Idiom (Latin: idioma, special property, f. Greek: idima, special feature, special phrasing, f.

f. Greek: idios, ones own) is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made. There are estimated to be at least 25,000 idiomatic expressions in the English language. In linguistics, idioms are usually presumed to be figures of speech contradicting the principle of compositionality; yet the matter remains debated. John Saeed defines an idiom as words collocated that became affixed to each other until metamorphosing into a fossilised term.[3] This collocation words commonly used in a group redefines each component word in the word-group and becomes an idiomatic expression. The words develop a specialized meaning as an entity, as an idiom. Moreover, an idiom is an expression, word, or phrase whose sense means something different from what the words literally imply. When a speaker uses an idiom, the listener might mistake its actual meaning, if he or she has not heard this figure of speech before.[4] Idioms usually do not translate well; in some cases, when an idiom is translated into another language, either its meaning is changed or it is meaningless.

An idiom is a word which means something different than what it says - it is usually a metaphor. Only people who are very good at speaking English will know what an idiom means in a sentence. There are about 4000 idioms used in American English, and at least as many in British English. To even explain what they mean requires about 2000 words of defining vocabulary. This is about the same as the most complex Simple English we use here, which is between Basic English (for the simplest articles) and 2000 words (which definition of an idiom requires). An example of an idiom would be 'break a leg' which means to put so much into something that you hurt yourself, or to 'shed crocodile tears' which means to seem sorry for something when in fact you aren't.

Background
In the English expression to kick the bucket, a listener knowing only the meanings of kick and bucket would be unable to deduce the expression's true meaning: to die. Although this idiomatic phrase can, in fact, actually refer to kicking a bucket, native speakers of English rarely use it so. Cases like this are "opaque idioms'

Literal translation (word-by-word) of opaque idioms will not convey the same meaning in other languages an analogous expression in Polish is kopn w kalendarz (to kick the calendar), with calendar detached from its usual meaning, just like bucket in the English phrase. In Bulgarian the closest analogous phrase is da ritnesh kambanata (" ", to kick the bell); in Dutch, het loodje leggen (to lay the piece of lead); in Finnish, potkaista tyhj (to kick nothing, or more literally to kick the absence of something); in French, manger des pissenlits par la racine ("to eat dandelions by the root"); in Spanish, estirar la pata (to stretch the foot); in German, den Lffel abgeben (to give the spoon away) or ins Gras beien (to bite into the grass); in Latvian, nolikt karoti (to put the spoon down); in Portuguese, bater as botas (to beat the boots); in Danish, at stille trskoene ("to take off the clogs"); in Swedish, trilla av pinnen ("to fall off the stick"); and in Greek, ("to shake the horse-shoes"). In Brazil, the expression to kick the bucket (chutar o balde) has a completely different meaning (to give up something complicated, as a bucket kicked makes too much noise, demonstrating impatience). Some idioms, in contrast, are "transparent idioms" [5]: much of their meaning does get through if they are taken (or translated) literally. For example, "lay one's cards on the table" meaning to reveal previously unknown intentions, or to reveal a secret. Transparency is a matter of degree; "spill the beans" and "leave no stone unturned" are not entirely literally interpretable, but only involve a slight metaphorical broadening. Another category of idioms is a word having several meanings, sometimes simultaneously, sometimes discerned from the context of its usage. This is seen in the (mostly un-inflected) English language in polysemes, the common use of the same word for an activity, for those engaged in it, for the product used, for the place or time of an activity, and sometimes for a verb. Idioms tend to confuse those unfamiliar with them; students of a new language must learn its idiomatic expressions as vocabulary. Many natural language words have idiomatic origins, but are assimilated, so losing their figurative senses.

Relation with culture

An idiom is generally a colloquial metaphor[citation needed] a term requiring some foundational knowledge, information, or experience, to use only within a culture, where conversational parties must possess common cultural references. Therefore, idioms are not considered part of the language, but part of the culture. As culture typically is localized, idioms often are useless beyond their local context;

nevertheless, some idioms can be more universal than others, can be easily translated, and the metaphoric meaning can be deduced. As defined by The New International Websters College Dictionary, an idiom is an expression not readily analyzable from its grammatical construction or from the meaning of its component parts. It is the part of the distinctive form or construction of a particular language that has a specific form or style present only in that language. [cite this quote] Random House Websters College Dictionary seems to agree with this definition, even expanding it further, stating that an idiom is an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual grammatical rules of a language or from the usual meanings of its constituent elements.[cite this quote] Unlike many other aspects of language, an idiom does not readily change as time passes. Some idioms gain and lose favor in popular culture, but they rarely have any actual shift in their construction. People also have a natural tendency to over exaggerate what they mean sometimes, also giving birth to new idioms by accident. Many idiomatic expressions are based upon conceptual metaphors such as "time as a substance", "time as a path", "love as war", and "up is more"; the metaphor is essential, not the idioms. For example, "spend time", "battle of the sexes", and "back in the day" are idiomatic and based upon essential metaphors. These "deep metaphors" and their relationship to human cognition are discussed by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in Metaphors We Live By (1980). In forms such as "profits are up", the metaphor is carried by "up" itself. The phrase "profits are up" is not an idiom; anything measurable can supplant "profits": "crime is up", "satisfaction is up", "complaints are up" et cetera. Essential idioms generally involve prepositions, e.g. "out of" and "turn into". Likewise, many Chinese characters[which?] are idiomatic constructs, since their meanings often not traceable to a literal (pictographic) meaning of their radicals. Because characters are composed from a small base of some 214 radicals, their assembled meanings follow different interpretation modes from the pictographic to the metaphoric to those that have lost their original meanings.

Form

Most of the time, you should use one or ones, not his or your, though for phrases that only exist in one form specific words should be used. Most of the time you should use a bare verb form, as would be found in a dictionary scrimp and save, not to scrimp and save, though sometimes you will find idioms that only exist in one form of the verb.

Code and useful templates

For the part of speech (POS), use {{infl|xx|phrase|head=}}, which correctly formats it and categorizes it as a phrase, and allows you to link the individual words or subphrases. To mark an entry or a definition as idiomatic, use {{idiom}}, which automatically inserts the proper text and category.
{{infl|xx|phrase|head=}}

You can link individual words or components using {{infl}} with the head= argument best is to link subphrases, if possible, rather than just the individual words. For foreign languages, you may find {{l}} helpful see discussion.
{{idiom|lang=}}

Use to flag idioms at the start of the definition.

{{alternative form of|}}

Use when there are several wordings for a given idiom, though it may be appropriate to use a redirect in some very similar cases, such as inflections and pronouns: burn his fingers and burning one's fingers should redirect to the pronoun-neutral and uninflected form burn one's fingers.
See WT:REDIR#Redirecting between different forms of idioms.

Caveats

Do not give literal (word-for-word) translations of idioms, unless the literal translation is actually used in the target language. Most idioms do not translate word for word.

Examples of Idiom : A A Bird In The Hand Is Worth Two In The Bush: Having something that is certain is much better than taking a risk for more, because chances are you might lose everything.

A Blessing In Disguise: Something good that isn't recognized at first.

A Chip On Your Shoulder: Being upset for something that happened in the past.

B Back Seat Driver: People who criticize from the sidelines, much like someone giving unwanted advice from the back seat of a vehicle to the driver. Back To Square One: Having to start all over again. Back To The Drawing Board: When an attempt fails and it's time to start all over. C Can't Cut The Mustard : Someone who isn't adequate enough to compete or participate. Cast Iron Stomach: Someone who has no problems, complications or ill effects with eating anything or drinking anything. Chew someone out: Verbally scold someone. D Dark Horse: One who was previously unknown and is now prominent.

Dead Ringer: 100% identical. A duplicate. Dog Days of Summer: The hottest days of the summer season. E Eighty Six: A certain item is no longer available. Or this idiom can also mean, to throw away. Elvis has left the building: The show has come to an end. It's all over. Ethnic Cleansing: Killing of a certain ethnic or religious group on a massive scale. F Feeding Frenzy: An aggressive attack on someone by a group. Field Day: An enjoyable day or circumstance. Finding Your Feet: To become more comfortable in whatever you are doing. G Get Down to Brass Tacks: To become serious about something. Get Over It: To move beyond something that is bothering you. Get Up On The Wrong Side Of The Bed: Someone who is having a horrible day. H

Haste Makes Waste: Quickly doing things results in a poor ending. Hat Trick: When one player scores three goals in the same hockey game. This idiom can also mean three scores in any other sport, such as 3 homeruns, 3 touchdowns, 3 soccer goals, etc. Have an Axe to Grind: To have a dispute with someone. I Icing On The Cake: When you already have it good and get something on top of what you already have. Idle Hands Are The Devil's Tools: You are more likely to get in trouble if you have nothing to do. In The Bag: To have something secured.

J Jaywalk: Crossing the street (from the middle) without using the crosswalk. Joshing Me: Tricking me. K Keep body and soul together: To earn a sufficient amount of money in order to keep yourself alive . Keep your chin up: To remain joyful in a tough situation. Kick The Bucket:

Die. L Last but not least: An introduction phrase to let the audience know that the last person mentioned is no less important than those introduced before him/her. Lend Me Your Ear: To politely ask for someone's full attention. Like a chicken with its head cut off: To act in a frenzied manner.

M Make No Bones About: To state a fact so there are no doubts or objections. Mumbo Jumbo: Nonsense or meaningless speech. Mum's the word: To keep quiet. To say nothing. N Nest Egg: Savings set aside for future use. Never Bite The Hand That Feeds You: Don't hurt anyone that helps you. New kid on the block: Someone new to the group or area.

O Off On The Wrong Foot: Getting a bad start on a relationship or task.

Off The Hook: No longer have to deal with a tough situation. Off the Record: Something said in confidence that the one speaking doesn't want attributed to him/her.

P Pass The Buck: Avoid responsibility by giving it to someone else. Pedal to the metal: To go full speed, especially while driving a vehicle. Pig In A Poke: A deal that is made without first examining it. Q Queer the pitch: Destroy or ruin a plan.

R Raincheck: An offer or deal that is declined right now but willing to accept later. Raining Cats and Dogs: A very loud and noisy rain storm. Ring Fencing: Seperated usual judgement to guarantee protection, especially project funds.

Scapegoat: Someone else who takes the blame. Scot-free: To escape and not have to pay. Sick As A Dog: To be very sick (with the flu or a cold). T The Best Of Both Worlds: There are two choices and you have them both. Third times a charm: After no success the first two times, the third try is a lucky one. Tie the knot: To get married. U Under the weather: Feeling ill or sick. Up a blind alley: Going down a course of action that leads to a bad outcome. Use Your Loaf: Use your head. Think smart. V Van Gogh's ear for music: Tone deaf. Variety Is The Spice Of Life: The more experiences you try the more exciting life can be.

Wear Your Heart On Your Sleeve: To openly and freely express your emotions. When It Rains, It Pours: Since it rarely rains, when it does it will be a huge storm. When Pigs Fly : Something that will never ever happen. X X marks the spot: A phrase that is said when someone finds something he/she has been looking for.

Y You Are What You Eat: In order to stay healthy you must eat healthy foods. You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover: Decisions shouldn't be made primarily on appearance. Your Guess Is As Good As Mine: I have no idea. Z Zero Tolerance: No crime or law breaking big or small will be overlooked.

References ^ The Oxford Companion to the English Language(1992) pp.49596. ^ Jackendoff, R. (1997). The architecture of the language faculty. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
1. 2.

3.

^ Saeed, John I. (2003), Semantics. 2nd edition. Oxford: Blackwell. p.

60. ^ Saeed, John I. (2003), Semantics. 2nd edition. Oxford: Blackwell. ^ Gibbs, R. W. (1987), "Linguistic Factors in Children's Understanding of Idioms." Journal of Child Language, 14, 569-586.
4. 5.

"My two cents" (2) and its longer version "put my two cents in" is an American idiomatic expression, taken from the original English idiom expression: to put in "my two pennies worth" or "my tuppence worth." It is used to preface the tentative stating of ones opinion. By deprecating the opinion to follow suggesting its value is only two cents, a very small amount the user of the phrase hopes to lessen the impact of a possibly contentious statement, showing politeness and humility. However, it is also sometimes used with irony when expressing a strongly felt opinion. The phrase is also used out of habit to preface uncontentious opinions. For example: "If I may put my two cents in, that hat doesn't do you any favours." (More polite way of saying, for example: That hat is ugly.) An example of the shortened version: "My two cents is that you should sell that stock now."

Background
There is some speculation as to the origin of the idiom.[citation needed] Some believe that the phrase originates in betting card games, such as poker. In these games, one must make a small bet, or ante, before beginning play. Thus, the phrase makes an analogy between entering the game and entering a conversation. However, there is no documentary evidence of this being the origin of the idiom and as such, is merely speculation. Other likely origins are that "my two pennies worth" is derived from the much older 16th Century English expression, "a penny for your thoughts", possibly a sarcastic response to receiving more opinion than was wanted "I said a penny for your thoughts, but I got two pennies' worth". There is also some belief that the idiom may have its origins in the early cost of postage in England, the "twopenny post", where two pennies was the normal charge of sending a letter containing one's words and thoughts or feelings to someone. "Two cents" and its variations may also be used in place of the noun "opinion" or the verb phrase "state [subject's] opinion", e.g., "You had to put your two cents in, didn't you?" or "But thats just my two cents."

The phrase "If you don't put your two cents in, how can you get change?" encourages an expression of opinion. It makes a pun on the word "change". One meaning of change is an alteration presumably to bring someone or something in agreement with an expressed opinion. Another meaning of change is the cash equivalent of an overpayment. Thus the reference to two cents is in accord with another idiom that values opinions at one cent (penny for your thoughts). This expression is also often used at the end of a statement, e.g., Just my two cents."

Examples of Simple Idioms

Incrementing a counter
In a language like BASIC, the code to increment a counter by one is mundane:
i = i + 1

The C language, and many others derived from it, have language-specific features that make this code shorter:
i += 1; ++i; i++; /* i = i + 1; */ /* same result */ /* same result */

There is a difference between the first two expressions, which yield the new version of i, and the third, which yields the old version of i. When the expressions are used as isolated statements, as in this example, the yielded value is ignored.

Pascal, as a keyword-centric language, contains a built in procedure for the same operation:
i := i + 1; Inc(i); (* same *)

These are the idiomatic ways of "adding one to a counter".

Swapping values between variables

Main article: Swap (computer science)

In many languages, code for swapping the values in two variables looks like the following:
temp = a; a = b; b = temp;

In Perl, the list assignment syntax allows a more succinct expression:

($a, $b) = ($b, $a);

Infinite loop
The code used to write an infinite (nonterminating) loop varies widely between different programming languages, although it often takes the form of a while loop where the test condition is always true. In Pascal, for example:
while true do begin do_something(); end;

There are several ways to write an infinite loop in C, including a loop very similar to the Pascal example, but the following idiom uses the unusual appearance of the empty for loop condition to draw attention visually to the loop:
for (;;) { do_something(); }

Perl allows the C syntax above, but supports some other syntax as well. For example:
do_something() while (1); # Succinct one-line infinite loop # same as while (1) { do_something() }; # Using a "naked block" and the redo operator { do_something(); redo; }

Ada loops forever this readable way:

loop

do_something; end loop;

Also readable python syntax:

while True: do_something()

Array lookup hash table

Suppose we have an array of items, and we need to perform an operation in which we often need to determine whether some arbitrary item is in the array or not. Looking up an element in an array is an O(n) operation: we have to scan the array until we meet the element, or until the end. Therefore, we create an associative array in which the array elements are keys, and the value is irrelevant. This assumes an implementation of associative arrays in which lookup is fast (e.g. hash tables, as in Perl). The following idiom is commonly used to express this in Perl:
my %elements = map { $_ => 1 } @elements;

Pimpl Idiom
In OOP the implementation details of a API-level class can be hidden in an own implementation class. A pointer (or reference) to that class is stored in the API-level class.