BY

MISS MELVINA IGBOANUGO

1. Distinguish figurative from literal
meaning
2. Enumerate several idioms commonly
used
3. Analyze the meaning of some
commonest types of idioms
4. Practice and Use idioms in sentences
 An idiom (or idiomatic expression) is a special
collocation like hit below the belt. The special
thing about it is that it has a meaning which
we cannot know by considering the
meanings of the collocates (i.e the word it
contains).
 For e.g. The President complained that the
citizens had hit him below the belt. It means
that he was criticized rather unfairly.
 This meaning is not in any way clear looking at
the words, hit, below, the, belt or in addition of
the separate meaning of the four words. It is a
meaning that has to be specially learnt as if it
was the meaning of a single word.
 The meanings of idioms can usually be checked
up in good dictionaries under one of the words
found in the idiom.
 E.g. hit below the belt may be found under the
word belt.
 The commonest types of idioms are;
a. Verb + participle combinations –
i. i. turn up- arrive
ii. ii. Call on- visit
b. Noun phrase idioms-
i. The lion’s share- the largest part of something
ii. A bird of passage- a person who does not stay long in
one place, job
iii. Birds of a feather- two people who are similar in
character
iv. Tip of the iceberg- a small part of something that is
really larger than one may think
v. A bull in a china shop- a person who is extremely
rough and clumsy where skill and care are needed
 Idioms meaning

1. Count your chickens before they Show no surprise at all

are hatched
2. Take the bull by the horns Stop the development of something

3. Not bat an eyelid Make plans which depend on something that is yet to
happen
4. Bite off more than one can chew Try to do what one finds difficult

5. Put all your eggs in one basket Find the weak points

6. Kick the bucket Do something difficult in a determined and courageous

way

7. Nip in the bud Die

8. Pick holes Lose valuable ideas in an attempt to get rid of what is

unwanted
9. Throw out the baby with the bath Doing something poorly in order to save time or money
water
10. Cutting corners Depend on a single plan of action or person for success
 1. The eldest child took the lion’ share of the cake. This
means that what the eldest child took was ____
 2. She was only trying to pick holes in the man’s
argument. This means that she was only trying to find
____
 3. What she suggested would amount to throwing out
the baby with the bath water. This means that what
she suggested would lead to ____
 4. He talked for hours, but throughout, he was merely
beating about the bush. This means that throughout
his speech, ____
 5. The Manager did that to nip the crisis in the bud.
This means that the Manager’s action was intended to
_____
 https://www.ef.com/wwen/english-
resources/english-idioms/