How many Idioms do you know?

Rod P

So what's an Idiom? They are an expression or saying that mean a certain thing, but yet the words in that expression, taken by themselves, give you an entirely different meaning. In other words, you can never understand the meaning of an Idiom by studying the words that make up that Idiom.

Here are a few:

Bite the bullet. (to bravely accept something that is bad or difficult to deal with).

He/she won't bite. (there is no need to be afraid of that person.)

Bite off more than you can chew. (try to do more than you are able, either in quantity or in difficulty)

It's a piece of cake. (something is really easy)

You can't have your cake and eat it too. (You can't take advantage of a situation without experiencing the bad effects that go with it also.)

Have a heart. (to ask someone not to be so strict or unkind.)

Please don't break my heart. (Don't make me sad or upset.)

Eat your heart out. (Someone will wish they had or could do what you have or can do.)

Wear your heart on your sleeve. (To show your true feelings openly.)

Get away from it all. (have a relaxing time in a very different place from where you work or live.)

Get it on. (To have sex)

Get it together. (to be in control of a situation, and do things in an organized and confident manner.)

Get it up (Hmmmm. You figure it out...)

Get real! (to tell someone not to be studpid.)

Get what's coming to you. (to get what you deserve for something bad that you have done.)

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So, how many Idioms can you think of?

Rod P.

blondie

Idioms are the hardest part of another language to really understand. Here are 2 I had to explain to my ESL student.

Many a person learning English knows that and then there are idioms in Australian English, Canadian English, US English, UK English, etc.

according to Hoyle

strictly by the rules, the usual and correct way to do something

air one`s dirty laundry (linen) in public

- make public something embarrassing that should be kept secret

talesin

Elevator doesn't reach the top floor.

Not playing with a full deck.

Four bricks short a load.

The above idioms all mean the same thing.

Then there's

c'est la vie ~ that's life

t

Narkissos

Comparing the translations is interesting, e.g. (in French):Bite off more than you can chew = avoir les yeux plus grands que le ventre (to have the eyes bigger than the stomach).

You can't have your cake and eat it too = on ne peut pas avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre (you can't have the butter and the money for the butter).

ozziepost

LOL! Imagine the Israelites with butter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pole

on ne peut pas avoir le beurre et l'argent du beurre

It's interesting to realize that generally, many lengthy idioms are very rarely used in their entirety by native speakers in natural contexts (same goes for idiom-like proverbs). Rather, what happens is that bits and pieces of complex idioms get used with the assumption that the rest of the idiom goes without saying.

Pole

Rod P

yadda yadda yadda (What you are saying is very boring)

the whole nine yards (talking about everything in a group of similar things, such as going to a high school prom- We had long dresses, white gloves, limousines- the whole nine yards.)

never in a million years (to say that you are very unlikely to do something)

up yours! or you can stick it where the sun don't shine

yes and no (there is no clear answer to the question.)

catch some z's (get some sleep)

I wasn't born yesterday (You say this when someone implies you are stupid, or is trying to trick you.)

this and that (means different things when it's not important to say what they are)

hold your horses (be patient. Wait a minute.)

I could eat a horse (to say that you are very hungry.)

beating a dead horse (syaing that someone is wasting their time and effort)

never look a gift horse in the mouth (you should accept the present even if it wasn't what you wanted)

don't get on your high horse (used to tell someone who thinks they are better than someone else.)

big fish in a small pond (someone who is important or has a lot of influence only in a small place/group)

a cold fish (someone who does not show their feelings or seems unfriendly)

drinks like a fish (someon who drinks a lot of beer, wine, etc.)

feel like a fish out of water (to feel embarrassed or nervous or uncomfortable because you are in a place or situation you are not familiar with or used to)

have other/bigger fish to fry (to have other things to do, usually more important things)

live in a fish bowl (being in a situation where everyone can know about your life and your personal affairs)

like shooting fish in a barrel (one side of a competition is weaker and has no chance of winning)

there are plenty more fish in the sea (don't be upset when the person they love doesn't love them because they will soon find someone else.)

Rod P.

jeanniebeanz

Hold your horses!

Don't put the cart before the horse!

Don't spare the horses!

Horse-sense!

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!

It's like putting a $40 saddle on a $10 horse!

Horsefeathers!

(dang it! Rod beat me to a couple of these as I typed. lol)

Narkissos

I wasn't born yesterday = Je ne suis pas tombé de la dernière pluie (I didn't fall with the last rain).

don't get on your high horse: almost the same, ne monte pas sur tes grands chevaux, but with a slightly different nuance (when the person is upset).

have other/bigger fish to fry: avoir d'autres chats à fouetter (to have other cats to whip).

there are plenty more fish in the sea: une de perdue, dix de retrouvées! (one lost, ten found back... strangely always in the feminine )

stillajwexelder

The lights are not all on upstairs

One sandwich short of a picnic

How many Idioms do you know?

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