Idioms

An idiom (Latin: idioma, "special property", from Greek: ἰδίωμα – idíōma, "special feature, special phrasing, a peculiarity", f. Greek: ἴδιος – ídios, "one’s own") is a phrase or a fixed expression that has a figurative, or sometimes literal, meaning. An idiom's figurative meaning is different from the literal meaning. There are thousands of idioms, and they occur frequently in all languages. It is estimated that there are at least twenty-five thousand idiomatic expressions in the English language. Idioms fall into the category of formulaic language.

Idioms in English

• Everything old is new again meaning: "you can't do anything unique, because it's been done before" or "the material you just discovered and loved has been around for ages"

• If it ain't broke, don't fix it meaning: If something is working adequately well, leave it alone

• Live and let live meaning: a person should live as he or she chooses and let other people do the same

• Screw the pooch - The dictionary definition of screw the pooch on Wiktionary

• The cat's out of the bag meaning: The secret has been given away

• The pot calling the kettle black - The dictionary definition of the pot calling the kettle black on Wiktionary

• The right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing meaning: the people in one part of an organization do not know what the people in another part are doing and this is causing confusion or difficulties

• Water under the bridge meaning: Something happened in the past and is no longer important or worth arguing about

See also

• Metaphors
• Proverbs