Match the idioms given in List-I with the meanings in List-II.
| List-I (Idioms) | List-II (Meanings) |
| (A) To take your hat off | (I) To be in a state of suspense |
| (B) To flog a dead horse | (II) Lost in one's own thoughts |
| (C) To be on tenterhooks | (III) To waste energy on a lost cause |
| (D) In a brown study | (IV) To state your admiration for someone |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (A) - (IV), (B) - (III), (C) - (I), (D) - (II)
| List-I | List-II | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. To take your hat off | IV. To state your admiration for someone | Usually "take your hat off to someone": to praise or admire someone for what they have done. It comes from the old custom of raising one's hat as a mark of respect. | I take my hat off to her for finishing the marathon. |
| B. To flog a dead horse | III. To waste energy on a lost cause | To keep working on, or talking about, something that has no chance of success. Beating a dead horse cannot make it move. | Trying to revive that failed plan is flogging a dead horse. |
| C. To be on tenterhooks | I. To be in a state of suspense | To be anxious and nervous while waiting for something. Tenterhooks were the hooks that held cloth stretched tight on a frame (a tenter) while it dried. | We were on tenterhooks until the results were announced. |
| D. In a brown study | II. Lost in one's own thoughts | So deep in thought that one does not notice what is happening around. In older English "brown" meant gloomy or serious. | He sat in a brown study and did not hear me come in. |
The following words have also been asked in other CUET (UG) English papers:
| Word | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| in a brown study | 24-05 S1 | – | – | – | – |