Idioms are colloquial metaphors. They say one thing
but mean another and cannot be taken literally.
If a couple breaks up, that
means they stop seeing each other, not that body parts go flying.
There are
thousands of idioms that enrich our language. The trouble begins when a child,
foreign person, or alien takes one of our idioms literally.
"We'll have you for dinner," does
not mean the person will be eaten by cannibals.
There
isn’t room here to list the busload of idioms, but I offer a few examples:
- at length
- burn off
- by the way
- chin up
- common touch
- fly away
- in step with
- lay aside
- leaf through
- no less than
- put down
- put in the way of
- run along
- slap on the wrist
- take a lick at
- think tank
Here are a few of the many sites listing idioms. Make your own list. Highlight your favorite bugaboos and prune them.
http://www.idiomsite.com
http://www.eslcafe.com/idioms/id-list.html
http://www.idiomconnection.com
http://www.idiomsite.com
http://www.eslcafe.com/idioms/id-list.html
http://www.idiomconnection.com
REVISION TIPS
? Have you used idioms intentionally?
? Have you committed idiom prose abuse?
? Does the usage fit the situation, era, or time frame? You might want to check the date it was first used.
? If uttered in dialogue, does the idiom fit the background and personality of the character uttering it?
For all of the revision tips on verbs and other revision layers, pick up a copy of:
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