Idioms and Cliches

What might happen if you heard an idiom you weren't familiar with?

• You would be able to know the idiom's meaning from the literal (actual) meanings of the words.

• You would have trouble figuring out what that idiom meant.

• You'd think the idiom's meaning is the opposite of its words.

• You'd have to look at a dictionary.

Which of the following is an example of an idiom?

• To get some rest

• To go to bed

• To hit the sack

• To go to sleep

Why do idioms not translate well to other languages?

• They usually refer to something specific to a language or culture.

• The words in idioms are too complex for non-native speakers to understand.

• Only the English language has idioms.

• You have to know the literal meanings of all the words in an idiom to understand it.

What idiom expresses the same thought as the phrase "to drive someone up a wall?"

• To drive someone into a wall.

• To make someone upset.

• To drive someone into a hospital.

• To drive someone nuts.

What is the meaning of the idiom, "to knock someone's socks off?"

• To remove someone's socks

• To impress someone

• To hit someone hard in the legs

• To wash clothes

What would happen if you substituted one word in an idiom for another?

• The idiom would have the same meaning

• The idiom would rhyme

• The idiom would make no sense

• You'd be making a new idiom

Why are idioms used in writing?

• They are globally used and easy to understand.

• They make your writing harder to understand.

• They make your writing more colorful and impressive.

• They make writing more grammatically correct.

What can you infer (learn) about William Shakespeare from the fact that he coined so many idioms?

• His writing was commonplace and cliche.

• Many people must have been familiar with his writing.

• Very few people must have seen his plays.

• He must have not used a lot of figurative language.

Why shouldn't you use clichés in your writing?

• They are considered boring and corny.

• It's hard to figure out their true meanings.

• They are not used often enough to be popular.

• They are complex and tricky words.

How can an idiom become a cliché?

• By changing certain words

• By having more than one meaning

• By becoming

  well-known

• By being overused (used too many times)