ENGLISH IDIOMS

An Idiom – which means ‘Special Phrasing’ in Greek – is an expression that contains a figurative meaning but is unusual grammatically – an example is ‘Breaking the Ice’. The literal definition does not communicate any meaning.

The individual words that form the idiom do not convey the same meaning when they are used together as an idiom.

Idioms are present in almost all languages but they become meaningless when translated from the one language to another. As a result a person who does not know the idiom and only understands the meaning of the different individual words will easily become confused. This is supported by the fact that any non-native to the language will not be able to understand the idioms used.

WHY ARE IDIOMS IMPORTANT?

Idioms are a part of daily speech and used to convey a meaning quickly and are often easy to use and learn. You must learn, however, the group of words that form an idiom and recognise idioms when you hear them or read them. You must do this in order to use them in a context that conveys the underlying meaning that you wish to communicate. They should be used carefully in a way that they add flavour to your writing and speech; using too much, however, will result in diverting from the original meaning that it was intended for. There are often context clues in the idioms that suggest the hidden meanings.

SOME POPULAR IDIOMS USED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

A fool and his money are soon parted - This means that people who aren’t careful with their money spend it quickly.

A pretty penny – Meaning to say that something is very expensive.

Ace up your sleeve – An ace up your sleeve is something that gives you an advantage that other people aren’t aware of.

Call a spade a spade - A person who calls a spade a spade is one who speaks frankly and does not conceal opinions or to spare the feelings of their audience.

Carrot and stick – If someone offers a carrot and stick, they offer an incentive to do something combined with the threat of punishment.

Make a killing – If you make a killing, then you are about to make a lot of money.

Make a mountain out of a molehill – If somebody makes a mountain out of a molehill, they exaggerate the importance or seriousness of a problem.

Safe pair of hands – A person who can be trusted to do something without causing any trouble is a safe pair of hands.

Salad days – The happy days in your life are referred to as the salad days.

Uncharted waters – If you are in a situation where you have no prior experience then you are in unchartered waters.

ONLINE RESOURCES

There are some fantastic resources on the internet that offer a comprehensive list of idioms in the English language along with their usage and meanings. Listed below are some of the best online resources.

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/

http://www.english-zone.com/idioms/idioms.php

http://www.idiomconnection.com/

http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/

http://www.idiomsite.com/