Match the Idioms given in LIST-I with the most appropriate meanings given in LIST-II
| LIST-I | LIST-II | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| A. | Hand in glove | I. | Weak and cowardly |
| B. | Gordian Knot | II. | A paradoxical situation from which it's difficult to escape |
| C. | Catch 22 | III. | Working together |
| D. | Lily-livered | IV. | Solve a difficult problem |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → A - III, B - IV, C - II, D - I
| List-I | List-II | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| (A) Hand in glove | (III) Working together | To be hand in glove with someone is to work in very close partnership, often in something dishonest. | The clerk was hand in glove with the smugglers. |
| (B) Gordian Knot | (IV) Solve a difficult problem | In the legend, no one could untie King Gordius's knot until Alexander the Great cut it with his sword. A Gordian knot is a very difficult problem, and "to cut the Gordian knot" means to solve it in a bold, direct way. | The new minister cut the Gordian knot of the water dispute. |
| (C) Catch 22 | (II) A paradoxical situation from which it's difficult to escape | From Joseph Heller's novel "Catch-22": a situation in which each way out depends on the other, so there is no escape. | It is a Catch-22: you need experience to get a job, but a job to get experience. |
| (D) Lily-livered | (I) Weak and cowardly | From the old belief that a pale, lily-white liver showed a lack of courage: lily-livered means cowardly. | The lily-livered guard ran away at the first sign of danger. |
Note: "Gordian knot" itself means a very difficult problem; "solve a difficult problem" is the meaning of "cut the Gordian knot". Pair (B)-(IV) fits only by elimination; (A), (C) and (D) fix the answer as Option (3).
| Also asked in CUET (UG): hand in glove – 06-06-2026 Slot 1, 26-05-2026 Slot 1 Gordian knot – 18-05-2026 Slot 1 |