IdiomsIdiomsIdiomsIdioms

Language and CultureLanguage and Culture

What are Idioms?• is an expression, word, or phrase that

has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made.[1] There are estimated to be at least 25,000 idiomatic expressions in the English language.[2]

Idioms• 1. A speech form or an expression of a

given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements, as in keep tabs on.

• 2. The specific grammatical, syntactic, and structural character of a given language.

• 3. Regional speech or dialect.

Idioms• 4.. A specialized vocabulary used by

a group of people; jargon: legal idiom.

• b. A style or manner of expression peculiar to a given people:

• 5. A style of artistic expression characteristic of a particular individual, school, period, or medium

English Idioms• A Blessing In Disguise: • Something good that isn't recognized at first.

• A Chip On Your Shoulder: • Being upset for something that happened in

the past.

• A Dime A Dozen: • Anything that is common and easy to get.

English Idioms• Actions Speak Louder Than Words: • It's better to actually do something than just talk about it.

• Add Fuel To The Fire: • Whenever something is done to make a bad situation even

worse than it is.

• Against The Clock: • Rushed and short on time.

• All Bark And No Bite: • When someone is threatening and/or aggressive but not

willing to engage in a fight.

English Idioms• All Greek to me: • Meaningless and incomprehensible like

someone who cannot read, speak, or understand any of the Greek language would be.

• All In The Same Boat: • When everyone is facing the same challenges.

• An Arm And A Leg: • Very expensive. A large amount of money.

English Idioms• Back Seat Driver: • People who criticize from the

sidelines, much like someone giving unwanted advice from the back seat of a vehicle to the driver.

• Between A Rock And A Hard Place: • Stuck between two very bad

options.

English Idioms• Bite Off More Than You Can Chew: • To take on a task that is way to

big.

• Bite Your Tongue: • To avoid talking.

English Idioms• Curiosity Killed The Cat: • Being Inquisitive can lead you into

a dangerous situation.

• Cut to the Chase: • Leave out all the unnecessary

details and just get to the point.

English Idioms• Dog Days of Summer: • The hottest days of the summer

season.

• Don't count your chickens before they hatch:

• Don't rely on it until your sure of it.

English Idioms• Drastic Times Call For Drastic Measures: • When you are extremely desperate you need

to take extremely desperate actions.

• Drink like a fish: • To drink very heavily.

• Drive someone up the wall: • To irritate and/or annoy very much.

English Idioms• Dropping Like Flies: • A large number of people either

falling ill or dying.

• Dry Run: • Rehearsal.

English Idioms• It Takes Two To Tango: • A two person conflict where both people are at fault.

• It's A Small World: • You frequently see the same people in different places.

• Its Anyone's Call: • A competition where the outcome is difficult to judge or

predict.

English Idioms• Jaywalk: • Crossing the street (from the

middle) without using the crosswalk.

• Joshing Me: • Tricking me.

British Idioms• Across the pond• This idiom means on the other side of the

Atlantic Ocean, used to refer to the US or the UK depending on the speaker's location.

• All mouth and trousers• Someone who's all mouth and trousers talks

or boasts a lot but doesn't deliver. 'All mouth and no trousers' is also used, though this is a corruption of the original.

British Idioms• Back foot• If you are on your back foot, you are at a disadvantage

and forced to be defensive of your position.• Bad mouth• When you are bad mouthing, you are saying negative

things about someone or something. ('Bad-mouth' and 'badmouth' are also used.)

• Banana skin• A banana skin is something that is an embarrassment

or causes problems.

British Idioms• Bob's your uncle• This idiom means that something will be successful:

Just tell him that I gave you his name and Bob's your uncle- he'll help you.

• Box clever• If you box clever, you use your intelligence to get what

you want, even if you have to cheat a bit.• Brass neck• Someone who has the brass neck to do something has

no sense of shame about what they do.• Break your duck• If you break your duck, you do something for the first

time.

British Idioms• Do a runner• If people leave a restaurant without paying,

they do a runner.• Do the running• The person who has to do the running has to

make sure that things get done. ('Make the running' is also used.)

• Do time• When someone is doing time, they are in

prison.

British Idioms• Don't wash your dirty laundry in public• People, especially couples, who argue in front of

others or involve others in their personal problems and crises, are said to be washing their dirty laundry in public; making public things that are best left private. (In American English, 'don't air your dirty laundry in public' is used.)

• Double Dutch• If something is double Dutch, it is completely

incomprehensible.

British Idioms• Dull as ditchwater• If something is as dull as ditchwater, it is

incredibly boring. A ditch is a long narrow hole or trench dug to contain water, which is normally a dark, dirty colour and stagnant (when water turns a funny colour and starts to smell bad). (In American English,'things are 'dull as dishwater'.)

British Idioms• Easy peasy• If something is easy peasy, it is very

easy indeed. ('Easy peasy, lemon squeezy' is also used.)

• Football's a game of two halves• If something's a game of two halves, it

means that it's possible for someone's fortunes or luck to change and the person who's winning could end up a loser.

Australian Idioms• Ace! : Excellent! Very good! • Aerial pingpong : Australian Rules football • Amber fluid : beer • Ambo : ambulance, ambulance driver• Ankle biter : small child • Apples, she'll be : It'll be all right • Arvo : afternoon • Aussie (pron. Ozzie) : Australian• Aussie salute : brushing away flies with the hand • Avos : avocados

Australian Idioms• Bog in : commence eating, to attack food with

enthusiasm • Bog standard : basic, unadorned, without accessories (a

bog standard car, telephone etc.)• Bogan : person who takes little pride in his appearance,

spends his days slacking and drinking beer• Bogged : Stuck in mud, deep sand (a vehicle). • Boil-over : an unexpected (sporting) result• Boogie board : a hybrid, half-sized surf board • Boomer : a large male kangaroo

Australian Idioms • Cab Sav : Cabernet Sauvignon (a

variety of wine grape)• Cactus : dead, not functioning ("this

bloody washing machine is cactus") • Cane toad : a person from Queensland• Captain Cook : look (noun) ("let's have

a Captain Cook") • Cark it : to die, cease functioning

Australian Idioms• Dag : a funny person, nerd, goof • Daks : trousers • Damper : bread made from flour and

water • Date : arse[hole] ("get off your fat date") • Dead dingo's donger, as dry as a : dry • Dead horse : Tomato sauce• Deadset : true, the truth

Summary • Idioms are expressions used every day.

Most people do not even realize that they use them.It is critical to note that idiomatic expressions are not chosen by one person, and suddenly, a trend begins. Idiomatic expressions are manifestations of how people treat and change language.

Guess what these mean:

• Paint the town red• Apple of my Eye• Heard through the grapevine• Riding Shotgun • On cloud nine• Skeleton in the Closet• Blacklist• Bite the bullet

Paint the Town Red• "Paint the town red:" Multiple theories exist

regarding the history of the idiom that conjures up images of nocturnal bacchanalian fervor, with one in particular standing out. Around 1837, the infamous troublemaker Marquis de Waterford and his accomplices spent an evening vandalizing the English town Melton Mowbray. Some of the night's raucous festivities included literally painting various buildings — even a tollbooth — a lovely (and obvious) shade of red.

Apple of my Eye• "Apple of my eye:" The Book of

Deuteronomy first used this phrase in Hebrew, and Shakespeare popularized its English use in A Midsummer Night's Dream. In spite of the millennia between them, both eras believed the human pupil to be a solid, apple-like construct. This idiom was originally used in a literal sense, but over time metamorphosed into a term of endearment.

Heard through the grapevine

• "Heard through the grapevine:" The wires utilized in America's first telegraph stations oftentimes swooped and draped in twisted, random patterns. Professionals and onlookers alike believed the tangled masses resembled grapevines somewhat, eventually birthing a common idiom still used today. Especially in catchy songs by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles.

Riding Shotgun• "Riding shotgun:" Back when

stagecoaches existed as the pinnacle of transport, the seat immediately next to the driver was reserved for individuals holding (of course) a shotgun. Such a strategic spot allowed the protectors to better ward off any bandits attempting to loot passengers. As engineering marched on into motor vehicles, the vernacular designation for the coveted spot stayed the same.

On Cloud Nine• "On cloud nine:" The whos and whats behind the

creation of "on cloud nine" remain largely obscured, but it burst onto the scene sometime around the 1950s and spread through its use on a popular radio program. Whenever eponymous protagonist Johnny Dollar wound up unconscious, he found himself floating about the popular atmospheric locale. Although it likely existed in some form or another prior to the show, it caught on as slang for ecstasy induced by intoxicating substances — before undergoing the usual broadening to encompass any sort of profound happiness.

Skeleton in the closet • In the United Kingdom, one's shameful secrets

are kept in the cupboard rather than the closet, though the origins of the near-identical idioms stem from the same exact same source. Both literal and figurative skeletons factored into its popularity, the former when William Hendry Stowell likened one's wish to hide genetic diseases to shoving bones into closets. In fictional narratives, a murderer hiding corporeal evidence oftentimes utilized out-of-the-way areas, subsequently turning safe, domestic scenes into grisly torrents of terror.

Blacklist• "Blacklist:" To blacklist someone always

held the same definition and connotation, though modern parlance does not usually mean a literal black list. During King Charles II's reign, however, it involved black books where he kept the names of those involved with his father's murder. "Black book" can be used interchangeably with "blacklist," but the latter is far more popular.

Bite the Bullet• "Bite the bullet:" "Bite the bullet" boasts

a literal, straightforward history. As with its later metaphorical use, chomping down on ammunition meant one needed to face down his or her physical turmoil. Prior to the invention of anesthesia, the only respite surgeons could offer was a bit of liquor (usually whisky) and a lead bullet or stick to chew.

Discussion • What are some Chinese Idioms

that you often use or that you know that are used by others?

• 10 minutes

Assignment• Get in a group of 2-3 people and

make a skit using a minimum of 6 idioms and a maximum of 10 idioms

• You will present your skits to the class