Idiom in Literature: Definition and Examples, SuperSummary, Examples and Definition, Literary Devices, and Literary terms.
An idiom is a phrase that has a different meaning than the words used to say it."kick the bucket" is an idiom for "death," though with a slightly narrower definition than "figure of speech."In some cases, an author may have invented a figure of speech so long ago that no one remembers where it came from, and this is the case with many lines from Shakespeare.
One of the most common phrases in English is pulling someone's leg.You are just kidding around, not trying to deceive or fool the person.The practice of pulling people by their legs so that they fall onto the pavement was popular with British youths in the 19th century.
All languages have their own phrases for death.It can be rude, humorous, or flippant."croaked," "snuffed it," or "kicked the bucket."One might say that the deceased tog traesko, or "took off the clogs," while in the other language it is "the elephant escaped but his tail got stuck."
There are many uses for idiocy.They add character to the writing and make it seem less flat.The author can discuss uncomfortable topics indirectly if they act as euphemisms.In Section II, we saw that all languages have idioms for death.People don't want to talk about diseases directly.These expressions are meant to make the discussion easier by replacing a harsher term with a more gentle one.
The cultural origins of the writing can be seen in the idiom tog traesko, which we saw in Section II.This would be a good clue as to the work's cultural origins.You would have to clarify for other readers who aren't familiar with the culture.
Slang refers to the various idioms of young people.Slang terms are used to show that they are cool, hip, and in touch with popular culture.
Achilles heel is the weakness in something that is otherwise strong.The origin of this idiom is in Homer's Iliad, where one of the heroes is Achilles.The weakness of Achilles is his heel, which makes him extremely powerful in battle.He was shot with a poisoned arrow at the Battle of Troy.
Many English phrases are derived from the pages of Shakespeare.They have become a part of the language because no one knows where they come from.Send him packing, lie low, and one fell swoop are examples.
We call this line from South Park an example of extending the idiom.In English, the expression "Bring it" is a way of taunting and challenging someone.Cartman responds to the challenge by extending the idiom so far that it starts to sound absurd.
The song Night Owl was written by James Taylor and has been recorded by many other artists.Someone who likes to stay out late is referred to as a night owl.The phrase "night owl" is a line from Shakespeare's Richard II.
On our current definition, all idioms use metaphor.They use words that aren't literally in order to get their point across."Butterflies in the stomach" is an English expression for feeling nervous or anxious.It is just a metaphor for the experience of nerves.
A metaphor makes the comparison explicit rather than implicit.It uses comparative terms.Translating as like or as, metaphors are used instead of similes or analogies.