Directions: Choose the appropriate meaning of the idioms from the choice…
20242023
Directions: Choose the appropriate meaning of the idioms from the choice given:
To have an axe to grind
- A.
A private end to serve
- B.
To fail to arouse interest
- C.
To have no result
- D.
To work for both sides
Attempted by 613 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Answer: The correct meaning is "To have a private end to serve" — to have a personal motive or selfish reason for saying or doing something.
Explanation:
Meaning: Having a personal motive, bias, grievance, or selfish reason for taking a position or doing something.
Example: "I don't have an ax to grind here; I just want to know the truth."
Why the other choices are incorrect:
“To fail to arouse interest” refers to something that does not interest or engage people; it does not convey having a private motive.
“To have no result” means producing no outcome or being ineffective; it is unrelated to personal motives or grievances.
“To work for both sides” describes acting for opposing parties or being double-dealing; it does not capture the idea of holding a private agenda.
Additional note on origin: One popular explanation traces the phrase to anecdotes about sharpening an axe on a grindstone and implies a personal interest in having the axe sharpened. The key idea is a private motive or grievance rather than a literal axe.