Idioms

Carry out

Meaning: To complete or do something as planned.

Synonyms: Do, perform, accomplish, execute, implement

Mnemonic: Imagine carrying a task like a suitcase—take it from start to finish.

Urdu: کسی منصوبے یا کام کو مکمل کرنا، نافذ کرنا

Example: They carried out the mission successfully.

taken over

Meaning: To take control or responsibility for something.

Synonyms: Control, assume, dominate, seize, capture

Mnemonic: Like one person “taking over” the driver’s seat.

Urdu: کسی چیز یا جگہ پر قابض ہونا یا کنٹرول حاصل کرنا
Example: He took over the company last year.

Bring about

Meaning: To cause something to happen.

Synonyms: Cause, lead to, produce, generate, spark

Mnemonic: Think of someone “bringing” a change “about” in the air.

Urdu: کسی چیز کا سبب بننا، وقوع پذیر بنانا

Example: She brought about change in his behavior

Beat out

Meanings & Synonyms:

Shape by hitting: Hammer, flatten

Defeat: Win, outdo, surpass

Cheat: Trick, deceive

Example 1: She beat out all the dents.

Example 2: He beat out others in the race.

Mnemonic: Beat = مارنا; Out = سب کو پیچھے چھوڑ دینا

Urdu: (1) مار مار کر درست کرنا (2) سبقت لے جانا (3) چالاکی سے محروم کرنا

Bear with

Meaning: Be patient with someone

Synonyms: Tolerate, endure, put up with

Example: Please bear with me, I’ll be quick.

Mnemonic: Imagine bearing (carrying) someone’s annoying habits.

Urdu: برداشت کرنا، صبر سے کا

م لینا

Fall back on/upon

Meaning: Rely on something when other options are gone

Synonyms: Depend on, resort to, turn to

Example: He fell back on his savings after losing his job.

Mnemonic: You "fall back" on a pillow when nothing else supports you.

Urdu: آخری سہارا لینا، انحصار کرنا

Fall through

Meaning: Fail to happen or succeed

Synonyms: Fail, collapse, miscarry, abort

Example: Our vacation plan fell through due to rain.

Mnemonic: Think of a plan falling through a hole in the floor.

Urdu: ناکام ہو جانا، پوری طرح ختم ہو

In right earnest

Meaning: In a very serious and sincere way

Synonyms: Seriously, genuinely, wholeheartedly

Example: He started his studies in right earnest.

Mnemonic: Earnest = honest + serious

Urdu: مکمل سنجیدگی اور خلوص کے ساتھ

Vested interest

Meaning: Personal benefit or selfish reason behind involvement

Synonyms: Hidden agenda, personal stake, self-interest

Example: She has a vested interest in this business.

Mnemonic: Think of someone hiding interest in their vest pocket.

Urdu: ذاتی مفاد، خود غرضی پر مبنی دلچسپی

Turn to account

Meaning: Use something for benefit or advantage

Synonyms: Utilize, make use of, take advantage

Example: He turned the delay to good account.

Mnemonic: Turning "delay" into "productivity" = using time wisely

Urdu: کسی چیز کو فائدے کے لیے استعمال کرنا

Beat the air or wind

Meaning: Try hard but achieve nothing

Synonyms: Waste effort, try in vain, be unproductive

Example: Trying to explain it to him is like beating the air.

Mnemonic: You can’t beat the air — it doesn’t hit back!

Urdu: بے سود کوشش کرنا، رائیگاں مشقت کرنا

Break a lance with

Meaning: Compete or argue, especially in a serious way

Synonyms: Challenge, oppose, engage in contest

Example: He broke a lance with the professor on politics.

Mnemonic: Imagine old knights breaking lances in battle.

Urdu: مقابلہ کرنا، دلیل یا بحث میں الجھنا

Foul play

Meaning: Dishonest or violent actions

Synonyms: Crime, cheating, violence, sabotage

Example: The police suspect foul play in his death.

Mnemonic: Like in sports, foul = illegal — same in life

Urdu: مجرمانہ کارروائی، بد دیانتی، دھوکہ دہی

Keep open house

Meaning: Be welcoming and ready to host guests anytime

Synonyms: Be hospitable, generous, friendly

Example: They keep open house during holidays.

Mnemonic: Think of a house with its door always open for guests.

Urdu: ہر وقت مہمانوں کے لیے دروازے کھلے رکھنا، مہمان نوازی کرنا

Put out of countenance

Meaning: Make someone embarrassed or confused

Synonyms: Embarrass, shame, unnerve

Example: She was put out of countenance by his rude remarks.

Mnemonic: Countenance = face; so this means losing face!

Urdu: شرمندہ یا بے چین کر دینا

Got up to kill

Meaning: Dressed very attractively or stylishly

Synonyms: Glamorous, dazzling, well-dressed, fashionable

Example: She was got up to kill at the party.

Mnemonic: Dressed so well that people say “you’re killing it!”

Urdu: شاندار طریقے سے تیار ہونا، نگاہیں خیرہ کر دینا

Have a finger in the pie

Meaning: Be involved in something, usually meddling

Synonyms: Participate, interfere, be involved, meddle

Example: He always has a finger in every pie.

Mnemonic: Imagine someone sticking their finger in every pie on the table.

Urdu: ہر معاملے میں دخل دینا، ہر کام میں مداخلت کرنا

When all is said and done / After all is said and done

Meaning: In the end; finally; after everything has been considered

Synonyms: Ultimately, finally, in conclusion, at the end of the day

Example: When all is said and done, they did their best to help.

Mnemonic: After all the talking (“said”) and doing (“done”), only the result remains.

Urdu: آخرکار، بالآخر، جب سب کچھ ہو

چکا ہو

An axe to grind

Meaning: A personal reason or selfish motive behind what someone says or does

Synonyms: Hidden agenda, personal interest, selfish motive

Example: Don’t trust him—he has an axe to grind.

Mnemonic: Think of someone sharpening an axe secretly to use it for their benefit.

Urdu: ذاتی مفاد رکھنا، پوشیدہ مقصد ہونا

Turn a new leaf

Meaning: Start fresh and behave better

Synonyms: Start over, improve, reform, change

Example: He turned over a new leaf after joining rehab.

Mnemonic: Like turning to a new page in your life’s book.

Urdu: نئی شروعات کرنا، بہتر رویہ اپنانا

Burn the candle at both ends

Meaning: Overwork or use up energy by doing too much

Synonyms: Overwork, exhaust oneself, wear out

Example: He’s burning the candle at both ends with his job and night school.

Mnemonic: A candle burns faster if lit from both sides — energy drains quickly.

Urdu: حد سے زیادہ کام کرنا، خود کو تھکا دینا

Leave in the lurch

. Leave in the lurch

Meaning: To leave someone when they need help

Synonyms: Abandon, desert, betray, let down

Example: He left me in the lurch during the crisis.

Mnemonic: Imagine someone “lurched” (stuck) and you walk away.

Urdu: مشکل وقت میں چھوڑ دینا، بے یارو مددگار چھوڑنا

Goes without saying

Meaning: So obvious that it doesn’t need to be said

Synonyms: Clearly, obviously, naturally, self-evidently

Example: It goes without saying that we support you.

Mnemonic: If it’s so clear, it doesn’t need saying.

Urdu: واضح بات، جسے کہنے کی ضرورت نہ ہو

Like a red rag to a bull

Meaning: Something that makes someone very angry

Synonyms: Provocation, trigger, irritant

Example: Mentioning her ex is like a red rag to a bull.

Mnemonic: Bulls charge when they see red = people get angry at certain things

Urdu: اشتعال دلانے والی چیز، غصہ دلانے والی بات

Not a leg to stand on

Meaning: No support for your argument or case

Synonyms: No proof, no chance, no support, baseless

Example: With no documents, he didn’t have a leg to stand on.

Mnemonic: No legs = no standing power = weak case

Urdu: کوئی دلیل یا جواز نہ ہونا، بالکل بے بنیاد ہونا

Under the thumb of

Meaning: Completely controlled by someone

Synonyms: Dominated, ruled, oppressed, submissive

Example: He’s under his wife’s thumb.

Mnemonic: Imagine someone pressing their thumb down on you — full control.

Urdu: کسی کے مکمل کنٹرول میں ہونا، زیر اثر ہونا

The writing on the wall / Handwriting on the wall

Meaning: A clear warning of danger or failure

Synonyms: Warning sign, signal of doom, omen

Example: The company’s losses were the writing on the wall.

Mnemonic: Like a message written clearly on a wall — can't ignore it.

Urdu: واضح انتباہ، تباہی کی پیش گوئی

To sow one’s wild oats

Meaning: To behave recklessly (often when young), especially in love or fun

Synonyms: Fool around, party, misbehave, be wild

Example: He spent his 20s sowing wild oats but matured later.

Mnemonic: Sow = plant seeds; wild oats = wild behavior

Urdu: نوجوانی کی فضول حرکات کرنا، آوارہ طبع ہونا

Storm in a teacup

Meaning: Making a small problem seem very big

Synonyms: Overreaction, exaggeration, fuss

Example: That argument was just a storm in a teacup.

Mnemonic: A big storm inside a tiny cup = small issue blown up

Urdu: معمولی مسئلے کو بڑھا چڑھا کر پیش کرنا

To keep late hours

Meaning: Stay up or active until late at night

Synonyms: Sleep late, be a night owl, stay up

Example: She keeps late hours because of her online job.

Mnemonic: “Late hours” = when everyone sleeps, you're still awake

Urdu: رات گئے جاگنا یا کام کرنا

To throw cold water on

Meaning: To discourage or ruin enthusiasm

Synonyms: Discourage, criticize, shut down, demotivate

Example: His boss threw cold water on his big idea.

Mnemonic: Like pouring cold water on excitement = kills the fire

Urdu: کسی کی حوصلہ شکنی کرنا، مایوس کر دینا

A cock and bull story

Meaning: A silly, made-up story that’s hard to believe

Synonyms: Lie, made-up story, tall tale, fib, nonsense

Example: He told me a cock and bull story about aliens stealing his homework.

Mnemonic: Imagine a rooster (cock) and a bull talking—would you believe them? Of course not!

Urdu: من گھڑت کہانی، ناقابلِ یقین جھوٹ

To bear the brunt of

Meaning: To suffer the worst part of something bad

Synonyms: Face, endure, take the hit, suffer, absorb

Example: The workers bore the brunt of the company’s budget cuts.

Mnemonic: Imagine brunt = blunt force hitting you first — you take the worst blow.

Urdu: سب سے زیادہ نقصان یا تکلیف سہنا، صدمہ جھیلنا

Tied to the apron-strings of

Meaning: Totally dependent on or controlled by a woman (usually mother or wife)

Synonyms: Over-dependent, controlled, dominated

Example: He's still tied to his mother’s apron strings even in his 30s.

Mnemonic: Visualize someone literally holding on to apron strings — they can’t walk away!

Urdu: ماں یا بیوی پر حد سے زیادہ انحصار کرنا، آزادی نہ ہونا

To move heaven and earth

Meaning: To do everything possible; make a great effort

Synonyms: Try your best, go all out, do whatever it takes

Example: I’ll move heaven and earth to help you succeed.

Mnemonic: Imagine moving the sky and the ground just to achieve something!

Urdu: ہر ممکن کوشش کرنا، حد سے زیادہ محنت کرنا

To blow one’s own trumpet

Meaning: To boast or talk too much about your achievements

Synonyms: Brag, boast, show off, self-praise

Example: She always blows her own trumpet about her grades.

Mnemonic: Imagine someone walking around blowing a trumpet for themselves.

Urdu: اپنی تعریفیں کرنا، شیخی بگھارنا

To rest on one’s laurels

Meaning: To stop trying because you’re satisfied with past success

Synonyms: Become lazy, stop improving, be complacent

Example: He won a medal once and now rests on his laurels.

Mnemonic: In ancient times, laurels = victory crown — now imagine sitting on them and doing nothing!

Urdu: سابقہ کامیابی پر اترانا، نئی کوشش نہ کرنا