Sunday Emmanuel

@sundayemmanuel · 29 Oct 2021

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What are idioms

An idiom is a set of words that has a fixed structure and a fixed meaning it is, therefore, more useful to find out what they mean, rather than how they would have been strung together take for example, 'out of the blue' which means 'unexpected'. Idioms can be figurative were expressions, pairs or near pairs of words, or phrasal verbs when they are figurative expressions; certain figures of speech such as simile, metaphor, personification, paradox, or euphemism are employed. You should however not confuse idioms in this class with figures of speech generally.

Examples of figurative idioms are: spill the beans (metaphor) throw up one's hand (metonymy), as easy pie(simile), etc.
Idioms can also be pairs or near pairs of words e.g.high and might,' high and dry', 'cats and dogs, 'birds and bees', hook line and sinker, etc. When idioms are phrasal verbs, they are usually a combination of verbs and repetition,- with meanings not. Predictable from autographed words or expressions, eg. run into, lock up to, come up, come to, etc

More examples of idioms

• To "have bitten off more than you can chew" is an idiom that means you have tried to do something too difficult for you
• “Shoot yourself in the foot” is an idiom that means to do something that hurts yourself.
• Don’t cut any corner is an idiom that

• He decided to let her off the is an idiom that means - He decided to release her from her responsibility.
• Their fight was a storm in a teacup is an idiom that means- They made a big fuss over an unimportant matter.
• I’m going back to the drawing board is an idiom that means I’m going to start over.
• A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, is an idiom that means What you have is worth more than what you might have later
• Actions speak louder than words is an idiom that means Believe what people do and not what they say
• Birds of a feather flock together is an idiom that means People who are alike are often friends (usually used negatively)    
• Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is an idiom that means Treat people fairly. Also known as "The Golden Rule"
• You can't have your cake and eat it too is an idiom that means You can't have everything.