Give somebody a leg up
- (a)To pull someone down
- (b)To deceive and betray someone
- (c)To help someone for their livelihood
- (d)To help someone to be successful
Answer
D
Why
Correct — D, 'To help someone to be successful'. To 'give somebody a leg up' means to give them help or a boost that improves their chances of success — option (d).
Why the others are wrong
- (a)To pull someone down — The opposite of the idiom — a 'leg up' lifts someone rather than pulling them down.
- (b)To deceive and betray someone — There is no deception in the phrase; it is about genuinely helping someone.
- (c)To help someone for their livelihood — Too narrow — the idiom is a general boost toward success, not specifically help with earning a living.
Concept
To 'give somebody a leg up' means to help or support someone so that they can do better or succeed.
Related PYQs
No directly related past PYQ was found.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
Choose the correct meaning of the idiom 'give someone a helping hand'.
- (a)To betray someone
- (b)To assist or support someone
- (c)To criticise someone
- (d)To ignore someone
Answer(b) To assist or support someone — the same idea as giving somebody a leg up.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Choose the correct meaning of the idiom 'pave the way for'.
- (a)To block progress
- (b)To make it easier for something to happen or succeed
- (c)To destroy a road
- (d)To delay a plan
Answer(b) To make it easier for something to happen or succeed — a boost, like a leg up.