The meaning of idiom ‘To have an axe to grind is’.
The meaning of idiom ‘To have an axe to grind is’.
Solution and Explanation
To have a selfish reason The idiom "to have an axe to grind" means to have a hidden or ulterior motive or personal agenda in a situation or interaction. It implies that someone has a particular issue, grievance, or vested interest that they are seeking to promote or advance. The idiom often suggests that the person's actions or opinions are influenced by their personal motivations or biases rather than purely objective or altruistic reasons. It can also imply a sense of persistence or determination in pursuing one's own agenda.
Top Questions on Figure Of Speech
- Identify the figure of speech in the sentence: ``The silence was so profound, it screamed in my ears."
- CUET (UG) - 2025
- English
- Figure Of Speech
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- CUET (UG) - 2023
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- CUET (UG) - 2023
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- CUET (UG) - 2023
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- A shopkeeper increases the price of an article by 25% and then offers a discount of 20%. What is the net percentage change in the price?
- CUET (UG) - 2025
- Percentage
The prisoners in the concentration camps in World War-II had lost faith in the future. Being in the camp, I felt disgusted with the state of affairs and I forced my thoughts to turn to another subject. ”Suddenly, I saw myself standing on the platform of a well-lit, warm and pleasant lecture room. In front of me, the attentive audience were seated in comfortable upholstered seats. I saw myself giving a lecture on hope, optimism, and resilience under difficult circumstances.” Suddenly, all that oppressed me stopped giving me pain and distress. This practice was so impactful that I could succeed in rising above the situation and the sufferings of the moment.”
- CUET (UG) - 2025
- Reading Comprehension
Just as individuals compare themselves with others in terms of similarities and differences with respect to what they have and what others have, individuals also compare the group they belong to with groups of which they are not a member. It has been found that groups are more likely to take extreme decisions than individuals alone. Suppose there is an employee who has been caught taking a bribe or engaging in some other unethical act. His/her colleagues are asked to decide what punishment he/she should be given. They may let him/her go scot-free or decide to terminate his/her services instead of imposing a punishment which may commensurate with the unethical act he/she had engaged in. Whatever the initial position in the group, this position becomes much stronger as a result of discussions and interaction in the group.
- CUET (UG) - 2025
- Reading Comprehension
- Social impact of social media
The social impact of social media is by far the biggest, as social media work through the formation of social networks by users in a virtual world. Its most significant impact is the formation of networks which span space and time and leads to the free-flowing of cultures and formation of new cultures which impacts the world. It has impacted how people consume information, how the consumption of media has gone from public to private and personal. However, on the flip side, social media work on algorithms. The information a user gets through social media is determined by the user preferences, which is self-declared by the user and detected by the algorithm. Hence, if one is an environmentalist, then one will get news and user-generated content on environmental activism. This selective exposure of information is harmful to the user as the user is not able to get alternate perspectives, for example, the trade-off between development and the environment. In politics, this can lead to things like political polarization, being associated with a political party or ideology which is detrimental to democracy. This is also what is called the ”echo chamber” effect. Meanwhile, research has also shown evidence that social media use leads to the persuasion of political beliefs, i.e., individuals who use social media were more likely to have their political beliefs persuaded than those who did not.- CUET (UG) - 2025
- Social Media
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The arena of community media has become much broader with the addition of the Internet. The medium is a great source to increase outreach through converging technology and trans- forming the content into a ’multimedia’ format. We find fine instances of civil society and non-governmental organizations leading community-based newspapers and participatory video practices going for their online editions. For example, the newspaper Khabar Lahariya is pub- lished by the rural communities of Bundelkhand. This newspaper is also published on a portal in a multimedia format, including YouTube videos. This is being widely appreciated for being an ’alternative voice,’ sensitizing, and mainstreaming the people. All of Khabar Lahariya’s reporters are women who draw from their own experiences to share stories often ignored by the mainstream media. Similarly, with the local engagement of children in the age group of 15-18 years from marginalized tribal communities of northern Chhattisgarh, a UNICEF initiative - Sangwari Khabariya uses the medium of participatory videos to bring about social change in society. These children run their YouTube channel to post short news stories.- CUET (UG) - 2025
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Concepts Used:
Figures of Speech
Figures of speech are linguistic devices that add creativity, depth, and impact to language by using words or phrases in imaginative and non-literal ways. In just 200 words, let's explore some common figures of speech.
Simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using "like" or "as." For example, "She is as brave as a lion."
Metaphor compares two different things by stating that one thing is another. For example, "Life is a journey."
Personification attributes human qualities or actions to non-human entities. For example, "The wind whispered through the trees."
Hyperbole is an exaggeration used for emphasis or dramatic effect. For example, "I've told you a million times."
Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. For example, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers."
Onomatopoeia uses words that imitate or suggest the sounds they describe. For example, "buzz," "hiss," or "boom."
Oxymoron combines contradictory terms to create a paradoxical effect. For example, "bittersweet," or "jumbo shrimp."
These figures of speech, among many others, are used in literature, poetry, speeches, and everyday language to add color, imagery, and rhetorical impact. They engage the reader or listener's imagination, evoke emotions, and enhance the overall effect of the message being conveyed.
Figures of speech allow for creative expression, making language more vibrant, memorable, and powerful. They provide a means to communicate complex ideas, create vivid mental images, and convey abstract concepts in relatable and engaging ways.