Match the idioms in List-I with their meanings in List-II
| List-I Idioms | List-II Meanings |
|---|---|
| (A) The road to hell is paved with good intentions | (I) doing many things at a time. |
| (B) Even Homer sometimes nods | (II) being optimistic is man's nature. |
| (C) Have too many irons in the fire | (III) the most gifted ones are also not at their best all the time. |
| (D) Hope springs eternal in the human breast | (IV) to be counted, good thoughts require meaningful action |
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) The road to hell is paved with good intentions | (IV) to be counted, good thoughts require meaningful action | This proverb means that good intentions are worth nothing unless they are acted on; people who mean well but do nothing may still cause harm. | He promised to help the flood victims but never did; the road to hell is paved with good intentions. |
| (B) Even Homer sometimes nods | (III) the most gifted ones are also not at their best all the time. | From the Roman poet Horace, who complained that even the great Greek poet Homer sometimes "nods" (dozes off and slips); the saying means that even the most skilled person sometimes makes mistakes. | The champion missed an easy shot; even Homer sometimes nods. |
| (C) Have too many irons in the fire | (I) doing many things at a time. | A blacksmith who heats too many irons cannot work on all of them; the idiom means to be involved in too many activities at the same time. | She has too many irons in the fire to finish any one project on time. |
| (D) Hope springs eternal in the human breast | (II) being optimistic is man's nature. | This line from Alexander Pope's poem "An Essay on Man" means that people go on hoping even when things look bad; hope is part of human nature. | Though his team had lost ten matches, he still expected a win; hope springs eternal in the human breast. |
The following words have also been asked in other CUET (UG) English papers:
| Word | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| even homer sometimes nods | 31-05 S2 | – | – | – | – |
| have too many irons in the fire | 30-05 S1 | – | – | – | – |