Free hand “I have been given a free hand in redecorating my room,” announced Aarti triumphantly to her brother, “so don’t interfere.” When you give someone a free hand you give him or her complete freedom of action.
Fair play When justice is done according to the accepted rule in any game or contest it is known as fair play. An unbiased umpire was selected to ensure fair play in the cricket match. Figuratively, when you play fair you are being just, and...
Far-fetched Rohit told a rather far-fetched story to his Maths teacher as to why he could not do his homework. His house, he said, had caught fire, and all his books were burnt. He himself apparently had had a miraculous escape. His teacher, of course,...
There’s plenty more fish in the sea This idiom means that there are many other people and things that are as good as the one that has proved unsuccessful. She thought that she was indispensable. But she was surprised when he fired her saying that...
Fair-weather friend Such a friend is only your friend when you are prosperous. He deserts you as soon as you are in any kind of trouble. When Sunil lost his money, he also lost all his fair-weather friends. Aruna faced the same situation when she...
Full of the milk of human kindness This is really a quotation from Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. Mrs Dale is full of the milk of human kindness. She is always helping her neighbours. When someone is filled with the milk of human kindness, he or she...
Fool’s paradise Problems have to be tackled firmly. If you think they will disappear on their own you are living in a fool’s paradise. A fool’s paradise is a state of unreal happiness that cannot last. People living in a fool’s paradise are deceiving themselves,...
Fall on To fall on someone or something is to attack violently. The hooligans fell on the unsuspecting boy and robbed him of his watch and money. The little girl had not eaten for twenty-four hours and fell on the food put in front of...
Fall out Vijay and Nitin have fallen out with each other—that is, they have quarrelled, and have vowed never to speak to each other again. Mrs Prasad has fallen out with her neighbour and is very unhappy about it. She is looking for an excuse...
Eat oneself sick This means to eat so much that one feels, or is, sick. Reena was upset when she was given the sack, and so she ate herself sick. That was not a very sensible thing to do because she was then laid ‘up...
