Idioms
“complex lexical item which is longer than a word
form but shorter than a sentence, and which has a
[unitary] meaning that cannot be derived from a
knowledge of its component parts” (Gramley &
Patzold 1992: 71)
red herring
Idioms
They show different degrees of semantic opacity
give somebody the green light
red herring
Idioms
Many idioms have two meanings:
literal and idiomatic
How to recognize idioms?
• Knowledge of world
• Context clues
• Common sense
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Idioms
Many idioms [e.g. red tape] have two meanings:
literal and idiomatic
How to recognize idioms?
• Knowledge of world
• Context clues
• Common sense
Idioms and context clues
Lexical repetition around the idiom:
• a state of affairs is described
• the sender refers to it with an idiom
• it is picked up again by a non-idiomatic, literal
lexical item
Cf.
The detectives were following a red herring, but
they're on the right track now
Can you guess?
Wear (have) one's heart on one's sleeve
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Can you guess?
wear one's heart on one's sleeve
Cf.
John always has his heart on his sleeve so that
everyone knows how he feels.
Because she wears her heart on her sleeve, it's
easy to hurt her feelings.
I showed my feelings and wore my heart on my
sleeve.
Can you guess?
wear one's heart on one's sleeve
Cf.
John always has his heart on his sleeve so that
everyone knows how he feels.
Because she wears her heart on her sleeve, it's
easy to hurt her feelings.
I showed my feelings and wore my heart on my
sleeve.
>>> make one’s feelings apparent; to display one's
feelings openly and habitually, rather than keep
them private.
Color idioms!
To see red
In the red
To feel blue
Out of the blue
To black out
In the pink
To give someone the green light
Cf. Unit 36 In the know
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Color idioms!
To see red > to become very angry
In the red
To feel blue
Out of the blue
To black out
In the pink
To give someone the green light
Cf. Unit 36 In the know
Color idioms!
To see red
In the red > in debt, having net losses
To feel blue
Out of the blue
To black out
In the pink
To give someone the green light
Cf. Unit 36 In the know
Color idioms!
To see red
In the red
To feel blue > to feel sad or unwell, depressed
Out of the blue
To black out
In the pink
To give someone the green light
Cf. Unit 36 In the know
4
Color idioms!
To see red
In the red
To feel blue
Out of the blue > unexpectedly
To black out
In the pink
To give someone the green light
Cf. Unit 36 In the know
Color idioms!
To see red
In the red
To feel blue
Out of the blue
To black out > to become unconscious suddenly, but
for a short period of time
In the pink
To give someone the green light
Cf. Unit 36 In the know
Color idioms!
To see red
In the red
To feel blue
Out of the blue
To black out
In the pink > in very good health/condition
To give someone the green light
Cf. Unit 36 In the know
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Color idioms!
To see red
In the red
To feel blue
Out of the blue
To black out
In the pink
To give someone the green light > grant someone
permission to proceed with some action or task
Cf. Unit 36 In the know
Proverbs and commonplaces
Free utterances or self-contained statements
Can be a complete sentence
… are concerned with general rather than specific
meanings
Commonplaces
“an idea, expression, remark, etc., that is not new
or interesting” (Merriam Webster)
E.g.
If I am for it, I am for it
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Proverbs
Not completely frozen
Tolerate variations (shortening/addition)
Marked by specific expressions (“as they say…”)
Irregular syntax (“Like father, like son”)
Anglo-Saxon vocabulary
Present tense (deal with timeless meanings)
Have no known author
Show non-literal meaning
E.g.
A friend in need is a friend indeed
Better late than never
A stitch in time saves nine
It takes two to tango
Proverbs
Sound patterns/prosodic features
rhyme
alliteration
assonance
Structural repetition/parallelism
Two part structure
Proverbs
1. A friend in need is a friend indeed
2. Better to live well than to live long
3. A barking dog never bites
4. Actions speak louder than words
5. A stitch in time saves nine
6. Better late than never
7. Do not look a gift horse in the mouth
8. Every rose has its thorns
9. One does not wash dirty linen in public
10.Out of mind out of sight
11.It takes two to tango
12.What never had never missed
13.Absence (distance) makes the heart grow fonder
14.Better safe than sorry
15.Too many cooks spoil the broth
16.When in Rome, do as the Romans do
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Readings:
Gramley, S., and Patzold K.-M. (1992). A Survey of
Modern English. London: Routledge
> Words in combination
Leaney, C. (2005). In the know. Understanding and
using idioms. Cambridge: CUP.
> Introduction
> Units 2, 8, 9, 12, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26,
29, 36, 38, 39
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