idiomatic expressions
Language's colorful shortcuts
Idiomatic expressions are phrases whose meaning can't be deduced from the individual words: kick the bucket means to die, not to strike a pail.
Every language has them, and they're notoriously difficult for non-native speakers to master.
The term often shortens to simply idioms.
Her English is fluent, but she still struggles with idiomatic expressions.
- phrasesConnected word groups
- figure of speechNonliteral expressive phrase
- sayingsTraditional pithy expressions
- proverbsTraditional wisdom capsules
- slangInformal in-group vocabulary
colloquialisms · turns of phrase · hit the nail · under the weather · vernacular · figurative · colorful · punch · flavor · native speaker · native tongue · fluency · common parlance · everyday speech · meaning · literal · raining cats and dogs · break a leg
idiomatic expressionsplain speech
Unembellished verbal expression
explicit language · technical terminology · scientific language · dictionary definitions
idiomatic expressionssurface meaning
Plain textual interpretation
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