What are idiomatic expressions?

First Response:

An idiom is a combination of words with a special meaning that cannot be inferred from the separate parts. Idiomatic meanings are very often metaphorical and not related to the literal definition of the separate words. Some examples of idiomatic expressions are:

• "Martin wouldn't say boo to a goose!" - If taken at face value it seems an absurd idea, who would talk to a goose, let alone say 'boo'? However, the idiomatic meaning does not have anything to do with talking to the animals. The Idiom is another way of saying "Martin is a very timid person". it mean that the person would not dare to make a protest of any kind, not matter how badly treated or repressed the person is.
• "Shall we go Dutch?" - This appears to have to literal meaning at all and yet it is a very common expression. It is another way of saying "I think you should pay for your meal, and I will pay for mine".
• "Has the cat got your tongue?" - Again this has nothing to do with cats or even tongues. This expression is another way of saying "have you lost the power of speech" and is often used to mock shy speakers, particularly children.
• "He bit my head off" - Obviously, the literal meaning of this is a little far fetched, but the idiomatic meaning refers to someone speaking sharply, often interrupting or in a snubbing fashion.
• "She's on cloud nine" - This expression was originally 'cloud seven' and derived from 'the seventh heaven'. It means that the person is very happy and joyful and often used to describe someone who has recently fallen in love.
• "Over my dead body" - This expression does not literally mean that death needs to occur. The idiomatic meaning is that the speaker is strongly opposed to something.
• "She has a bee in her bonnet" - The literal meaning would place a real bee in someone's bonnet, but the idiomatic meaning is far less obtrusive. Far from bees and bonnets, this expression refers to being obsessed with a strange idea.

There are literally thousands of idiomatic expressions used in everyday language and people use them everyday without realising it. They have become an everyday part of speech and although many of the meanings are obscure, the idiomatic meaning is often understood.

Another Response:

Idiomatic expressions are those word groupings that are known generally known to local speakers, but because they usually mean much more than the simple addition of the words they contain, they are hard for non-native speakers to understand. For example, "What's up?" is an idiomatic expression to which a non-native English speaker may be inclined to look upward to answer the question--however, English speakers understand it to mean, "What is happening with you?"

Another Opinion:

Idioms...
A group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word understood on its own:
To "have bitten off more than you can chew" is an idiom that means you have tried to do something which is too difficult for you. "Bite the bullet" is an idiomatic expression that means to accept something unpleasant without complaining.

First answer by Stupid little genius. Last edit by Darksyde. Contributor trust: 192 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 7 [recommend question]