My granddaughter Ana recently told me about a conversation in French with a guide in the Dominican. We talked about translation tools online, then our conversation morphed to terms we call idioms.
I told her about idioms — phrases we speak whose meaning doesn’t match the words used.
Ana, a Grade 6 student, looked momentarily puzzled, so I gave her an example. “Hit the hay” is a term I am familiar with, meaning “go to bed” or “get some sleep.”
A reader or listener unaccustomed to the phrase might look at it and wonder if someone was beating a pile of hay with a stick. Particularly a reader coming to English as a second language. A more recent idiom might be “growing like a weed” when referring to children’s growth. Remember that some words might mean something different in their first language.
The Oxford Dictionary of Idioms, sitting on my bookshelf, holds an eclectic compilation of idioms. While this older version, published in 2004, may not be as readily available, it’s entertaining reading. A newer version of that book is available.
If I wonder at a phrase an author uses, I can look it up or ask the author what it means, and if others will understand. In a conversation, if someone looks puzzled, as Ana did, I can see the reaction and explain my meaning. In a book though, the authors need to consider they won’t be there to explain. Therefore, when it appears in dialogue in a written story, unless the meaning is clear, your reader may misinterpret.
Next time your character uses an idiom in a story, make sure that there’s enough context so the reader understands. Otherwise, be very careful of using those terms in your story, or come up with a new way of describing it. Be original. There’s a time and place for idioms if it’s done carefully.
For further reading:
Oxford Dictionary of Idioms Paperback – July 8 2020
Why Do We Say That?
In a Pickle
A Chocolate Moose for Dinner
Amelia Bedelia
Question for readers: What idiom makes you laugh? Can it make a story?