Question

Choose the exact meaning of the idiom/phrase:
A good samaritan
A. A genuinely helpful person
B. An honest politician
C. A clever person
D. A priest

Answer 1

Hint: Idioms are a series of words or phrases with a commonly well-established and understood figurative meaning. So, in their literal meanings, these words can't be taken because they would sound farcical. In tales, poetry, and even in spoken words, idioms are sometimes used.

Complete answer:
'A person who helps without expecting anything in return' means the given word. Option A is reliable. It has a sense similar to the one needed. It is, therefore, the right answer.

The B, C and D choices are wrong as samaritan does not have the same meaning as politician, clever person or priest. They do not have the sense needed.

Additional information:
A phrase is "a small group of words standing together as a conceptual unit," while an idiom is "a group of words generated through use as having a meaning that is not deductible from those of the individual words." This is the distinction between an idiom and a phrase. "A herd of cats" is an idiom but not an expression.

Hence, the correct answer is option ‘A’.

Note: An employer or boss might say the idiom shape up or ship out, which is like saying change your conduct or quit if you don't, to an employee, but not to other people. Idioms are not similar to slang. Idioms are made up of ordinary words familiar to almost all with a special meaning.