Idioms
Words in combination
TESL 2200: Word Usage and Vocabulary in Context
Lecture 9
Outline
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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
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“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 = die
be 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)
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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