Daily Idioms & Phrases From The Hindu: 6 August 2017

1: Back to drawing board

Meaning: Revising something (such as a plan) from the beginning, typically after it has failed
Example: Having triggered an avalanche of litigation across the country, the prevention of Cruelty to animal (regulation of livestock market) rules of 2017, which ban the sale of cattle in livestock
markets for the purpose of slaughter or animal sacrifice, is now back to the drawing board.

2: Lash out

Meaning: to suddenly attack someone or something physically or criticize him, her, or it in an angry way
Example: After the incident, Mr.Gandhi lashed out on twitter at the BJP govt. in the state and at the centre, saying he would not be deterred by stones or black flags.

3: Ratcheting up

Meaning: To cause something to increase in increments
Example: Ratcheting up the political temperature, TTV Dhinakaran, deputy general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (amma), announced his plan to tour the state and appointed 64persons to various positions n the party.

4: Hunt down

Meaning: to try to find a particular thing or person
Example: The summer postcard campaign by the European policy agency, Europol , was unveiled on Friday on its EU most wanted website as part of its ongoing initiative to hunt down Europe’s most wanted criminals.

5: On the run

Meaning: If someone is on the run, they are trying to escape or hide from someone such as the police or an enemy
Example: Online initiative by Europol helps people check profile of 21 criminals on the run

6: Hang up

Meaning: To disconnect a phone call, o give up on someone or something; to quit dealing with someone or something.
Example: Usain Bolt insists he will hang up his running spike after the world championships in London.

7: stack up (against something)

Meaning: to compare with something else , To make sense; add up
Example: We wondered how London restaurants stacked up against Atlanta's.
The story he gave the police was full of contradictions—it just didn't stack up.

8: Raise the bar

Meaning: to make a task a little more difficult, To raise the standards of quality that are expected of or required for something
Example: Now free and confident Anna after winning maiden Asian 400 m gold at Bhubaneshwar, Ana could raise the bar in London

9: Playing second fiddle to someone

Meaning: To play a supporting or minor role in relation to someone else
Example: He also denied that he had tired out of playing second fiddle to Lionel Messi at Barcelona.