We come across thousands of phrases.

Many of them are known to us but there are some we may not have used or heard. So, I wish to know more of them and share that I know.These are some idioms and phrases, that we use in our daily English language. 1. Piece of Cake- Something easy. Ex. - Making Rajma is a piece of cake for me. 2. At Stake - At risk. Ex. - Raju has made Satyam's business and repo at stake. 3. Beyond Question -Undoubtedly. Ex. - Chitvish's recipes are beyond question, easy and tasty to make. 4. Paint the town Red- enjoy nightlife with drinks. Ex.- Yesterday, all the boys of my class painted the town red. 5. Dress to kill - Wear one's finest clothes. Ex. - You are dressed to kill today, your fiancee will marry you today itself.

An idiom is a phrase where the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words, which can make idioms hard for ESL students and learners to understand.

What are 10 examples of idiomatic expressions with sentences and it's meanig?
please answer my question...If possible please give your answers today cause I need to finish this homework of mine!!!:d

3 years ago Report Abuse

Barbara

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

1. To kick the bucket - to die. 'I heard the mafia boss had kicked the bucket' 2. After one's own heart - having the same ideas, preferences or behaviours as oneself.

'You like dunking rich tea biscuits too, a man after my own heart' 3. To add fuel to fire - to make a situation worse. 'First he dropped the pot plant, then adding fuel to the fire he trod on it' 4. A little bird told me - information gained from someone who you are not going to name. 'Let's just say I know about it because a little bird told me'. 5. Kettle of fish - A situation different or alternative to some other situation, but not nec. unfavourable. 'Oh, you mean knitting a jumper, well that's a different kettle of fish entirely'. 6. Can of worms - A complex, troublesome situation arising when a decision or action produces considerable subsequent problems. 'If you promote him to captain of the football team when he is not suitable, this could open a can of worms with the other players'. 7. A few sandwiches short of a picnic - mad, not sane. 'He talks to himself, I think he's a few sandwiches short of a picnic'. 8. Brownie point - Credit or praise for good work or a good deed. 'You'll get brownie points with your girlfriend for buying her flowers'. 9. Bark up the wrong tree - to take the wrong approach to something or follow a false lead. 'If you think you will get him to change his mind just by asking nicely you are barking up the wrong tree'. 10. Bring home the bacon - to earn a living and make money for your family to live on. 'Women these days not only take care of the ho

Definition: A set expression of two or more words that means something other than the literal meanings of its individual words. Adjective: idiomatic.

Examples and Observations:

"Every cloud has its silver lining but it is sometimes a little difficult to get it to the mint." (Don Marquis)

"Fads are the kiss of death. When the fad goes away, you go with it." (Conway Twitty)

Functions of Idioms "People use idioms to make their language richer and more colorful and to convey subtle shades of meaning or intention. Idioms are used often to replace a literal word or expression, and many times the idiom better describes the full nuance of meaning. Idioms and idiomatic expressions can be more precise than the literal words, often using fewer words but saying more. For example, the expression it runs in the family is shorter and more succinct than saying that a physical or personality trait 'is fairly common throughout one's extended family and over a number of generations.'" (Gail Brenner, Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook. Webster's New World, 2003) "If natural language had been designed by a logician, idioms would not exist." (Philip Johnson-Laird, 1993) "Idioms, in general, are deeply connected to culture. . . . Agar (1991) proposes that biculturalism and bilingualism are two sides of the same coin. Engaged in the intertwined process of culture change, learners have to understand the full meaning of idioms."

The Idiom Principle "The observation that meanings are made in chunks of language that are more or less predictable, though not fixed, sequences of morphemes leads [John] Sinclair [in Corpus Concordance Collocation, 1991] to an articulation of the 'idiom principle.' He states the principle thus: The principle of idiom is that a language user has available to him or her a large number of semi-preconstructed phrases that constitute single choices, even though they might appear to be analysable into segments (Sinclair 1991): 110) The study of fixed phrases has a fairly long tradition . . ., but phrases are normally seen as outside the normal organising principle of language. Here, Sinclair extends the notion of phraseology to encompass a great deal more of language than it is commonly considered to encompass. At its strongest, we might say that all senses of all words exist in and are identified by the sequences of morphemes in which they typically occur."

A phrase is a small group of words that adds meaning to a word. A phrase is not a sentence because it is not a complete idea with a subject and a predicate. In English there are five different kinds of phrases, one for each of the main parts of speech. In a phrase, the main word, or the word that is what the phrase is about, is called

the head. In these examples, it is printed in bold. The other words in the phrase do the work of changing or modifying the head. In a noun phrase, one or more words work together to give more information about a noun.

all my dear children the information age seventeen hungry lions in the rocks

In an adjective phrase, one or more words work together to give more information about an adjective.

so very sweet earnest in her desire very happy with his work

In a verb phrase, one or more words work together to give more meaning to a verb. In English, the verb phrase is very complex, but a good description of its many forms can be found here. In an adverb phrase, one or more words work together to give more information about an adverb.

especially softly formerly of the city of Perth much too quickly to see clearly

In a prepositional phrase, one or more words work together to give information about time, location, or possession, or condition. The preposition always appears at the front of the phrase.

after a very long walk behind the old building for all the hungry children in case it should happen again

What is a Phrase ?
Phrase - A group of words, which makes sense, but not complete sense, is called a Phrase. It is a group of related words without a Subject and a Verb. Words/group of words in italics are phrases in examples below -

1). The sun rises in the east. 2). Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. 3). She wore a hat with blue trimming. 4). The accident on the bridge was not serious. 5). The girl with red hair is an artist. Identify phrases in the sentence below: Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature. For answer to above, click: What is a Phrase?