Introduction: The Strategic Importance of Idioms in JKSSB Exams
In the highly competitive landscape of JKSSB recruitments—whether you are eyeing a post in the Patwari, Junior Assistant, Police Constable, or Finance Inspector cadres—every single mark is a step closer to your dream career. While most aspirants dedicate months to mastering Jammu & Kashmir GK and Mathematics, the General English section often remains the “silent separator” in the final merit list.
Among the various components of English, Idioms and Phrases frequently pose the greatest challenge. Unlike standard vocabulary, the meaning of an idiom cannot be deduced by looking at individual words. For instance, “crying over spilled milk” has nothing to do with dairy, and “beating around the bush” has nothing to do with gardening. In the heat of the examination hall, these figurative expressions can become “stumbling blocks” if you aren’t well-prepared.
However, mastering idioms is not about memorizing a dictionary; it is about recognizing patterns and understanding their contextual usage. This comprehensive guide is designed to simplify that process. We have filtered through Previous Year Questions (PYQs) and the official JKSSB syllabus to bring you a curated selection of idioms that are most likely to appear in your 2026 exams.
By the end of this post, you will not only understand the meanings of these phrases but also how to apply them accurately in “fill-in-the-blanks” and “sentence correction” formats. Let’s turn this “Herculean task” into a “piece of cake.”
Essential Idioms and Phrases: Categorized for JKSSB Aspirants
To make this section truly comprehensive, don’t just dump a list of words. Break them down into thematic categories. This helps the brain build associations, making it much easier to remember them during the high pressure of the exam.
| SN | Idioms / Phrases | Meaning (as per SSC Papers) |
| 901 | Make an ass out of | Cause someone or oneself to look foolish or stupid |
| 902 | Make away with | To remove or steal |
| 903 | Make believe that | Pretence |
| 904 | Make big time | Attain fame and success |
| 905 | Make head or tail of | Understand // To figure out something |
| 906 | Make no bones about | Did not have any hesitation in // To state something clearly |
| 907 | Make no headway | Unable to progress ahead |
| 908 | Make off with | To run away |
| 909 | Make one’s flesh crawl/creep | To make someone feel disgusted, afraid, frightened // Horrifying |
| 910 | Make one’s mark | Distinguish oneself // Attain recognition |
| 911 | Make out | Understand someone or something with difficulty |
| 912 | Make room | Make space |
| 913 | Make short work of something | Dispose of quickly |
| 914 | Make up for | To replace something that is lost or damaged |
| 915 | Make up with (someone) | Close or ignore the differences with (someone) // To settle their differences |
| 916 | Making hay while the sun shines | Taking advantage of a favourable opportunity |
| 917 | Many a slip between the cup and the lip | Bad things may happen before the task is finished |
| 918 | Mark up | Increase the price |
| 919 | Mealy mouthed | Unwilling to state something // Afraid to speak frankly |
| 920 | Measure up | Reach the level |
| 921 | Mend your ways | Improve one’s behaviour |
| 922 | Method to one’s madness | Seeming disorderly yet having a structure |
| 923 | Milk and water | Weak ideas |
| 924 | Mince matters | To confuse issues |
| 925 | Mind your language | Tell someone to speak politely |
| 926 | Money does not grow on trees | Money is hard earned and limited |
| 927 | Monkey business | Behaviour that is not acceptable or is dishonest |
| 928 | Months on end | Several months in a row |
| 929 | More or less | Approximately |
| 930 | Mouth-watering | Stimulates appetite // Very tasty and appetising |
| 931 | Move heaven and earth | Make every effort to achieve something |
| 932 | Move the goalposts | Unfairly alter the conditions or rules of a procedure during its course |
| 933 | Much ado about nothing | Making a big fuss over a small thing |
| 934 | Murdered in cold blood | A murder done without feeling |
| 935 | Nail your colours to their mast | To make it obvious what your opinions or plans are |
| 936 | Nail-biting | Suspenseful |
| 937 | Neck and crop | Totally and completely |
| 938 | Neither fish nor fowl | Something which can neither be categorized easily nor be accepted befittingly |
| 939 | Never-never land | An imaginary utopian place or situation |
| 940 | New kid on the block | Newcomer to a particular place or sphere of activity |
| 941 | Nine days’ wonder | A dazzling short-lived spectacle of no real value // A short-lived sensation |
| 942 | Nine times out of ten | In most cases |
| 943 | Nip in the bud | To stop something at the start // Dropped at an early stage |
| 944 | No dice | Used to refuse a request or indicate that there is no chance of success |
| 945 | No ifs and buts | No doubts |
| 946 | No love lost between | Not on good terms // intense dislike |
| 947 | No spring chicken | A person who is no longer young |
| 948 | No strings attached | Without conditions or restrictions |
| 949 | Not breathe a word | To remain silent about some secret |
| 950 | Not fit to hold a candle | Inferior // Cannot be compared to |
| 951 | Not hold water | Does not seem to be reasonable // Cannot be believed |
| 952 | Not make head or tail | Not able to understand anything |
| 953 | Not mince words | To speak in a direct way |
| 954 | Not one’s cup of tea | Not one’s choice or preference |
| 955 | Not playing with the full deck | Either mentally, psychologically or intellectually deficient |
| 956 | Not see eye to eye with somebody | To have different opinion |
| 957 | Not to look a gift horse in the mouth | Not to find fault with the gifts received |
| 958 | Not to mince matters | To speak out politely |
| 959 | Nothing doing | Not a chance |
| 960 | Nothing ventured, nothing gained | One has to make every effort in order to achieve something |
| 961 | Now and again | Occasionally |
| 962 | Null and void | Invalid // Not binding |
| 963 | Odd man out | Person who doesn’t fit into a group |
| 964 | Of no avail | Useless |
| 965 | Of the first water | Of the best quality |
| 966 | Of the old school | Old fashioned in thought |
| 967 | Off and on // On and Off | Occasionally // Periodically |
| 968 | Off the cuff | Without preparation |
| 969 | Off the hook | No longer in difficulty or trouble // Allowed to escape from blame |
| 970 | Off the record | Not recorded for official publication; informally; in confidence |
| 971 | Off-colour | Feeling slightly ill |
| 972 | Oily tongue | Flattery |
| 973 | Old hand | Experienced |
| 974 | Old head on young shoulders | To be wise beyond his years |
| 975 | On a wing and a prayer | With only the slightest chance of success |
| 976 | On account of | Because of |
| 977 | On all hands | Everywhere |
| 978 | On cloud nine | Extremely happy and excited |
| 979 | On edge | Nervous and unable to relax |
| 980 | On good terms | Was friendly |
| 981 | On one’s guard | To be careful |
| 982 | On one’s last legs | Near to death |
| 983 | On purpose | Deliberately // Intentionally |
| 984 | On shank’s mare | On foot |
| 985 | On tenterhooks | In suspense and anxiety // anxious |
| 986 | On the back burner | To temporarily not deal with some matter because it is not urgent |
| 987 | On the ball | To be alert |
| 988 | On the brink of | At the point of |
| 989 | On the brink of disaster | Very close to failure |
| 990 | On the cards | Likely to happen |
| 991 | On the cuff | On credit |
| 992 | On the double | at a fast pace |
| 993 | On the face of it | What appears on the surface |
| 994 | On the horizon | An event that is likely to happen soon |
| 995 | On the level | Honest |
| 996 | On the same page | To understand and agree |
| 997 | On the spur of the moment | To act at once // acting impulsively without thinking |
| 998 | On the tip of my tongue | Readily available in my memory |
| 999 | On the verge of | On the brink of |
| 1000 | On the wane | On the decline |
Conclusion: Turning Knowledge into Results
Mastering idioms and phrases is often described as a “Herculean task” by many JKSSB aspirants, but as we have seen, it is entirely manageable with the right approach. In the context of the OMR-based or CBT exams conducted by the Board, these questions are designed to test your “linguistic intuition” rather than just your memory.
The secret to scoring full marks in this section lies in context. Instead of rote learning, try to visualize the scenarios where these idioms are used. Whether you are sitting for the Patwari, Junior Assistant, or Constable exams, remember that the English section is your best opportunity to save time for more complex sections like Mathematics or Mental Ability.
Final Revision Strategy:
- The 5-a-Day Rule: Don’t try to learn 100 idioms in one sitting. Master five idioms every morning and try to use them in a sentence before the day ends.
- Analyze PYQs: JKSSB has a habit of repeating themes. Keep an eye on idioms related to “Hard Work,” “Success,” and “Conflict.”
Success in JKSSB exams is a marathon, not a sprint. By “burning the midnight oil” today and refining your vocabulary, you are ensuring that on the day of the result, you are not just a candidate, but a selected officer.
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