1. IDIOM AND FIXED
EXPRESSION
IRA HAIYU
06122501050

2. Idioms and fixed expressions
Idioms are sets expression of two or more words
that means something other than the literal meaning
of its individual words.
Fixed expressions are standard form of expression
that has taken on a more specific meaning than the
expression itself. It is different from a proverb in that
it is used as a part of a sentence, and is the standard
way of expressing a concept or idea.

3. A speaker can not:
 Change the order of the words in it.
e.g. The short and the long of it
Put the horse before the cart
 Delete a word from it
e.g. Talk until the cows come home
Hit the bulls-eye
 Add a word to it
e.g. Piece of delicious cake
The very long and short of it
 Replace a word with another
e.g. Butterflies in your stomach
Slip of the tongue

4. Fixed expressions as well as proverbs allow little or no variation
in form.
Unlike idioms, fixed expressions and proverbs often have fairly
transparent meaning.
For example:
 Fixed expression: all of a sudden, come into mind, get out of my
head
 Proverb: unless you move no achievements would be possible, no
pain no gain, impossible is nothing
 Idioms: Every cloud has its silver lining

5. Idioms, fixed expressions, and the direction of
translation
The main problems:
The ability to recognize and interpret an idiom correctly; and
the difficulties involved in rendering the various aspects of
meaning that idiom or fixed expression conveys into the
target language.

6. The interpretation of idioms
As far as idioms are concerned, the first
difficulty that a translator comes across is
being able to recognize that she/he is dealing
with an idiomatic expression
There are idioms that easily recognizable
include expression which violate truth
conditions, such as It’s raining cats and dogs,
throw caution to the winds, storm in at ea
cup, jump down someone’s throat, and food
for thought

7. There are two cases in which an idiom can be
easily misinterpreted if one is not already
familiar with it.
a. Some idioms are ‘misleading’
E.g. go out with
b. An idiom in the source language may have a
very close counterpart in the target language
which looks similar on the surface but has a
totally or partially different meaning
E.g. Has she got your tongue?

8. The translation of idioms: difficulties
1. An idiom or fixed expression may have no
equivalent in the target language.
One language may express a given
meaning by means of single word,
another may express by means of an idiom,
and so on.
For example:
In Arabic : wa tafadalu biqbuul fa’iq al-ihtiraam
(and be kind enough to acept (our) highest
respects)
In English : Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely

9. In English : to carry coals to Newcasle
In German : Nach Athen tragen (to carry owls to
Athen)
In French : porter de I’eau a la riviere (to carry
water to the river)
They have no equivalent in target language, but
have the same meaning :
to supply something to someone who already
has plenty of it

10. 2. An idiom or fixed expression may have a
similar counterpart in the target language, but
its context of use may be different.
For example:
English idiom: To sing a different tune (to say
or do something that signals a change in
opinion because it contradicts what one has
said or done before
Chinese : chang-dui-tai-xi (to sing a different
tunes/ to sing a duet)

11. 3. An idiom may be used in the source
text in both its literal and idiomatic
senses at the same time
For example: I’ll cut off my right arm=
pigs might fly
(something impossible or at least highly
unlikely to happen)

12. 4. The very convention of using idioms in
written discourse, the context in which
they can be used, and their frequency of
use may be different in the source and
target language.

13. Idiom Meaning
• Make up your mind • decide something/choice quickly
• Pay the price • accept bad effect from something
we’ve done
• Playing with fire • do something that can endanger other
people
• Every cloud has silver
• everything has its blessing
lining
• a piece of cake • Easy
• a Slip of the tongue • uninhibited comment
• butterfly in your
• feel nervous
stomach
• To get out of hand • To allow a situation to get out of control
• To pay through the • someone has paid more money for
nose something than what that something is
worth.

14. Thank You