Definition:
An “idiom” is a phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning different from the literal meaning of the individual words. Idioms are often culturally specific and can be difficult for non-native speakers to understand without context.
Etymology:
The term “idiom” comes from the Greek word “idioma,” meaning “special property” or “peculiarity,” which derives from “idios,” meaning “own” or “private.” The word has been used in English since the 16th century.
Description:
Idioms tend to be nonsensical, but they are often created to hint at the symbolic meaning of the words used in the idiom.
Examples of Idioms:
- Barking up the wrong tree: Pursuing a mistaken or misguided course of action.
- Bite the bullet: To endure a painful experience or face a difficult situation with courage.
- Break the ice: To initiate conversation in a social setting.
- Burn the midnight oil: To work late into the night.
- Costs an arm and a leg: Very expensive.
- Cry over spilt milk: To lament or be upset about something that has already happened and cannot be changed.
- Hit the sack: To go to bed.
- Kick the bucket: To die.
- Kill two birds with one stone: To achieve two goals with a single effort.
- Let the cat out of the bag: To unintentionally reveal a secret.
- Piece of cake: Something that is very easy to do.
- Raining cats and dogs: Raining very heavily.
- Take it with a grain of salt: To view something with skepticism or not take it literally.
- Throw in the towel: To give up or admit defeat.
- Spill the beans: To disclose a secret or reveal something prematurely.
- The ball is in your court: It is up to you to make the next decision or take action.
- Under the weather: Feeling ill or sick.
Religion:
Religious texts are filled with idioms.
Examples of Idioms Found in Religious Texts:
- A drop in the bucket:
- Origin: Isaiah 40:15 – “Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance…”
- Meaning: A very small or insignificant amount compared to what is needed or expected.
- A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step:
- Origin: Attributed to Laozi in the Tao Te Ching (Chapter 64).
- Meaning: Significant achievements begin with small actions.
- A thorn in the flesh:
- Origin: 2 Corinthians 12:7 – “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh…”
- Meaning: A persistent difficulty or annoyance.
- Apple of one‘s eye:
- Origin: Deuteronomy 32:10 – “He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.”
- Meaning: Someone cherished above all others.
- As clear as the full moon:
- Origin: The Quran uses various metaphors involving the moon to signify clarity and guidance, such as in Surah Al-Qamar (54:1).
- Meaning: Something that is very clear and easy to understand.
- Bite the dust:
- Origin: Psalm 72:9 – “They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.”
- Meaning: To fall to the ground, defeated or dead.
- Broken heart:
- Origin: Psalm 34:18 – “The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
- Meaning: Deep emotional sorrow or grief.
- Build a fence around the Torah:
- Origin: From Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), a compilation of ethical teachings in the Mishnah.
- Meaning: To create additional rules to safeguard the primary laws from being violated.
- By the skin of one‘s teeth:
- Origin: Job 19:20 – “My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.”
- Meaning: Barely managing to escape or achieve something.
- Can a leopard change its spots?:
- Origin: Jeremiah 13:23 – “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.”
- Meaning: People cannot change their inherent nature.
- Do not cast pearls before swine:
- Origin: Matthew 7:6 – “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.”
- Meaning: Do not offer valuable things to those who cannot appreciate them.
- Eat, drink, and be merry:
- Origin: Ecclesiastes 8:15 – “Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry…”
- Meaning: Enjoy life and its pleasures while you can.
- Fall from grace:
- Origin: Galatians 5:4 – “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
- Meaning: To lose one‘s status or favor, particularly in a moral or spiritual sense.
- Feet of clay:
- Origin: Daniel 2:31-33 – The vision of a statue with feet made of iron and clay, representing weakness.
- Meaning: A fundamental flaw or weakness in someone who appears strong or invincible.
- Fly in the ointment:
- Origin: Ecclesiastes 10:1 – “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour…”
- Meaning: A small defect that spoils something valuable or is a source of annoyance.
- Go the extra mile:
- Origin: Matthew 5:41 – “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.”
- Meaning: To do more than what is required or expected.
- Good Samaritan:
- Origin: Luke 10:30-37 – The parable of the Good Samaritan who helped a stranger in need.
- Meaning: A person who helps others in need out of compassion.
- Handwriting on the wall:
- Origin: Daniel 5:5 – The story of Belshazzar’s feast where mysterious writing appeared on the wall, interpreted as a prophecy of his downfall.
- Meaning: A clear sign or warning of inevitable failure or disaster.
- Land of milk and honey:
- Origin: Exodus 3:8 – “And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey…”
- Meaning: A place of abundance and prosperity.
- Lotus in the mud:
- Origin: In various Buddhist texts, the lotus flower, which blooms beautifully in muddy waters, symbolizes purity and enlightenment emerging from difficult conditions.
- Meaning: Rising above one‘s circumstances to achieve greatness or purity.
- Out of the mouths of babes:
- Origin: Psalm 8:2 – “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.”
- Meaning: Insightful or truthful remarks made by children.
- Pride goes before a fall:
- Origin: Proverbs 16:18 – “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
- Meaning: Overconfidence or arrogance often leads to failure or disaster.
- Scapegoat:
- Origin: Leviticus 16:10 – “But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.”
- Meaning: A person or group blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others.
- Seek knowledge even as far as China:
- Origin: A well-known Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) encourages the pursuit of knowledge regardless of the distance.
- Meaning: The importance of seeking knowledge no matter the difficulty or distance.
- The blind leading the blind:
- Origin: Matthew 15:14 – “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”
- Meaning: Incompetent people leading others who are equally incapable.
- The Middle Way:
- Origin: Refers to the Buddha’s teaching in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta about avoiding extremes of self-indulgence and self-mortification.
- Meaning: Finding a balanced approach between two extremes.
- The patience of Job:
- Origin: While not directly from the Quran, this phrase is often associated with the Islamic understanding of the prophet Ayyub (Job), known for his unwavering patience and faith in the face of extreme adversity.
- Meaning: Enduring suffering with great patience.
- The powers that be:
- Origin: Romans 13:1 – “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”
- Meaning: The existing authorities or those in control.
- The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak:
- Origin: Matthew 26:41 – “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
- Meaning: Someone has the desire to do something but lacks the strength or resolve.
- The writing on the wall:
- Origin: Daniel 5:5-31 – The story of Belshazzar’s feast where mysterious writing appeared on the wall, interpreted as a prophecy of his downfall.
- Meaning: A clear indication of inevitable danger or failure.
- To cast the first stone:
- Trust in God but tie your camel:
- Wolves in sheep‘s clothing: