9th September

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

What is an idiom?
An idiom (full name is idiomatic expression) can be an expression, word, or phrase that only has a meaning to the native speaker. The meaning of an idiom is totally different from the literal meaning of the idiom's individual elements.
Idioms do not mean exactly what the words say. They have a hidden meaning.

Example of idioms with their literal meaning and idiomatic meaning

One of the more common idioms in the English language is, “break a leg”.
Before Peter went on the stage for the show, John told him to break a leg.
Literal meaning:  I am telling you to break a bone in your leg and then you will probably have to go to the hospital afterwards to get a cast put on your leg.
Idiomatic meaning:  Do your best and good luck .  A lot of actors and actresses tell each other to “break a leg” as they are about to go on stage to perform.  It is deemed to be good luck.

Watch the following video to learn some idiomatic expressions


Below is a list of just a few idiomatic expressions and their meanings with examples

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B82Fl6MNfXZLQTRsam9tVkZFaEk/edit?usp=sharing

This short story about an what it takes to be successful in a small company focuses on the use of idioms in context. Read the story and use the idiom notes below to help you learn new idioms in context.
Young and Free: Prerequisite for Success
Let's face it: In today's business world you need to be young and free of attachments to strike it rich. It's a dog eat dog world out there and you're going to have to work quite a lot. Of course, not only will you have to work quite a lot, you'll need to be flexible and ready to take advantage of anything. That's where the "free" part comes in.
I've got a young friend, he's only 25, but he fits the bill perfectly. He's single and he's hungry. He's willing to start from scratch and, best of all, he isn't afraid of putting his nose to the grindstone for those 80 hour weeks. He decided to take the bull by the horns by going starting up his own business. He found a software developer who knew the internet inside out. This young man was also very ambitious. He left his safe job at the drop of a hat. They were both reaching for pie in the sky, and they were ready.
They were also lucky. They founded a startup and got into the whole social networking business in 2002. In other words, they were early birds and they were willing to sink or swim. Probably the most important ingredient in their success, was that they were willing to play things by ear. They kept their ears to the ground, moved full steam ahead and drove hard bargains. Soon, their business was growing by leaps and bounds. Of course, they had some stumbling blocks along the way. Who doesn't? Still, they got the jump on the competition and by the year 2008 they were multi-millionaires. This sort of success for the young and free now has copycats around the world.
Idioms Used in the Story
at the drop of a hat = immediately
by leaps and bounds = very quickly (used with improvement)
copycat = someone or a company who tries to do things like another person or company
dog eat dog = very competitive
drive a hard bargain = to make a business deal that is very advantageous for you
early bird = someone who takes early advantage of a situation
fit the bill = to have the right characteristics for something
full steam ahead = to continue with full commitment
get the jump on someone = to get the advantage over someone by starting early
have one's ears to the ground = to pay attention to rumors, news, and industry insiders
know something inside out = to have expert knowledge about something
pie in the sky = something very hard to achieve, a dream
play something by ear = to improvise in a situation, react to a situation as it occurs
put one's nose to the grindstone = to work hard and put in many hours
sink or swim = succeed or fail
start from scratch = to start from the beginning
startup = a small company that begins to do business, usually in technology
strike it rich = to become rich, often by creating a new product or service successfully
stumbling block = a difficulty or hurdle that stands in the way of success
take the bull by the horns = to confront a problem and deal with it

Advice from a content grandfather
I visited my grandparents last week for the first time in a long time. My grandfather, Bill, was a content man. He wasn't necessarily an extremely successful man in the traditional way. He had a modest house, a job that paid the bills, but not much else. However, he was happy and got along with almost everyone. The man in the street found him to be a tower of strength and would turn to him for advice.
This time it was my turn. Things hadn't been going well. In fact, I sometimes felt I got the short end of the stick. The moment of truth came a few weeks before I decided to visit my grandfather. My girlfriend left me saying that I had taken her for granted. It was the last straw as far as I was concerned. I knew I needed some food for thought to put things in perspective, so I called my grandfather and asked him if he wanted to see me. Of course, he was more than happy to invite me over for a visit.
I arrived at my grandparents' home in time for lunch. We had a pleasant lunch talking about family and so on. However, my grandfather has an eagle eye when it comes to human behavior. He knew that things weren't going well for me. However, he was also a little worried about opening a can of worms. He didn't know if speaking about my situation would do my heart good. I, on the other hand, had come to visit him for exactly this reason. I took the path of least resistance and started the conversation. He listened patiently, allowing me to get everything off my chest. When I had finished, he reminded me that no one has the Midas touch. That mistakes were necessary in life, and that, sometimes, the lessons we learn from our difficulties just make us stronger. He knew I was doing my best, and his words reminded me that success in life doesn't always mean everything goes smoothly. Feeling like I had got the short end of the stick wasn't going to help me either. His vote of confidence in me helped encourage me to move forward and get on with it.

It's important to learn and use idioms in context. Of course, idioms are not always easy to understand. There are idiom and expression resources that can help with definitions, but reading them in short stories can also provide context that make them come more alive.  Try reading the story one time to understand the gist without using the idiom definitions. On your second reading, use the definitions to help you understand the text while learning new idioms.
More idioms and expressions in context stories
Take the following test to challenge your knowledge of idiomatic expressions

http://www.english-test.net/esl/learn/english/grammar/ie020/esl-test.php

http://esl.about.com/library/quiz/bl_phrasequiz1.htm

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