Idioms: The Grandaddy of Slang

Idioms: English is littered with them. Where each originated is a mystery to most native English speakers. They are yesterday's slang and slang is tomorrow's idiom. It's slang that has, over time, became accepted in language. Idioms are the grandaddy of slang!



They pepper our language with colour and character, helping us to express ourselves, tailoring the language to suit our individuality. We use idioms to convey something that other words do not express as clearly or as cleverly. An idiom is simply an expression which can't be understood literally, you won't find their meaning by looking up the words in the dictionary.


They are little word pictures, filling a paragraph of meaning with just one expression.


Beware, these little guys are tricky. You may be able to guess the meaning from the context, but if not, it can be difficult. Many idioms, for instance, come from favorite traditional British activities such as fighting, sailing, hunting and playing games. Some of the words in idioms were used two or three hundred years ago, or even longer, and can be a little obscure.


Mastery of them will bring your level of English to the next level, making your use of the language fun and less mechanical. Dazzle your native english speaking friends with your cleverness!


Here is your idiom for the week: Hold your horses.

If someone tells you to hold your horses, they are asking you to slow down.

When the boys heard the ice-cream truck outside the window they started to run outside. 'Hold your horses, boys', their mother yelled out, 'you have to put your shoes on first.'

Click this link for more idioms: Native English Teacher