Question

Choose the exact meaning of the idiom/phrase-
Foul play
a- To play rough football.
b- To tackle carelessly.
c- To oppose others.
d- To do something wrong.

Answer 1

Hint: An idiom refers to a group of words or a phrase that indicates figurative meaning in comparison to the literal meaning of its words.

Complete answer:
‘Foul play’ refers to a criminal act that involves performing evil and illegal things.
The idiom, ‘foul play’ was first used in the early 16th century. It was used in the context of sports to indicate fouls committed in sports and games.
We know the meaning and the origin of the given idiom. Now, let’s look at its usage:
For example- The investigators suspect foul play in the case of the boy’s death. Here, we can understand that the investigators suspected criminal activity in the case of the boy’s death.
Let’s examine the given options.
Option a- ‘To play rough football’ refers to playing football in an aggressive or serious manner. The given phrase is different in meaning from the idiom. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option b- ‘To tackle carelessly’ refers to addressing someone or something in a clumsy way. The given phrase is different in meaning from the idiom. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option c- ‘To oppose others’ refers to disagreeing with others. The given phrase is different in meaning from the idiom. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option d- ‘To do something wrong’ refers to performing an evil or criminal action. It is similar in meaning to the given idiom. Hence, it is the correct option. The correct answer is Option ‘d’.

Note:
Carefully understand the meaning of the given idiom before choosing the most suitable answer. Some one-word substitutions for ‘foul play’ are; crime, murder, criminality, etc.