Have you ever barked up the wrong tree only to add insult to
injury? Perhaps you bit off more than you could chew and flew by the seat of
your pants just to call it a day when the shit hit the fan. Have you ever busted
someone’s chops when they spilled the beans about some secret? Of course, you
might just hit the road when someone you cared about through thick and thin
dropped a dime on you and you got all bent out of shape for having an Achilles’
heel.
Does any of this make sense? Well, if you haven’t figured it
out, the above paragraph is full of idioms. Idioms are a string of words that
have a ‘figurative meaning’ which is separate from literal meaning. According
to Wikipedia, there are over 25,000 idioms in the English language. Now, English
idioms are comical, thought provoking, bizarre and down right befuddling if you
don’t know the context around their meaning, but I’d bet you would find you use
them much more than you realize. A few people I know remind me that I often
employ idioms and clichés far too often for their liking, instead of being
direct and specific. I wonder where that comes from. To be honest though, there’s
something whimsically fun in saying “don’t beat around the bush” rather than
just tell me; I’m all ears, rather than I’m listening, or “Don’t have a cow”
instead of please don’t over react. Idioms and clichés command power and have
longevity because they either have a kernel of truth to them or touch on an
emotional, social, or psychological level that resonates beyond their first utterance.
It doesn’t matter if you’re fit as a fiddle or sick as a dog.
Sometimes you just have to bit the bullet and hit the road at the drop of a hat
before you wind up pushing up daisies if you want to get something done.
Through thick and thin, idioms have been with us, evolving, growing and
persevering through social, economic, and cultural changes. Now I’d say they’ll
be here alive and well long after all of us have kicked the bucket. To me that
just takes the cake. Why? Well I love language, I love the intricate and dynamic
nature of its usage, the flowing subtle or abrupt nuance each word brings to a
sentence and the strange and interesting ways words originated. Quick story:
one of the most memorable classes from college for me was one I didn’t take.
Strange, right? Well, for two years I tried to get into this one English class
called ‘the origin of words, idioms and phrases’ and for two years I couldn’t
do it. The class was always full. Doesn’t that just burn your ass? I always
figured everyone wanting to get into that class thought as I did. It must be
pretty damned cool.
Honestly, I’m not pulling your leg, I’m on the straight and
narrow here. You might say idioms are a dime a dozen, but sometimes, using them
is right as rain. Think about it. A language without colorful metaphors and
whimsical idioms and clichés would be such a drag. I’d rather live it up enjoying
the vibrancy of our language. It’s better than being high and dry up shit’s
creek without a paddle. I think one of
the best things about idioms and the evolution of our language is it does not
stop. Ever wonder why catch phrases from celebrities and TV show characters are
so prevalent? It’s because they capture the essence and meaning of the day’s
important or relevant feelings. Idioms have meaning because they sum up a lot
of what we are feeling in a neat little package. Just make sure you don’t get
bogged down in the muck. Sometimes putting things in your own words is a much
better course of action.
If I’m driving you up a wall don’t jump down my throat, I’m
almost finished. The thing about idioms is, if you really think about what they
are saying, where they came from and how they are used, you can get a better
understanding as to why they are used, why they have staying power and just how
comical they can be. Just don’t overdo it. You might make someone as mad as a
hatter.
Bonus points if you can identify all of the idioms in this
post!
Thanks for reading.
Questions and comments are welcome.
