HYPERBOLE IN IDIOMS

AND OTHER SET EXPRESSIONS

Róbert Balaško, Pavol Polonec

The motivation for the research

• idioms are rather interesting and challenging for

language learners to master

▫ contradict the principle of compositionality

▫ interconnected with other figures of speech

• hyperbole – the unnoticed stylistic device

The objective of our research

• To shed some more light on the stylistic device

of hyperbole, the single greatest thing in

the history of the universe

• To analyse the form of exaggeration in terms of:

▫ other stylistic devices involved in its realisation

▫ things being exaggerated (activities, behaviour,...)

The hypotheses

1. Idioms are (almost) impossible to interpret

literally because they might employ various

other stylistic devices, e.g. metaphor or simile.

2. They are used almost exclusively in colloquial

style, so there might be groups of idioms

exaggerating human qualities, behaviour etc.

During the research process we...

...collected and analysed

the representative language material

to be dead to the world

in one’s heart of hearts

• to work like a horse / slave

▫ a nice example of a simile

▫ exaggeration of hard effort

• to be knee-high to a grasshopper

▫ metaphorical expression

▫ exaggerates one’s age

▫ humorous

Only if I avoided the chainsaw like

the plague...

Having a millstone around the neck is

not very funny.

What could possibly be more trouble than

a cartload of monkeys?

Let’s not be like all those bulls in china

shops.

Some other notable idioms

• to cry for the Moon

▫ hardly translatable

▫ employs poetic symbolism

• to be dressed to kill

• to be waiting for ages

▫ hyperbole only

During the research process we...

...classified the individual

examples into several groups

Hyperbole expressed in form of…

symbolism (2%)

simile (8%)

metaphor (34%)

other styl. dev. (56%)

Hyperbole exaggerating...

action (44%)

state (40%)

human qualities (5%)

period of time (5%)

others (7%)

During the research process we...

...drew the conclusion

• the most frequent stylistic device – metaphor

▫ cliché subjectivity of interpretation

• human qualities are the least common subject

of exaggeration in idioms

▫ the most common action / state

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION

SPECIAL THANKS GOES TO

PaedDr. Alena Štulajterová, PhD. for her methodical help and advice

WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR QUESTIONS

List of sources

• Images ▫ [grasshopper]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6fYu4ybkntA/TIR9KJqHrHI/AAAAAAAAEBA/x4q3OlK-Z7s/s1600/knee-high-as-a-grasshopper-5x7.jpg

▫ [sleeping log] http://www.brainlesstales.com/images/2011/Sep/sleeping-like-a-log.jpg

▫ [millstone] http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uaf0S1tQ83s/TpcLt-LWAYI/AAAAAAAABT0/qCyVKniWGGs/s1600/millstone.jpg

▫ [monkeys]

▫ http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee202/gazrap/monkeysforhiresamplepage-compress-version2.jpg

▫ [bull] http://www.wallpaperist.com/wallpapers/Cartoons/Family-Guy/Bull-in-a-china-shop-1600-1200.jpg

▫ [teeth]

▫ http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2010/127/e/3/Armed_to_the_teeth_by_ebubba.png