Question

Choose the option that replaces the phrase in quotes with the correct idiomatic expression.
Sumit had his ‘back on the wall’ on this occasion; there was no escape for him.

a) Back on the wall
b) Back at the wall
c) Back against the wall
d) Back rubbing with the wall

Answer 1

Hint:The prepositions used in idioms are extremely important and contribute to the meaning significantly. Imagine the position of the back and choose the appropriate option.

Complete answer:
An idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. It is a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words. For example, ‘over the moon’ refers to ‘extreme happiness’.

Now, look at the sentence. It says that the subject ‘Sumit’ has his back on the wall. It further goes on to explain that there is no escape for him, which means that the idiom is trying to denote him being stuck. However, this is an incorrect idiom. The preposition being used in this is incorrect, as it does not denote him being stuck.

Now, we know the meaning that the idiom is trying to convey. Let’s look at the given options:

a) back on the wall - This is the same idiom that is given in the question. Having your back on the wall does not imply being stuck. It implies resting. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
b) back at the wall - This is an idiom that makes use of the preposition ‘at’. This is not correct as ‘at’ implies that the back is facing the wall, which also does not imply being stuck. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
c) back against the wall - This is an idiom that makes use of the preposition ‘against’. This implies that the person is being held against the wall, and it stuck. This is the metaphorical meaning. It is the required answer.So, the correct answer is “Option c”.
d) back rubbing with the wall - This is an idiom that makes use of another phrase altogether. It uses the phrase ‘rubbing with’ the wall. This is incorrect as it does not imply being stuck. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note:
Try to understand the meaning of the given sentence completely, and go through the given options one by one. It will help you to choose the required option accordingly.