The American Oxford Dictionary defines "idiom" as "a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words" - usually it is a metaphor. Idioms are common phrases or terms whose meanings are not literal, but are figurative and only known through their common uses. The history of common American idioms is an interesting study. Following are some interesting facts about idioms in general, then a look at some commonly used idioms in everyday life in America.
Information About Idioms
Idioms are the spice of life where language is concerned. Without those quirky little words and phrases language would be pretty lifeless and mundane.The idea of using idioms is to bring light to or to place emphasis on the message you are trying to convey. There are thousands of idioms used in America today. It is often difficult for people learning English as a second language to get a grasp on and understand our sometimes silly, but interesting expressions and sayings. Many people, whether American or foreign, are often in the dark (there is an idiom already) about their meaning. They often seem to make no sense until further investigation.
Many of the idioms we use today have a rich history from the life and culture in the early years of our country. Still others, while used mainly in America, come from other countries and/or writings from centuries ago. Studying idioms makes for a great hobby. Here are some common idioms of today.
Five Common American Idioms: Their Meanings and Origins
- Don’t have a cow: Linda Ann Nickerson a contributing writer for Associated Content reveals in her article Idioms Unpacked: "Don't Have a Cow " that this phrase could best be defined as a sarcastic phrase meaning “don’t over-react." One is most likely to hear this idiom when something goes wrong, such as “Don’t have a cow just because you stubbed your toe.".
Don't have a cow most likely orginates from the birth weight of cows. The average birth weight of a newborn cow is about 75 pounds. It is overwhelming and far-fetched for a human being to consider giving birth to a 75 pound baby. Most human babies weigh in at around 7 or 8 pounds. Thus it would be over-reacting If a woman acted like she were giving birth to a 75 pound cow. The reality is, it is not as big as she is making it out to be. ”
- Spill the Beans : When one spills the beans, he has revealed a secret or confessed a transgression. An example might be, "The little girl spilled the beans when she revealed that her mother smokes cigars."
Some have said that spilling the beans goes back to the Greeks practice of voting. White beans were used as an affirmative vote, while black were used as a negative vote. If someone knocked over the bean container, thus spilling them all out, the secret votes were revealed. This being said, the phrase spill the beans was not actually used until the early 20th century in America. Words @ Random observes, “Although the precise origin of the idiom spill the beans remains unknown, its vivid yet homey image of sudden revelation has made it a lasting one.” A sudden revelation seems an apt descritpion for spill the beans.
- A little bird told me: This expression means an implied secret or private source of knowledge, usually said in fun. A husband may hear his wife gossip and ask where she heard it. His wife might say, “Oh, you know, a little bird told me.”
There are debates as to the origin of this expression. According to Wiktionary, some say it came from the biblical passage in Ecclesiastes 10:20 which says“Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.” Some attribute it to the Dutch word "Er lif t'el baerd," which means 'I should betray another." A simple explanation may be from the idea of a carrier pigeon.
- A bitter pill to swallow: A not too uncommon phrase when something is difficult to accept, such as a disappointment or unpleasant fact. An Olympic runner may say “Losing the race at the Olympics was a bitter pill to swallow.”
In times before medications were coated, flavored, etc. medications were often bitter due to the use of barks, herbs and other natural substances. A difficulty, trial, or dissapointment, like swallowing a bitter pill, is always a difficult experience to accept.
- Keep your nose to the grindstone: means, “Work hard, and keep working.” A tyrannical boss may say, “George, you lazy sloth, get back to work and keep your nose to the grindstone.”
Kim Rojas, tells of the origin of this phrase in her article The History of Common American Idioms. Back in the days of pilgrims, then on into colonial America, corn was a main dietary staple. The best way for them to eat it was by grounding it up into a fine meal. To grind it up they used what was called a grindstone. The grindstone was powered by a man who moved a giant stone wheel which moved a huge pestle and ground up the corn in a large stone bowl. The apparatus was heavy and it was grueling work. As the worker pushed the grindstone, he had to lean into it, often rubbing his nose into the stone.
Idioms with the Same Meaning
To add a little more fun and complexity to studying idioms, find two different idioms that mean the same thing. For example, another idiom that has the same meaning as spill the beans is let the cat out of the bag. The meaning is the same but the words and origins are different.
Making a mountain out of a mole hill has a very similar meaning to Don't have a cow. Both mean don't make a big deal about or overreact to a little thing.
Great Websites For Further Study of Idioms
Amercianidioms.net is a good website to look up different idioms and find a brief meaning, a usage example, and a brief explanation of the origin. There is an a-z menu at the top of home page.
The Phrase Finder website is an excellent source for idiom study. It is an archive of the meanings and origins of 1,600 American idioms. In additon to the archives, the site has a phrase of the week, a bulletin board which takes you to a forum where people ask questions about idioms, and a feature called Phrase Thesaurus, which is a kind of ideas generator resource for writers. All in all, a very comprehensive website.
Idiom Study Offers Fun and Education
The Study and research of idioms makes for a great hobby, offers the opportunity to learn a lot about history and the origin of words and phrases, and it makes for great discussion in a variety of settings. A great converstaion starter at a party or other get-together would be, "Say, did you know that the term ___ means ___.? This is where it originated from." People will hop on the bandwagon (oh, there is another idiom , it's hard to converse without them) quickly and will most likely provide hours of entertainment.
American Idioms and Expressions, A, (Accessed September 3, 2010)
Phrases, Cliches, Expressions, & Sayings,(Accessed September 15, 2010)
The Phrase Finder, The Meaning and the Origin of "Spill the Beans," (Accessed September 15. 2010)
Words at Random, Maven's Word of the Day, February 23, 2001
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