Those crazy Idioms

What is an idiom? An idiom is a type of phrase or expression that has a meaning that can’t be deciphered by defining the individual words. Appropriately, the word “idiom” is derived from the ancient Greek word “idioma,” which means “peculiar phraseology.” And that’s exactly what it is—a phrase that’s normal to fluent speakers (every language has its idioms) but strange to others.

Why are idioms challenging for language learners? Idioms are challenging for language learners because their meanings can’t be deciphered from the meanings of the individual words. It’s like giving someone a jigsaw puzzle containing pieces that look like one thing, only for the finished product to be something else entirely.

Because there are no steadfast rules for idioms, the only way for language learners to become familiar with them is to speak with native speakers and have them explained.

People who struggle with idioms often can’t see the forest for the trees, which is itself an idiom used to describe someone who’s too involved with the details of a situation and can’t see the bigger picture at hand. It doesn’t involve any forests or trees. To understand idioms is to see the forest for the trees, or to look at the phrase as a whole rather than focusing on the individual words.

4 types of idioms Generally speaking, there are four types of idioms: pure idioms, binomial idioms, partial idioms, and prepositional idioms. Some people may consider clichés, proverbs, and euphemisms to be types of idioms as well, but we’ll explain why they are different from idioms.

1. Pure idiom This is your typical idiom, the meaning of which can’t be deduced by its individual components. When someone says, “Spill the beans,” they’re asking someone to reveal a secret, not to pour out a can of beans. But you wouldn’t know that by looking at each word of that phrase.

2. Binomial idiom This idiom is a phrase that contains two words joined by a preposition. Some examples include “by and large” (everything considered), “dos and don’ts” (guidelines on what to do and/or avoid in a certain situation), and “heart-to-heart” (a candid conversation between two people).

4. Prepositional idiom This idiom is a phrase that combines a verb and a preposition to create a verb with a distinct meaning. The phrase “agree on” is a prepositional idiom that combines the verb “agree” with the preposition “on” and is used to express that you share an opinion with someone.

Idiom vs. cliché A cliché can be an idiom, but an idiom is not always a cliché. Clichés are expressions or phrases that are overused to the point where they lose their meaning and indicate a lack of original thought. For example, there are few people who feel better when they hear this after a breakup: “Don’t worry, there are plenty of fish in the sea.” That phrase has been used so often that it fails to have any impact.

Idiom vs. proverb A proverb is similar to an idiom in that its meaning can’t be deciphered by looking at the individual words, but it’s different because it’s used to give advice to someone else. If someone says, “Don’t cry over spilled milk,” they’re telling the other person not to worry about something that has already happened. The phrase doesn’t mean someone is crying and has nothing to do with dairy. So once again, a proverb can be an idiom, but an idiom is not always a proverb.

Idiom vs. euphemism A euphemism is a type of idiom that’s used to discuss a sensitive or taboo topic in a polite or understated way. Even if you’re not personally made uncomfortable by a subject, there is still a chance you’re using euphemisms around it, simply because they’re common to the point of cliché. Topics like death, sex, and money have an abundance of euphemisms. For example, “he kicked the bucket” is a euphemism for “he died” (as well as an idiom).

How are idioms structured? It’s difficult to define an idiom’s structure because it changes from language to language, and it even varies in different regions that speak the same language. Idioms have more to do with syntax—the specific order of words or phrases—than grammar. Remember that the ancient Greek word “idioma” means “peculiar phraseology,” so the rules for how to properly structure an idiom are unique to a specific region.

Most New Yorkers understand the phrase “it’s mad brick” to mean that it’s cold, but people elsewhere in the US may not understand what the phrase means because the combination of those words is unique to New York City. Learning the structure of a particular region’s idioms takes time and is often achieved by speaking with people from that area.

When are idioms used? A speaker or writer often uses idioms to convey a message to someone else in a more creative way. Think of them as a type of spice that prevents your conversation or writing from being too bland. So instead of saying “you’re correct” several times, you might throw in “you hit the nail on the head” or even “bingo” for a little variety.

When are idioms used in writing? As mentioned above, idioms can be used to prevent your writing from appearing too dry or formal, but they can also be used to help the writer connect with the reader. If you were writing for a Texan audience, and you wanted to describe something as large, you wouldn’t just say that. Instead, you would say it’s “bigger’n Dallas,” which means it’s very big. This shows the reader that you have a familiarity with the topic you’re writing about.

Other types of idiomatic usage There is another type of idiomatic usage used by fluent English speakers, and it’s called collocations, or a combination of words that have a specific meaning. In English, it’s common to describe a backup of cars on the highway as “heavy traffic.” It’s not common to describe it as “crowded traffic.” Although the phrases could reasonably be interpreted the same way, the collocation “heavy traffic” simply “sounds right” to English speakers.

The key to understanding English idioms is never to look at them or read them in a literal sense—the words just won't make sense together. Instead, you need to learn them in context so you can understand their true meaning

HOW CAN I LEARN IDIOMS AND PHRASES IN ENGLISH? When it comes to learning some idioms and phrases in the English language, we advise a simple, yet effective three-pronged approach everyone can employ on a daily basis: Hear it - First, you need to hear or read a new expression or come into contact with it in any other way. In order to spice your vocabulary up with idioms and phrases, you first have to constantly be on the prowl for them.

Write it - Next up is writing the new phrases or idioms down, lest you forget them. Yes, it’s a bit old school, a bit last century, but some classics are here to stay, and this is one of them. If you write it down, it’s not going anywhere, which can’t be said for our fickle memories. Use it - Finally, you have to use an expression in order for it to become part of your everyday vocabulary. If it remains a bunch of letters on a piece of paper, it’s of no use to anyone, least of all you. So, try using it, either in writing or when speaking to a friend, and you will remember it, don’t worry!

HOW DO YOU MEMORIZE IDIOMS AND PHRASES EASILY? Even though it would seem that some phrases and idioms are quite tricky to memorize, it doesn’t always have to be so. There are some tricks that can help you learn them quickly and easily and here are the best of them: Context, not just meaning - When you see an idiom or a phrase, don’t just try to remember the meaning, but rather pay attention to the context too. This helps understand the idiom better and remember it more easily.

Keep a diary of idioms - It sounds like too much work, we know, but in order to keep track of all your idioms you need to create a list of them, or, even better, a diary. You can even sort them by the situation in which you would use them, which makes the entire process more fun and worthwhile. Bit by bit - When it comes to idioms and phrases, never try to learn many of them at once. It just won’t work, and you’ll quickly forget them all. Learn a couple at a time, and only go on to new ones once you’re certain you’ve memorized the previous ones.

Visualize them - When learning idioms, trying to visualize their meanings and connecting those mental images to their meaning can go a long way in helping you learn them quickly. Explore the history - Finally, you can try exploring how an expression came to be. This is fun, involves doing a bit of light detective work and, once you find out about the origin of an expression, chances are you won’t forget it.