Idioms and Phrases

Idioms and Phrases (বাগ্‌ধারা ও স্থির অভিব্যক্তি)

Idiom কী?

Idiom হলো fixed বা semi-fixed expression যার overall meaning পৃথক words-এর literal meaning থেকে সরাসরি বোঝা যায় না।

• spill the beans = reveal a secret
• once in a blue moon = very rarely
• a piece of cake = very easy

Idiom-কে word-for-word অনুবাদ করলে ভুল অর্থ হতে পারে।

Idiom এবং Ordinary Phrase

• under the table ordinary location হতে পারে
• under the weather idiom; feeling ill

Context ঠিক করে expressionটি literal না figurative।

Contextual Interpretation

Sentence-এর result ও tone দেখুন:

• The examination was a piece of cake, so everyone finished early.

Finished early clue থেকে easy meaning বোঝা যায়।

Success, Effort and Work

• burn the midnight oil — work/study late at night
• leave no stone unturned — make every possible effort
• go the extra mile — make additional effort
• hit the nail on the head — say/do exactly the right thing
• with flying colours — very successfully

Examples:

• She burned the midnight oil before the examination.
• The team left no stone unturned to find the missing document.

Difficulty and Failure

• a hard nut to crack — a difficult problem/person
• at one's wit's end — unable to think what to do
• in hot water — in trouble
• miss the boat — lose an opportunity
• back to square one — return to the starting point

Communication and Secrets

• spill the beans — reveal a secret
• beat about/around the bush — avoid the main point
• read between the lines — understand hidden meaning
• keep someone in the dark — withhold information
• word of mouth — spoken communication

Agreement and Disagreement

• see eye to eye — agree fully
• on the same page — share the same understanding
• at loggerheads — in strong disagreement
• agree to disagree — accept continuing disagreement

Frequency and Time

• once in a blue moon — very rarely
• in the nick of time — just before it is too late
• at the eleventh hour — at the last possible moment
• from time to time — occasionally
• day in and day out — continuously/every day

Emotion and Behaviour

• lose one's temper — become angry
• keep one's cool — remain calm
• over the moon — extremely happy
• down in the dumps — sad
• have a heart of gold — be very kind
• turn a deaf ear — refuse to listen

Money and Cost

• cost an arm and a leg — be very expensive
• make ends meet — manage financially
• on a shoestring — with very little money
• bring home the bacon — earn money for the family

Health and Condition

• under the weather — slightly ill
• fit as a fiddle — very healthy
• on the mend — recovering
• black and blue — badly bruised

Choice, Risk and Action

• take the bull by the horns — face a difficulty directly
• sit on the fence — avoid choosing a side
• take a chance — accept a risk
• play with fire — take a dangerous risk
• bite the bullet — face something difficult bravely

Learning and Understanding

• learn by heart — memorise
• get the hang of — learn how to do something
• rack one's brains — think very hard
• food for thought — something worth considering
• in a nutshell — briefly

Common Fixed Phrases

• by and large — generally
• pros and cons — advantages and disadvantages
• safe and sound — unharmed
• part and parcel — essential part
• null and void — legally invalid
• fair and square — honestly/fairly
• ups and downs — good and bad periods
• black and white — in writing/clear contrast

Grammar inside Idioms

Idiom-এর core wording সাধারণত fixed, কিন্তু tense/person বদলাতে পারে।

• She spilled the beans.
• They have spilled the beans.

Possessive পরিবর্তিত হয়:

• I lost my temper.
• She lost her temper.

Core শব্দ arbitraryভাবে বদলাবেন না।

Register and Appropriateness

Idioms spoken ও informal language-এ বেশি। Formal report-এ plain expression উপযুক্ত হতে পারে।

• informal: The plan cost an arm and a leg.
• formal: The plan was extremely expensive.

Commonly Confused Idioms

• make a mountain out of a molehill — exaggerate a small problem
• add fuel to the fire — worsen conflict
• break the ice — make people feel comfortable initially
• break the news — tell important/unpleasant news
• call it a day — stop working for the day
• call a spade a spade — speak plainly

Solving Method

1. Literal meaning সাময়িকভাবে বাদ দিন।
2. Sentence-এর tone, cause ও result দেখুন।
3. Expressionটি positive, negative না neutral নির্ধারণ করুন।
4. Option substitute করে পুরো sentence পড়ুন।
5. Register এবং grammar মিলান।