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An idiom is a common word or phrase with a figurative, non-literal meaning that is understood culturally and differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest; i.e. the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words (although some idioms do retain their literal meanings – see the example "kick the bucket" below).
Idiom. An idiom is a phrase or expression that largely or exclusively carries a figurative or non-literal meaning, rather than making any literal sense. Categorized as formulaic language, an idiomatic expression's meaning is different from the literal meanings of each word inside it. [1]
A couple of other expressions are holnapután kiskedden ("on the less holy [20] Tuesday after tomorrow") and soha napján (on the day of never). Italian – Common idioms are quando gli asini voleranno ("when donkeys will fly"), il 31 febbraio ("the 31st of February"), il giorno di "mai" ed il mese di "poi" ("the "never" day and the "then ...
An example of an idiom is hit the sack, which means to go to bed. It can be used in a sentence like the following: I'm beat; I'm gonna hit the sack. [2] Traditionally, idiom comprehension was thought to require a distinct processing mode other than literal language comprehension. Subsequent research suggested that the comprehension of idioms ...
With flying colours. A ship in harbour, flying its flags. " With flying colours " (" with flying colors " in American English) is a popular idiom of the English language that is used to describe how well someone has completed a task. For example, a common use of the phrase is to refer to someone having passed a test or other examination " with ...
The saying is typically used when someone is rushing into something. "Cool your jets" is an essentially identical idiom. However it also has a more literal meaning and in certain circumstances is the preferred idiom to use. "Hold your horses" literally means to keep your horse (s) still, not to be confused with holding them in a stable. Someone ...
The idiom " the straw that broke the camel's back " describes a minor or routine action that causes an unpredictably large and sudden reaction due to the cumulative effect of previous small actions. It alludes to the proverb "it is the last straw that breaks the camel's back". This gives rise to the phrase " the last straw ", or " the final ...
A picture is worth a thousand words. 1913 newspaper advertisement. Meaning. Seeing something is better for learning than having it described. Original form. "A thousand words leave not the same deep impression as does a single deed." Coined by. Henrik Ibsen. " A picture is worth a thousand words " is an adage in multiple languages meaning that ...