Question

Choose the option that best describes the underlined idiom:
More schemes for the benefit of the girl-child are in the offing.
a) Being contemplated
b) About to be planned
c) Likely to appear soon
d) Will be taken off

Answer 1

Hint: The idiom ‘in the offing’ refers to ‘likely to happen soon’. This idiom is used in this sentence very deliberately as it means a specific thing.

Complete answer:
An idiom is a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words. They are usually metaphorical and are not to be taken literally. For example, the idiom ‘over the moon’ refers to extreme happiness.

The given idiom is describing the fact that the beneficial schemes for girls are going to happen soon, and that is the reason this particular idiom has been used.

Now, we know the meaning and usage of this idiom. Let’s look at the given options:

a) being contemplated - This phrase suggests that the schemes are still under deliberation, i.e. they have just started considering them. This changes the meaning of the sentence. It is not the meaning of the given idiom. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) about to be planned - This phrase also suggests that the schemes are still under deliberation, i.e. they have just started considering them. This changes the meaning of the sentence. It is not the meaning of the given idiom. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c) likely to appear soon - This phrase has the exact same meaning as the given idiom, this can replace the idiom in the sentence without changing its meaning. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
d) will be taken off - This phrase means that they will not be appearing at all, so it is not the meaning of the given idiom. This is not the required answer. So, this is not the correct option.

Note:
Understand the meaning of the words in the idiom, in the context of the given sentence. This will help you to understand the exact meaning of the phrase. Then, try to look for a similar meaning in the options.