ENGLISH -29

 ENGLISH -29

IDIOMS

Well, idioms draw attention by their precision . But, let us remember they do not stand to represent the meanings of words they are compiled with.

So, any use of idiom demands the user to be ‘sure of what it means’. But then,- why idioms at all?   The most significant value for idioms is that they render precision to the process of communication. Communication and its efficacy stand rooted in clarity. Every sensible [sensitive] speaker desires being completely understood. So, [s]he chooses to bring to play the right words /phrases in an effort to deliver an idea clear and quick.   On all such occasions, the right idiom is punchy. Obviously, the effect of a right idiom has no parallel for making an impact.

By tradition, an idiom is a word or phrase conveying a special meaning; but the meaning cannot be derived from the words in an idiom.  For example ,while summarizing some concept the expression “in a nut shell” is used. CERTAINLY, ‘NUTSHELL’ is not a reference to the ‘casing’ containing the message. A nutshell is a compact enclosure and it implies the whole idea is briefly suggested thus.

Yet another idiom “raining cats and dogs” is used to describe heavy rain. Obviously animals are not dropping from heavens, still serves to   emphasize the volume of rain.

Even a single word can be an idiom ; native speakers use “nuts’ as in John is ‘nuts’ It suggests the person [John] is crazy. The simplicity of the idioms tempts the learners to make use of those idioms. Unless the true meaning of an idiom is known, it is wiser to desist the use of the idiom, lest the user should stand the label of an ‘idiot’. For the sake of using ‘idioms’, let us not turn ‘idiots’.

As idioms appeal for ‘fun’ they are attractive to the learners of English. Any new learning tempts the learner to use things newly acquired. How can language be any different?                                                                                                                        

Slang and Idioms

Like idioms, slang  also carries special meanings. But, slang is not an  idiom. They are confined to some geographic territory /age group/ period of time. A slang of the day may not stay after a few years or just be invalid in some other region. A major difference between idioms and slang is that slang never finds  place in a dictionary- implying that it has no grammatical  status .

These days, youth particularly boys use the term ‘bro’ [I presume it is an abbreviation of ‘brother’]. One can never use it in formal contexts like office/ meeting or interview .

Unlike slang, idioms help the expressions to be both colourful and powerful. Idioms can be used in business situations but slang cannot be.

Some examples [idioms] in work place

I am new here and I am still learning the ropes [= I am learning how things work here]                                                                                                                                      Our boss runs a tight ship [ = Our boss is a strict manager]

We need to make sure , we are on the same page [= we are in agreement [we do not disagree]

Dangers /risks of using idioms

Idioms too turn out-dated  and may not be in vogue across native speakers .Non-natives  oblivious of ‘trends’ keep using the ‘not-in-vogue’ items and baffle the natives  by proving a hurdle to communicate ;ironically idioms are meant to render felicity to one’s expression. A case in point is “It is raining cats and dogs “[17^th century coinage].

Such inept attempts in using ‘out-dated’ idioms are ascribed to old references like grammar texts /dictionaries as well.

Google Books NGram Viewer is suggested to be a useful source to find out , if an idiom is out-dated or not t; it also shows the outdated status of terms /words. All   dictionaries used are gratefully acknowledged

Prof. K. Raman