Yo, exam squad! English can be a game-changer in boards, JEE, SSC, state exams or even vivas. Knowing some cool phrases can make your answers pop and impress the examiner. So, here’s a mega list of 50+ phrases—meanings, examples, all that jazz—tailored for you hustlers. Let’s jump in!
1. Kick Things Off
Meaning: Start something.
Example: “I kicked things off with Physics because it’s my nemesis.”
2. Burn the Candle at Both Ends
Meaning: Overwork yourself.
Example: “I was burning the candle at both ends during Pongal—festivals and revision!”
3. Ace It
Meaning: Nail something.
Example: “Ravi aced his essay with zero prep—legend!”
4. Spill the Tea
Meaning: Share gossip.
Example: “She spilled the tea about the leaked Math paper.”
5. On Cloud Nine
Meaning: Super happy.
Example: “I was on cloud nine after topping the mock test.”
6. Down to the Wire
Meaning: Last-minute chaos.
Example: “My revision went down to the wire—exam was at 9 a.m.!”
7. Hit the Books
Meaning: Study hard.
Example: “Time to hit the books—NEET’s breathing down my neck.”
8. Piece of Cake
Meaning: Too easy.
Example: “The vocab section was a piece of cake this time.”
9. In Hot Water
Meaning: In trouble.
Example: “I landed in hot water for bunking the mock test.”
10. Break the Ice
Meaning: Ease into a convo.
Example: “I broke the ice with the teacher by asking about cricket.”
11. The Whole Nine Yards
Meaning: Full effort.
Example: “I went the whole nine yards for Chemistry—notes, videos, everything!”
12. Out of the Blue
Meaning: Unexpected.
Example: “A surprise viva hit us out of the blue!”
13. Pull an All-Nighter
Meaning: Stay up all night.
Example: “Pulled an all-nighter before the History exam—worth it!”
14. Get the Hang of It
Meaning: Figure it out.
Example: “I finally got the hang of those trig formulas.”
15. Barking Up the Wrong Tree
Meaning: Wrong approach.
Example: “I was barking up the wrong tree revising outdated notes.”
16. Beat Around the Bush
Meaning: Avoid the point.
Example: “Don’t beat around the bush—just tell me the answer!”
17. Call It a Day
Meaning: Stop for now.
Example: “After five chapters, I called it a day.”
18. Don’t Count Your Chickens
Meaning: Don’t assume victory.
Example: “I didn’t count my chickens before checking the result.”
19. Face the Music
Meaning: Deal with consequences.
Example: “Had to face the music after forgetting my project.”
20. Give It a Shot
Meaning: Try it out.
Example: “I gave the extra credit question a shot—fingers crossed!”
21. Hold Your Horses
Meaning: Chill out.
Example: “Hold your horses, let me finish this page first!”
22. Jump the Gun
Meaning: Act too early.
Example: “I jumped the gun and started writing before the bell.”
23. Keep Your Chin Up
Meaning: Stay positive.
Example: “Keep your chin up, bro—next test’s yours!”
24. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Meaning: Don’t stir trouble.
Example: “I let sleeping dogs lie and didn’t ask about my low marks.”
25. Make a Long Story Short
Meaning: Keep it brief.
Example: “To make a long story short, I flunked but bounced back.”
26. No Pain, No Gain
Meaning: Work hard, win big.
Example: “No pain, no gain—I slogged and topped Biology!”
27. Off the Hook
Meaning: Out of trouble.
Example: “I was off the hook when the teacher lost my test paper.”
28. Play It by Ear
Meaning: Wing it.
Example: “No plan for the viva—just played it by ear.”
29. Rain Check
Meaning: Delay plans.
Example: “Took a rain check on gaming to finish revision.”
30. Steal the Show
Meaning: Shine bright.
Example: “Her presentation stole the show in class.”
31. Take It Easy
Meaning: Relax a bit.
Example: “Post-exam, I took it easy with some biryani.”
32. Up in the Air
Meaning: Not decided.
Example: “My study schedule’s up in the air with all these weddings.”
33. When Pigs Fly
Meaning: Never happening.
Example: “Me waking up early? When pigs fly, dude!”
34. Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
Meaning: Overload yourself.
Example: “I bit off more than I could chew with 12 chapters in a day.”
35. Cry Over Spilled Milk
Meaning: Whine about the past.
Example: “No use crying over spilled milk—next test’s what counts.”
36. Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
Meaning: Good in bad times.
Example: “Flunked Math, but every cloud has a silver lining—I learned my gaps.”
37. Go the Extra Mile
Meaning: Do more.
Example: “Went the extra mile and practiced 10 years of papers.”
38. Hit Rock Bottom
Meaning: Lowest point.
Example: “Hit rock bottom after a zero in Chemistry, but climbed up!”
39. In the Nick of Time
Meaning: Just in time.
Example: “Submitted my sheet in the nick of time—phew!”
40. Keep Your Fingers Crossed
Meaning: Wish for luck.
Example: “Keep your fingers crossed for my viva tomorrow!”
41. Leave No Stone Unturned
Meaning: Try it all.
Example: “Left no stone unturned to crack that tough chapter.”
42. Miss the Boat
Meaning: Lose a chance.
Example: “Missed the boat on early prep—now it’s a mad rush.”
43. On the Same Page
Meaning: In sync.
Example: “Me and my bro are on the same page about skipping tuitions.”
44. Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
Meaning: Risk it all.
Example: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket—study all subjects!”
45. Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day
Meaning: Takes time.
Example: “Rome wasn’t built in a day—I’m still grinding for JEE.”
46. Shoot the Breeze
Meaning: Chat casually.
Example: “We shot the breeze about IPL while waiting for results.”
47. The Early Bird Catches the Worm
Meaning: Start early, win.
Example: “The early bird catches the worm—I revised at dawn!”
48. Throw in the Towel
Meaning: Quit.
Example: “Almost threw in the towel, but kept pushing for boards.”
49. Under Your Nose
Meaning: Right there.
Example: “The formula was under my nose in the book!”
50. Wrap Your Head Around
Meaning: Get it.
Example: “Took me ages to wrap my head around thermodynamics.”
51. Back to Square One
Meaning: Start over.
Example: “Forgot the basics, so it’s back to square one with Algebra.”
52. Burn Bridges
Meaning: Ruin a connection.
Example: “I burned bridges with my tutor after skipping classes.”
53. Caught Off Guard
Meaning: Surprised.
Example: “The pop quiz caught me off guard—no prep!”
54. Cut to the Chase
Meaning: Get to the point.
Example: “Cut to the chase—how do I solve this sum fast?”
55. Devil’s Advocate
Meaning: Argue the opposite.
Example: “I played devil’s advocate in GD just to stir things up.”
56. Fish Out of Water
Meaning: Out of place.
Example: “Felt like a fish out of water in the viva room.”
57. Get Cold Feet
Meaning: Nervous last minute.
Example: “I got cold feet right before the oral test.”
58. Hit the Nail on the Head
Meaning: Spot on.
Example: “My guess hit the nail on the head for the essay topic.”
59. In a Nutshell
Meaning: Summing up.
Example: “In a nutshell, I bombed the first test but aced the next.”
60. Kick the Bucket
Meaning: Die (funny way).
Example: “My old pen kicked the bucket mid-exam—panic mode!”
Quick Wrap-Up
There you go—60 phrases to spice up your exam game! Use them smartly, practice a bit, and watch your answers stand out. Ace it, yaar!
Top 100 Idioms and their Meanings For all Upcoming Exams
Reading Comprehension Passages with Questions and Answers
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