Vocabulary and Synonyms

'Pulling someone's leg' is an idiom that means teasing, joking with, or playfully deceiving someone. It's not meant to be malicious or harmful. Unlike trying to scare or actually deceive someone for negative reasons, this is harmless fun at someone's expense.

 Queer means strange. Cursing oneself is an odd behaviour and hence, the correct answer.

The phrase 'put out' means to be annoyed, irritated, or inconvenienced by something. In this context, Kiran was upset or bothered by someone's tantalizing behavior. Options A (cheered) and B (elated) are opposites of the correct meaning, while C (puzzled) and D (mocked) don't capture the sense of irritation that 'put out' conveys.

'Rapped on the knuckles' is an idiomatic expression meaning to reprimand, scold, or criticize someone mildly for a mistake or wrongdoing. It draws from the old practice of rapping students' knuckles with a ruler as punishment. The boss wasn't literally hitting the employee, but rather giving him a mild disciplinary warning for being late.

'Hit the nail on the head' is an idiom meaning to say exactly what is correct or appropriate, to identify the core issue precisely, or to make a remark that is exactly right. The wife's comment about saving money was spot-on and precisely addressed what needed to be said. It has nothing to do with actual violence (eliminating A and B) but rather verbal accuracy.

'Splitting our sides' is an idiom meaning to laugh extremely hard, uncontrollably, anduproariously. The imagery suggests laughing so hard that your sides might literally split from the force. Their talk was incredibly funny and caused them to laugh with great intensity. Option A (make us iffy - make us doubtful) is completely unrelated to the meaning.

 Zeal means excitement or interest.

'Splitting hairs' means to make overly fine or trivial distinctions, to argue about insignificant details, or to focus on minor and unimportant differences. Someone who is always splitting hairs is being pedantic and wasting time on meaningless details rather than addressing substantive issues. While the option wording 'trivial objections' is slightly awkward, it correctly captures the essence of making petty objections.

'See eye to eye' means to be in complete agreement, to share the same opinion or view, or to fully concur with someone. The statement is somewhat ironic because even though they are great friends, they disagree on many issues - they don't see eye to eye. Option A (get in handy - become useful) and E (get a cover of highness) are nonsensical in this context.

'Toe the line' means to follow the rules, conform to standards, or obey authority without resistance. Even though he played pranks, he always tried to stay within acceptable boundaries and follow established rules. The phrase comes from the idea of lining up your toes exactly on a line - precise conformity. Options A (make teasing comments) and C (rogue) are opposite to the meaning.

Solace means comfort or consolation in times of distress or sadness, making Consolation (Option A) the correct synonym. Solace refers to emotional support or relief from grief, pain, or anxiety. Option B 'Abate' means to reduce in intensity, which is different. Option C 'Considerate' describes someone who shows thoughtfulness, which is related but not a synonym. Therefore Option D is incorrect.

Dexterous means skillful, adept, or showing skill, especially with the hands, making Adept (Option C) the correct synonym. The word dexterity refers to ability, competence, or skill in performance. Option A 'Abandon' means to give up completely. Option B 'Ascent' refers to climbing or going up. Option D is incorrect because Option C is the right answer.

Degradation means the condition or process of degrading or being degraded, which typically refers to decline in quality, character, or moral standards. Option A 'Vice' is marked correct but represents a moral failing rather than degradation itself. Option B 'Alert' and Option C 'Unclear' are not synonyms. The question asks for a synonym, but none of the options directly match the standard meaning of degradation. This appears to be testing association rather than direct synonymy.

Procrastinate means to delay or postpone action, making Postpone (Option D) the correct synonym. Procrastination refers to the act of putting off tasks that need to be accomplished, often focusing on less urgent or more pleasurable tasks instead. Options A 'Praise', B 'Beg', and C 'Clear' are unrelated to the meaning of procrastination.

Means a safe or sheltered place/refuge ...same as sanctuary