Idioms
Explore the power of idioms in the English language.
Idioms exist in all languages and the English language is especially rich in them.
We use them to:
- be amusing or witty
- to play with words
- to be different
- to put other people at ease, even in the most formal of situations
- to express something which other words do not quite express
- to communicate more clearly & more visually
Some can be translated into your own language word for word without losing the meaning of the phase. Others are impossible to translate. These are often the idioms that express cultural concepts and some of the most frequently used are explained below.
Idiom
Meaning
Example
to be up in the air
undecided
The position of accountant is still up in the air.
to bear something in mind
to think about/not forget it
We will bear what you have said in mind.
not up to scratch
has not met expectations
The candidates IT skills were not up to scratch.