Question

Choose the correct meaning of the idiom.
To bury the hatchet

a) To fight with the hatchet
b) To forgo enmity
c) To bury the treasure underground
d) To pick up enmity

Answer 1

Hint: The idiom to bury the hatchet means to forget about the rivalry and become friends with the enemy. Therefore, the option that will be closest in meaning to this meaning will be the correct answer in this case.

Complete answer:

Let us analyze each option one by one.

Option A is ‘to fight with the hatchet’. This option gives the literal meaning of the phrase or idiom given in the question. But idioms do not represent the literal meaning, rather the metaphorical meaning. Therefore, option A is incorrect.

To forgo enmity can be possibly correct. This is because, as discussed in the hint, the phrase/idiom means to start a new friendship with the enemy and bury the rivalry. Therefore, option B is correct because it also gives the metaphorical meaning of the phrase.

To bury the treasure underground is again similar to the literal meaning of the phrase/idiom given. This meaning does not match the meaning given in the hint mentioned above. Therefore, option C is also incorrect in this case.

To pick up enmity is option D. This meaning is opposite to what is described in the hint above. This means that option D is the opposite of the given idiom which means to leave enmity, not to pick it up. Therefore, option D is also incorrect.

Note: Hint plays a very crucial role in solving any question. Before analyzing each option, the hint should be properly read and understood. This helps in the proper analysis of the options and develops an understanding that helps in eliminating the wrong ones.