While reading a newspaper or even a novel, you many find yourself encountering abnormal phrases that involve prepositions which can confuse your understanding of what the writer is saying. These sometimes problematic words are not only used in English writing but also in English speech. In the English language, these awkward expressions are called idioms.
Idioms in English
There are many different idioms in English used to exaggerate a expression in either a positive or negative tone. “Break a leg” is one of the most popular combination of phrases and idioms used in in the English language. While the phrase “break a leg” translated literally means to break a leg, the speaker is not really telling someone to break their leg. By using this phrase, the speaker is implying a indirect wish of good luck.
Meaning of Idioms
Idioms are primarily figurative words or phrases that are entirely separate from the actual dictionary definition. Idiomatic word groupings have no particular logical explanation as they are phrases totally based on informal abstract concepts.
Idioms list
Here is a small list of examples of the some most commonly used idiomatic phrases used today.
A home away from home, a cheap shot, at the crack of dawn, big time, be in the running, bring into action, count me out, commend for, day in and day out, decide in favor of, for the asking, for a change, go on strike, go down that road, head off, in the same boat, leave me hanging, lead the pack, feel fit, run a red light, sleep in, spoiling for a fight, stand ground, up against the wall, wishful thinking,
Further idiomatic source references can be found in bookstores and online sources which provide meanings for a large quantity of commonly used idiomatic phrases.