Idiom Examples

Idioms exist in every language. An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally, like bought the farm has nothing to do with purchasing real estate, but refers to dying. Idiom also refers to a dialect or jargon of a group of people, either in a certain region or a group with common interests, like in science, music, art, or business. Common Idioms Some idioms are used by most people that speak English; others are used by a more select group. Common idioms that refer to people include: A chip on your shoulder - means you think you know a lot High as a kite - means you are drunk or on drugs Sick as a dog - means you are very ill Idioms that refer to your actions would be: Rub someone the wrong way - meaning to annoy or bother Jump the gun - would mean to be doing something early Pay the piper - means you need to face the consequences of your actions Some idioms use color words to convey other meanings. For example, there are several that use the word blue: The blues can refer to both a style of music and feeling sad. If something occurs rarely, it is said to happen once in a blue moon, because a blue moon is two full moons in one month, which doesnt happen often. Out of the blue means something happens that was unexpected. Learning a Language with Idioms Because of idioms, learning a language can be complicated. After you can conjugate verbs, and know a lot of words, you may still have difficulty speaking the language with native users. This is partly due to the use of idioms and would also depend of which region of a country you were in. Idiom usage is not just regional, but also varies according to peoples interests and social groups.

The best way to pick up on the meaning of certain idioms would be to converse with people and ask them for a clarification of the idiom if you are not clear about the idiom they used. There are also sites on the Internet which will help explain the meaning of idioms. Idioms Around the Globe There are certain things that happen in every culture and there are idioms to deal with them. In Norwegian and Czech, walking around hot porridge refers to beating around the bush, which is also an idiom meaning not getting to the point. If you are in Italy or Turkey and you say you are as hungry as a wolf then you are starving. If it is raining in large amounts, most cultures have an interesting way of saying that: In English, it would be raining cats and dogs In Africa, they might say it's raining old women with clubs Many languages refer to heavy rain as coming in buckets or as rain coming out of a bucket. In Norway they say it's raining female trolls The Irish say it's throwing cobblers knives Comparing idioms between countries can also be interesting: In Finnish, with long teeth means you are doing something that you really dont want to do In French, to have long teeth means you are ambitious. The key to understanding the local idioms is to listen carefully and to ask questions of local speakers. Idioms In the Arts There are many idioms in the field of music. If you fine tune something, you make small improvements to it. Changing your tune means changing your mind. If you are whistling Dixie or whistling in the dark you are overly positive about something. If you try and make a decision too early without knowing all the facts, people may tell you that its not over till the fat lady sings. Drama and dance have idioms, too, like:

Break a leg means good luck. If you are a ham you overact. If you say, it takes two to tango you mean that more than one person is at fault or involved. If you tap dance your way out of a sticky situation, then that implies that you get out of it in a clever way. Being in the spotlight means you are the center of attention. Remember, a group of people with shared interests such as the arts or business will have their own idioms. As with all idioms it will be easier to understand the idioms if you concentrate on what is being said and ask questions about the meanings of the idioms.

Cute as a button Idiom ini bukan membicarakan tentang kancing yang menggemaskan, melainkan memiliki arti bahwa sesuatu atau seseorang sangatlah menarik. Sebagai contoh, Anda bisa menggunakan idiom ini dalam percakapan sebagai berikut. Seseorang berkata, "Have you seen her daughter? She's turning 13 years old this year.". Yang lainnya merespon, "Oh, you mean Sally? Yes, I just saw her the other day. That girl is cute as a button!"

Kill with kindness Idiom ini biasanya memiliki obyek ditengah-tengahnya. To kill someone with kindness berarti Anda memperlakukan seseorang terlalu baik, sehingga merugikan orang tersebut. Misalnya, "Aunt Lily constantly sends Jim chocolates, cake and sweets, even though she's been told that Jim's on a diet! She kills him with kindness." Jim yang malang, kebaikan Aunty Lily malah justru merugikannya.

Pulling someone's leg To pull someone's leg tidak ada hubungannya dengan menarik kaki seseorang. Idiom ini berarti membodohi atau mengatakan sesuatu yang tak benar kepada seseorang dengan tujuan membuat mereka percaya akan yang dikatakan. Biasanya digunakan dalam konteks bercanda dan dalam bentuk continuous tense. Contoh dalam kalimat: "I was just pulling Sam's leg when I said Lisa wanted to go out with him, but he believed me and called her. And now they really are seeing each other!"

Stick someone's neck out

Apa yang dimaksud dengan stick someone's neck out? Idiom ini bisa digunakan saat seseorang berani mengambil resiko untuk orang lain. Misalnya Anda memiliki teman yang sangat baik hati dan selalu bersedia membantu teman lainnya. Bahkan mengorbankan kepentingan dirinya demi orang lain. Maka Anda bisa mengatakan "He always sticks his neck out to help people."

Stood someone's up Apakah Anda pernah membuat janji dengan teman untuk bertemu di suatu tempat pada waktu yang telah disetujui bersama, tapi teman Anda tak datang? Atau apakah Anda bernah membuat janji dengan teman lawan jenis untuk berkencan, tapi ia pada akhirnya tak datang. Jika jawaban Anda adalah 'pernah', berarti Anda sudah pernah mengalami yang namanya "being stood up by someone". Contoh kalimat: "I am so mad at my boyfriend. We were supposed to have a date last night at the cinema but he stood me up."

Feeling in someone's gut Idiom ini mungkin tidak sulit untuk kita pahami karena artinya sendiri berhubungan dengan perasaan atau naluri. Jika seseorang memiliki feeling in his/her gut itu berarti ia memiliki perasaan atau naluri yang kuat tentang sesuatu. Sebagai contoh, beberapa barang elektronik di kantor Anda hilang saat akhir pekan, padahal ada penjaga. Anda yakin penjaga tersebut terlibat dalam kasus hilangnya barang-barang elektronik, maka Anda bisa bilang "I have a feeling in my gut that the security guard in the office is involved in stealing the electronic goods in our office."

Conversation One: Mary: You look rather sick. Are you alright? John : Yes, I am fine. I am just a little bit off color, today. Mary : Youll be better off taking a rest for a while. Let me take turns driving. John: Well, if you insist, I think I need to take forty winks. Thank you. Penjelasan: Off color = Tidak enak badan/ kurang sehat Better off = lebih baik Take turns = bergantian Forty winks = tidur sejenak Conversation Two Traveler: Excuse me. Is there a flight to Manado this afternoon? Travel Agent: Yes, Sir. There are two flights. The first one, Garuda, takes off at 2:30 pm and the last one, Batavia, leaves at 5:30. Which flight is your ticket for?

Traveler: Ive got one for tomorrow morning. Is it still possible for me to change my ticket to a ticket for todays flight? My wifes rung me up to tell me that Ill have to be in Manado this evening. Travel Agent: Let me find out if there is one seat left for you. Great!. Theres still one left for you. Will 2:30 flight suit you fine, Sir? Traveler: Well, either one will do me fine. Thank you Travel Agent: You will be surcharged 20% of the cost of your ticket. Will that be fine? Traveler: No problem. Penjelasan: Take off = berangkat, tinggal landas Ring someone up = Menelpon seseorang Find out = mencari tahu, mendapatkan informasi Suit someone fine = cocok, sesuai (dengan yang diinginkan) Do someone fine = Bisa diterima; oke Conversation Three Fitri: Have you made up your mind about getting married this year? Lutfi: I am afraid so.I know it is not easy to find a suitable better half but I am sure I'll find the one I am really hung up on. Fitri: How come you are so sure you'll find the right one? You have to go steady with her for some time till you are sure she is the one you'll pop the question. Penjelasan: made up your mind = bulat hati untuk...... To be hung up on somebody = Sangat menyukai seseorang How come = Why Go stetady = berpacaran pop the question = melamar
Inilah beberapa English Idioms populer dan artinya dalam bahasa Indonesia: 1. A walk in the park Arti: Pekerjaan yang sangat mudah (seperti berjalan-jalan di taman). 2. Achilles heel Arti: Titik lemah seseorang (Achilles adalah tokoh legenda Yunani yang kebal senjata kecuali di bagian lututnya).

3. Bark up the wrong tree Arti: Marah/mengomel/memberi saran/berbicara/meminta kepada orang yang salah. 4. Bed of Roses Arti: Sesuatu yang mewah dan menyenangkan. 5. Better safe than sorry Arti: Lebih baik bersiap-siap daripada menyesal (sedia payung sebelum hujan). 6. Blessing in disguise Arti: Berkah yang tersembunyi (semua hal ada hikmahnya). 7. Breaking the ice Arti: memecah ketegangan. 8. Call it a day Arti: Break atau istirahat sejenak (sampai hari ini berakhir) dari suatu pekerjaan. 9. Can of Worms Arti: Tindakan yang akan mengakibatkan masalah. Contoh: I dont want to open a can of worms 10. Cat got your tongue? Arti: Terdiam ketika seharusnya mengatakan sesuatu. Contoh: Whats the matter? Does cat got your tongue? 11. Come clean Arti: Berterus terang, membuka kebohongan/rahasia, mengaku. 12. Cut like (hot) knife through butter Arti: Memotong sesuatu dengan mudah (seperti pisau panas menembus mentega). 13. Easier said than done Arti: Beribicara lebih mudah daripada mengerjakan, tidak semudah kelihatannya. 14. Fish story Arti: Cerita bohong. 15. Good samaritan Arti: orang yang murah hati, dermawan. 16. Greek gift

Arti: Hadiah yang merugikan si penerima. 17. I call shotgun Arti: Duduk di sebelah sopir ketika hendak berpergian dengan mobil. Siapa yang lebih cepat mengatakan ini, dialah yang berhak. 18. Jack of all trades Arti: Orang yang serba bisa dalam usaha. 19. Man proposes, God disposes Arti: Manusia punya rencana, Tuhan yang menentukan. 20. Mind over matter Arti: Menyatakan kekuatan pikiran (willpower). 21. More than meets the eye Arti: Sesuatu yang memilik arti lebih daripada yang terlihat mata. 22. Needle in a (hay)stack Arti: Jarum dalam tumpukan jerami, mencari sesuatu yang hampir mustahil. 23. Peeping Tom Arti: Orang yang suka mengintip, suka mengamati seseorang. 24. Pep talk Arti: Kata-kata/pembicaraan yang bertujuan untuk menyemangati. Misal pelatih memberi pep talk ketika timnya sedang tertinggal dari lawan. 25. Piece of cake/easy as pie Arti: Pekerjaan yang sangat mudah, pie adalah istilah slang Amerika untuk gampang. 26. Raincheck Arti: Menunda sesuatu, menjadwalkan ulang, atau menghindari pertemuan secara halus. Contoh: A: Will you have lunch with me? B:I think Im gonna have a raincheck (bisa berarti kita makan siang bersama lain kali saja atau menolak secara halus). 27. Saved by the bell Arti: Selamat dari bahaya atau situasi buruk yang hampir saja terjadi (nyaris). 28. Scapegoat Arti: Kambing hitam. Orang yang disalahkan atas segala sesuatu yang terjadi.

29. Take a hike Arti: Mengusir seseorang. Contoh: Why dont you take a hike or something 30. Take for granted Arti: Sesuatu yang tidak dihargai, karena dianggap sudah selayaknya didapat. Contoh: He taken Anne for granted (Dia tidak menghargai Anne, karena merasa bersama Anne bukan hal yang istimewa, tetapi adalah hal biasa yang sudah selayaknya ia peroleh).