5 Common Emglish idioms

Hello dear classmates today I have the pleasure to present to you,  my new post, about 5 common english idioms.

In this work I'll talk about how use it, , the meaning & it's  origin.

Idioms exist in every language. An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally, Idiom also refers to a dialect or jargon of a group of people, either in a certain region or a group with common interests, like in science, music, art, or business. In other words an idiom is a phrase that has a meaning which is different from the meanings of each individual word in it. For example, if someone says to you “I’m pulling your leg”, you might think it is strange because you would definitely be able to feel if someone was holding your leg and pulling it! This idiom actually means that they are playing a joke on you.

1. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

The meaning: Our feeling for those we love increases when we are apart from them.

Origin: In 1604, Shakespeare echoed this sentiment in "Othello" (Act 1, scene ii), when Desdemona confessed, "I dote upon his very absence." James Howell, in "Familiar Letters" (1650) says that, "Distance sometimes endears friendship, and absence sweeteneth it."

There are other references to this proverb in literature, but it was originally the first line of an anonymous poem which appeared in Davison's "Poetical Rhapsody" in 1602.

Example of how the phrase would be used.

- "Cheer up Dude, everybody knows that absence makes the heart grow fonder."

2. Between a rock and a hard place

Meaning: To be in a very difficult situation and to have to make a hard decision between two things that are equally unpleasant.

Origin: This phrase originated in America and was first printed in 1921. In Arizona at that time, there was a big problem with the mining companies. The miners went on strike and asked for better pay and working conditions but their demands were refused and instead, most of the miners were sent to other places in America.

The miners had a very difficult decision to make – they could either stay in Arizona and continue to work in the mines in bad conditions with low pay (the mines they worked in were the ‘rock’) or move to a new city where they would need to find a new home and a new job (this was the ‘hard place’). So they really were between a rock and a hard place!

Example of how the phrase would be used.

“I don’t know what to do – if I go to the party I won’t be able to do my homework and my teacher will be really angry tomorrow but if I stay at home and do my homework I’m going to miss a great party! I hate being between a rock and a hard place!”

3. A leopard can’t change its spots

Meaning: A person cannot change who they are (their character), no matter how hard they try.

Origin: This idiom comes from the Old Testament (Jer. 13:23). The Hebrew prophet Jeremiah tries to persuade an evil shepherdess to become good but when he realises that it is impossible to convince her, he says: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?”

Example of how the phrase would be used.

- The waiter tried to be friendly to his customers but a leopard can’t change its spots and he was still very rude.

4. Crossing the Rubicon

Meaning: When a decisive and irrevocable step has been taken. To commit to a given course of action that permits no return is to cross the Rubicon.

Origin: The actual Rubicon is a river in Northern Italy that flows into the Adriatic Sea. It is 15 miles (24 kilometers) long. The river is renowned because Julius Caesar prompted a three year civil war when he crossed this river in 49 B.C. to march against Pompey. Julius knew that "crossing the Rubicon" with his army in tact would be considered an act of aggression.

Using the word Rubicon as a figurative boundary, limiting action was first seen in the 1600s.

Example of how the phrase would be used.

- Andrea knew he had passed the Rubicon when he wrote the deposit check for the hall for the wedding reception.

5. Let the cat out of the bag

Meaning: To reveal a secret or a surprise, usually by accident

Origin: Many years ago, merchants often sold live piglets to customers. After putting a piglet in a bag so the customer could transport it easily, dishonest merchants sometimes swapped the piglet for a cat when the customer looked away. The buyer often didn’t discover the trick until they got home and really let the cat out of the bag, revealing the merchant’s secret!

Example of how the phrase would be used.

- “We were going to have a surprise birthday for dad, but my silly brother let the cat out of the bag the day before.”

- “I was really looking forward to seeing the film, until Jack let the cat out of the bag and told me the ending!”