What is AN IDIOM? 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.

TYPES OF IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS

There are various types of IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS. Some of them are based on:
PAIRS OF WORDS NUMBERS NATIONALITIES NAMES FOOD COLOUR PARTS OF THE BODY ANIMALS CLOTHES WEATHER INSTRUMENTS COMPOUND ADJECTIVES ALLITERATION IRREGULAR VERBS SIMILIES PREPOSITIONS

PAIRS OF WORDS
e.g. safe and sound
(undamaged, safe)

NUMBERS
e.g. to have second thoughts
(to form an opinion after reconsidering sth)

sick and tired(enough of sth)

a four-letter word (a taboo

word)

NATIONALITIES
e.g. to go Dutch (share the cost
of the meal, tickets etc)

NAMES
e.g. Jack of all trades (sb who
has an ability to do a lot of different jobs)

Indian summer (the

period of warm weather towards the end of the summer or in the autumn)

every Tom, Dick or Harry (everyone and

anyone, an ordinary person)

FOOD
e.g. a piece of cake (sth very
easy)

PARTS OF THE BODY

e.g. to be two-faced (to be a
hypocrite)

full of beans (full of life

and energy)

to see eye to eye with sb

(to agree)

COLOUR
e.g. out of the blue
(unexpectedly)

ANIMALS
e.g. a bookworm (sb who
spends plenty of time reading)

to see red (to be extremely

angry)

a rat-race (a competition for

success)

CLOTHES
who does hard, dirty work)

INSTRUMENTS
health)

e.g. a blue-collar worker (sb e.g. as fit as a fiddle (in perfect to pull ones socks up
(to mobilise and improve ones work)

to blow ones own trumpet (to praise oneself)

WEATHER
e.g. to feel under the weather (to feel unwell) come rain or shine
(always)

COMPOUND ADJECTIVES
e.g. broad-minded (willing to
accept opinions of other people)

single-handed (alone,
without anyones help)

ALLITERATION
( the repeated use of the same letter or sound)
(an

SIMILES
expression which describes one thing by comparing it with another)

e.g. wishy-washy (thin, watery

coffee, tea)

e.g. as drunk as a lord (very

drunk)

sing-song (a repeated rising

and falling of the voice in speaking)

as alike as two peas in a pod (very alike)

IRREGULAR VERBS
e.g. to beat about the bush
(to avoid saying directly what one wants to say)

PREPOSITIONS
e.g. down the drain (wasted) out of date (no longer in
use or fashion)

to make up ones mind

(to take a decision)

PHRASAL VERBS, COLLOCATIONS and SAYINGS can also be classified as IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS.

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)

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)

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)