On the Classification and Usage of English Idioms

【Abstract】“IDIOM” - an expression in the usage of a language that is peculiar to itself either grammatically or in having a meaning that cannot be derived from the conjoined meanings of its elements. For English learners， correct understanding and application of English idioms are helpful to improve the learners ability to grasp the target language texts and conversations， as well as the acquisition of English language and cultural background knowledge.This paper provides a clear framework to help English learners understand and use idioms properly by classifying English idioms.

【Key words】English; idiom; classification; usage

【作者簡介】李梦辰（1988-）， 男，汉族，安徽铜陵人，池州学院，助教，硕士研究生，研究方向：商务英语教学研究、跨文化交际。

【基金项目】项目编号：池州学院2018年校级科学研究人文一般项目：中华文化“走出去”战略下皖南民俗文化元素外宣翻译策略研究（CZ2018RW13）。

1. Introduction

All languages have phrases or sentences that cannot be understood literally. Even if you know the meaning of all the words in a phrase and understand all the grammar of the phrase completely， the meaning of the phrase may still be confusing. A phrase or sentence of this type is said to be idiomatic. Idioms are a type of formulaic language.formulaic language consists of fixed expressions which you learn and understand as units rathr than as individual words. Idioms are fixed combinations of words whose mening is often difficult to guess from the meaning of each individual word. It has a non-literal or idiomatic meaning. We will need to be able to understand a lot of idioms if you want to read English fiction， newspapers or magazines or understand TV shows， films and songs. According to the research on English idioms， the author divides them into the following categories with examples.

2. Rhetorical phrases

There are dozens of rhetorical devices in English， and the common rhetorical devices form certain fixed pattern of idiomatic expression， which is a common category in idioms. Similes are expressions which compare two things; they always include the words as or like. You can use similies to make your spoken and written english more colourful and your comparisons more poweful. For example： I slept really well， so I feel as fresh as a daisy this morning. [extremely fresh and full of energy].. I dont want to go in the car with Lizzie. She drives like a maniac！ [drives fast and badly]. Be careful when using similes， since they have strong meanings and are often used in a humorous or sarcastic way; e.g. My mothers explanations are as clear as mud. [not clear at all].

Euphemisms are a type of idiom used to avoid saying words which may offend or be considered unpleasant. They are useful to learn， as they will help you communicate using language which is appropriate for the situation you are in. Euphemisms are used in several occasions： to talk about subjects which may upset or offend， such as death; to avoid using direct words for body functions; for humorous effect when telling anecdotes. What calls for special attention is that it often used by the media or political institutions to tone down unpleasant situations. For example： Many soldiers have made the supreme /ultimate sacrifice for their country. [died].

3. Symmetrical structure

Binomials are a type of idiom in which two words are joined by a conjunction （linking word）， usually and. The order of the two words is fixed. For example， we always say black and white， not white and black： Managing climate change isnt a black and white issue. [separate and clear]. The words can be：

3.1 synonyms （words which mean the same）： Saras work is always very neat and tidy.

3.2 opposites： If you go for cheaper speakers， the sound quality may be a bit hit and miss.[sometimes good， sometimes bad]

3.3 the same word： They finished the race neck and neck [equal]

3.4 rhyming： Tables in the canteen take a lot of wear and tear. [damage through everyday use]

3.5 alliterative： After the match the players legs were black and blue. [very bruised]

3.6 joined by words other than and： the traffic was bumper to bumper all the way to the coast.[very heavy]

Another kind of symmetry exists in idioms， i.e. trinomials， which are a similar type of idiom， in which three words are joined， e. g. Ive looked here， there and everywhere for my glasses but cant find them. [everywhere].

4. Fixed statements

Fixed statement can be heard or said in everyday conversation. “Get your skates on” carries the meaning of “hurry up”. “Mums the word”， means “I promise not to tell a secret.” Its worth mentioning that proverb also belongs to that category， which are short sentences which refer to something most people have experienced and which give advice or warnings. As a type of idioms， its form is fixed， and it is not always to guess the meaning from looking at the individual words in the proverb. In these conversations， the second speaker uses a proverb to repeat and sum up what the first speaker says， for example：

A： Ron found it impossible to get a new job， so he set up his own business.

B： Yes， well， necessity is the mother of invention [if people really need to do something they will find a way to do it]

A cliché is a comment that is often used in certain common， everyday situations. It is a comment that most people are familiar with and is therefore not original. Clichés are often used in everyday conversation and they are also frequently played with in advertising slogans and newspaper headlines. For example： Its not over until the fat lady sings. [You cannot be sure what will happen until the very end of something， often a sports event. The expression refers to a long opera which ends with a female singing the final song.] It is best not to use clichés in formal writing or when you want to express n original or complex idea.

As we all know， English includes many words from other languages. The idiomatic expressions may come from other languages. After the foreign words have been integrated into English， they have formed a fixed expression， thus a large number of common sayings of foreign words also exist in English. Ad hoc， an idiom originated from Latin， means that something is not planned but arranged or done when needed. A fait accompli， a French idiom， means a decision that has been made or a completed action that cannot be changed.

5. Neologism idioms

Many English idioms have very deep roots in history and culture. They have their origins in traditional skills， such as sailing and in such things as ancient myths， literature and war. However， new idioms evolve all the time from TV， advertising， politics and business. These idioms often quickly become expressions understood and used by many people in their everyday lives. Some of these idioms will be popular for a few years but then get forgotten; others may last. For example： Is Madonna still the first lady of the pop？ Here “the first lady of” refers to the expert， or the best （by analogy with how the wife of a US president is referred to as the First Lady）; “Im fed up with him big time.” here “big time” means “extremely”.

6. Conclusion

English idioms are an important part of the English language. Because of the strong cultural characteristics it carries， idiom adds obstacles and difficulties for English learners to understand. Learners are easy to take them for granted and lose their immunity to the cultural thoughts they carry and transmit. Through the classification of English idioms， English learners can get a clear structure framework for their study and research. Mastering various types of English idioms is constructive for learners to further understand the language and culture of the target language.

References：

[1]Jennifer， S. Exercises on Idioms[M]. London： Oxford University Press，1989.

[2]Judith， S. Oxford Dictionary of Idioms[M]. London： Oxford University Press，2004.

[3]Felicity， ODell & Michael， McCarthy. English Idioms in Use [M]. London： Cambridge University Press，2010.

[4]Richard， A. Spears. NTCS American Idioms Dictionary[M]. New York： NTC Publishing Group，2000.