Idiomatic expressions, or idioms, are phrases whose meanings cannot be deduced from the literal definitions of the words within them. They are an essential but confusing part of the English language, but also of many other languages. In the UK, idioms are particularly frequently used, and they add imagery and cultural significance to otherwise bland conversation.
What is an idiom?
An idiom is defined as a “form of speech peculiar to a people or place”, a “phrase or expression peculiar to a language”. The word idiom is derived directly from the Latin idioma “a peculiarity in a language” and the Greek idioma “peculiar phraseology”.
See the Online Etymology Dictionary.
The origins of English idioms
The meanings of idiomatic phrases can often not be understood from a literal interpretation of the words themselves. Idiomatic expressions are integral to the English language, often reflecting parts of our cultural history, social practices, literature, mythology or some form of collective wisdom. Their origins can reveal stories and traditions of many centuries ago.
Many idioms have historical roots. “Bite the bullet“, for instance, dates back to a time when soldiers bit on bullets during surgery to endure pain, before the advent of anaesthesia made this unnecessary.
Idioms often emerge from cultural traditions. “Kick the bucket” is thought to originate from a method of suicide where individuals stood on a bucket and kicked it away in order to hang themselves.
Literary works have also contributed to the idiomatic lexicon. The phrase “Achilles’ heel” comes from Greek mythology, specifically the story of Achilles, whose heel was his only vulnerable spot.
Given England’s history as a seafaring nation, many English idioms come from nautical contexts. “Three sheets to the wind” describes drunkenness and originates from a ship’s sails being loose and flapping in the wind, causing it to stagger and appear like a drunk.
Why the British use idioms so much
As well as cultural history, the prolific use of idioms in English can be attributed to social cohesion and language evolution. Idioms can foster a sense of belonging and shared understanding, and they make communication more relatable among native speakers.
Idioms add colour to communication. They can convey complex ideas vividly and often with humour. For instance, saying someone is “barking up the wrong tree” clearly conveys misdirected effort with lively imagery yet perhaps offers a tone that is a little more light-hearted and informal than telling someone directly that they are in the wrong about something. So an idiom can soften its message to the receiver.
Like all languages, English is alive and evolves constantly. Idioms represent linguistic creativity through the ages and link present day people’s to those of times past, as well as younger generations to the older and vice versa, as new idioms are introduced and need to be explained.
Idioms in other languages
Of course, idiomatic expressions are not unique to any one language; they are a universal linguistic phenomenon.
Many languages, such as French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Chinese and Japanese (to name a few) are rich with idioms, often reflecting their own cultural sophistication and history.
In French, “appeler un chat un chat” (to call a cat a cat) means to speak frankly, which is not dissimilar to the English “to call a spade a spade“.
German idioms often reflect their characteristic precision and practicality. “Da liegt der Hund begraben” (that’s where the dog is buried) means that’s the heart or the central point of an issue. The English equivalent is “the crux of the matter“.
Spanish idioms are colourful and expressive. “Estar en las nubes” (to be in the clouds) means to be daydreaming, which is close to the English “to have one’s head in the clouds“.
Chinese idioms, or chengyu, are often four-character phrases with deep historical or literary origins. “画蛇添足” “huà shé tiān zú” (to draw legs on a snake) means to ruin something by adding unnecessary details. The English equivalent might be “gilding the lily“.
“Als de uilen preken” (when the owls preach) is Dutch for when “pigs might fly” or “when Hell freezes over” in English. In other words: that will never happen.
Other English-speaking countries, such as Ireland, Canada, Australia and the United States, are also known for their extensive use of idioms. Some of their idioms are shared with the UK, and others express their own distinct cultural histories.
Further examples of idioms
“Bite the bullet”
Example: Sam has bitten the bullet.
Meaning: To face a painful situation or endure something unpleasant with stoicism.
Origin: This phrase is believed to have originated from the practice of having soldiers bite on a bullet during surgery to cope with the pain before the advent of anaesthesia. Another theory links it to the days of muzzle-loading firearms, where soldiers bit the paper cartridge to pour the powder into the barrel.
Grammatical note: The verb “bite” is in its base form here, and this idiom typically follows the structure of a direct object (the bullet). It can be conjugated as needed: “bites the bullet”, “bit the bullet” or “biting the bullet”.
“Bob’s your uncle”
Example: Just put that hat on top and Bob’s your uncle.
Meaning: Everything is fine; there you have it. It is often used to conclude a set of simple instructions.
Origin: The origin of this phrase is debated, but one popular theory attributes it to the appointment of Arthur Balfour to a significant post by his uncle, British Prime Minister Robert (Bob) Cecil, Marquess of Salisbury, in the 1880s. The nepotism involved led to the phrase meaning something easily achieved or guaranteed.
Grammatical note: This idiom is a complete phrase on its own and doesn’t change form. It is often used at the end of sentences.
“Throw a spanner in the works”
Example: Well, that’s thrown a spanner in the works.
Meaning: To cause a problem or obstruction in a plan or process.
Origin: This phrase comes from the early 20th century and refers to the actual act of throwing a spanner (wrench) into the machinery, thereby causing it to stop working.
Grammatical note: “Throw” is the action verb here, and “spanner” (in British English, known as a “wrench” in American English) is the direct object. The idiom is flexible in tense: “threw a spanner in the works”, “throwing a spanner in the works”.
“Under the weather”
Example: Sarah said that she is feeling under the weather.
Meaning: Feeling ill or unwell.
Origin: This nautical phrase dates back to the early days of sailing when sailors who were feeling seasick would go below deck to get away from the weather, thus being literally under the weather.
Grammatical note: The idiom functions as a predicate adjective. It remains unchanged and is often used with the verb “to be”: “He is under the weather”.
“Cost an arm and a leg”
Example: This car cost me an arm and a leg.
Meaning: Very expensive
Origin: This idiom is believed to originate from the 18th century, referring to the high cost of having one’s portrait painted. Artists often charged more for including limbs in the picture, thus costing “an arm and a leg”.
Grammatical note: The verb “cost” is used in various tenses to suit the context: “costs an arm and a leg”, “cost an arm and a leg”, “costing an arm and a leg”. It follows the basic structure of a subject, verb and object.
Here are some more you might like to guess at:
- Penny wise but pound foolish
- Can’t see the wood for the trees
- Making a mountain out of a molehill
- I can’t make head nor tail of it
- We’re not singing from the same hymn-sheet
- Two heads are better than one
- Caught between a rock and a hard place
- The pot calling the kettle black
- I can’t get my head around it
Grammatical considerations
Idiomatic expressions often pose challenges for language learners because they not only do not always mean what they literally say, but they also often do not follow the usual syntactic rules. Idioms need to be learned as a whole rather than as individual words. They can function as various parts of speech: verbs, adjectives, nouns or adverbs.
In addition, some idioms are flexible and can be adjusted to fit different tenses and contexts, while others remain unchanged regardless of tense. Many idioms are fixed phrases, but verbs within them can often be conjugated. Understanding the base form can help when learning new idioms.
Conclusion
Idiomatic expressions are a fun and curious aspect of language that often provide insight into the history, culture and social norms of a society. In the English language, idioms are particularly prevalent, but other languages also have rich idiomatic traditions, which are fun to learn and can shed light on the character of a people.
Achieving fluency in a language is impossible without learning idioms and expressions along with such elements as phrasal verbs and other advanced vocabulary. Indeed, idioms are so prevalent that many native speakers are unaware of the extent to which they use them.
If you have any questions or comments, please do enter them below.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bryson, Bill. Shakespeare (Harper Perennial, 2008)
Bryson, Bill. The Mother Tongue: English and how it got that way (Perennial, 2001)
Collins, Steven. Advanced Everyday English, 4th edn (Montserrat Publishing, 2020)
Collins, Steven. High-Level Everyday English, 3rd edn (Montserrat Publishing, 2020)
Gulland, Daphne, M. The Penguin Dictionary of English Idioms, 2nd Revised & Corrected edition (Penguin, 2002)
Moore, Erin. That’s Not English: Britishisms and What Our English Says About Us (Penguin Random House, 2015)
Pinker, Steven. Words and Rules (W&N/ Science Masters, 2001)
Thorne, Sarah. Advanced English Language, 2nd edn (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008)