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Short answer:
To explain something with something similar is an analogy.
To mean something totally different than what you are actually saying is an idiom.
Longer and more explaining answer: To explain one thing by using something different yet similar as a maybe easier "example" is an analogy.
We can crudely explain electricity and a light-switch like this:
"Electricity is like water. When you turn on the water, it starts flowing.
When you turn on a light-switch, electricity starts flowing"
An idiom however is very different. It is a common saying that does not mean what it actually say.
Examples of this is:
1 A piece of cake.... ---> We say this to indicate that something is easy.
2 To wake up with the wrong foot.... ---> Person being grumphy.
In my opinion, an Idiom is also a kind of analogy but only because we are taught the added meaning of the wording.
An example here is that foreigners of a country do not easily understand the local idiomatic expressions. This because idiomatic expressions are mostly local to that country alone. A huge exception is all the English speaking countries who share a lot of idiomatic expressions.
Foreigners need to be taught the expressions in order to understand their meaning.
An analogy is something that normally would works universally with no barrier of language or country.
There are however other barriers when using analogies.
The key here is knowledge.
A good analogy will explain a difficult subject in easy terms using only phenomenons or science the listener can relate to.
Analogies can be made up on the go...
: She was as clever as a duck drowning.
---> Not very clever of a duck to drown.. Ergo, She was not the brightest one.
: The paint on that house is as good as the paint on my scrapped car.
---> We can count on that the car didn't look very good. Ergo, The paint on the house was not much good either.
Idioms can not be "made up on the go" normally.
It is only when many people recognise a sentence or a particular wording as having a different meaning that it becomes an idiomatic expression.
There are some idiomatic expressions that are also an analogy. Not that many though.
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∙ 11y ago
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What is the difference between analogy and idiom?
Anology is four syllables, idiom is only three.
What is the difference between an idiom and a descriptive phrase?
An idiom cannot be deciphered by context, and an ordinary phrase can.
What is the difference between an idiom and an idom?
"Idom" is not a word in English, so the difference is between a word and a non-word. An idiom is a phrase that cannot be understood unless you know the idiomatic meaning already. "On edge" is an example of an idiom because you are not literally standing on an edge - you are anxious or frustrated.
What does the idiom - To have something between the ears - mean?
The idiom "to have something between the ears" means to be intelligent or smart. It implies that someone has a good understanding or knowledge of a subject.
What is the difference between an idiom and a cliche?
An idiom is a group of words whose meaning is different from the individual words, often unique to a particular language or culture. A cliche is an overused phrase or expression that has lost originality or impact.
What is the difference between analogy and idiom?
Anology is four syllables, idiom is only three.
What is the difference between an idiom and a descriptive phrase?
An idiom cannot be deciphered by context, and an ordinary phrase can.
What is the difference between an idiom and an idom?
"Idom" is not a word in English, so the difference is between a word and a non-word. An idiom is a phrase that cannot be understood unless you know the idiomatic meaning already. "On edge" is an example of an idiom because you are not literally standing on an edge - you are anxious or frustrated.
What is black and white in idiom?
Meaning a very obvious difference between 2 things.
What is the difference between an idiom and a phrase?
You cannot understand an idiom without knowing ahead of time what it means. A phrase is just part of a normal sentence.
Is 'my heart fell' a idiom?
Unless there is truly something wrong with your heart, then yes, it is an idiom. My heart fell, my heart exploded, my heart sang, my heart doing anything other than pumping blood is an analogy and an idiom.
What is the difference between idiom and idiomatic expression?
An idiom is a phrase that has a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning, while an idiomatic expression is a specific phrase or sentence structure that is characteristic of a particular language or dialect. Idioms are a type of idiomatic expression, but not all idiomatic expressions are idioms.
What are the difference between homology and analogy?
A homology is a likeness in structure between separate organisms due to evolutionary events from the same part or part of a remote ancestor. Whereas analogy is a resemblance and/or comparison of some particulars between things otherwise unlike.
What is the difference of a simile metaphor and an idiom?
idiom is like discribe e.g as light as a feather
What is the difference between expression and idiom?
An expression is a word or phrase used to convey a specific idea or feeling, while an idiom is a group of words with a meaning different from the literal interpretation of the words used. Idioms are culturally specific and may not make sense when translated directly.
What is the difference between an idiom and a cliche?
An idiom is a group of words whose meaning is different from the individual words, often unique to a particular language or culture. A cliche is an overused phrase or expression that has lost originality or impact.
A sentence for analogy using the word analogy?
If you make an analogy between two things, you show they are alike in some way.me and my friend are a analogy
