Idiom facts for kids
An idiom is a word or phrase which means something different from its literal meaning. Idioms are common phrases or terms whose meaning is changed, but can be understood by their popular use.
Because idioms can mean something different from what the words mean it is difficult for someone not very good at speaking the language to use them properly. Some idioms are only used by some groups of people or at certain times. The idiom shape up or ship out, which is like saying improve your behavior or leave if you don't, might be said by an employer or supervisor to an employee, but not to other people.
Idioms are not the same thing as slang. Idioms are made of normal words that have a special meaning known to almost everyone. Slang is usually special words, or special meanings of normal words that are known only to a particular group of people.
To learn a language a person needs to learn the words in that language, and how and when to use them. But people also need to learn idioms separately because certain words together or at certain times can have different meanings. In order to understand an idiom, one sometimes needs to know the culture the idiom comes from.
To know the history of an idiom can be useful and interesting, but is not necessary to be able to use the idiom properly. For example, most native British English speakers know that "No room to swing a cat" means "there was not a lot of space" and can use the idiom properly. However, few know this is because 200 years ago sailors were punished by being whipped with a "cat o' nine tails". A big space was cleared on the ship so that the person doing the whipping had room to swing the cat.
An idiom is a phrase whose meaning cannot be understood from the dictionary definitions of each word taken separately.
Some common idioms
- Break a leg - A way to wish someone good luck.
- To live it up - To enjoy life, to live widely
- To kick the bucket - To die.
- Shape up or ship out - Used to tell someone that they should leave if they don't improve their behavior or performance
- To shed crocodile tears - To cry about something but without actually caring.
- Wild goose chase - A useless journey or pursuit.
- There's no room to swing a cat - There is not a lot of space.
- To pay through the nose - To pay a lot of money, more than is normal.
- To bark up the wrong tree - To choose the wrong course of action.
- To spill the beans - To tell a secret.
- It's raining cats and dogs - It's raining heavily.
- To get into hot water - To get into trouble.
- To be chicken-hearted - To be scared.
- Top dog - Leader.
- To smell a rat - To think that something is wrong.
- To chicken out - Not doing an activity because of fear.
- To give up - To quit.
- To give up on - To stop believing in something or someone.
- I could eat a horse - To be very hungry.
- To be on top of the world - To be really happy.
See also
In Spanish: Idiotismo (lenguaje) para niños
