sundry
A. only rich person
B. together
C. selected people
D. Everybody without distinction
Answer : D

24. To wrangle over an asss shadow :
A. To act in a foolish way
B. To do something funny
C. To quarrel over trifles
D. To quarrel over the possession of an ass
Answer : C

25. To beg the question
A. To refer to
B. To take for granted
C. To raise objectins
D. To be discussed
Answer : B

26. All agog :
A. Everybody
B. All ready
C. Restless
D. Almighty
Answer : C

27. Above board
A. honest and straightforward
B. a dishonest person
C. boasting person
D. a man with arrogance
Answer : A

28. To take the bull by the horns :
A. To punish a person severly for his arrogance
B. To grapple courageously with difficulty that lies in our way
C. To handle it by fierce attack
D. To bypass the legal process and take action according to ones own whims
Answer : B

29. Bag and baggage
A. Without any belonging
B. All the clothing
C. With all one's belongings
D. Leave
Answer : C

30. To change colour :
A. To change appearance
B. To shift allegiance to
C. To favour the wrong person
D. None of these
Answer : B

31. To drink like a fish :
A. To drink little
B. To drink alone
C. To be a drunkard
D. To drink in the company of others
Answer : C

32. He has all his ducks in a row ; he is complacent.
A. has everything ready
B. is well organised
C. always scores a zero
D. never gets confused
Answer : B

33. To cry wolf
A. To listen eagerly
B. To give false alarm
C. To turn pale
D. To keep off starvation
Answer : B

34. By leaps and bounds
A. aimlessly
B. very fast
C. very slow
D. in details
Answer : B

35. To be in abeyance :
A. To be in trouble
B. Dual minded
C. In a fighting mood
D. Insuspense
Answer : D

36. We must work with all our might and main, otherwise we cannot succeed.
A. full force
B. complete trust
C. exceptional skill
D. full unity
Answer : A

37. You need to have something up your sleeve if the present plan does not work.
A. have some honest means
B. have some hidden sources of money
C. have a secret pocket in the sleeve
D. have an alternative plan
Answer : D

38. At daggers drawn
A. at enmity
B. to be puzzled
C. at friendship
D. real cause
Answer : A

39. To put one's hand to plough
A. To take up agricultural farming
B. To take a difficult task
C. To get entangled into unnecessary things
D. Take interest in technical work
Answer : B

40. All and sundry :
A. Greater share
B. All of a sudden
C. Completion of work
D. Everyone without distinction
Answer : D

41. A bakers dozen :
A. Twelve
B. Charity
C. Thirteen
D. Allowance
Answer : C

42. green thumb
A. one has a green tatto on the thumb
B. to have a natural intrest in gardening
C. one is articstic
D. ones nails are painted green
Answer : B

43. To cry wolf.
A. To listen eagerly
B. To give false alarm
C. To turn pale
D. To keep off starvation
Answer : B

44. To show the white feather :
A. To show signs to cowardice
B. To seek peace
C. To show arrogance
D. To become polite
Answer : A

45. Lions share
A. look angrily
B. minor share
C. heart of the prey
D. major share
Answer : D

46. To pour oil in troubled water :
A. To forment trouble
B. To add to the trouble
C. To instigate
D. To calm a quarrel with sooting words
Answer : D

47. To save ones face :
A. To hide oneself
B. To oppose
C. To avade disgrace
D. To say plainly
Answer : C

48. Ins and Outs
A. full details
B. major share
C. no details
D. finally
Answer : A

49. A fools errand :
A. A blunder
B. An impossible task
C. A useless undertaking
D. None of these
Answer : C

50. To drive home .
A. To find one's root
B. To return to place of rest
C. Back to original position
D. To emphasise
Answer : D