Casual English: 100 Common Idioms
| www.speakmethod.com |
||
|
Casual English: 100 Common Idioms |
|
| Return to Class |
Learn everyday expressions and speak casually. | Sign in |
|
What is an Idiom? An idiom is a casual expression in which the words do not mean exactly what they say. Instead, there is a culturally understood meaning. Here is one example: You made your bed and now you have to lie in it. This idiom means that you did something negative or unwise and now you have to deal with the consequences. It has nothing to do with beds or sleeping. Here's another example: The schedule is not set in stone. "Not set in stone" means that the schedule has not been finalized. It may change. "Stone" comes from the ancient method of writing on stone tablets. Some idioms are complete phrases which could stand alone as sentences. However, most are two-four word phrases that fit inside sentences. How Do Idioms Originate? Because idioms are popular phrases, most originate from writers, actors or other well-known people. They gain popularity because they are amusing, apt or useful. Many tend to last a long time. For example, don't look a gift horse in the mouth means don't look for flaws in something that has been given to you. A person could say, "I won a trip to Hawaii. I didn't like the hotel that much, but hey, it was all free! I didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth." Most Americans understand this idiom even though it originated in the days of the Old West cowboys! Yet many idioms are quite new. The idiom bucket list became popular only a couple years ago. It originated from the famous movie, The Bucket List, in which two old men try to do everything they have ever dreamed of doing before they die. So if someone says, "a trip to Brazil is on my bucket list," it means that the person really wants to go at some point in the future (before he/she dies). |
Idioms 201 - 300 Course |
Idioms Introduction |