Idiom

Idiom is a word or phrase that’s meaning cannot be determined by the literal

definitions of its parts. Instead the word or phrase has a figurative meaning that is
known only through its common use.

Another way to think about idioms is that they are expressions that native English
speakers easily recognize.

Examples:
Kick the bucket…knowing what ‘kick’ and ‘bucket’ mean will not help the reader to
understand that the phrase actually means ‘to die.’

Piece of cake…knowing what ‘piece’ and ‘cake’ mean will not help the reader to
understand the phrase actually means ‘easy.’

This picture is a literal depiction

of what the phrase “cat got your
tongue” might bring to mind if a
person isn’t familiar with the
phrase’s bigger meaning.

What does the phrase “cat got your

tongue” mean figuratively speaking?