Idioms are fixed expressions that are typically used in a figurative sense. The full meaning of an idiom is not clearly understood from the individual words. For example, in the idiom “When pigs fly”, there is obviously no pigs can fly. We can use this idiom to describe something is unlikely to happen. It’s just another way of saying “No way!”
The apple of my eye
Another example is “The apple of my eye”, it doesn’t literally mean an apple has an eye, or my eye looks like an apple. It simply means someone that you love the most.
In Old English, the pupil of the eye (the round, dark center) was called the ‘apple’. It was thought that the pupil was a round object much like an apple (a piece of fruit). When you look at someone, their reflection appears in your pupil. So if someone is the ‘apple of your eye’, he or she is someone that you look at a lot and enjoy seeing.
Watch and listen to this animated song “Cuppy Cake”. The song uses the idiom “the apple of my eye”.
All languages are full of idioms, and native speakers use them spontaneously without even thinking about their figurative nature. Language learners generally find idioms hard to understand, and this is not surprising.
One of the keys to speaking like a native is the ability to use and understand casual expressions, such as idioms. American English is full of idioms. You won’t learn these expressions in a standard textbook, but you will hear them all the time in everyday conversations. You’ll also come across them in books, newspapers, magazines, TV shows, movies, and on the internet. Idioms add color to the language. Mastering idioms will make your speech less awkward and less foreign. You’ll also understand more of what you read and hear.
It takes a long time to learn how to use an expression accurately. You may be able to memorize some expressions in a short time, but that doesn’t mean you know how to use them correctly. If you use the wrong expression at the wrong time, it will sound weird or very bad instead.
He kicked the bucket
“Kick the bucket” is an idiom to mean someone has died.
Did you know that the term “kick the bucket” was derived from the process of death by hanging (usually suicides)? The bucket was used to stand on and kicked it – or accidentally kicked it – when the suicide’s done.
Example:
A: What happened to our mailman?
B: I heard that he kicked the bucket yesterday. He died of heart attack.
Usually before someone dies, he/she makes “a bucket list”. Whoa, hold on a second! What’s a bucket list?
“A bucket list” is a list of things you want/wish to do before you die. Usually people would like to do some simple things, like going to places they’ve never been to, or do some crazy stuffs, like going bungee jumping, or skydiving, or do once in a lifetime opportunity to get rich in Las Vegas … gambling!
“Dog ate my homework“ is just a classic lame excuse usually made by students explaining their failure to hand in their homework or assignment on time, and they expect the teacher to believe it.
The claim of dogs eating their homework probably came from the dogs’ behavior. They are known to eat or chew on things, such as bunches of paper or shoes.
SSo students, the next time you want to make an excuse, try something else because I don’t buy this one. 😆
No comments:
Post a Comment