Idioms, Proverbs, & Adages

What is an idiom?

• A small sentence.

• A comparison.

• A phrase or expression that means something different from the words.

• A word written as a sound.

What does this Idiom mean?

It's raining cats and dogs.

• The cats and dogs are landing on my umbrella.

• It is raining really hard.

• The man is being hit by cats and dogs.

• Cats and dogs are falling from the sky.

What does the following sentence really mean?

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

• If you eat right, you won't need to go to the doctor as often.

• Doctors are afraid of apples.

• You should bring apples to the doctor's office with you.

• You should eat nothing but apples every day.

What does this idiom mean?

"I'm so tired. I can't wait to hit the hay."

• I want to lay in the hay.

• I live in a barn.

• I live on a farm.

• I can't wait to go to bed.

What does this idiom mean?

"Hold your horses."

• Go to sleep.

• Wait in a barn.

• Be patient.

• Be annoying.

A proverbs is ___________.

• A comparison in which one thing is said to be another.

• Different words have the same meaning.

• A popular saying that contains advise.

• A comparison of two different things that uses the words like or as.

What does this proverb mean?

"The early bird catches the worm."

• If you wake up and get to work early you will succeed.

• Birds are good at catching worms

• Getting up early gets you worms for breakfast.

• It's better to stay in bed.

What does this proverb mean?

"A penny saved is a penny earned."

• A penny is valuable.

• A penny isn't worth much.

• You can earn pennies.

• Money not spent is money that is in one's pocket.

What does this mean?

"Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."

• Do not throw away something valuable in your eagerness to get rid of some useless thing associated with it.

• Babies need to take a bath.

• Keep the dirty water for your babies bath.

• You need to keep your baby in water.

What does this proverb mean?

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

• Counting the eggs is more important.

• You should not count on something before it happens.

• Chickens are hard to count.

• Waiting for the chickens is hard to do.