What is AN IDIOM?

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What is AN IDIOM?

• It is a group of words with a special meaning
  which is different from the meanings of the
  separate words.
• For example, to show a leg , regardless of what
  the separate words might suggest means TO GET UP.
  

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TYPES OF IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS There are
various types of IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS. Some of
them are based on

• CLOTHES
• WEATHER
• INSTRUMENTS
• COMPOUND ADJECTIVES
• ALLITERATION
• IRREGULAR VERBS
• SIMILIES
• PREPOSITIONS

• PAIRS OF WORDS
• NUMBERS
• NATIONALITIES
• NAMES
• FOOD
• COLOUR
• PARTS OF THE BODY
• ANIMALS

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• PAIRS OF WORDS
• e.g. safe and sound
• (undamaged, safe)
• sick and tired(enough of sth)
• NATIONALITIES
• e.g. to go Dutch (share the cost
• of the meal, tickets etc)
• Indian summer (the
• period of warm weather
• towards the end of the
• summer or in the autumn)

• NUMBERS
• e.g. to have second thoughts
• (to form an opinion after
• reconsidering sth)
• a four-letter word (a taboo
• word)
• NAMES
• e.g. Jack of all trades (sb who
• has an ability to do a lot of
• different jobs)
• every Tom, Dick or
• Harry (everyone and
• anyone, an ordinary person)

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• PARTS OF THE BODY
• e.g. to be two-faced (to be a hypocrite)
• to see eye to eye with sb (to agree)
• ANIMALS
• e.g. a bookworm (sb who spends plenty of time
  reading)
• a rat-race (a competition for success)

• FOOD
• e.g. a piece of cake (sth very
• easy)
• full of beans (full of life
• and energy)
• COLOUR
• e.g. out of the blue
• (unexpectedly)
• to see red (to be extremely
• angry)

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• CLOTHES
• e.g. a blue-collar worker (sb
• who does hard, dirty work)
• to pull ones socks up
• (to mobilise and improve
• ones work)
• WEATHER
• e.g. to feel under the
• weather (to feel unwell)
• come rain or shine
• (always)

• INSTRUMENTS
• e.g. as fit as a fiddle (in perfect
• health)
• to blow ones own
• trumpet (to praise oneself)
• COMPOUND
• ADJECTIVES
• e.g. broad-minded (willing to
• accept opinions of other people)
• single-handed (alone,
• without anyones help)

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• SIMILES
• (an expression which describes one thing by
  comparing it with another)
• e.g. as drunk as a lord (very drunk)
• as alike as two peas in a pod (very alike)
• PREPOSITIONS
• e.g. down the drain (wasted)
• out of date (no longer in
• use or fashion)

• ALLITERATION
• ( the repeated use of the same letter or sound)
• e.g. wishy-washy (thin, watery
• coffee, tea)
• sing-song (a repeated rising
• and falling of the voice in
• speaking)
• IRREGULAR
• VERBS
• e.g. to beat about the bush
• (to avoid saying directly what
• one wants to say)
• to make up ones mind
• (to take a decision)

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PHRASAL VERBS, COLLOCATIONS and SAYINGS can also
be classified as IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS.
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EXAMPLES OF PHRASAL VERBS (groups of words
which consist usually of a verb and preposition)

• to get away with (avoid punishment)
• to look down on (to despise)

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EXAMPLES OF COLLOCATIONS (groups of words which
naturally go together through common use)

• a heavy smoker (sb who smokes a lot)
• peace of mind (freedom from troubling thoughts)

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EXAMPLES OF SAYINGS (well-known wise statements)

• The best things in life are free. (You cant buy
  the most precious things like freedom, happiness,
  friendship etc)
• Life is no bed of roses. (There are problems in
  life)