Grade 12 | English | Idioms

English Guess Paper HSSC-II 2025

Are you preparing for the FBISE English HSSC-II (2nd year) exams in 2025? This collection contains some of the most important and commonly used English idioms, which are extremely helpful for preparing for the FBISE English exam.

Important Idioms for FBISE Exams 2025

Idiom	Meaning (Urdu)	Sentence
A red letter day	خوشی کا دن	Eid is a red letter day for Muslims
A bird eye view	طائرانہ جائزہ	We got a bird’s eye view of the city from the top of the tower
A bone of contention	فساد کی جڑ	Kashmir is a bone of contention between India and Pakistan
A blind alley	بند گلی	Corrupt politicians have put Pakistan into a blind alley
A bolt from the blue	ناگہانی آفت	The news of his son’s accident was a bolt from the blue for him
A cat’s paw	کسی کا کام کرنے والا	He is a cat’s paw of his boss
Child’s play	بچوں کا کھیل	It is not a child’s play to write a good book in a month
Bad blood	رنجش ہونا	There is no bad blood between the two brothers
Blue blood	اعلی نسب	Though Ali is poor, he has blue blood in his family
A gala day	خوشی کا دن	Eid is a gala day for Muslims
A man of letters	پڑھا لکھا شخص	Quaid-e-Azam was a man of letters
Dark horse	چھپا رستم	Saleem is a dark horse; I did not know that he had written a novel
Blessing in disguise	ایک چھپی ہوئی رحمت	Sometimes, a misfortune comes as a blessing in disguise to us
Break the ice	خاموشی توڑنا	Saleem broke the ice by suggesting that they should play cards
A fishy story	فرضی کہانی	Nobody trusts him because of his fishy stories
A fish out of water	سخت بے چینی میں	I felt like a fish out of water in my new school
A man of parts	اصولوں کا پکا	Quaid-e-Azam was a man of parts
A wet blanket	ایک حوصلہ شکن انسان	Nobody likes a wet blanket because of his discouraging behavior
A wild goose chase	بےکار کی کوشش	Your attempt to pass the examination without hard work would be a wild goose chase
A white elephant	سفید ہاتھی	Ali is a white elephant for his family as he is sit idle
A feather in one’s cap	باعث تسکین کا نامہ	This success is a feather in your cap
A rainy day	مشکل دور کیلئے	Saleem saves money for the rainy days of old age
A narrow escape	بال بال بچنا	Saleem fell into the river but had a narrow escape from drowning
An axe to grind	اپنا مطلب نکالنا	I have no political axe of grind
At a stone’s throw	قریب ہیں واقع ہونا	I never arrive late because my college is a stone’s throw from my house.
At a loss	پریشان ہو جانا	Saleem is at a loss to decide whether he should marry or not
At stake	خطرے میں	We cannot take the risk when our life is at stake
An eye wash	فضول بات	Do not talk such eye wash
At dagger’s drawn	دشمنی ہونا	She is at a daggers drawn with her husband
At a stretch	لگاتار	The hardworking students study long at a stretch
At one’s back and call	حکم کا منتظر رہنا	He did not want to be at her back and call all day long
Apple pie order	ترتیب سے	His desk is always in apple-pie order
At the eleventh hour	عین وقت پر	He called off his plan at the eleventh hour
At cross purposes	مختلف مقاصد رکھنا	I think we are talking at cross purposes
At large	آزاد کرنا	The two robbers are still at large
All ears	کان لگا کر سننا	Keep on speaking, I am all ears
At sixes and sevens	بےترتیب	All the files are at sixes and sevens on the desk
Back out	وعدہ توڑنا	He backed out his promise
Bag and baggage	ساز و سامان کے ساتھ	He threw her out of the house, bag and baggage
Beat about the bush	ادھر ادھر کی باتیں کرنا	Stop beating about the bush and get to the point
Around the clock	لگاتار	He was working hard around the clock
At length	آخرکار	At length, Saleem won her love
Better half	بیوی	His better half is a lady doctor
Black out	یاداشت کم ہو جانا	He has a total black out for events of the evening
Break the news	اچانک خبر سنانا	He broke the news of her father’s death to her
Bear out	تصدیق کرنا	He bore out the news of his father’s death
Burn midnight oil	محنت کرنا	He burnt the midnight oil to pass the examination
A blue eyed boy	پسندیدہ	Ali is a blue eyed boy for everyone
A blue stocking	ادیب عورت	Haseena Moin is a blue stocking; she often writes new dramas
A bull in china shop	دیہاتی	A villager entered in the library like a bull in the china shop
A broken reed	ناقابل اعتبار شخص	I cannot trust him, as he is a broken reed
A fair weather friend	مطلبی دوست	Fair weather friends leave in difficulties
A hard and fast rule	واضح اصول	We have to follow the hard and fast rules of this office
A live wire	پھرتیلا	The manager of this company is really a live wire
At logger heads	جھگڑے میں ہونا	Pakistan and Afghanistan are at logger heads in these days
All moonshine	نظر کا دھوکا	Fancy dresses are all moonshine
A maiden speech	پہلی تقریر	He delivered his maiden speech in the college
A hair breadth escape	بال بال بچنا	He had narrow escape from drowning.
Casting vote	فیصلہ کن ووٹ	Last match between Pakistan and England will be a casting vote match.
Bring home	سمجھانا	The teacher brought home this topic.
Blow hot and cold	کبھی کچھ کبھی کچھ	He blows hot and cold about going abroad.
Beside oneself	آپے سے باہر ہونا	The teacher was beside himself with anger when Aslam told a lie.
Carry the day	جیت جانا	Our team carried the day in the final.
Carry weight	اہمیت ہونا	His arguments carry weight.
Cast a spell	سحر زدہ کرنا، جادو کر ‏ دینا	Her matchless beauty casts a spell over me.
Cock and bull story	بے تکی کہانیاں	He told me a cock and bull story about his failure in the exams.
Burn the candle at both ends	دولت ضائع کرنا	You will fall ill if you keep on burning the candle at both ends.
Call into question	شک کا اظہار کرنا	His honesty cannot be called into question.
As cool as cucumber	پرسکون مطمئن	A great leader remains cool as a cucumber in all circumstances.
Close shave	بال بال، قریب قریب	He had close shave from drowning.
Come into play	استمال میں آنا	His abilities came into play as soon he started his career.
Bring to book	سرزنش کرنا	He brought the servant to book for his carelessness.
Bury the hatchet	دشمنی ختم کرنا	The two enemies buried their hatchet and became friends.
Cast down	افسردہ	She is cast down at her failure.
Crocodile tears	دکھاوا کرنا، مگرمچھ کے آنسو	He was shedding crocodile tears at the death of his enemy.
Cut a sorry figure	شرمندگی اٹھانا	He cuts a sorry figure on his failure in exams.
Cats and dogs life	لڑائی جھگڑے والی زندگی	The couple is leading a cats and dog life.
Deliver the goods	وعدہ پورا کرنا	Government of Pakistan should delivered the goods in all circumstances.
Do away with	رسم و رواج ختم کرنا	We should do away with bad manners.
Die in harness	عملی زندگی میں مرجانا	Quaid-e-Azam died in harness.
Egg on	اکسانا	Do not egg him on fight.
Eat one’s words	اپنے الفاظ واپس لینا	We should not eat our words in any circumstances.
Eat a humble pie	سامنا کرنا، شرمندگی اٹھانا	You will eat a humble pie if you do not act upon my plan.
Every inch	ہر لحاظ سے	He looked every inch a gentleman.
End in smoke	ناکامی	All his efforts ended in smoke.
Give the cold shoulder	بے رخی سے پیش آنا	I ask him to return my money but he gives me the cold shoulders.
Give and take	کچھ لو کچھ دو	We should develop relations with our neighbours give and take policy.
Hue and cry	خوف سے شور مچانا	The family started hue and cry when they saw robber.
Face the music	سامنا کرنا	He will have to face the music of what he has done.
Feather in one’s nest	ناجائز دولت کمانا	The corrupt politicians only feather their nest.
Fall out	لڑنا جھگڑنا	Two friends fall out for nothing.
Fall back upon	سہارا ہونا	He has his father’s property to fall back upon.
Feel the pulse	نبض دیکھنا	The doctor felt the pulse of the patient.
Follow suit	تقلید کرنا	Our school offered free admission and other school follow suit.
Give away	تقسیم کرنا	He gives away money in poor.
Give in	چھپ جانا	The Kashmir will never give in.
Go to the dog	برباد ہو جانا	His business will go to the dogs because of his carelessness.
Get better of	غلبہ پا لینا	Pakistan army will get the better of.
Hard nut to crack	بڑا مسئلہ	Kashmir issue is a hard nut to crack.
Hit on	اچانک خیال آ جانا	She hit upon a clever idea.
For good	ہمیشہ کے لئے	Saleem has left D.G Khan for good.
Few and far between	کبھی کبھار	He calls on me few and far between.
Cheek by jowl	ساتھ ساتھ	The fans entered the stadium check by jowl to see match.
Gift of the gab	زبان کی طاقت	Politicians should have gift of the gab.
Go to rack and ruin	ختم ہو جانا	His business is going to rack and ruin.
Hold water	معیار پر پورا اترنا	His arguments do not hold water.
Hold a brief	وکالت کرنا	You should hold no brief for this criminal.
Heart and soul	دل و جان سے	He loves her son heart and soul.