What is an Idiom?

It’s no secret – the English language can be a little frustrating at times. Okay, maybe more than a little frustrating. English can be “shake-your-fist-and-yell” frustrating. Just when a rule begins to make sense, it turns out it is only a rule part of the time. Almost as if the language has a strange sense of humor.

One thing seems certain – English appears to have fun. How can you tell? By the idioms – strange phrases used to say something or describe a situation. Idioms seldom say what we think they’re saying, so they add color – and sometimes laughter – to speech.

What Are Idioms in English?

An idiom is a phrase or an expression that has a figurative, or sometimes literal meaning. An idiom’s figurative meaning is different from the literal meaning. For example, “raining cats and dogs” has nothing to do with either cats or dogs. There are many, many different idioms, but we’re going to focus on some of the more common ones used in the English language.

Examples of English Idioms