Một chút về English idioms.

Một chút về English idioms.

Cám ơn các bác Mod vì đã nhận em làm thành viên. Để ra mắt, em xin post một bài về idiom. Idioms chiếm một phần rất lớn và quan trọng trong tiếng Anh. Dưới đây chỉ là những hiểu biết nhỏ bé của em về English idiom. Nếu có chỗ nào sai xót, hoặc tiếng Anh của em có chuối quá, xin các bác góp ý và sửa chữa hộ, em lên đây để học mà.

1. Definition

An idiom is a phrase or a sentence whose meaning is not clear from the meaning of its individual words and which must be learned as a whole unit. (From the Oxford Advanced Learners?T Dictionary.

Ex: bad blood
There has been bad blood between the two brothers since their father?Ts death. He left more to one son than the other.
Bad blood: feelings of mutual hatred or strong dislike.

Or ?oold hat?
A: What did you think of the guest speaker?Ts lecture?
B: Well, quite honestly, most of it was old hat.
Old hat: not new, or original, or old ?" fashioned.

Or ?oYou scratch my back and I?Tll scratch yours.?
Means ?oif you help me I?Tll help you, especially in a way that is unfair to the others.?

2. Features of English idioms.

a. Contextual feature.

English idioms are used in many contexts.
In daily communication:
To refuse something:
A: Could you do this homework for me, please?
B: No, use your head.
To warn somebody:
Policeman: ?oYou have already served a three-month sentence for house breaking. If you don?Tt keep your nose clean, you?Tll be in prison again.
To agree something:
A: Do you think Leeds United will win the cup?
B: Yes, it?Ts a dead cert.
To satirize someone:
A: I got the job! I got the job!
B: Big deal! You are the only applicant, weren?Tt you?
Idioms can be seen in many English articles:
?o? Diversity is the child of necessity. That?Ts one lesson that Vietnam is taking to heart as it pushes to expand exports despite the global economic slowdown??
From Recipe for Change by Margot Cohen, FEER 13/2/01
?o? Still, entrepreneurs like Duong keep close tabs on their village factories to ensure quality doesn?Tt slide??
From Vietnam gets class conscious by Craig Thomas, Asia Week, 22/11/01
?o? Right now Botero?Ts dancing couple seems to be the rage. It hangs at the front of almost every gallery, along with a Chinese painting of a girl in red silk pajamas??
From Master, old and new, for sale by Seth Mydans, the New York Times, 9/9/01
b. Semantic feature.

English idioms are semantically flexible. They sometimes can be understood in literal meaning, or by semantic similarities to Vietnamese.

Ex:
To kill time: to spend time as pleasantly as possible but not in a useful way.
My flight was delayed, so I killed time reading a newspaper.

Or ?ocrocodile tears?: the insincere expression of sorrow.
She shed crocodile tears when she dismissed him from his job.

Or ?olike water off a duck?Ts back?: without effect.
Their comments were like water off a duck?Ts back.

However, almost of English idioms cannot be understood in literal meaning. They often contain figurative meaning and are only taken in through contexts. Sometimes looking up dictionary is the best choice.

Ex: ?oin the red?: a situation of owing money to a bank because one has spent more money than in one?Ts account.
My bank account is 50 pounds in the red.

Or ?oa big cheese?: a very powerful and important person.
Just because dad has been promoted and is a big cheese at work, he seems to think he can boss us around at home, too.
Or ?oa dark horse?: a person who hides facts about her or his life, especially special personal qualities or abilities.
A: I didn?Tt know Pat could play the piano.
B: Just listen! He?Ts a real dark horse.




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