SSC CGL English · Idioms and Phrases
Idioms: Speech and Opinion
Idioms about how people speak (frankly, boastfully, evasively, revealing secrets) and about judging and deciding (doubting, discouraging, sitting on the fence, getting it right).
Why this matters
Thirty-four questions in the bank, 11 from the 2023 shifts, 12 from the 2024 shifts and 11 from the 2025 shifts. Gift of the gab and throw cold water on were each asked twice, and most of the rest turn on whether the speaker is open or hiding something.
Concept 1 of 2: Ways of speaking
Definition
The groups:
- Frank and true: call a spade a spade, speak one's mind, straight from the horse's mouth (from the person who knows), chapter and verse (exact details).
- Telling and confessing: spill the beans (reveal a secret), bring to light (make known), make a clean breast of it (confess fully).
- Avoiding or overdoing: beat about the bush (avoid the point), blow something out of proportion, draw the long bow (exaggerate), harp on the same string (repeat one point).
- Boasting and talent: blow one's own trumpet (boast), the gift of the gab (a talent for speaking).
| Idiom | Meaning | Asked in |
|---|---|---|
| Speak one's mind | Say frankly what one thinks | 2023 |
| Blow one's own trumpet | Boast about oneself | 2023 |
| The gift of the gab | A talent for speaking easily | 2023, 2024 |
| Beat about the bush | Avoid coming to the point | 2023 |
| Spill the beans | Reveal a secret | 2024 |
| Bring to light | Make known, disclose | 2024 |
| Call a spade a spade | Speak plainly and truthfully | 2024 |
| Straight from the horse's mouth | From the person directly involved | 2024 |
| Chapter and verse | With exact references and detail | 2025 |
| Draw the long bow | Exaggerate | 2025 |
| Harp on the same string | Keep repeating one point | 2025 |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 1 · Idioms and Phrases · Idioms: Speech and Opinion
Reading 'beat about the bush' as working hard
Taking 'blow one's own trumpet' as music
Concept 2 of 2: Judging, doubting and deciding
Definition
The groups:
- Doubt and suspicion: take it with a grain of salt, no smoke without fire (rumours usually have some truth).
- Discouraging: throw (or pour) cold water on, turn a deaf ear to (refuse to listen).
- Undecided or changeable: sit on the fence, blow hot and cold, at cross purposes (misunderstanding each other).
- Right or wrong: hit the nail on the head (exactly right), beside the mark (off the point).
- Seeing more: read between the lines (find a hidden meaning), know which way the wind blows (sense how things are going).
| Idiom | Meaning | Asked in |
|---|---|---|
| Take it with a grain of salt | Not believe something fully | 2023 |
| Throw cold water on | Discourage, criticise a plan | 2023, 2025 |
| No smoke without fire | A rumour usually has some truth in it | 2023 |
| At cross purposes | Misunderstanding each other | 2023 |
| Read between the lines | Find a meaning that is not stated | 2024 |
| Hit the nail on the head | Say exactly the right thing | 2024 |
| Beside the mark | Off the point | 2024 |
| Turn a deaf ear to | Refuse to listen to | 2024 |
| Blow hot and cold | Keep changing one's mind | 2025 |
| Know which way the wind blows | Sense how things are going | 2025 |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 2 · Idioms and Phrases · Idioms: Speech and Opinion
Reading 'throw cold water on' as calming down
Mixing up 'sit on the fence' and 'blow hot and cold'
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (2)
Ways of speaking11 rows
| Idiom | Meaning | Asked in |
|---|---|---|
| Speak one's mind | Say frankly what one thinks | 2023 |
| Blow one's own trumpet | Boast about oneself | 2023 |
| The gift of the gab | A talent for speaking easily | 2023, 2024 |
| Beat about the bush | Avoid coming to the point | 2023 |
| Spill the beans | Reveal a secret | 2024 |
| Bring to light | Make known, disclose | 2024 |
| Call a spade a spade | Speak plainly and truthfully | 2024 |
| Straight from the horse's mouth | From the person directly involved | 2024 |
| Chapter and verse | With exact references and detail | 2025 |
| Draw the long bow | Exaggerate | 2025 |
| Harp on the same string | Keep repeating one point | 2025 |
Judging, doubting and deciding10 rows
| Idiom | Meaning | Asked in |
|---|---|---|
| Take it with a grain of salt | Not believe something fully | 2023 |
| Throw cold water on | Discourage, criticise a plan | 2023, 2025 |
| No smoke without fire | A rumour usually has some truth in it | 2023 |
| At cross purposes | Misunderstanding each other | 2023 |
| Read between the lines | Find a meaning that is not stated | 2024 |
| Hit the nail on the head | Say exactly the right thing | 2024 |
| Beside the mark | Off the point | 2024 |
| Turn a deaf ear to | Refuse to listen to | 2024 |
| Blow hot and cold | Keep changing one's mind | 2025 |
| Know which way the wind blows | Sense how things are going | 2025 |
Watch out for (4)
- Reading 'beat about the bush' as working hard→ Ways of speaking
- Taking 'blow one's own trumpet' as music→ Ways of speaking
- Reading 'throw cold water on' as calming down→ Judging, doubting and deciding
- Mixing up 'sit on the fence' and 'blow hot and cold'→ Judging, doubting and deciding
Test yourself on Idioms and Phrases
20 past SSC CGL questions from this chapter, timed at 12 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.