Encyclopedie Gratuite en ligne Idioms Those of us who grew up with English as our first language have been exposed to idioms and idiomatic expressions for most of our lives. They may have confused us a little when we were children, but explanation and constant exposure not only increased our understanding of them, but likely drew them into our own vernacular. If you’re in the process of learning the English language, you may come across some of these and not be entirely sure what they mean. Here’s a list of 20 that you’re likely to come across fairly often: 1. No, this doesn’t mean that you’ve dropped part of your snack. 2. Like taking a HUGE bite of a sandwich that will fill your mouth up so much that you can’t move your jaw, this idiom implies that you’ve taken on more than you can handle successfully. 3. You can’t take anything with you when you die, so don’t bother hoarding your stuff or not using it except for “special occasions”. 4. This implies that nearly everything has been packed/taken/removed. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Idioms Showing 1-50 of 203 results for letter 'A' A barking dog seldom bites A person who readily threatens other people does not often take action. A bit much If something is excessive or annoying, it is a bit much. A bridge too far A bridge too far is an act of overreaching- going too far and getting into trouble or failing. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link This means that processes, organisations, etc, are vulnerable because the weakest person or part can always damage or break them. A day late and a dollar short (USA) If something is a day late and a dollar short, it is too little, too late. A fool and his money are soon parted This idiom means that people who aren't careful with their money spend it quickly. A fool at 40 is a fool forever If someone hasn't matured by the time they reach forty, they never will. A fresh pair of eyes A person who is brought in to examine something carefully is a fresh pair of eyes. A hitch in your giddy-up A lick and a promise A light purse is a heavy curse A List
dictionaries/etymology Idioms – as clear as mud? Miranda Steel is a freelance ELT lexicographer and editor. She has worked as a Senior Editor for dictionaries for learners at OUP and has also worked for COBUILD. In this post, she looks at some of the weird and wonderful idioms in the English language. Idioms are commonly used in spoken and written English. They add colour and interest to what we are saying. Native English speakers are usually confident that their readers or listeners will recognize the idiom, so well-known phrases rarely need to be given in full. Some idioms can be shortened in other ways such as long story short (to cut a long story short). “Anyway, long story short, it turns out Drake isn’t really his father.” Sometimes only a fragment of the original idiom remains. Another common way of changing an idiom is to reverse its meaning. Many idioms are very versatile and can be changed in a variety of ways. “Why use a stick when a carrot will work better?” “Their approach is all stick and no carrot.” Like this:
What do idioms look like? Ahead of his talk at IATEFL 2011 entitled ‘Don’t give up on idioms and phrasal verbs’, Stuart Redman, co-author of Oxford Word Skills, ‘gets to the bottom of‘ idioms in the English language. What’s the first thing that comes into your mind when you see these expressions? - kick the bucket – be barking up the wrong tree – a storm in a teacup – strike while the iron is hot – have egg on your face Your answer is probably that they are all idioms: groups of words that not only have a meaning that is different from the individual words, but also a meaning that is often difficult or impossible to guess from the individual words. Now, let’s turn to another list of expressions. - to some extent – I’ve no idea – from time to time – first of all – in the distance Less obvious perhaps, but the answer, in fact, is the same: they are all idioms. The common factor with both of the above lists is that the form of the expressions have become fixed, or frozen. Do all idioms have a fixed form like this? Like this:
untitled Sports Idioms Quiz Sports idioms generally originate from a specific sport such as baseball or sailing. Over time these phrases have come to mean something that can be used in everyday life. While most sports idioms can still be used when discussing sports, they are even more common in other areas of life, especially the business world. More sports idioms here Sports Vocabulary Idioms-background/etymology Heute verstehen wir darunter:Etwas, dass kaputtgeht, zerstört wird (auch im übertragenen Sinn). 1. Eine mögliche Erklärung für die Herkunft ist der Bezug zur Bruchrechnung: Wenn Zahlen sich nicht glatt (nicht ohne Rest) teilen lassen, muss man für bestimmte Berechnungen eben Brüche heranziehen. 2. Möglicherweise war aber mit Bruch auch ein Sumpf oder Sumpfgebiet gemeint. Der Oderbruch ist ein Beispiel dafür. 3. Denkbar ist auch die Verbindung zu: (engl.) breeches 'Kniehosen'. Wir beschreiben natürlich nicht genauer, was dort in die Brüche oder breeches gehen konnte ...