A tall order means:

General English ·Previously asked in JKSSB Constable (Executive / Armed / IRP / SDRF) 2017

View the full solved paper: J&K Police Constable 2017

Question

A tall order means:

  1. A. A difficult task (Correct answer)
  2. B. A royal summon
  3. C. A demand
  4. D. A problem

Correct Answer

Option A — A difficult task

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is A difficult task.

Key Points

  • The idiom "a tall order" means a difficult task or an unreasonably demanding request.
  • The literal readings — a royal summons or a plain demand — are the distractors; idioms cannot be interpreted word by word.

Additional Information

  • *Tall* here carries the older sense of "excessive" or "hard to reach", the same sense as in a tall story meaning an exaggerated one.
  • Related idioms of difficulty: an uphill task, a hard nut to crack, easier said than done, bite off more than one can chew.
  • Example: *Finishing the whole syllabus in a week is a tall order.*

Topics covered: Idioms & Phrases Vocabulary