Idioms

1. Idioms Words in combination TESL 2200: Word Usage and Vocabulary in Context Lecture 9

2. 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

3. 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.

4. drive somebody round the bend make somebody angry or frustrated

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Structure of idioms

9. Fixed aspects of idioms

10. English idioms versus Chinese ones • Similarities • Differences

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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”,

15. 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

16. “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”.

17. National characteristics • Geographic environment • National experience • Cultural inheritance • Formation of thinking

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 玉不琢不成器Spare the rod and spoil the child • 敬而远之 Let sleeping dogs lie

24. Idioms in academic language • Idioms are NOT appropriate in formal English such as academic writing. • idioms are informal, more typical of speech

25. idioms are culture-specific, not understood by all readers • idioms interfere with clear communication- academic ideas are best presented directly and transparently

26. Types of idioms • 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

27. 3. Phrasal verbs e.g. set up = establish 4. Figurative idioms e.g. pay a dividend = provide a benefit

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

29. 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

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

31. You can take a horse to the water but you can't make him drink • NOT an appropriate style!

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

33. 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

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

35. …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.

36. …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 ...

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

38. Examples 2 Idioms of this kind are commonly formed with a particular set of verbs, which have very broad meanings: get, have, make, take:

39. 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

40. 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.

41. 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!

42. 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.

43. 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.

44. 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.

45. 5. broke • It means "to have no money" • Example: I have to borrow some money from my Dad. Right now, I'm broke.

46. 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.

47. 7. Cut it out! • It means "stop doing something bad" • Example: That noise is really annoying. Cut it out!

48. 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.

49. 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.

50. 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.