What do you think it means… if I told you that learning about idioms is a piece of cake? But, how did you know what a piece of cake means? You’re right!

So, what is an idiom anyway? An idiom is a group of words which, when used together, have a different meaning entirely, than when used separately. There are more than 15,000 idioms in the English language. Most of the time, we use idioms without ever realizing that we are.

Would an example help? But, when the words are used together, as in couch + potato, Look at the following words defined separately : couch = something we sit on potato = vegetable we eat

...the words take on a whole different meaning.

A couch potato is an idiom that describes someone who is lazy and spends a lot of time watching television. Do you know someone who is a couch potato?

You might have heard people say… Have you ever seen cats and dogs falling from the sky? It’s raining cats and dogs outside.

So, do you think an idiom is meant to be a lie?

No, of course not. Idioms are more like a code. People use idioms to make a point. They say one thing, but really mean another. Raining cats and dogs is just another way of saying it is raining really hard outside.

What is weird… is that even though idioms mean something drastically different from what we actually say, everyone else seems to understand exactly what we really mean!

…well, everyone who speaks the same language.

Let me explain. Every language has its own idioms. If you are trying to learn a second language, you are going to be very mixed up when you hear idioms from another language.

For Example: If you heard someone say “this problem is driving me up the wall,” YOU would know that it means to be really annoyed. But, can you imagine if you heard someone say this and you understood very little English?

Should idioms be taken literally? No, if you take idioms word for word, they do not make much sense at all. For example: To bury your head in the sand, means to ignore something that is obviously wrong.

Do you think this would be a very good idea?

This may be a familiar idiom… Maybe someone has told you to zip your lips! You did not really zip your mouth. You knew this really meant to be quiet, no talking.

See if you can figure this one out…

What do you think this idiom means? Put your foot in your mouth Correct. It means to say something you regret. Your right!

These next few slides are a bit more challenging… So, I suggest you might want to put on your thinking cap!

See if you can figure these out…

That’s right. A hidden or shocking secret that you don’t want others to know. You are correct! Skeletons in the closet What might this idiom be referring to?

How about this one?

When someone says, “the cat’s got your tongue,” it means you are at a loss for words or speechless. You are correct! The cat’s got your tongue. What do you think is the meaning of this phrase?

Have you ever heard this idiom? Barking up the wrong tree Can you take a guess what this idiom means?

It means going about something the wrong way. Why do you think people say this?

Try and name this idiom

It is when pigs fly. Your right again! Can anyone use this idiom in a sentence correctly? Are these idioms just too easy OR are you just too smart?

Okay, now it is time to… Why should we use idioms in our writing?

We need idioms because… Idioms enhance the quality our writing. Using idioms makes our writing interesting, more vivid, and descriptive. Idioms can be really funny, too!

But, idioms are most effective when used sparingly.

The bad news Sometimes, idioms can be very difficult to understand unless you can guess the meaning by using context clues or pictures. But, the good news is…

There are many helpful dictionaries and online resources available to help us better understand and practice using idioms.

Eye On Idioms I hope everything you learned about idioms didn’t go in one ear and out the other? Because, now it is quiz time!

Now it is your turn Explore the following websites: Make a list of idioms you might use in your writing. Be sure to write down the idiom’s meaning so you will remember it.