IdiomsWords in combination

TESL 2200: Word Usage and Vocabulary in Context Lecture 9

Outline

• What is an idiom?• Structure of idioms• Fixed aspects of idioms• English idioms and Chinese ones• Idioms in academic language• 50 Common English Idioms• Online dictionary of idioms

What is an idiom?

• An idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has figurative meaning.

• The meaning of idioms are NOT obvious from the individual words.

drive somebody round the bend

make somebody angry or frustrated

This tin opener’s driving me round the bend! I think I ‘ll throw it away and get a new one next time I’ m in town.

Caution

• When a speaker uses an idiom, the listener might mistake its actual meaning, if he or she has not heard this figure of speech before.

• Idioms usually do not translate well; in some cases, when an idiom is translated into another language, either its meaning is changed or it is meaningless.

Structure of idioms

Fixed aspects of idioms

English idioms versus Chinese ones

• Similarities

• Differences

Similarities

• 己所不欲，勿施于人 Do as you would be done

• 好有好报 One good turn deserves another

• 慈悲心肠 Milk of human kindness

• 既往不咎 Let bygones be bygones

• 天行健，君子以自强不息 God helps those who help themselves

• 有志者，事竟成 Where there is a will, there is a way

• 不入虎穴，焉得虎子 Nothing venture, nothing have

• 不成功，便成仁 Do or die

• 一不做，二不休 Over shoes over boots

• 有始有终 From beginning to end

Differences

• English idioms “Achille’s heel”, “Pandora’s box”, “The apple of discord”, “bow down in the House of Rimmon”, “the kiss of Judas”, “Noah’s Ark”, “meet one’s Waterloo”, “cut the Gordian knot”,

• Chinese idioms

“班门弄斧” , “ 卧薪尝胆” ,

“ 四面楚歌” , “ 鹬蚌相争 , 渔翁得利” ,

“ 黔驴技穷” , “ 女娲补天” ,

“ 嫦娥奔月” “精卫填海

• “teach one’s grandmother to suck eggs”, • “in determination for revenge”, • “be cornered”, • “It’s the third party that benefits from the

tussle”, • “at one’s wit’s end",• " recreate the heaven”, • “flying to the Moon”, and • “a dogged determination”.

National characteristics

• Geographic environment

• National experience

• Cultural inheritance

• Formation of thinking

• 牛饮 Drink like a fish

• 碰壁 On the rock

• 挥金如土 Spend money like water

• 是非之地 Sea of troubles

• 树倒猢狲散 Rats leave a sinking ship

• 声东击西 Look one way and row another

• 种瓜得瓜，种豆得豆 Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind

• 入不敷出 Go bankrupt

• 未雨綢繆 Put money aside for a rainy day

• 捡了芝麻，漏了西瓜 Penny wise and pound foolish.

• 老天保佑 God bless

• 天網恢恢，疏而不漏 God’s mill grinds slow but sure

• 天命 God’s will

• 天地万物 Works of God

• 謀事在人，成事在天 Man proposes and God disposes

• 投桃报李 Scratch Someone’s Back

• 赔了夫人又折兵 Throw good money after bad

• 天道酬勤 The early bird catches the worm

• 一寸光阴一寸金，寸金难买寸光阴 Time is money

• 缘木求鱼 Milk the bull

• 玉不琢不成器 Spare the rod and spoil the child

• 敬而远之 Let sleeping dogs lie

Idioms in academic language

• Idioms are NOT appropriate in formal English such as academic writing.

idioms are informal, more typical of speech

idioms are culture-specific, not understood by all readers

idioms interfere with clear communication- academic ideas are best presented directly and transparently

Types of idioms

1. Pure idioms e.g. a red herring = an irrelevant issue

2. Proverbs e.g. many hands make light work = working together makes a job easier

3. Phrasal verbs e.g. set up = establish

4. Figurative idioms e.g. pay a dividend = provide a benefit

• Categories 1 and 2, pure idioms and proverbs, are generally not used and are best avoided. The other types are used to some extent.

• Pure idioms are the most idiomatic phrases in English, which are often taught to language learners, but are hardly ever found in formal writing:

kick the bucket = diebe at someone's beck and call = be constantly ready to obey someone

• Proverbs are highly culture-specific and are used to express general truths about life, not the precise concepts required in academic communication.

You can take a horse to the water but you can't make him drink

• NOT an appropriate style!

Figurative idioms

• Figurative idioms are different from pure idioms, since their meanings are much easier to understand. They are quite common in academic writing.

• Examples 1

The following are all taken from published academic texts:

... the mapping of such distributions may also be informative in bringing to light unexpected correspondences at the sound level among different languages

... this means that such women carry in their heads kinship knowledge of six generations depth

…The term was used to justify action taken with respect to children but was open to abuse, creating confusion and drawing a veil of ignorance over important issues.

…A major learning objective of the course would be to enable each professional to understand ... the career path he/she might follow once in the workforce ...

…The first and second perspectives set greater store by relationships based on actual psychological interaction of a positive kind, rather than the blood tie.

• Examples 2

Idioms of this kind are commonly formed with a particular set of verbs, which have very broad meanings: get, have, make, take:

get one's way = achieve what one wants

have one's roots somewhere = originate from somewhere

make a case for something = justify something

take place = happen

50 Common English Idioms

• The idioms and expressions below are some of the most common in English. The example sentences show how idioms are used in context.

1. as easy as pie

• It means "very easy" (same as "a piece of cake")

• Example: He said it is a difficult problem, but I don't agree. It seems as easy as pie to me!

2. be sick and tired of

• It means "I hate" (also "can't stand")

• Example: I'm sick and tired of doing nothing but work. Let's go out tonight and have fun.

3. bend over backwards

• It means "try very hard" (maybe too much!)

• Example: He bent over backwards to please his new wife, but she never seemed satisfied.

4. bite off more than one can chew

• It means "take responsibility for more than one can manage"

• Example: John is so far behind in his studies. Besides classes, he plays sports and works at a part-time job. It seems he has bitten off more than he can chew.

5. broke

• It means "to have no money"

• Example: I have to borrow some money from my Dad. Right now, I'm broke.

• It means "decide to do something different from what had been decided earlier"

• Example: I was planning to work late tonight, but I changed my mind. I'll do extra work on the weekend instead.

7. Cut it out!

• It means "stop doing something bad"

• Example: That noise is really annoying. Cut it out!

8. drop someone a line

• It means "send a letter or email to someone“

• Example: It was good to meet you and I hope we can see each other again. Drop me a line when you have time.

9. figure something out

• It means "come to understand a problem"

• Example: I don't understand how to do this problem. Take a look at it. Maybe you can figure it out.

10. fill in for someone

• It means "do their work while they are away"

• Example: While I was away from the store, my brother filled in for me.

11. in ages

• It means "for a very long time"

• Example: Have you seen Joe recently? I haven't seen him in ages.

12. give someone a hand

• It means "help"

• Example: I want to move this desk to the next room. Can you give me a hand?

13. hit the hay

• It means "go to bed" (also "hit the sack")

• Example: It's after 12 o'clock. I think it's time to hit the hay.

14. in the black

• It means "the business is making money, it is profitable"

• Example: Our business is really improving. We've been in the black all year.

15. in the red

• It means "the business is losing money, it is unprofitable"

• Example: Business is really going poorly these days. We've been in the red for the past three months.

16. in the nick of time

• It means "not too late, but very close!"

• Example: I got to the drugstore just in the nick of time. It's a good thing, because I really need this medicine!

17. keep one's chin up

• It means "remain brave and keep on trying"

• Example: I know things have been difficult for you recently, but keep your chin up. It will get better soon.

18. know something like the back of your hand

• It means "know something very, very well"

• Example: If you get lost, just ask me for directions. I know this part of town like the back of my hand

19. once in a while

• It means "sometimes, not very often"

• Example: Have you been to the new movie theater? No, only see movies once in a while. I usually stay home and watch TV.

20. sharp

• It means "exactly at a that time"

• Example: I'll meet you at 9 o'clock sharp. If you're late, we'll be in trouble!

21. sleep on it

• It means "think about something before making a decision"

• Example: That sounds like a good deal, but I'd like to sleep on it before I give you my final decision.

22. take it easy

• It means "relax“.

• Example: I don't have any special plans for the summer. I think I'll just take it easy.

23. to get the ball rolling

• It means "start something, especially something big"

• Example: We need to get this project started as soon as possible. I'm hoping you will help me get the ball rolling.

24. up to the minute

• It means "the most recent information"

• Example: I wish I knew more about what is happening in the capital city. We need more up to the minute news.

25. twenty-four/seven

• It means "every minute of every day, all the time"

• Example: You can access our web site 24/7. It's very convenient!

26. all of a sudden

• It means "unexpectedly", used to describe something that happens very quickly

• Example: He had just gone to bed when all of a sudden the phone rang.

27. be all ears

• It means "eager and ready to listen"

• Example: Go ahead and speak. I'm all ears!

28. be fed up with

• It means "to hate something now, even though I may have liked it before"

• Example: I'm fed up with my job! I think I should start looking for a new one.

29. to bug

• It means "to bother someone". (American English)

• Example: Hey, stop tapping your fingers. It's really bugging me!

30. a cinch

• It means something that is very easy to do

• Example: I didn't think I could run five kilometers, but with the right preparation, it was a cinch.

31. cost an arm and a leg

• It means "very expensive"

• Example: I'd really like a new car, but they all cost an arm and a leg.

32. to cram

• It means "to study hard a few days before a test"

• Example: If you had studied hard for the past four months, you wouldn't have to cram so much this weekend.

33. fresh out of something

• It means "to have no more of something"

• Example: I have to go buy some more milk. It seems we're fresh out now.

34. to get it

• It means "to understand" (often negative)

• Example: What did the teacher say? I didn't get it. Did you?

35. got a minute?

• It means "Do you have time right now?“

• Example: Hey, Joe, got a minute? I have something to show you.

36. give someone a hand

• It means "help someone"

• Example: Could you give me a hand moving this table? It's quite heavy.

37. grab a bite to eat

• It means "quickly go get something to eat“

• Example: I'm going to go grab a bite. I'll be back in a few minutes.

38. drive someone up a wall (or "drive someone crazy")

• It means "to make someone very angry"

• Example: My neighbor practices the piano every night, but he's terrible. It's driving me up the wall!

39. to hang on

• It means "to wait"

• Example: Hang on a few minutes. I have to make a phone call and then I'll be able to join you for lunch.

40. hard headed

• It means "stubborn" or "unwilling to change an opinion or idea

• Example: I can't work with Joe any more. He's so hard headed!

41. have a change of heart

• It means "change a previous decision"

• Example: I thought I would change jobs, but now that my boss is treating me with more respect, I've had a change of heart.

42. have mixed feelings about something

• It means "to be uncertain"

• Example: I have mixed feelings about Joe. He's a very good teacher, but he has a very strange sense of humor!

43. head out for

• It means "to start on a long trip" (but it could be within a big city)

• Example: We're heading out for the countryside to pick some apples. Would you like to join us?

44. How come?

• It means "Why?"

• Example: How come we don't go to the movies any more? I guess we're too busy to enjoy ourselves these days.

45. keep in touch (or "stay in touch")

• It means "do not stop communicating - send letters or call sometimes"

• Example: Don't forget to keep in touch. I want to know how you're doing while you're away.

46. be kidding

• It means "to joke or tease someone in a playful way"

• Example: No, I don't really have three wives - I was just kidding!

47. look down on

• It means "think somone or something is not good enough"

• Example: We shouldn't look down on people just because they don't have as much money as we do.

48. make ends meet

• It means "to have enough money to buy everything we need" (often used negatively)

• Example: Even though I make more money than last year, we just can't seem to make ends meet.

49. miss the boat

• It means "to miss an opportunity"

• Example: The sale ends today at noon. If we don't hurry, we're going to miss the boat!

50. next to nothing

• It means "to cost very little"

• Example: I went to the new discount store and bought these new shoes for only five dollars. That's next to nothing!

Cambridge international dictionary of idioms

• http://dictionary.cambridge.org/results.asp?searchword=International