Idioms Aren’t for Idiots!

What are idioms• Phrases in which the meaning of the whole group of words together has little to do with the meaning of the words taken one by one

• Knowing the literal meanings of the individual words, does not mean you understand the idiom itself – you have to find its hidden meaning, aka figurative meaning

What are idioms•Usually lose their meaning when translated into other languages

•Idioms are used in writing to make it more “colorful”

Where the heck do idioms come from?

• From MANYdifferent sources:

*Bible

*ancient fables

*famous authors/storytellers (Aesop, Shakespeare)

*different cultures (Native American, African American)

*slang words

What is a cliché?•an overused expression

•Idioms can be considered cliché once they become popular and everyone begins using them

•If something is referred to as “cliché” it is usually in a negative sense

I decided not to go to the park today because it is raining cats and dogs.Meaning: raining heavily

Origin: 1) in Norse mythology, dogs were associated with windy storms, cats were associated with rain; 2) 17th and 18th centuries in England, cats and dogs drowned in floods caused by torrential rainstorms; their bodies were found in the streets afterwards as if they had fallen from the sky

Olivia would have gone to the football game at the drop of a hat.

Meaning: right away, willing at any moment

Origin: Dropping a hat used to be a signal to start a race. If someone does anything on the spur of the moment, they are doing it “at the drop of a hat.”

Tony’s mom wants him to make the honor roll, but she is barking up the wrong tree. Tony hates to study.

Meaning: to have the wrong idea about something

Origin: Raccoon hunting was a popular sport in colonial America. Dogs were used to track the raccoons. Sometimes the raccoon would jump from one tree to another across the branches. If the dog continued barking at the original tree, it was “barking up the wrong tree.”

He tried to convince his sister, but he was beating a dead horse.

Meaning: to pursue a useless goal

Origin: In 195 B.C., ancient Roman playwright Plautus put on a performance of trying to beat a dead horse to get up and carry the load it was supposed to be moving.

On the night of the play, Holly’s father told her to break a leg.Meaning: good luck; do a good job in the show

Origin: comes from an old German saying, “Hals-und Beinbruch” (break your neck and leg); old show business superstition that wishing someone good luck might cause just the opposite to happen, so you wish the performer bad luck to assure the opposite of that

Pierre was shy when he met Cindy. He didn’t know how to break the ice.

Meaning: to ease the nervousness in a situation

Origin: from the special boats that were used to break through frozen waterways; now, “ice” means an awkward situation

Ashley’s brother was caught red-handed at the scene of the crime.

Meaning: to catch someone in the act of doing something wrong

Origin: referred to actually catching someone in the act of murder with blood on their hands (red-handed); now it refers to any wrong-doing

Avoid Calvin today. He has a real chip on his shoulder.Meaning: to be quarrelsome, aggressive, or rude; ready to fight

Origin: American boys played a game in the 1800s where one boy would put a chip of wood on his shoulder and dare another boy to knock it off, if the other boy did, the two would fight; now it refers to someone looking for a fight

I begged and cried to go to the party, but dad said I was crying crocodile tears.Meaning: fake tears; false grief

Origin: ancient Rome, about A.D. 300, folktale about how crocodiles would cry loudly, making prey come closer to see what the wailing was about, the crocodiles would keep weeping fake tears as they ate their victims

The groom got cold feet and decided to cancel the wedding.Meaning: a fear of doing something; loss of nerves or confidence second thoughts

Origin: from the early 1800s, probably refers to soldiers running away from battle; fear can cause a person to feel chilled, especially in the feet

Roger saw the cat licking its paws. Then he knew his pet fish was as dead as a doornail.

Meaning: totally dead or hopeless

Origin: mid-1300s; doornail (metal plate) had been hit so many times with the knocker it no longer made a sound

Put a little elbow grease into that job. Polish that car until it shines!

Meaning: hard, energetic manual labor

Origin: term used in Britain during late 1600s; refers to the sweat from hard fast moving work with one’s arms, such as rubbing, polishing, and scraping

My uncle has a green thumb. You should see his garden.

                                                                                                             

Meaning: having a special talent for making flowers and plants grow well

Origin: if you rub green plants between your finger and thumb, chlorophyll will give your finger a green tint

It’s been a long day, and now it’s time to hit the hay.

Meaning: to go to bed

Origin: 1930s homeless people in USA traveled from place to place; sometimes slept on a pile of hay in a barn or field

Hold your horses. Why are you walking so fast?

Meaning: be patient; slow down; wait a minute

Origin: 19th century America; what a passenger would tell a carriage driver who was letting the horses go too fast

In the interview, Perry just shot from the hip and got himself into a lot of trouble.Meaning: to speak or act without first thinking about the consequences

Origin: Western gunfighters thought it was quicker to shoot your revolver from the side of your hip as soon as you pulled it from the holster than it was to raise it higher and shoot

We thought Carl was a great guy until he showed his true colors by kicking his dog.Meaning: show what you are really like

Origin: for centuries, ships have flown colorful flags to identify themselves; could fool an enemy ship by flying a false flag that looked friendly (“flying a false flag”); then deceitful ship would fly its real flag (“show its true colors”) to let the enemy ship know who it really was

I stuck my neck out for you to be able to get this job.

Meaning: to take a dangerous risk; to expose yourself to criticism

Origin: probably 1930s in America; a chicken or turkey got its neck stretched out when it was put onto the chopping block

Beyonce takes the cake for the best female vocalist. Meaning: to deserve the highest award or prize

Origin: in ancient Greece, a cake was the prize for the person who could stay awake the longest at an all-night party; in USA in the 1800s winning couple of a dance contest got a cake as the prize

Both Richard and Samantha got jobs to bring home the bacon for their children.Meaning: to support a family by working; to earn a living

Origin: 1) at early American county fairs, a game waschasing after a greased pig, if you caught it, you could take it home; 2) 1300s England, if any married person swore at the church door they had not had a quarrel in a year and a day, they could take home a side of bacon

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ResourcesClipart.com

Terban, M. (1996). Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms. New

York: Scholastic Inc.