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An idiom is a common word or phrase with a figurative, non-literal meaning that is understood culturally and differs from what its composite words' denotations would suggest; i.e. the words together have a meaning that is different from the dictionary definitions of the individual words (although some idioms do retain their literal meanings – see the example "kick the bucket" below).
Some examples of these indigenous Japanese four-character idioms are: 合縁奇縁, aienkien (uncanny romantic relationship formed by a quirk of fate) 一期一会, ichigoichie (once-in-a-lifetime experience) 海千山千, umisenyamasen (sly old dog of much worldly wisdom) 色恋沙汰, irokoizata (romantic entanglement; love affair)
Love is blind—an idiom meaning a person who is in love can see no faults or imperfections in the person whom they love [4] In linguistics, idioms are usually presumed to be figures of speech contradicting the principle of compositionality. That compositionality is the key notion for the analysis of idioms emphasized in most accounts of idioms.
Below is an alphabetical list of widely used and repeated proverbial phrases. If known, their origins are noted. A proverbial phrase or expression is a type of conventional saying similar to a proverb and transmitted by oral tradition.
It takes two to tango is a common idiomatic expression which suggests something in which more than one person or other entity are paired in an inextricably-related and active manner, occasionally with negative connotations.
The term "cupboard love" is a British idiom, used most commonly in the United Kingdom. [19] It describes the selfish, greedy or insincere affection displayed towards another person in order to get what they want. [19] Pets are most frequently described as demonstrating cupboard love. [19]
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This is a list of idioms that were recognizable to literate people in the late-19th century, and have become unfamiliar since. As the article list of idioms in the English language notes, a list of idioms can be useful, since the meaning of an idiom cannot be deduced by knowing the meaning of its constituent words. See that article for a fuller ...