In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the option which best expresses the meaning of the idiom or phrase “let something slip through one's fingers”.

Introduction / Context:
This idiom question focuses on the phrase “let something slip through one's fingers”. The expression uses a vivid physical image—something passing through your grasp—to describe a situation in life. Understanding it helps you talk about missed chances in exams, careers, relationships and other important areas.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Idiom: let something slip through one's fingers.
• Options: lose a wedding ring, not be able to understand a difficult concept, let go of certain unpleasant things, to waste an opportunity to achieve something.
• Core image: trying to hold something in your hand but it escapes through your fingers.
• Common usage: often applied to opportunities, chances or benefits that are not used properly.

Concept / Approach:
The idiom means to lose a chance or opportunity because of carelessness, delay or failure to act. It is metaphorical: the opportunity is like sand or water slipping through your fingers when you fail to hold it firmly. The phrase is not limited to physical objects like rings, nor is it about understanding concepts or intentionally letting go of bad experiences. The key idea is a wasted chance to achieve something valuable, which option (d) expresses clearly.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Visualise the idiom: imagine trying to hold fine sand or water but it escapes between your fingers.Connect this image to life situations: opportunities can be lost if you do not hold onto them firmly by taking timely action.Option “lose a wedding ring” is a very specific physical loss and not the broader idiomatic meaning.Option “not be able to understand a difficult concept” refers to mental comprehension, not missed chances.Option “let go of certain unpleasant things” suggests intentionally releasing bad memories, which is a positive act.Option “to waste an opportunity to achieve something” exactly matches the metaphor and the way the idiom is used.

Verification / Alternative check:
Use the idiom in a sentence: “She let the chance to study abroad slip through her fingers.” This clearly talks about a missed opportunity, not about losing an object or failing to understand a lesson. Rephrasing it as “She wasted an opportunity to study abroad” keeps the same meaning. Thus, the option that mentions wasting an opportunity is the correct one.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“Lose a wedding ring” is too narrow and literal; the idiom is much more general and far more frequently used about chances and success. “Not be able to understand a difficult concept” focuses on intellectual difficulty, which is not connected to the physical slipping image. “Let go of certain unpleasant things” suggests voluntary release and emotional healing, which is the opposite of regretting a lost opportunity. Therefore, these three options do not match the idiomatic meaning.

Common Pitfalls:
Because the phrase mentions fingers, some students think of physically dropping something like a ring or a coin. However, idioms usually point to broader life situations. Always consider how you have seen the phrase used in sentences and whether it is applied to objects or to chances. In newspapers and motivational talks, “slipped through my fingers” almost always refers to missed opportunities. Keeping this in mind will help you select the correct explanation in exams.

Final Answer:
The idiom “let something slip through one's fingers” means to waste an opportunity to achieve something.