A Study of Idiomatic Expressions

1.
Introduction
Language is the most important thing to communicate with each other. It helps to
express our feelings, desires, and queries to the world around us. So, we learn our mother
tongue since we are young. When the acquisition of the mother tongue is not enough to
communicate with people from all over the world, we started to learn other different languages.
In business, for example, being able to communicate directly with new clients and companies in
their native language is one of the first steps of founding a lasting, stable international business
relationship.
Many people around the world dedicate their time to study English which is regarded as
global language. In learning English, reading, writing, listening and speaking play a significant
role. These four skills are integrated with one another. Sometimes, it is found that learners’
listening and speaking skills are weaker than reading and writing although these four skills are
learned and practiced equally. Actually, this is because of the learners’ environment that cannot
support listening and speaking skill. At that time, we can create the environment like the real
situation by listening to the speeches, Talks, BBC News, Podcasts, Songs or watching English
movies which are very useful for listening and speaking. When we can speak English fluently,
we can easily communicate with many people from other nations, and study abroad etc. To be
fluent in spoken English, we must also be familiar with the idioms. Nowadays, idioms become
popular in English. Idioms can make speaking and writing more interesting. And, we can find
that idioms are commonly used in many forms of literary works such as drama, poetry, novel,
song lyric, short story or movie script etc. Idioms can boost the conversational English Skill.
And we can use the idioms to express our talks in a new creative way.
Idioms derive from the ancient Greek word “idioma”, which means “peculiar
phraseology”, that is – a phrase that’s normal to fluent speakers but strange to others. Feare
(2013) stated that idiom is an expression which has a special meaning, and this meaning cannot
be understood completely by looking at the individual words in the idiom. Moreover, Hurford
(2007) states that idioms are multi-word phrases whose overall meanings are idiosyncratic and
largely unpredictable, reflecting speaker meanings which are not derivable by combining the
literal senses of the individual words in each phrase according to the regular semantic rules of
the language. Idyllically, when idioms are unpredictable, we can understand according to the
2
context in which they are used. Idioms have many different forms and structures. Sometimes,
they can be the forms of noun phrase or verb phrase or phrasal verb. And the idioms like those
forms can be called idiomatic expressions. Because an idiom (also called idiomatic expression)
is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning conventionally understood
by native speakers. This meaning is different from the literal meaning of the idiom’s individual
elements. In other words, idioms don’t mean exactly what the words say. They have, however,
hidden meaning. (https://ielts.idp.com/prepare/article-idioms-a-z-explained)
Seidl and McMordie (1980) say that idiomatic expressions are used in formal and
informal situations. Idiomatic expressions in formal situations are found in lectures, academic
essays and business reports. Informal idiomatic expressions are found in literature, music and
movies.
In this paper, the three selected popular Ted Talks of 2022 are used as the material. A
TED Talk is a recorded public-speaking presentation that was originally given at the main TED
(technology, entertainment and design) annual event or one of its many satellite events around
the world. TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful
talks, often called "TED talks." TED talks are made available on the TED website under
a Creative Commons free license. They are also frequently featured via social media and
multimedia sites like YouTube, Netflix, Facebook and LinkedIn. TED talks are limited to a
maximum length of 18 minutes but may be on any topic. And TED program looks for engaging,
charismatic speakers whose talks expose new ideas that are supported by concrete evidence and
are relevant to a broad, international audience.
(https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/TEDtalk#:~:text=A%20TED%20talk
%20is%20a,often%20called%20%22TED%20talks.%22)
EFL learners can improve listening skills, speaking skills and presentation skills by
watching or listening to Ted Talks. And the subject matters of talks are very useful for our lives.
So, the audiences can meet their needs for the solution of the difficulties and get the right
message from the implied meanings of the words in the talks.
The aim of the present research is to study the properties of idioms found in the “Three
Selected Popular Ted Talks of 2022”. The objectives of the present research are;
3
i. to explore the idiomatic expressions in the three selected Ted Talks
ii. to classify the properties of idioms found in the Ted Talks
iii. to investigate the contextual meanings of idioms used in the Ted Talks
iv. to examine which properties of idiom are mostly found and which are the least
The material of this research is the three selected popular Ted Talks of 2022. They are
“Why having fun is the secret to a healthier life” by Catherine Price, “A seat at the table isn’t
the solution for gender equity,” by Lilly Singh and “How to discover your authentic self-at any
age,” by Bevy Smith. They are selected from the five most popular Ted Talks of 2022. In
deciding which talks are popular, it is decided according to the number of views. All five Ted
Talks gained over 2 million views in 2022. So, they are described as five most popular Ted
Talks of 2022 in Ethos3 Blog. As an award-winning presentation design agency, Eghos3 has
been helping the world’s most trusted brands since 2006.
There are five chapters in this research. They are Introduction, Literature Review,
Research Methodology, Findings and Discussion and Conclusion. The first chapter is
Introduction. In Literature Review, history of Ted Talk, subject matters of three selected
popular Ted Talks of 2022, related research and theoretical background are described. In
Research Methodology, data collection, data analysis and data interpretation are included. The
fourth chapter contains Findings and Discussion in which the most and least frequently used
properties of idioms are found. Conclusion is described at the last chapter of the research.
This research can help EFL students to understand about the idioms and how to use
practically some idioms which are helpful in daily conversations. And it can improve the
students’ speaking skill. Moreover, the learners can get some knowledge about the real fun, a
seat at the table is not the success, and lessons for authenticity, confidence and mature success.
4
2. Literature Review
In Literature Review, idiom identification, idiom and EFL, history of Ted Talk, subject
matters of three selected popular Ted Talks of 2022, related research and theoretical background
are described.
2.1 Idiom Identification
It is found that many studies of idiom began from the year of 1969. Idioms were
categorized by many scholars with different classes and vice versa there were many researchers
of idiomatic expressions , for example, Makkai (1972), Weinreich (1969), Fraser (1970), have
largely focused on the typology, semantics, and syntactic behavior of such expressions, to the
neglect of their functions in discourse, with a few exceptions, notably Strässler (1982),
Fernando (1996) and Moon (1998), who analyze English idioms from pragmatic, functional and
corpus-linguistic approaches respectively.
Makkai (1972) divided the idioms into two types in the book “Idiom Structure in
English”. They are idioms of encoding (identifiable) and idioms of decoding (non-identifiable).
Makkai also classified idiom of decoding into two types. They are lexemic idiom and sememic
idiom. Makkai further divided lexemic idiom into six types. There are phrasal verb idioms,
tournure idioms, irreversible binominal idioms, phrasal compound idioms, incorporating verb
idioms, pseudo idioms. In sememic idioms, proverbs, familiar quotation, first base idiom,
idioms of institutionalized politeness, idioms of institutionalized greeting, idioms of
institutionalized understatement, and idioms of institutionalized hyperbole are included.
In 1982, Hockett categorized idioms into six types, namely substitute, proper name,
abbreviation, English phrasal compound, figure of speech, and slang (Hockett as cited in
Strässler. 1982). In 1994, Nunberg, Sag and Wasow identified six criteria for characterizing
idioms. They are conventionality, inflexibility, figuration, proverbiality, informality and affect.
5
Kvecses and Szab (1996: 326) argued that most idiomatic expressions are based on the
notions of metaphor and metonymy. Idiomatic expressions based on the use of metonymy take
many forms. Idiomatic expression is mainly metonymy with a certain meaning. It has
previously been established that idiomatic expressions have a meaning which is different from
their literal meaning. That intended meaning is based on using metaphor or metonymy.
Kövecses and Szabó (1996:327) pointed out that idiomatic expression includes the use of
metaphor, citing as an example the English expression to spill the beans. Davies (1982: 80) and
Gibbs et al. (1997: 141) also refered to the crucial role played by metaphor in using idiomatic
expressions. Cacciari and Glucksberg (1995: 45) claimed that consensus among people
regarding the mental image of idiomatic expressions is a result of a metaphorical notion.
Moon (1996: 21) classified idioms based on the spectrum of idiomaticity. Those are
transparent idioms, semi-transparent idioms, semi-opaque idioms, opaque idioms. Fernando
(1996:1) provided three functional uses of idioms. In his theory, an idiom can be ideational,
interpersonal or relational. Moreover, Fernando (1996) distinguished three different groups of
idioms, which are pure idioms, semi idioms and literal idioms. In 1998, Baker explained that
there are six factors affected idioms. They are addition, deletion, substitution, modification,
comparative and passive.
Sag et al. (2002) distinguished three types of (English) idioms: fixed expressions, semi-
fixed expressions, and syntactically flexible expressions. Lim (2004) proposed six types of
idiom, they are phrasal verb, prepositional phrases, idioms with verbs as keywords, idioms with
nouns as keywords, idioms with adjectives as keywords, and idiomatic pairs. In 2006, Biber
divided idioms into two types, verb + noun phrase idioms and verb + particle idioms and
Langlotz identified characteristics of idiomatic expressions namely non-compositional idioms
and compositional idioms. Robby Lou (2007) also categorized the idioms into seven types.
They are idioms with adjectives and nouns in combination, idioms with prepositions or adverbs,
two-words verbs, idioms in comparison, idiomatic verbal expressions, verbs and nouns used
together idiomatically and idiomatic adjective phrases. In 2010, idioms are divided into six
types according to O’Dell and McCarthy theory such as: simile, binomials, proverbs,
euphemisms, cliché and fixed statement. Moreover, the article “Idioms and Phraseology” by M.
Teresa Espinal and Jaume Mateu was published online in May, 2019.
The above theories are the identifications by many scholars from 1969 to 2010.
6
2.2 Idioms and EFL
Idiomatic expressions are very crucial in English learning process because they are
always used in our everyday conversations. In this way, idiomatic competence also become
popular among EFL learners. Idiomatic competence can be defined as “the ability to understand
and use idioms appropriately and accurately in a variety of sociocultural contexts, in a manner
similar to that of native speakers, and with the least amount of mental effort” (Liontas, 2002:
300). As knowledge of the idiomatic expressions of a target language helps language learners to
be better speakers (Al-Khawaldeh et al. 2016) and enables them to use the language in a variety
of social situations (Beloussova, 2015), it is evident that there is a close connection between the
EFL learners’ idiomatic and overall communicative competence. Thus, most EFL learners are
getting interested in idioms and conducted many researches concerned with them.
Laufer (2000) investigated avoidance of English idioms by EFL university students,
using a fill-in translation test, and found that lower English proficiency was associated with
greater avoidance of English idioms.
Liu (2003) conducted a corpus-based study of the spoken American English idioms
encountered most frequently by college students and provided suggestions for improving the
development of idiom teaching and reference materials, including improving the coverage of
idiom variants.
Tran (2013) investigated knowledge of 50 idioms collected from the lists of frequently
used English idioms and found poor idiomatic competence among EFL students in Vietnam.
Hernanto, Patrick Ganang (2017) conducted An Analysis of Idiomatic Expressions in
Song Lyrics from of Monsters and Men’s album My Head Is An Animal, using the theory of
Biber (2006) and Langlotz (2006) and found that verb + noun phrase idioms (4 idioms) and verb
+ particle idioms (27 idioms). Moreover, the characteristics of idiomatic expressions found are
non-compositional idioms (27 idioms) and compositional idioms (4 idioms).
Lien Sipayung (2017) conducted An Analysis of Using Idioms in Michael Connely’s
“The Lincoln Lawyer” Movie, using the theory of Robby Lou (2007) and found that the most
7
dominant type of idiom in “The Lincoln Lawyer” movie is idioms with two-word verbs. In
addition, idioms with prepositions or adverbs and idiomatic adjective phrase are the less
dominant types of idioms which found in “The Lincoln Lawyer” movie.
Maha Alhasony (2017) conducted Strategies and Difficulties of Understanding English
Idioms: A Case Study of Saudi University EFL Students, using VLT (Vocabulary Level Test), a
new version of Nation’s (1983,1990) and found that most frequently used strategies were
guessing the meaning of idioms from context, predicting the meaning of idioms, and figuring
out an idiom from an equivalent one in their mother language.
M. Jundullah (2019) conducted English Idiomatic Expressions used in “The Flash” Tv-
Series, using the theory of Lim (2004) and found that the use of idiomatic expression with the
type of phrasal verb in “The Flash” series is the most frequently used.
Nguyen Van Thao and Herman (2021) conducted An Analysis of Idiomatic Expressions
Found in Ed Sheeran’s Selected Lyrics Songs. They used two sub classes of Makkai (1972)
namely phrasal verb idioms and tournure idioms to analyze which is more dominant using
among these two sub classes. And they found that the phrasal verb idioms are the most
dominant to be depicted in this research.
Tina Puji Rahayu (2022) investigated An Analysis of Idiomatic Expressions in Toy Story
3 Film Script, using the theory of Makkai (1972) and found that 10 times with phrasal verb
idiom, 11 times with tournure idiom, 4 times with irreversible binominal idiom, 7 times with
phrasal compound idiom, and 8 times with incorporating verb idiom.
According to the above studies, it can be seen that many EFL learners are interested in
idioms or idiomatic expressions. In addition, there are two studies in which the researchers of
them have different assumption although they use the same theory. These two studies are
described as follows:
Lely Oktaviani and Misnadin (2018) conducted A Study of Idioms found in “Freedom
Writers” Movie, using Fernando’s (1996) types of idioms and Nunberg, Sag, and Wasow’s
(1994) properties of idioms and found that literal idioms become the most frequent type of the
idioms, and conventionality property is the most frequent property of the idioms.
May Myat Mon (2019) conducted Idiomatic Expressions found in the Selected Lyrics By
Justin Bieber, using the theory of Nunberg, Sag and Wasow (1994) and found inflexibility status
is frequently applied and affect is the minimum status in the songs of Justin Bieber.
8
The two researchers, who are described above, use six properties of idiomatic expression
by Nunberg, Sag and Wasow (1994). In the theory of Nunberg, Sag and Wasow (1994),
conventionality is described as “Idioms are conventionalized: their meaning or use can’t be
predicted, or at least entirely predicted, on the basis of knowledge of the independent
conventions that determine the use of their constituents when they appear in isolation from one
another”. But the researcher, Lely Oktaviani and Misnadin (2018), assumes that idioms are
conventionalized and all idiomatic expressions she collects fit with conventionality. On the
other hand, May Myat Mon (2019)’s assumption is that not the idioms are conventionalized.
Only when the meaning of idioms can’t be predicted on the basis of knowledge of the
independent conventions, those idioms are conventionalized.
2.3 History of Ted Talk
TED was born in 1984 out of Richard Saul Wurman's observation of a powerful convergence
among three fields: technology, entertainment and design. The first TED, which he co-founded with
Harry Marks, included a demo of the compact disc, the e-book and cutting-edge 3D graphics from
Lucasfilm, while mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot demonstrated how to map coastlines using his
developing theory of fractal geometry.
But despite a stellar lineup, the event lost money, and it was six years before Wurman and
Marks tried again. This time, in 1990, the world was ready. The TED Conference became an annual
event in Monterey, California, attracting a growing and influential audience from many different
disciplines united by their curiosity and open-mindedness -- and also by their shared discovery of an
exciting secret.
Meanwhile the roster of presenters broadened to include scientists, philosophers, musicians,
business and religious leaders, philanthropists and many others. For many attendees, TED became one
of the intellectual and emotional highlights of the year. That was certainly true for media entrepreneur
Chris Anderson, who met with Wurman in 2000 to discuss the conference's future. A deal was struck,
and in 2001, Anderson’s nonprofit Sapling Foundation acquired TED, and Anderson became its
Curator.
In taking the conference nonprofit, Anderson stood by the principles that made TED great: the
inspired format, the breadth of content, the commitment to seek out the most interesting people on
9
Earth and let them communicate their passion. It soon became clear that the ideas and inspiration
generated at TED should have an impact well outside the city limits of Monterey.
Accordingly, the years 2001–2006 saw three major additions to the TED family:
 a sister conference, TEDGlobal, held in locations around the world

 the TED Prize, which grants its winners one wish to change the world
 an audio and video podcast series, TED Talks, in which the best TED content is released free
online.
The first TED Talks were posted online on June 27, 2006. By September, they had reached more
than one million views. TED Talks proved so popular that in 2007, TED's website was relaunched
around them, giving a global audience free access to some of the world's greatest thinkers, leaders and
teachers.
In 2008, in part thanks to new awareness created by TED Talks, we launched TEDActive, a
simulcast version of the springtime TED Conference, allowing more people to attend at a lower price.
By 2009, the number of TED Talk views had grown to 100 million views, making Internet heroes out
of speakers like Jill Bolte Taylor and Sir Ken Robinson.
In that same year, the TED Fellows program was launched to bring up-and-coming innovators
from around the globe to the conference for free. The same year saw the creation of TEDx, a radical
opening up of the TED format to local, independently organized events. Around the same time, we
embarked on the TED Translator program, creating the infrastructure for TED Talks to be translated
into 100+ languages.
In March 2012, TED-Ed was launched, creating short video lessons aimed at educators, and April
2012 saw the debut of TED Radio Hour, a partnership that brings ideas and stories from TED Talks to
public radio listeners. All of these projects aim to create ever greater access to ideas, for free.
In the fall of 2012, TED Talks celebrated its one billionth video view. As TED Talks continue to
be watched around the world, with an average of 17 new page views a second, TED conferences and
events continue to inspire, motivate and thrill attendees. In 2014, the annual TED Conference
celebrated its 30th anniversary in Vancouver, Canada. The theme of this milestone conference: "The
10
Next Chapter," both a reflection on developments of the past 30 years as well as a look at what's
ahead.
(https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/history-of-ted)
2.4 Brief descriptions of the three selected popular Ted Talks of 2022
(i)A brief description of “Why having fun is the secret to a healthier life”, by Catherine Price
Catherine Price, an author and science journalist, discussed about fun under the title named
“Why having fun is the secret to a healthier life”. In the talk, she shared some fun-focused
advice. Nowadays, people spend time by scrolling on social media, sending emails and staring
at the screen. And they do these activities until they feel exhausted. By doing so, people are
getting unconscious of real fun. Fun isn’t an activity; it’s a feeling. According to Catherine, fun
is “radiant” which creates an automatic sense of light and joy. It’s made up of three factors –
playfulness, connection and flow. They create a truly “fun” experience when they all come
together. And there is a scientific fact that emotions like loneliness and stress affect the
hormones and increase the risk of certain diseases and illnesses. The more people have fun, the
healthier they become. As for how we have more fun, Catherine suggests that we must ignore
the suggestions in magazines, like “roast a turkey”, and we must focus on three key ingredients:
Playfulness, Connection and Flow.
(ii) A brief description of “A seat at the table isn’t the solution for gender equity,” by Lilly
Singh
Lilly Singh is a multi-talented comedian, actress, producer, writer and creator. She started her talk
with her birth was not worth phoning her grandfather’s home about. From the moment she came into
this world, she was a disappointment to so many people. She wanted to be treated equally. And what
she wanted was a seat at the table. Because there is a quote tells that “Success is a seat at the table”. In
2010, after she has noticed that there is no South Asian woman who is very strong, uses her ability a
lot and gives her perspective on the world, she started a channel under the name “Superwoman.” Lilly
11
taught herself how to write, shoot and edit her own content. When she finally understood, she posted
two comedy videos a week, and she succeeded. In 2015, she was on stage in India. The day after this
monumental milestone, she was ready to fly to Punjab, India to visit her grandfather for the first time.
Lilly’s grandfather welcomed her and her mother into his home and show her all the newspaper
clippings he had saved with her name. And he said the words he was wrong. After she challenged her
grandfather’s entrenched gender beliefs for many years, she finally got a seat at the table. In 2019, her
late-night show, “A Little Late with Lilly Singh” achieved success. She kept trying really hard to
persist her seat at the table. And then she felt very exhausted and started to feel like, “Hm, I think this
chair is a little wobbly.” But she kept trying to pull up her seat. Her goal was always a seat at the table.
However, when the chair doesn’t fit and it is wobbly, she doesn’t have the luxury of fixing it or
finding another one. So, the solution she learns is to build better tables.
She presented a set of guidelines she calls: “How to Build a Table that Doesn’t Suck”. The first
one is “Not to weaponize gratitude”. Although gratitude feels warm and fuzzy, it’s not a form of
currency. Women are assigned 10 percent more work and spend more time on unrewarded,
unrecognized and non-promotable tasks. Basically, the things men don’t want to do are being handed
to women. So, a woman shouldn’t be grateful to sit at a table. She should be welcomed to sit at a table.
The second one is “To invest in potential.” When investing in women, invest in empowering
something different, invest in a new voice. A true investment is one that values potential over proof.
Because proof doesn’t exist for women. Not because they aren’t qualified, but because they haven’t
been given the opportunity. The third one is “To make space for women”. There’s only one place
setting for a woman although it is a table for three men. When more men arrive, the table gets longer.
But when that extra RSVP is a woman, she’s usually encouraged to compete against the only other
woman that was invited to the table. So, we need to build multiple seats for multiple women, not just
one or two, so that women are not sitting on top of each other’s laps, fighting for one meal. And more
diverse teams perform better. We have to get rid of the scarcity mindset and champion each other.
Don’t be convinced to fight for one spot. Instead fight for multiple spots. She is going to be the biggest
cheerleader for many other women who are going to come on this stage. And inviting everyone in on
the table talk isn’t just a nice gesture. It makes for better, more productive, smarter conversation with
more than one point of view. In conclusion, she said that she can’t wait to create a future where we
12
have longer tables and more seats, a future where everyone is seated at the table equally, and a future
where being assigned female at birth is not a disappointment or a disadvantage.
(iii) A brief description of “How to discover your authentic self-at any age,” by Bevy Smith
In the talk, fashion executive turned TV host Bevy Smith shared hard-earned lessons about
authenticity, confidence, mature success and why life is more interesting later. At first, she introduces
herself that she is a late bloomer. She was a very successful fashion advertising executive at the age of
38, and she was really living what most people considered a dream life. It was everything that she ever
wanted it to be. One day, she realized she was only pretending to be happy. But she couldn’t stop her
good life in her prime earning years. After that, she remembered the lessons her mother, Lolly, taught
her.
Number one lesson is not to settle. So, she actually did quit her job and every day was a great
adventure. Sometimes it was very scary adventure. People asked her where she get your confidence.
At that time, she responded with a quote “She get it from her mama”. Her mother is the epitome of a
grown-up woman. When her mother was 37 years old, she already had one child, Bevy’s big brother
and she married Bevy’s dad, but she kept her maiden name. And then she had Bevy’s sister and Bevy
back-to-back. But she continued to work because she did not want to be indebted to Bevy’s dad for
money. And she cooked one day a week. Bevy says, “My mom is just amazing. And she also had this
ability of talking to her children about real life and making sure that we understood the virtues of
going your own way”. Bevy’s mother, a recent widow, carved out ways to find and determine and
define her own version of happiness. She cooked for herself. She maintained her home exactly as she
considers appropriate. She enjoyed champagne and R-rated films. Bevy’s mother could manage to
maintain her glamour, her sex appeal, and her independence. So, Bevy says that she hopes some of
that rubs off on her.
And Bevy continues about settling. Settling is very insidious. It keeps us dancing on this string,
waiting for this elusive, better day to miraculously appear. So, Bevy doesn’t settle like her mother. She
takes each day as it comes and try to make it better than the last. She also doesn’t second-guess her
decisions, and she is also not worried about her future because she is firmly rooted in the present.
13
And Bevy decided to do a little self-help ritual called “Take a note, give a note.” When you see
someone having something that you believe you deserve, you take a not. You ask yourself a few
questions. Is it something that you really want? Be honest with who you are and where you’re at in
life. And then take a deep breath and say, “Their wins have nothing to do with my worthiness.” After
that, you are ready to give a note. You go on social media, and you say congratulations. Or you pick
up the phone and you say, “Congratulations, you did that.” Instantly you will feel like a better human
being because you have actually extended grace. And you will lose your frown lines and your
wrinkles lessen and your age spots will disappear. It is better than Botox.
One of Bevy’s favorite notes is from Willie Shakespeare. “To thine own self be true.” Bevy
believes that nobody can be you but you. If you don’t really know who you are, the reason is you
suppressed the core of you and the best parts of you. But Bevy knew how to excavate to dig up a Little
Brown Bevy. She found herself with three questions. Who am I at my core? How am I being
perceived? How would I like to be perceived? For the question “Who am I at my core?”, Bevy is
looking to authentically connect with people at her core. She doesn’t believe in networking. She
enjoys an authentic connection. For the second question “How am I being perceived?”, many people
know her nickname, Bitchy Bevy. And she really enjoyed it for a time because she can make a lot of
money being a bitch, especially in fashion. But it’s also incredibly lonely and isolating, and she didn’t
want to live that life anymore. So, she decided to change her life. And she left all of that alone. And
leaving fashion obviously helped. She began to travel the world to look at architecture she had always
dreamed of. She learned how to be alone without being lonely. Her spirit shifted. She became a better
person. And she come on this stage with nothing to prove. She can’t also believe that Little Brown
Bevy from 150th Street and Eighth Avenue, from the hamlet of Harlem, is now an award-winning
radio and TV host, an author, an actress, a creative consultant. And she has got a tell-it-like-it-is
approach to life. It took her 55 years to get her. So, she is a late bloomer. And that is OK because she is
right on time. Because it gets greater later.
14
2.5 Theoretical Background
In this paper, six criteria of Nunberg, Sag, and Wasow (1994) are used to study the
properties of idioms. They are-
1. Conventionality: Idioms are conventionalized: their meaning or use can’t be predicted,

or at least entirely predicted, on the basis of knowledge of the independent conventions
that determine the use of their constituents when they appear in isolation from one
another. For example, “He kicked the bucket last night”. It means that “He died last
night”. In this sentence, “kicked the bucket” is a conventionality among idiom status as
its meaning or use cannot be predicted.
2. Inflexibility: Idioms typically appear only in a limited number of syntactic frames or
constructions, unlike freely composed expressions. For example, “Bryan shoots the
breeze in his work” can be added like “The breeze is shot by Bryan” or “The breeze is
hard to shoot”, etc.
3. Figuration: Idioms typically involve “metaphors”, (eg; “take the bull by the horns”
which is meant “do something difficult in a determined and confident way to help
someone do something, especially something that involves physical effort”),
“metonymy” (eg, “lend a hand” meant by “help someone do something, especially
something that involves physical effort”), “hyperboles” (“not worth the paper it’s printed
on” which is meant as “if an agreement or decision is not worth the paper it is written
on, it has no value or importance”), or other kinds of figuration. Of course, speakers may
not always perceive the precise motive for the figure involved why “shoot the breeze”
15
should be used to mean “chat”, for example, or “kick the bucket” to mean “die”- but
they generally perceive THAT some form of figuration is involved, at least to the extent
of being able to assign to the idiom a ‘literal meaning’.
4. Proverbiality: Idioms are typically used to describe- and implicitly, to explain a recurrent
situation of particular social interest (becoming restless, talking informally, divulging a
secret, or whatever) in virtue of its resemblance or relation to a scenario involving
homey, concrete things and relations. (eg; “climbing the walls” which is meant as “be
extremely nervous, worried, bored, or annoyed”, “spilling the beans” as “tell people
secret information” and so on).
5. Informality: Like other proverbial expressions, idioms are typically associated with
relatively informal or colloquial registers and with popular speech and oral culture.
Informal idioms are such as: “on my own” instead of alone, “no way” instead of saying
“impossible” and so on.
6. Affect: Idioms are typically used to imply a certain evaluation or effective stance toward
the things they denote. For example, “long face” meant as “ a sad face” , “pull a face” or
“make a face” meant as “show that someone does no like something or someone else by
making an unpleasant expression” and so on. A language doesn’t ordinarily use idioms
to describe situations that are regarded neutrally; “buying tickets”, “reading a book”
though of course one could imagine a community in which such activities were
sufficiently charged with social meaning to be worthy of idiomatic reference.
Moreover, to classify the property of figuration in the three selected popular Ted Talks of
2022, Nordquist’s (2019) theory of twenty figures of speech. According to Nordquist (2019), “A
Figure of speech is a rhetorical device that achieves a special effect by using words in a
distinctive way”. Twenty figures of speech in Nordquist (2019) are:
i. Alliteration: The repetition of an initial consonant sound. (eg, She sells seashells by
the seashore.)
ii. Anaphora: The repetition of the same word or phrase at the beginning of successive
clauses or verses. (eg, Unfortunately, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time on
the wrong day.)
16
iii. Antithesis: The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases. (eg; As

Abraham Licoln said, “Folks who have no vices have very few virtues.”
iv. Apostrophe: Directly addressing a nonexistent person or an inanimate object as
though it were a living being. (eg; “Oh you stupid car, you never look when I need
you to” Bert sighed.
v. Assonance: Identity or similarity in sound between internal vowels in neighboring
words. (eg; How now, brown cow?)
vi. Chiasmus: A verbal pattern in which the second half of an expression is balanced
against the first but with the parts reversed. (eg; The famous chef said people should
live to eat, not eat to live.)
vii. Euphemism: The substitution of an inoffensive term for one considered offensively
explicit. (eg’ We’re teaching out toddler how to go potty,” Bob said.
viii. Hyperbole: An extravagant statement; the use of exaggerated terms for the purpose
of emphasis or heightened effect. (eg; I have a ton of things to do when I get home.)
ix. Irony: The use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning. Also, a
statement or situation where the meaning is contradicted by the appearance or
presentation of the idea. (eg; “oh, I love spending big bucks,” said my dad, a
notorious penny pincher.)
x. Litotes: A figure of speech consisting of an understatement in which an affirmative is
expressed by negating its opposite. (eg; A million dollars is no small chunk of
change.)
xi. Metaphor: An implied comparison between two dissimilar things that have
something in common. (eg; “All the world’s a stage.)
xii. Metonymy: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is substituted for another
with which it is closely associated; also, the rhetorical strategy of describing
something indirectly by referring to things around it. (eg; “That stuffed suit with the
briefcase is a poor excuse for a salesman,” the manager said angrily.)
xiii. Onomatopoeia: The use of words that imitate the sounds associated with the objects
or actions they refer to. (eg; The clap of thunder went bang and scared my poor dog.)
xiv. Oxymoron: A figure of speech in which incongruous or contradictory terms appear
side by side. (“He popped the jumbo shrimp in his mouth.”)
17
xv. Paradox: A statement that appears to contradicts itself. (eg; This is the beginning of
the end,” said Eeyore, always the pessimist.)
xvi. Personification: A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or abstraction is
endowed with human qualities or abilities. (eg; That kitchen knife will take a bite out
of your hand if you don’t handle it safely.)
xvii. Pun: A play on words, sometimes on different senses of the same word and
sometimes on the similar sense or sound of different words. (eg; Jessie looked up
from her breakfast and said, “A boiled egg every morning is hard to beat.”
xviii. Simile: A stated comparison (usually formed with “like” or “as”) between two
fundamentally dissimilar things that have certain qualities in common. (eg; Roberto
was white as a sheet after he walked out of the horror movie.)
xix. Synecdoche: A figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole. (eg;
Tina is learning her ABC’s in preschool.)
xx. Understatement: A figure of speech in which a writer or speaker deliberately makes a
situation seem less important or serious than it is. (eg: “you could say Babe Ruth was
a decent ballplayer,” the reporter said with a wink.)
2.6 Related Research
Aye Sandar Tun (2014) from Yadanabon University, Department of English has conducted
the research on A Study of Idioms in the Selected Short Stories of P.G. Wodehouse. The theory of
Fernando (1996) is used. In her research, she looked at 130 idioms used in the selected short
stories ‘The man upstairs’ and ‘Something to worry about’ by P.G Wodehouse. At first, she
identified the idioms used in the short stories. Next, the idioms are analyzed and classified into
pure idioms, semi idioms and literal idioms. Literal idioms were most frequently found in both
short stories. This research paper suggested to do further studies to develop foreign language
competence better and to improve the EFL learners’ interpretative abilities. In this research, the
researcher didn’t describe other affective outcomes except from the type of idioms which is
most frequently found.
Maha Alhasony (2017) from College of Arts, University of Ha’il, Saudi Arabia, Department
of English has done the research entitled Strategies and Difficulties of Understanding English
18
Idioms: A Case Study of Saudi University EFL Students. VLT (Vocabulary Level Test), a new
version of Nation’s (1983,1990) is used. At first, all together 85 male and female Saudi English
major university students are randomly selected. Then, participants are examined by using
Vocabulary Proficiency Test (VLT), a questionnaire and a semi structured interview. The final
result showed that most frequently used strategies were guessing the meaning of idioms from
context, predicting the meaning of idioms, and figuring out an idiom from an equivalent one in
their mother language. The researcher suggested that it would be very interesting to carry out
further research on the difficulty of idioms and strategies for learning them by using a large
sample of individuals from different backgrounds and different universities. Further, it would be
worth investigating the differences between the same idioms’ literal and figurative meanings
according to the context.
Lely Oktaviani and Misnadin (2018) from Department of Social and Cultural Sciences,
Faculty of Social and Cultural Sciences, University of Trunojoyo Madura, Indonesia wrote the
research entitled A Study of Idioms found in “Freedom Writers” Movie. The theory of types of
idioms proposed by Fernando (1996) and the theory of properties of idioms proposed by
Nunberg, Sag, and Wasow (1994) are used. Firstly, the data are classified into three types of
idioms based on the theory of Fernando (1996). And then data are classified into six properties
of idioms based on Nunberg, Sag and Wasow (1994). The end result showed that literal idioms
become the most frequent type of the idioms, and conventionality property is the most frequent
property of the idioms. In this research, the writer assumes all idioms are conventionalized so it
is found that his all data fit with conventionality property.
May Myat Mon (2019) from Yadanabon University, Department of English has conducted
the research on Idiomatic Expressions found in the Selected Lyrics By Justin Bieber. The theory
of Nunberg, Sag and Wasow (1994) is used. In this research, 102 idioms are explored in the
selected lyrics. Idioms found in the selected lyrics are classified into six properties,
conventionality, inflexibility, figuration, proverbiality, informality and affect. The end result
showed that inflexibility status is frequently applied and affect is the minimum status in the
songs of Justin Bieber. The researcher suggested that other works such as short stories, novel
and poem etc, can be used to analyze properties of idioms by using idiomatic theories proposed
by other scholars. In this research, the writer didn’t assume all idioms are conventionalized.
19
All these researches are connected with the study of idioms. In the first research, idioms in
the selected short stories are classified into three types of idioms and identified which types of
idioms are most frequently used. The theory and material used in the first research is different
from the present research. In the second research, the writer identified the strategies used by
Saudi University EFL students to understand English idioms. The second research is the
qualitative research. So, type of this research is different from the present research but the
research field is the same. In the third one, the writer used two kinds of theory to analyze the
types and properties of idioms found in the “Freedom writers” movie. In these two kinds of
theory, the theory of idiomatic properties is similar to the present research. But the material is
different. The last research is the study of idiomatic expression found in the selected lyrics by
Justin Bieber. Although the theory of this research and the present research is the same, the
material is different.
3. Research Methodology
In this research, idiomatic properties in the selected popular Ted Talks of 2022 are
analyzed by employing the theory of Nunberg, Sag and Wasow (1994). The three selected
popular Ted Talks of 2022 are used as the materials. At first, the three selected Ted Talks are
downloaded from You Tube, watched them and gathered the transcriptions of them. And the
idioms are explored from each and every sentence of these transcriptions. The three selected
popular Ted Talks of 2022 are;
(1) “Why having fun is the secret to a healthier life”

(2) “A seat at the table isn’t the solution for gender equity”
(3) “How to discover your authentic self at any age”
They are selected from the five most popular Ted Talks of 2022. The first title is discussed
by Catherine Price. The second and the third ones’ speakers are Lily Singh and Bevy Smith
respectively. Online Farlex Dictionary of Idiom was used to check whether a phrase or a
sentence from the selected Ted Talks is or is not an idiomatic expression. It gets rating 4.2 and
version is 3.2. The theory of Nunberg, Sag and Wasow (1994) was used to classify the collected
idioms into the six types of idiomatic properties. Six types of idiomatic properties are (i)
conventionality, (ii) inflexibility, (iii) figuration, (iv) proverbiality, (v) informality and (vi)
affect. To examine whether the idiomatic expressions are formal or informal, Oxford American
20
Dictionary and Online Collins English Dictionary were employed. Collins English Dictionary
was published on the web on December 2011 and it has rating 4.0. For proverbiality, the
software of English Idioms (Phrases & Proverbs) was used. It gets rating 4.5 and version is 5.
Moreover, twenty figures of speech mentioned by Nordquist (2018) were applied to classify
figuration.
In this chapter, “Data Collection and Data Analysis” and “Data Interpretation” are described.
And the researcher used Quantitative and Qualitative approaches to collect and analyze the data.
3.1 Data Collection and Data Analysis
To collect the data, idiomatic expressions in the three selected popular Ted Talks of 2022
are explored. The data are collected by exploring each and every sentence. In this research,
Online Farlex Dictionary of Idioms is used to examine whether a phrase or a sentence is or is
not an idiomatic expression. Then, idiomatic properties are classified by using the theory
proposed by Nunberg, Sag and Wasow (1994). Idiomatic properties included in the theory are
(i) conventionality, (ii) inflexibility, (iii) figuration, (iv) proverbiality, (v) informality, (vi) affect.
When the collected data are analyzed, only the data that fit with the theory used in this research
are included in the data analysis tables. To classify the informality and proverbiality, the
software of English Idioms (Phrases & Proverbs), Oxford American Dictionary and Online
Collins English Dictionary are used. In classifying figuration, twenty figures of speech
mentioned by Nordquist (2018) are applied. There are four tables in this section to show data
analysis from the three selected popular Ted Talks of 2022 namely, “Why having fun is the
secret to a healthier life” by Catherine Price, “A seat at the table isn’t the solution for
gender equity” by Lilly Singh, and “How to discover your authentic self-at any age” by
Bevy Smith.
21
Table 1: Idiomatic properties in “Why having fun is the secret to a healthier life” by
Catherine Price
Conventionality
Proverbiality
Inflexibility
Informality
Figuration
Affect
Sr
Lines which include idiomatic expression
No.
And then on the flip side, we’ve had experiences

1. where something that doesn’t seem like it’ll be fun at ─  ─ ─  ─
all ….
…., we’ve had experiences where something that

2. doesn’t seem like it’ll be fun at all ends up feeling ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
ridiculously fun.
Here’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai

3. ─ ─ ─ ─  ─
Lama having fun together.
4. …, but the energy running through them is the same. ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

22
I do not mean you have to play games, or, God

5. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
forbid, make believe.
So, playfulness, connection and flow all feel great on

6. ─  ─ ─  ─
their own.
Being lonely and stressed out, as many of us have

7. been for the past two years, causes hormonal ─  ─ ─  ─
changes in our bodies ….
So, kind of blows my mind every time I think about

8.  ─  ─  
it this way, but having fun is a health intervention.
“Put together an alter to loved ones who have

9.  ─  ─ ─ ─
passed.”
Anything that distracts you is going to kick you out

10. ─ ─ ─ ─  ─
of flow and prevent you from having fun.
Conventionality
Proverbiality
Inflexibility
Informality
Figuration
Affect
Sr
No.
…, and giving yourself permission to get a kick out

11.   ─   ─
of your own life.
… and snuck out to a 10:30am showing of the movie

12. ─  ─ ─  ─
“Bad Moms.”
But if you know you consistently have fun when you

14. spend time with a particular person, make a point to ─  ─  ─ ─
spend time with that person.
I’ve been doing this myself for a couple of years

15. now, and its amazing to see how many areas of my ─  ─ ─  ─
life fun has touched.
Total 3 9 2 2 9 1
Grand Total 26
23
24
Table 2: Idiomatic properties in "A seat at the table isn't the solution for gender
equity” by Lilly Singh
Conventionality
Proverbiality
Inflexibility
Informality
Figuration
Affect
Sr
No.
You see, because my mom had been told that if

1. she gave birth to a daughter, it wasn't worth ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
phoning home about.
After all, she'd already given birth to my older
2. sister, and this time everyone had high hopes ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
that …
3. I'm supposed to be a funny person. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
I have the nerve to come out here and hit you

4. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
right in the feels.
5. What did I want to be when I grow up? ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
There was no South Asian woman who's very

6. loud and uses her hands a lot, giving her take on   ─ ─ ─ ─
the world.
7. I saw a seat up for grabs.   ─   
When I finally got the hang of it, I committed to

8.   ─ ─  ─
posting two comedy videos a week.
Now fast forward to 2015, and I'm on stage in

9.  ─  ─ ─ ─
India announcing my first world tour.
…, The day after this monumental milestone, I
10. was set to fly to Punjab, India to visit my ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
grandfather …
11. I nervously got out of the car, walked up to him. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
12. I nervously got out of the car, walked up to him. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─

Conventionality
Proverbiality
Inflexibility
Informality
Figuration
Affect
Sr
No.
25
Table 3: Idiomatic properties in "How to discover your authentic self-at any age" by
Bevy Smith
Conventionality
Proverbiality
Inflexibility
Informality
Figuration
Affect
Sr
No.
1 I am a late bloomer.     ─ 
I'm 55, and I'm here in this curvy body as someone
2 who has done the work, lived the life walked the walk      ─
in these very high heels . . .
So you know how when you like, buck the system and
3 go against the status quo, it makes people really   ─ ─ ─ ─
uncomfortable?
So you know how when you like, buck the system and
4 go against the status quo, it makes people really   ─ ─ ─ ─
uncomfortable?
And to those people, I respond with a quote from this
5 ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
Brooklyn poet you may have heard of, Jay-Z.
And then she had my sister Stephanie and I back-to-
6 ─   ─ ─ ─
back, but she continued to work because …..
…, but she continued to work because she refused to

7 ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
be beholden to my dad for money.
And I bet my mom was the only woman in our

8   ─ ─  ─
neighborhood who cooked once a week.
9 She maintains her home exactly as she sees fit. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
10 And I really hope some of that rubs off on me. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
11 My mom never subscribed to that. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─

As a matter of fact, she believes you may not tell your
12 ─  ─ ─ ─ ─
age, but your hands and your neck will.
In fact, I take each day as it comes but I try to make it
13 ─  ─ ─ ─ 
better than the last.
Conventionality
Proverbiality
Inflexibility
Informality
Figuration
Affect
Sr
No.
26
Table 4: Frequency and percentage of idiomatic properties in Ted Talk 1
Percentage in total
Serial Idiomatic Percentage in total
Ted Talk 1 idiomatic
No. Properties sentences of 131
properties of 26
1 Conventionality 3 11.54% 2.29%
2 Inflexibility 9 34.62% 6.87%
3 Figuration 2 7.69% 1.53%
4 Proverbiality 2 7.69% 1.53%
5 Informality 9 34.62% 6.87%
6 Affect 1 3.84% 0.76%
Total 26 100% 19.85%
Table 4 shows that six properties of idioms are used with the frequencies of twenty-six
in Ted Talk 1. The frequency of conventionality is 3(11.54%), inflexibility is 9(34.62%),
figuration is 2(7.69%), proverbiality is 2(7.69%), informality is 9(34.62%), and affect is
27
1(3.84%). In Ted Talk 1, there are one hundred and thirty-one sentences. Among them, the
sentences included the idiomatic expressions are fourteen sentences. Percentages of idiomatic
properties are also analyzed in total sentences of 131. According to this analysis,
conventionality is 2.29%, inflexibility is 6.87%, figuration is 1.53%, proverbiality is 1.53%,
informality is 6.87%, affect is 0.76%. So, total percentage of idiomatic properties in the total
sentences of 131 is 19.85%.
Percentage in total
Ted Talk 2 idiomatic
properties of 78
3 Figuration 7 8.97% 3.06%
5 Informality 10 12.82% 4.37%
6 Affect 4 5.13% 1.75%
Total 78 100% 34.06%
Table 5 shows that six properties of idioms are used with the frequencies of seventy-
eight in Ted Talk 2. The frequency of conventionality is 11(14.10%), inflexibility is
41(52.56%), figuration is 7(8.97%), proverbiality is 5(6.41%), informality is 10(12.82%), and
affect is 4(5.13%). In Ted Talk 2, there are two hundred and twenty-nine sentences. Among
them, the sentences included the idiomatic expressions are thirty-eight sentences. After
analyzing the percentages of idiomatic properties in total sentences of 229, conventionality is
4.80%, inflexibility is 17.90%, figuration is 3.06%, proverbiality is 2.18%, informality is
4.37% and affect is 1.75%. So, total percentage of idiomatic properties in the total sentences of
229 is 34.06%.
Percentage in total
Ted Talk 3 idiomatic properties
of 65
28

3 Figuration 8 12.31% 4.65%
5 Informality 10 15.38% 5.81%
6 Affect 4 6.15% 2.33%
Total 65 100% 37.78%
Table 6 shows that six properties of idioms are used with the frequencies of sixty-five in
Ted Talk 2. The frequency of conventionality is 10(15.38%), inflexibility is 30(46.15%),
figuration is 8(12.31%), proverbiality is 3(4.62%), informality is 10(15.38%), and affect is
4(6.15%). In Ted Talk 2, there are one hundred and seventy-two sentences. Among them, the
sentences included the idiomatic expressions are thirty-one sentences. Analysis of the
percentages of idiomatic properties in total sentences of 131 are as follows: conventionality is
5.81%, inflexibility is 17.44%, figuration is 4.65%, proverbiality is 1.74%, informality is
5.81% and affect is 2.33%. So, total percentage of idiomatic properties in the total sentences of
229 is 37.78%.
Table 7: Frequency and percentage of idiomatic properties in the three selected popular
Ted Talks of 2022
Ted Talk No. 3
Ted Talk No.1
Ted Talk No.2
Percentage
Total
Serial
Idiomatic Properties
No.
1 Conventionality 3 11 10 24 14.20%
2 Inflexibility 9 41 30 80 47.34%
3 Figuration 2 7 8 17 10.06%
4 Proverbiality 2 5 3 10 5.92%
5 Informality 9 10 10 29 17.16%
6 Affect 1 4 4 9 5.33%
Total 26 78 65 169 100%
29
It is shown that the total frequency of conventionality is 24(14.20%), inflexibility is

80(47.34%), figuration is 17(10.06%), proverbiality is 10(5.92%), informality is 29(17.16%),
and affect is 9(5.33%). It is found that inflexibility is the highest frequency of 81 and
proverbiality property is not found in the selected popular Ted Talks of (2022). Moreover, it is
found that informality is used with the second highest frequency of 29. Frequencies of
conventionality and figuration are third and fourth highest respectively. Proverbiality is found
with the second least frequency. Affect is found with the least frequency of 9. And it is used
only one time in Ted Talk 1. The use of conventionality property helps the audiences to learn the
wide knowledge of the innovative idioms. Using the inflexibility property makes the talks more
meaningful with fixed meanings. The use of figuration makes the talks more attractive with the
colorful figures of speech. Proverbiality property can support the messages of the talks to be
memorable. Informality property helps to understand the theme of the talks easily and the use of
affect helps the audiences to get the message of the talks directly.
3.2 Data Interpretation
In this section, the sample data interpretation of six idiomatic properties from the three
selected popular Ted Talks of 2022 is described. The data are classified into six idiomatic
properties proposed by Nunberg, Sag and Wasow (1994). After conducting data analysis, it is
found that 113 idioms are used in the three selected popular Ted Talks of 2022 and all of these
idioms fit with five idiomatic properties except proverbiality.
Sample Data Interpretation of Conventionality
“So, kind of blows my mind every time I think about it this way, but having fun is a health
intervention”.
(Why having fun is the secret to a healthier life)
In the above sentence, Catherine Price said that when we have fun, we’re relaxed and
more socially connected. So, she slightly impresses every time she thinks about fun this way.
The contextual meaning of “blows my mind” is “to impress, overwhelm or excite one to an
30
extreme degree”. The meaning of “blows my mind” is unpredictable in the sentence. So, it fits
with the conventionality.
“Put together an alter to loved ones who have passed.”

Catherine Price said these words to talk about some suggestions in the magazine articles
about how to have more fun. The contextual meaning of “put together” is “build, create”. The
meaning of “put together” is unpredictable in the sentence. So, it fits with the conventionality.
“There was no South Asian woman who's very loud and uses her hands a lot, giving her take on
the world.”
(A seat at the table isn’t the solution for gender equity)
Lilly Singh told that she noticed that there was no South Asian woman who is very
strong, uses her ability a lot and gives her perspective on the world. The contextual meaning of “her
take on” is “someone’s perspective, opinion, idea (s) about something”. The meaning of this
idiom is unpredictable so it fits with the conventionality.
“I saw a seat up for grabs.”

The above sentence told the audiences that after she have noticed there was no South
Asian woman who is very strong, uses her ability a lot and gives her perspective on the world, she
saw a chance which is available for anyone. The contextual meaning of “up for grabs” is
“available for anyone”. The meaning of this idiom cannot be predicted in the sentence. So, it fits
with the conventionality.
“I'm 55, and I'm here in this curvy body as someone who has done the work, lived the life
walked the walk in these very high heels . . .”
(How to discover your authentic self at any age)
Bevy Smith said that she is now 55 years old with the curvy body and she does the
works rather than just talking about it. The contextual meaning of “walked the walk” is “to do
what one claims one will do”. The meaning of this idiom cannot be predicted in the sentence.
So, it fits with the conventionality.
31
“So, you know how when you like, buck the system and go against the status quo, it makes
people really uncomfortable?”
In the above sentence, Bevy Smith talks about refusing the process that regularly
operates and going against the condition of affairs as it already exists. The contextual meaning
of “buck the system” is “to rebel against, avoid, or break the rules, either those of life in general
or of a specific structure or organization. The meaning of “buck the system” is unpredictable.
So, it fits with the conventionality.
Sample Data Interpretation of Inflexibility
“And then on the flip side, we’ve had experiences where something that doesn’t seem like it’ll
be fun at all ends up feeling ridiculously fun.”
In the above sentence, Catherine Price said that we have experienced something is not
really fun although we considered it will be fun. On the other hand, it is found that something is
really fun which does not seem like it will be fun. The contextual meaning of “on the flip side”
is “looking at a different or opposite aspect”. The syntactic construction of the idiom “on the
flip side” is limited in the sentence. It cannot be added or reduced. So, it fits with the
inflexibility property.
“I’m talking about finding ways to break the rules of responsible adulthood, and giving yourself
permission to get a kick out of your own life”.
In the above sentence, Catherine Price talks about the way to increase playfulness factor
which is one of the three factors to have fun. The way is that we have to give ourselves
permission to enjoy our own life by neglecting some rules of adulthood. The contextual
meaning of “get a kick out of (someone or something)” is “get a sense of enjoyment from
someone or something”. The idiom “get a kick out of” cannot be written “get a kick of” or “get
out of a kick” or “out of a kick”. So, it fits with the inflexibility property.
“You see, because my mom had been told that if she gave birth to a daughter, it wasn't worth
phoning home about.”
32
Lilly Singh told the audiences that her grandparents told her mother that if she gives
birth to a daughter, it is not worth phoning home about. The contextual meaning of “give birth”
is “to produce a baby”. The idiom “gave birth” cannot be written “birth is given”. So, it fits with
the inflexibility property.
“After all, she'd already given birth to my older sister, and this time everyone had high hopes
that she would do right and have a son.”
Lilly Singh said these words to talk about everyone’s hope for her mother to born a boy
after giving birth to her older sister. The contextual meaning of “after all” is “in spite of a
previous action or situation”. The syntactic construction of the idiom “after all” is limited in the
sentence. It cannot be added or reduced. So, it fits with the inflexibility property.
“I am a late bloomer.” (How to discover your authentic self at any age)

In the above sentence, Bevy Smith said that she is a person who fulfills their potential
later than expected. The contextual meaning of “late bloomer” is “a person who finally develops
a useful or superior skills or talents later than expected or desired”. The syntactic construction
of the idiom “late bloomer” is limited. It cannot not be added or reduced. So, it fits with the
inflexibility property.
“So you know how when you like, buck the system and go against the status quo, it makes
people really uncomfortable?”

Bevy Smith said to talk about refusing the process that regularly operates and
going against the condition of affairs as it already exists. The contextual meaning of “status
quo” is “the existing condition or state of affairs”. The syntactic construction of the idiom
“status quo” is limited. It cannot not be added or reduced. So, it fits with the inflexibility
property.
Sample Data Interpretation of Figuration
“Put together an alter to loved ones who have passed.”

33
Catherine Price said these words to talk about some suggestions in the magazine articles
about how to have more fun. The contextual meaning of “put together” is “build, create”. The
idiom used in this sentence is found as a use of “pun”. So, it fits with the property of figuration.
“Now fast forward to 2015, and I'm on stage in India announcing my first world tour.”
Lilly Singh said to talk about her first world tour in 2015. The contextual meaning of
“fast forward to (some point)” is “to consider or imagine a future point or stage in a process or
sequence of events”. The idiom used in this sentence is found as a use of “alliteration”. So, it
fits with the property of figuration.
“You know, a lot of my male mentors make comments and posts about box office numbers and
salaries and titles and those dollar dollar bills”.
Lilly Singh said to talk about her financial success. The contextual meaning of “box
office” is “A show’s or performance’s overall financial success as measured by ticket sales”.
The idiom used in this sentence is found as a use of “metonymy”. So, it fits with the property of
figuration.
“And here it was looking just like old Hollywood.”

In the above sentence, Lilly Singh said that the digital space was similar to old
Hollywood. The contextual meaning of “look like” is “to resemble someone or something”. The
idiom used in this sentence is found as a use of “alliteration”. So, it fits with the property of
figuration.
“And then she had my sister Stephanie and I back-to-back, but she continued to work because
she refused to be beholden to my dad for money.”
Bevy Smith told to talk about her mother is the epitome of a grown-up woman. The
contextual meaning of “back-to-back” is “done or occurring consecutively”. The idiom used in
this sentence is found as a use of “anaphora”. So, it fits with the property of figuration.
34
“Personally, I don’t have time for that, because the only time I want to be kept up all night long
tossing and turning is when I'm in the company of a fine-ass man.”
In the above sentence, Bevy Smith said that setting is a really sinister thing and she
don’t want to be kept up at night tossing and turning to answer that age-old question of “Is that
all there is?”. The contextual meaning of “toss and turn” is “to continuously reposition oneself
in an attempt to be comfortable enough to fall asleep”. The idiom used in this sentence is found
as a use of “alliteration”. So, it fits with the property of figuration.
Sample Data Interpretation of Proverbiality
“But if you know you consistently have fun when you spend time with a particular person, make
a point to spend time with that person.”
In the above sentence, Cathrine Price said that if a person can make us happy, we have to
try to spend time with that person. We should try to do everything that really make us fun. The
contextual meaning of “make a point” is “to consciously make an effort to do something”. The
idiom “make a point” is used to describe implicitly the making an effort which is a kind of
activity occurs often in the society. So, it fits with the property of proverbiality.
“I’m talking about finding ways to break the rules of responsible adulthood, and giving yourself
permission to get a kick out of your own life”.
In the above sentence, Catherine Price talks about the way to increase playfulness factor
which is one of the three factors to have fun. The way is that we have to give ourselves
permission to enjoy our own life by neglecting some rules of adulthood. The contextual
meaning of “get a kick out of (someone or something)” is “get a sense of enjoyment from
someone or something”. The idiom “get a kick out of” is used to describe implicitly the feeling
of enjoyment which occurs often in the society. So, it fits with the property of proverbiality.
“And women- yeah, go ahead, live it up, live your life.”

Lilly Singh said to cheer the women to carry on their job and enjoy themselves. The
contextual meaning of “live it up” is “to really enjoy oneself”. The idiom “live it up” is used to
35
describe implicitly the feeling of enjoyment which occurs often in the society. So, it fits with the
property of proverbiality.
“Because I’ve fallen victim to this so many times, and women, let me know if you’ve
experienced this.”
In the above sentence, Lilly Singh said the audiences that she had the scarcity mindset
and had been injured by this scarcity. The contextual meaning of “fall victim (to something)” is
“be injured, damaged or killed by something”. The idiom “fall victim” is used to describe
implicitly the situation of getting into trouble which occurs often in the society. So, it fits with
the property of proverbiality.
“And so what I wound up having to do was really get a grip.”

Bevy Smith said to control the emotions and assess a few things about ourselves. The
contextual meaning of “get a grip” is “to control one’s emotions”. The idiom “get a grip” is
used to describe implicitly the behavior of controlling the emotions which occurs often in the
society. So, it fits with the property of proverbiality.
“I'm 55, and I'm here in this curvy body as someone who has done the work, lived the life
walked the walk in these very high heels . . .”
Bevy Smith said that she is now 55 years old with the curvy body and she does the
works rather than just talking about it. The contextual meaning of “walked the walk” is “to do
what one claims one will do”. The idiom “walk the walk” is used to describe implicitly the
behavior of doing exactly what he/she said which occurs often in the society. So, it fits with the
property of proverbiality.
Sample Data Interpretation of Informality
“Here’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama having fun together”.
36
Catherine Price said to talk about the photo in which Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the
Dalai Lama are having fun together. The contextual meaning of “have fun” is “experience
enjoyment”. It is related with oral culture. So, it fits with the informality property.
“So, playfulness, connection and flow all feel great on their own.”
Catherine Price said to talk about the three factors to have more fun and they are good
through their individual means. The contextual meaning of “on one’s own” is “by or through
one’s individual efforts or means”. It is related with informal register. So, it fits with the
informality property.
“When I finally got the hang of it, I committed to posting two comedy videos a week.”
Lilly Singh said the audiences that she taught herself how to write, shoot and edit her
own content on You Tube. The contextual meaning of “get the hang of something” is “to
become familiar with something”. It is related with informal register. So, it fits with the
informality property.
“And I got to give a huge shout out to NBC for boldly trying to break late-night tradition.”
Lilly Singh said that she has to give an expression of respect to NBC News for trying to
make famous late-night tradition. The contextual meaning of “shout out” is “a greeting, salute
or expression of respect to someone addressed to someone while one is being recorded or
broadcast, as on radio, television or the internet”. It is related with oral culture. So, it fits with
the informality property.
“And I bet my mom was the only woman in our neighborhood who cooked once a week.”
Bevy Smith said the audiences that she is certain that her mother was the only woman
who cooked once a week. The contextual meaning of “I bet” is “I am certain (that)”. It is related
with informal register. So, it fits with the informality property.
“What that means is that I also don't second-guess my decisions, and I'm also not worried
about my future because I’m firmly rooted in the present.”
37

In the above sentence, Bevy Smith said to talk about her life style. She never doubts her
decisions, and she never think too much about her future because she just live in the present.
The contextual meaning of “second-guess” is “to question or doubt someone or something
retroactively. It is related with informal register. So, it fits with the informality property.
Sample Data Interpretation of Affect
“So, kind of blows my mind every time I think about it this way, but having fun is a health
intervention.”
Catherine Price said that having fun make us relaxed and more socially connected. So,
she is somewhat excited every time she thinks about fun this way. The contextual meaning of
“blows my mind” is “to impress, overwhelm or excite one to an extreme degree”. The speaker
said with the implied meaning to describe her amazement about the benefits of having fun. This
idiom is expressed implicitly to show being excited to an extreme degree with the affective
stance. So, it fits with the property of affect.
“Because I’ve fallen victim to this so many times, and women, let me know if you’ve
experienced this.”
In the above sentence, Lilly Singh said the audiences that she had the scarcity mindset
and had been injured by this scarcity. The contextual meaning of “fall victim (to something)” is
“be injured, damaged or killed by something”. The speaker said with the implied meaning to
describe her getting into trouble cause of scarcity mindset. This idiom is expressed implicitly to
show the damage with the affective stance. So, it fits with the property of affect.
“Now, I believe stories make the world go around.”

Lilly Singh said these words to make funny. The contextual meaning of “make the world
go around” is “to be of critical importance to the ordinary operation of life”. The speaker said
with implied meaning to describe the crucial role of stories. This idiom is expressed implicitly
to show the importance with the affective stance. So, it fits with the property of affect.
“In fact, I take each day as it comes but I try to make it better than the last.”
38

In the above sentence, Bevy Smith said that she never worries about the future. The
contextual meaning of “take each day as it comes” is “to deal with or manage things as they
occur”. The speaker said with implied meaning to describe her life style. The idiom is expressed
implicitly to show that she manages things as they occur without worrying. So, it fits with the
property of affect.
“And I’ve got a tell-it-like-it-is approach to life that’s always dosed with a ladle of love”.
Bevy Smith said to talk about the way she behaves in life and society. The contextual
meaning of “tell-it-like-it-is” is “to speak truthfully, even if what is being said is undesirable to
the listener”. The speaker said with implied meaning to describe her authenticity. The idiom is
expressed implicitly to show that her perception about the authenticity. So, it fits with the
property of affect.
4. Findings and Discussion

In this research, idiomatic expressions in the three selected popular Ted Talks of 2022
are analyzed in terms of Nunberg, Sag and Wasow’s (1994) six idiomatic properties:
conventionality, inflexibility, figuration, proverbiality, informality and affect.
39
37.78%
40.00%
34.06%
35.00%
30.00%
25.00%
19.85%
17.90%
17.44%
20.00%
15.00%
6.87%
6.87%
10.00%
5.81%
5.18%
4.80%
4.37%
4.65%
1.75%
2.33%
2.29%
5.00%
0.76%
3.06% 2.18%
1.53% 1.53%1.74%
0.00%
t tal
lity ilit
y ion ial
ity ali
ty fec To
iona xib urat r b rm Af
t fle ve
en In Fig o Inf
o
onv Pr
C
Ted Talk 1 Ted Talk 2 Ted Talk 3
Figure (1): A Comparison of the percentages of idiomatic properties in total sentences of

the Three Popular Ted Talk of 2022
Figure 1 represents the comparison of the percentages of the use of idiomatic properties
in total sentences of the three selected Ted Talks “Why having fun is the secret to a healthier
life”, “A seat at the table isn’t the solution for gender equity”, and “How to discover your
authentic self at any age”. When the percentages of conventionality property are compared, the
percentage of conventionality property in Ted Talk 3 is highest with 5.18%, in Ted Talk 2 is
second highest with 4.80% and in Ted Talk 3 is least with 2.29%. In this way, it can be assumed
that Ted Talk 3 gives the most many innovative idioms to the audiences among the three talks.
In the comparison of the percentages of inflexibility property, the percentage of inflexibility
property in Ted Talk 2 is highest with 17.90%, in Ted Talk 3 is second highest with 17.44% and
in Ted Talk 1 is least with 6.87%. It can be said that Ted talk 2 is the most understandable across
the three talks. Because the idioms with fixed meaning are mostly used in talk 2. The
comparison of the percentages of figuration property shows that the percentage of figuration
property in Ted Talk 3 is highest with 4.65%, in Ted Talk 2 is second highest with 3.06% and in
Ted Talk 1 is least with 1.53%. Most idioms with the property of figuration in talk 3 fit with
alliteration and talk 3 is the most attractive talk with the figures of speech. The percentage of
40
proverbiality property is highest in Ted Talk 2 with 2.18%, second highest in Ted Talk 3 with
1.74% and least in Ted Talk 1 with 1.53%. It can be noted that the message of the talk 2 is the
most memorable for the audiences. The percentage of informality property is highest in Ted
Talk 1 with 6.87%, second highest in Ted Talk 3 with 5.81% and least in Ted Talk 2 with 4.37%.
It can be assumed that the theme and meaning of the talk 1 is the most understandable among
the three talks. And it is found that the percentage of affect is highest in Ted Talk 3 with 2.33%,
second highest in Ted Talk 2 with 1.75% and least in Ted Talk 1 with 0.76%. So, the main facts
in the talk 3 are easiest to notice.
The following figure is to present the percentage of idiomatic properties in the three
selected popular Ted Talks of 2022 according to the total frequency of idiomatic properties.
14% 1 Convetionality
100% 2 Inflexibility
47.34% 3 Figuration
4 Proverbial-
5 ity
Informal-
6 ity
Affect
7 Total
10%
5% 17% 5.92%
Figure (2): Percentage of Idiomatic Properties in the Three Selected Popular Ted Talks of
2022
According to the result, there are all together 91 idioms with the total frequency of one
hundred and sixty-nine in the three selected Ted Talks. As shown in the above figure, the
percentage of conventionality is 14.20%, inflexibility is 47.34%, figuration is 10.06%,
proverbiality is 5.92%, informality is 17.16%, and affect is 5.33%.
It is found that inflexibility is the highest percentage and it can be said that the speakers
make their talks more meaningful with fixed meanings because the syntactic structures of most
of the idioms are limited and they cannot be changed by adding or reducing the constituents.
Therefore, the audiences cannot be confused with the meaning of the talks. The second highest
41
percentage is informality and the use of informality helps the audiences to understand the theme
of the talks easily. In these three Ted Talks, speakers talk informally and it can be assumed that
they want to give the audiences their personal and emotional perspectives clearly. The third
highest percentage is conventionality and the use of conventionality helps to make the talk more
attractive and to acquire many innovative idioms. Although figuration property is not used
much, it’s percentage is more than the properties of proverbiality and affect. And it is found that
idioms with figuration property fit with alliteration, pun and metonymy. The use of figuration
makes the talks more interesting. Proverbiality property is found with the second least
percentage and it is found that this property supports the messages of the talks to be memorable.
Affect is the least percentage in the three selected Ted Talks. Only nine affects are found in the
three selected Ted Talks. However, these affects help the audiences to recognize the main facts.
5. Conclusion
Idiomatic expressions are used to express the ideas in many different ways and they are
used in daily conversations by English speaker. So, idiomatic competence plays the crucial role
in learning English. Although idiom competence is not entirely necessary for an effective
42
communication, it is one of the marks of a competent and effective speaker (Liontas, 2017),
which every language learner strives to become. Idiomatic competence can be defined as “the
ability to understand and use idioms appropriately and accurately in a variety of sociocultural
contexts, in a manner similar to that of native speakers, and with the least amount of mental
effort” (Liontas, 2002: 300). As knowledge of the idiomatic expressions of a target language
helps language learners to be better speakers (Al-Khawaldeh et al, 2016) and enables them to
use the language in a variety of social situations (Beloussova, 2015).
The aim of the present research is to study the idiomatic properties in the three selected
popular Ted Talks of 2022. The objectives are to explore the idiomatic expressions in the three
selected Ted Talks, to classify the properties of idioms found in the Ted Talks, to investigate the
contextual meanings of idioms used in the Ted Talks and to examine which properties of idiom
are mostly found and which are the least. In this paper, 91 idioms in the selected Ted Talks are
explored. They are classified into six properties of idiom proposed by Nunberg, Sag and Wasow
(1994). Six properties are conventionality, inflexibility, figuration, informality, proverbiality and
affect. According to the findings, inflexibility property is mostly used in all of the three Ted
Talks. It is assumed that the aim of the speakers of the three talks are same and it is to give the
definite theme and meaning of the talks to the audiences. Next, the use of affect property is least
in all of the three talks. So, it can be said that the speakers don’t want to make the audiences
confused by using implied meaning, although affect property can help to notice the main facts.
The left four properties of idioms are appropriately used in the talks.
Moreover, contextual meanings of the idiomatic expressions are investigated. The

speakers of the talks use idiomatic expressions to make their talks more interesting and to share
their knowledges of idiomatic expressions. The people who don’t have the knowledge of
idiomatic expressions cannot get the theme of the talks. And idioms are widely used in daily
conversations. So, they should pay attention to learn the idiomatic expressions.
The previous researcher, May Myat Mon (2019) also presented idiomatic expressions
found in the selected lyrics by Justin Biber with the theory of Nunberg, Sag and Wasow (1994).
In her research, the inflexibility property is also the highest frequency among other property.
And proverbiality property is not also found in her research. In this paper, all properties of
idioms included in the theory of Nunberg, Sag and Wasow (1994) are found.
43
It can be learned that idioms can be used to express the ideas in different ways, idioms
have many forms, many idiomatic theories are there. Moreover, from the selected Ted Talks,
what is real fun?, the quote like “ Success is a seat at the table” is not true and the lessons for
authenticity can also be learned.
This paper mainly focuses on the idiomatic expressions in the three selected popular Ted
Talks of 2022. Ted Talks are not just an entertainment. They share a lot of knowledge which are
useful for our lives. And they can be used as a teaching material in learning English. Because
from watching or listening Ted Talks, EFL students can acquire many different idioms and
vocabularies, and they can learn the pronunciation of the native speakers. The researcher would
like to suggest that other works such as movie, podcast, newspaper article and magazines etc.,
can be used to analyze the idioms by using idiomatic theories proposed by other scholars.
References
Aye, S. T. (2014). A Study of Idioms in the Selected Short Stories of P.G. Wodehouse, MA
thesis,Yadanabon University, Myanmar.
Chenguang, C. (2006). Idiomatic expressions in English: a textual analysis. Retrieved May 27,
2014, from
44
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235889413_Idiomatic_expressions_in_English
_a_textual_analysis.
Harper, C. (n.d.). In CollinsDictionary.com. Retrieved from
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/about/.
Hernanto, Patrick, G. (2017). An Analysis of Idiomatic Expressions in Song Lyrics from Of
Monster and Men’s Album My Head is An Animal. Retrieved Dec 19,2017, from
http://repository.usd.ac.id/13931/
Hijab, M. A., (2014). The Structure and Context of Idiomatic Expressions in the Saudi Press.
Retrieved Feb 19, 2015, from https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/7678/.
Keith, F. (2011). In Oxford American Dictionary for learners of English. Oxford University
Press.
Kamila, S. S., Ni, M. A. W., I, G. S., (2017), The Analysis of Idioms in Katy Perry’s “Prism”
Songs Lyrics, Jurnal Humanis, Fakultas Ilmu Budaya Unud, 21(1), 203-208.
Lely, O., & Misnadin (2018). A Study of Idioms found in “Freedom Writers” Movie, University
of Trunojoyo Madura, Indonesia.
Lien, S. (2017). An Analysis Of Using Idioms In Michael Connely’s “The Lincoln

Lawyer” Movie, The Episteme The Journal of English Literature and Linguistics, 4(1), 1-
21.
Maha H. Alhasony (2017). Strategies and Difficulties of Understanding English Idioms: A Case
Study of Saudi University EFL Students, College of Arts, University of Ha’il, Saudi
Arabia.
May, M. M. (2019). Idiomatic Expressions Found In The Selected Lyric By Justin Bieber, MA
thesis, Yadanabon University, Myanmar.
Nguyen, V. T., Herman (2021). An Analysis of Idiomatic Expressions Found in Ed Sheeran’s

Selected Lyrics Songs, Middle European Scientific Bulletin ,8.
Nunberg, G., Sag, I. A. & Wasow, T. (Sep.,1994). Idioms. Linguistic Society of America, 70(3),
491-538.
45
Paul. K., Sag, I. A., Dan, F. (2014). A Lexical Theory of Phrasal Idioms. Retrieved May 16,
2014, from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262372113_A_Lexical_Theory_of_Phrasal_Id
ioms
Rahayu, T. P., (2022). An Analysis of Idiomatic Expressions in Toy Story 3 Film Script.
Retrieved Nov 24, 2022, from http://etheses.iainponorogo.ac.id/21948/.
Rahayu, T. P., (2022). An Analysis of Idiomatic Expressions in Toy Story 3 Film Script.
Retrieved Nov 24, 2022, from http://etheses.iainponorogo.ac.id/21948/.

A Study of Idiomatic Expressions

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

A Study of Idiomatic Expressions

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1.

i. to explore the idiomatic expressions in the three selected Ted Talks

ii. to classify the properties of idioms found in the Ted Talks

2.1 Idiom Identification

2.2 Idioms and EFL

2.3 History of Ted Talk

 a sister conference, TEDGlobal, held in locations around the world

2.5 Theoretical Background

1. Conventionality: Idioms are conventionalized: their meaning or use can’t be predicted,

iii. Antithesis: The juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases. (eg; As

2.6 Related Research

(1) “Why having fun is the secret to a healthier life”

3.1 Data Collection and Data Analysis

And then on the flip side, we’ve had experiences

…., we’ve had experiences where something that

Here’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai

4. …, but the energy running through them is the same. ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

I do not mean you have to play games, or, God

So, playfulness, connection and flow all feel great on

Being lonely and stressed out, as many of us have

So, kind of blows my mind every time I think about

“Put together an alter to loved ones who have

Anything that distracts you is going to kick you out

…, and giving yourself permission to get a kick out

… and snuck out to a 10:30am showing of the movie

But if you know you consistently have fun when you

I’ve been doing this myself for a couple of years

You see, because my mom had been told that if

3. I'm supposed to be a funny person. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─

I have the nerve to come out here and hit you

5. What did I want to be when I grow up? ─  ─ ─ ─ ─

There was no South Asian woman who's very

7. I saw a seat up for grabs.   ─   

When I finally got the hang of it, I committed to

Now fast forward to 2015, and I'm on stage in

11. I nervously got out of the car, walked up to him. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─

12. I nervously got out of the car, walked up to him. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─

…, but she continued to work because she refused to

And I bet my mom was the only woman in our

9 She maintains her home exactly as she sees fit. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─

10 And I really hope some of that rubs off on me. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─

11 My mom never subscribed to that. ─  ─ ─ ─ ─

Table 4: Frequency and percentage of idiomatic properties in Ted Talk 1

Table 5: Frequency and percentage of idiomatic properties in Ted Talk 2

Table 6: Frequency and percentage of idiomatic properties in Ted Talk 3

2 Inflexibility 30 46.15% 17.44%

Ted Talk No.2

It is shown that the total frequency of conventionality is 24(14.20%), inflexibility is

3.2 Data Interpretation

Sample Data Interpretation of Conventionality

“Put together an alter to loved ones who have passed.”

“I saw a seat up for grabs.”

Sample Data Interpretation of Inflexibility

“I am a late bloomer.” (How to discover your authentic self at any age)

(How to discover your authentic self at any age)

Sample Data Interpretation of Figuration

“Put together an alter to loved ones who have passed.”

“And here it was looking just like old Hollywood.”

Sample Data Interpretation of Proverbiality

“And women- yeah, go ahead, live it up, live your life.”

“And so what I wound up having to do was really get a grip.”

Sample Data Interpretation of Informality

(How to discover your authentic self at any age)