Understanding Idioms

Front

What is an idiom?

Back

An idiom is a phrase or expression that has a figurative meaning different from its literal meaning.

Front

What does 'the wind whispered' exemplify?

Back

Personification, as it gives human qualities to the wind.

Front

What is personification?

Back

Giving human qualities to non-human things.

Front

What does 'the pen is mightier than the sword' illustrate?

Back

Metonymy, as it uses 'pen' to represent writing or communication and 'sword' to represent military force.

Front

What is metonymy?

Back

A figure of speech in which one word or phrase is substituted for another with which it is closely associated.

Front

What is a transferred epithet?

Back

A figure of speech where an adjective is transferred from the noun it logically describes to another noun.

Front

What does 'the flowers danced' demonstrate?

Back

Personification, attributing the human action of dancing to flowers.

Front

What is an oxymoron?

Back

A figure of speech that combines contradictory terms, such as 'deafening silence'.

Front

What is the difference between personification and metonymy?

Back

Personification attributes human traits to non-human entities, while metonymy substitutes a related term for the actual thing.

Front

What does 'the early bird catches the worm' mean?

Back

It suggests that success comes to those who prepare well and put in effort early.