english idoms

1、w 就是下很大的雨.瓢泼大雨.倾盆 大雨. w -Its raining cats and dogs in New York! rain cats and dogs w 喉咙有只青蛙? 这句话是说喉咙 疼,说不出话了. w -I caught a cold and have a frog in the throat. a frog in the throat English Idioms 陈雅娜、任艺 What Is Idiom? w An idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is

2、 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. English idioms characteristics classification use Semantic unity Structural stability Idioms verbal in nature Idioms adverbial in nature Sentence idiom

3、s Idioms nominal in nature Idioms adjectival in nature Stylistic features Rhetorical features Variations idioms Characteristics of idioms 9.1 Idioms are usu. Semantically opaque, more metaphorical than literal. Sometimes, you may know every word of the idiom, but maybe you dont know the whole meanin

4、g. That is why you must learn it as a unity. Eg. Bee in ones bonnet ，know the ropes，plough the sand, be half-baked 想入非非 内行 白费力气 肤浅的 in apple-pie order, teach old dogs new tricks, kill the fatted calf 整整齐齐 教保守的人接受新事物 热烈欢迎亲人归来 The words in idiomatic expressions cannot , as a rule, be deleted, added to

5、, replaced by synonymous words, or put in s different order, without affecting or destroying the meaning. Characteristics of idioms9.1 Eg. On board, on the board, on the boards 在船上 在会上讨论 登台做演员 to leave in the air, to tread on air, to walk on air 使 悬而未决 得意洋洋 w Know (on) which side his bread is butter

6、ed w 善于为个人利益打算 w He knows on which side his bread is buttered. w He knows which side his bread is buttered on. w He knows which side his bread is buttered. w Have ones finger on the pulse掌握最新的事 态发展 w Have ones finger on the pulse w keep ones finger on the pulse w Have ones finger on the button w As

7、good as play (象戏剧那样)有趣味 w As good as gold (象黄金那样)有价值 w Parody 仿拟(故意仿照现成的成语、谚语 ，临时更换其中的某个部分来增加文字 的表达效果的修辞手段) w A friend in need is a friend indeed. w A friend in need is a friend to be avoided. 处于危难中的朋友是众人所躲避的朋友 。 wBy its syntactic function: w Phrase: n. a lame duck , sweet tongue 甜言蜜语,a snake in the

8、 grass潜在危险,cats paw被人利用,the happy medium(中庸之道)，a fly in the ointment美中不足，a bed of thorns不愉快的境遇brain trust 智囊团brain drain 智囊枯竭 w v. bite ones tongue off 后悔说过的话，jump the queue 插队，miss the boat 坐失良机，beat about the bush旁敲 侧击，keep ones head above water , blow hot and cold摇 摆不定 Classification of idioms 9.

9、2 w adj. free and easy 不拘形式，cut and dried呆板，决定 的，on call 随叫随到，wet behind the ears缺乏经验的 ，as slippery as an eel油滑的 w Adv. Heart and soul，tooth and nail竭尽全力，in a breeze 轻而易举，hammer and tongs全力以赴，with flying colors出色地，through thick and thin不顾艰难险 阻 w Sentence: proverb w One could not make a silk purse ou

10、t of a sows ear. w Nothing venture, nothing have. w Fish begin to stink at the head. w Love me , love my dog. w Give a dog a bad name and hang him. w The early bird catches the worm. w Let the sleeping dig lie. w All that glitters is not gold. w Strike while the iron is hot. w You may lead a horse t

11、o water, but you cannot make him drink. w A leopard cannot change its spots. w A small leak will sink a great ship. w Behind the mountains there are people to be found. Use of idioms 9.3 This section makes an attempt to discuss the rhetoric characteristics of idioms, including stylistic features, rh

12、etoric features and their occasional variations, since they help us to understand them correctly in actual context and use them properly in production. 9.3.1 Stylistic Features Idioms are generally felt to be informal. Some are colloquialisms and slang, and are used in informal situations, therefore

13、 inappropriate for formal style. Occasionally, we find idioms which are extremely formal and used only in frozen style. Coloquialisms hang in (there) (not to give up) Hang in there, old buddy; the worst is yet to come. big wheel (an influential or important person) Uncle Ferdinand is a big wheel in

14、Washington , maybe he can help you with your problem. make waves (create a disturbance, a sensation) Joe Catwallender is the wrong man for the job; he is always trying to make waves . cancer stick (cigarette) Throw away that cancer stick ! Smoking is bad for you! hit the sack (AmE go to bed) Im slee

15、py; lets hit the sack . dish the dirt (gossip or spread rumours about others) Stop dishing the dirt , Sally, its really unbecoming! Slang Literary expressions Come to pass (take place; happen) Strange things come to pass in troubled times. be it that (even though) And be it that indeed that I have e

16、rred, mine error remaineth with myself. in the wake of (right after; following) Famine followed in the wake of war. 9.3.2 Rhetorical Features Apart from the stylistic features, idioms manifest apparent rhetorical colouring in such respects as of phonetic manipulation, lexical arrangement and figures

17、 of speech. Phonetic manipulation (1) Alliteration （押头韵） ch op and ch ange (keep changing ones opinion) ( 反复无常 ) m ight and m ain (all ones power and strength) ( 竭尽全力 ) r ough and r eady (acceptable; simple and without comfort) ( 马马虎虎 ) p art and p arcel (most important and essential part) ( 重要部 分 )

18、 t oss and t urn (keep turning from side to side) ( 辗转翻侧 ) (2) Rhyme （押尾韵） kith and kin (relative) ( 亲戚 ) wear and tear (damage from continuous use) ( 损耗 ) Lexical manipulation (1) Reiteration (duplication of synonyms) scream and shout ( 尖叫，大喊大叫 ) ， cut and carve ( 切割 ) ， pick and choose ( 挑挑拣拣 ) ，

19、hustle and bustle ( 熙熙攘攘 ) ， (2) Repetition by and by ( 不久以后 ) ， out and out ( 彻头彻尾 ) ， such and such ( 如此这般 ) ， neck and neck ( 并驾齐驱 ) ， (3) Juxtaposition (of antonyms) here and there ( 到处 ) ， up and down ( 盛衰；起伏 ) ， hit or miss ( 不管好歹 ) ， rain or shine ( 无论晴雨 ) ， Figures of speech Large numbers of

20、 idioms are used in their metaphorical meaning, which makes them expressive, impressive and effective (1)Simile （明喻） This group of idioms almost all begins with “as” or “like”. (as) mute as a fish ( 禁若寒蝉 ) ， as dead as a doornail ( 死定了 ) ， as graceful as a swan ( 姿态优美 ) ， like a rat in a hole ( 如瓮中之

21、鳖 ) ， eat like a horse ( 吃得很多 ) ， sleep like a log ( 睡得很死 ) ， Time flies like an arrow ( 光阴似箭 ) ， spend money like water ( 挥金如土 ) (2) Metaphor 隐喻 A. Animals are used to refer to people, e.g. black sheep ( 败家子 ) ， a dark horse ( 出人意料的获 胜者 ) ， grey mare ( 管束丈夫妻子 ) ， snake in the grass ( 暗 藏的敌人 ) ； B.

22、Inanimate things to refer to people, e.g. new broom ( 新上任的人，新官 ) flat tire ( 无用之人 ) the salt of the earth ( 社会中坚 ); C. things to refer to something else, e.g. bed of dust ( 墓 ) ， crocodile tears ( 猫哭老鼠 ) ， a wet blanket ( 败兴的事 ) ， black bottle ( 毒物 ); D. actions, state to refer to abstract ideas or

23、other actions, state, etc. e.g. sit on the fence ( 采取中间态度 ) ， cut the ground from under ( 拆某人的台 ) ， fall from grace ( 堕落 ) (3) Metonymy This refers to idioms in which the name of one thing is used for that of another associated with it, e.g. in the cradle ( 幼年时代 ) ， live by ones pen ( 靠写作谋生 ) from c

24、radle to grave ( 人生 ) ， make(up) a purse ( 筹款，集资 ) (4) Synecdoche This refers to a case of using the name of one thing to substitute part for the whole and vice versa, e.g. earn ones bread ( 谋生 ) ， fall into good hands ( 落入好人之手 ) two heads are better than one ( 人多智慧 广 ) (5) Personification Failure i

25、s the mother of success ( 失败乃 成功之母。 ) Actions speak louder than words ( 百说不 如一千。 ) The pot calls the kettle black 。 ( 乌鸦笑猪 黑。 ) Fire and water are good servants ， but bad masters 。 ( 水火家中宝，过剩成灾不得了。 ) (6) Euphemism the call of nature ( 想大、小便 ) ， sleep around ( 乱搞 男女关系 ) ， powder ones nose ( 女的 上厕所 )

26、Some idioms are always used in a humourous way, such as: kick the bucket ( 翘辫子，死 ) ， give leg-bail ( 逃 走 ); some are ironic and sardonic in tones, e.g. big deal ( 有什么了不起吗 ) ， perfumed talk ( 屁 话 ) some are derogatory, e.g. a big cheese ( 大人物 ). a world of trouble ( 无穷的 麻烦 ) ， a flood of tears ( 眼泪汪汪

27、 ). 9.3.3 Variations of Idioms Structural stability discussed in previous section is not absolute. When idioms are used in actual context, they do experience grammatical changes such as different forms of verbs, greement of personal pronouns and number and so on. Occasionally, we may find changes in

28、 constituents of idioms: addition, deletion, replacement, position-shifting, dismembering, etc Replacement In some idioms, a constituent may be replaced by a word of the same part of speech, resulting in synonymous or antonymous idioms. Addition or deletion In some instances, some constituents can b

29、e added or deleted, which does not affect the meaning of the idioms. Position-shifting The positions of certain constituents in some idioms can be shifted without any change in meaning.? Shortening This occasionally occurs in proverbs and sayings, where only a part of them is used instead of the who

30、le.? Dismembering It is what I mean by breaking up the idioms into pieces, an unusual case of use of idioms particularly in literature or popular press to achieve special effect. w 把心放在袖子上,那大家都知道 你的心思了.这句话的意思就是 公开表达自己的感情,让天下人 都知道. w David is that kind of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. Wear ones heart on ones sleeve w 沙发土豆,意思就是一天到晚坐 在沙发上,无所事事,看电视打发 时间的人. w Dont be a counch potato! Couch potato enough to make a cat speak “令人惊讶令人惊讶 事情太出事情太出 奇奇” Idiom about food w carrot top w person with red or orange hair