Definition
 An
idiom is a fixed phrase which is only
meaningful as a whole.
All
languages contain idiomatic phrases.
Native
speakers learn them and remember them as a complete item, rather
than a collection of separate words.
Examples
IDIOM |
MEANING |
a red herring |
a false trail |
raining cats and dogs |
raining very hard |
fly in the ointment |
spoiling the effect |
Use
Idioms
often break semantic conventions and grammatical logic – as
in I'll eat my hat [I'll be amazed if ...].
The
object of the verb 'to eat' is conventionally something edible,
but as part of this idiom it is something definitely inedible.
Non-native
speakers find the idiomatic side of any language difficult to grasp.
Native
speakers of a language acquire idioms from a very early stage in
their linguistic development.
Idioms
are generally impossible to translate between languages, although
some families of languages use idioms based on identical ideas.
In
French, for example, the idiomatic phrase 'mon vieux' is parallel
in its meaning with the English 'old chap'.
Idioms
very often contain metaphor, but not
always. For example, 'How do you do' is an idiomatic greeting but
it is not a metaphor.
Idioms
are not always used or recognised by the whole of the language
community. Sub-groups of speakers employ idioms peculiar to themselves.
Teenagers,
occupational groups, leisure groups, and gender groups all employ
idioms or special phrases. These will mean something within the
context of the group and its communication.
MEDICINE |
I went to the GP for a check-up |
SPORT |
He was caught leg-before-wicket |
GENDER |
She was at her sister's hen-party |
Idiom
also determines the way that certain combinations of words make
meaningful statements, but not others.
For
instance, we are 'in a quandry' but 'at a loss';
we are 'out of sorts' but 'in low spirits'; whereas
the expressions 'at a quandry' or 'in sorts' would
have no meaning in English. |
