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An idiom is a phrase which cannot be understood by just looking at the words. You need to learn them because you cannot figure them out any other way!
Let me give you some examples - see if you can understand this paragraph (I'll put the answers at the bottom for you, but try it alone first)
Pull your finger out! I'm no agony aunt, so don't spit the dummy. And don't tell me you've a hitch in your giddy-up or I'll take the Mick. You thought it was all beer and skittles, right; you're in your salad days? Well, you'll be thick as mince if you don't know the difference between "up the stick" and "up sticks!" Are you all mouth and trousers or all hat and no cattle? Would you say you're a man of parts, a man of the cloth, a man of letters, the man on the Clapham omnibus, or the Vicar of Bray? You might just be a young turk, or hairy at the heel! All and sundry is going to go all pear-shaped if you don't wise up. Well, I suppose she'll be apples.
Hmmm ... still think you don't need to learn idioms?
How many of those did you know? Did you try to look any of the words up? Didn't work, did it?
Unless you know an idiom, you can't look it up by defining the words - after all, people who die don't really kick a bucket, and cats and dogs don't really fall out of the sky in a heavy rain.
Idioms are just part of the language that you have to memorize so that you can understand what people are saying. Like slang, they change and shift meaning as people develop new ways of saying things.
What's that? You want to know what the paragraph means?
If you click on the Related Question below, you can find links to the websites that I used to find some of those obscure idioms, by the way!
Here are the meanings of the idioms I used above:
- Pull your finger out - hurry up!
- Agony Aunt - the writer of a newspaper column where people write in and complain about their lives
- Spit the dummy - whine and cry and give up
- A hitch in your giddy-up - not feeling well
- Take the Mick (or take the Mickey) - to tease
- All beer and skittles - all fun and games
- Salad days - the best days of your life
- Thick as mince (or just thick) - not very smart at all
- Up the stick (or up the duff) - pregnant
- Up sticks - to leave
- All mouth and trousers - all talk and no action
- All hat and no cattle - the American version of the above!
- Man of parts - someone who can do many different things
- Man of the cloth - a clergyman
- Man of letters - an educated man
- Man on the Clapham omnibus - the average citizen
- Vicar of Bray - a braggart
- Young turk - a rebel
- Hairy at the heel - someone who is untrustworthy
- All and sundry - everything
- All pear-shaped - all wrong
- Wise up - get some sense or understand something
- She'll be apples - everything will turn out for the best
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What can you learn from idioms?
From idioms, you can learn cultural and historical context, as idioms often reflect the values, customs, and experiences of a particular group or society. They can also provide insight into the linguistic and semantic nuances of a language, as idioms often have figurative or metaphorical meanings that may not be immediately apparent. Additionally, idioms can be a fun and creative way to express ideas and add color to your language usage.
Are idioms hard?
Idioms can be hard to understand if you don't speak the language well, but once you learn them, they're easy to use.
How can you be a successful student with idioms?
Idioms are those phrases that don't make any sense unless you already know the definitions, so they're hard to learn by context. The best way to learn common idioms is to make a Study Deck - see the link below - and keep practicing until you have them memorized. That way, you already know a lot, and if you hear new idioms, you can just add them to your deck and keep on learning!
How do you learn up to 50 idioms per day?
The best way to learn a list of terms is to make a study deck -- see the link below to learn how!
Why do you need a translator in a foreign country?
You should get a translator because every language has idioms and slang that might not make sense to you even if you learn the language.
How do you teach Idioms to kids?
The best way to learn any language is to use it. If you can't take the kids somewhere where they can be surrounded by the language and its idioms, you can use the idioms yourself and encourage the kids to follow suit.
What is is idioms?
idioms that you can say
What are some non-common idioms?
Here is a link to some idioms. You can pick the "non-common" ones for yourself -- some people have heard certain idioms a lot and others have not heard the same ones, so you'll need to decide that part.
What is a verbal idioms?
idioms that you can say
Do other languages have idioms?
Yes, idioms exist in many languages. They are used to express ideas or convey meanings beyond the literal definitions of words, often reflecting the culture, history, or common experiences of a particular group of people.
What is the significance of idioms in studying English?
Idioms are important in studying English because they reflect the cultural context and nuances of language. Understanding idioms helps learners grasp the subtleties of language usage and improves their overall language proficiency. Additionally, idioms are commonly used in everyday conversation and writing, so familiarity with them is essential for effective communication.
The origin of idioms about sport?
Every idiom has its own origin. You need to ask a more specific question to get a specific answer.The answer to this one is - sports idioms come from playing sports.
