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102M.A. Ashurova
SIGNIFICANT FEATURES AND ETYMOLOGY OF ENGLISH IDIOMS AND THEIR MEANINGS
The article deals with the historical underpinnings of English idioms. The aim of the article is basically to define the meanings, origins and functioning of some English common idioms. It investigates the areas of this concept, characterizes the meaning of an expression and the meaning of the term "etymology " and the root of English idioms. An idiom is a saying or expression that is widely used among speakers of a certain language and whose figurative meaning is different from its literal meaning. Idioms are found in nearly all languages and cultures, which can make them difficult to understand for non-native speakers as they are unique to their language of origin. This is because the meaning of an idiom doesn't rely on the literal definition of its words, but rather the figurative context of how the words are used. Idioms are also cultural and social phenomena that reflect social mental characteristic of behavior, they relate to the communicative human behavior which suggests standards, rules and conventions of communication of this or that lingua-cultural community.
Key words: origin, idioms, cultural significance, mentality, activity, saying, etymology, meaning, social relevance, community, expression.
Introduction
Every language has words or phrases that cannot be understood directly. Even if you know the meaning of all the words and understand all the grammatical phrases, it is still difficult to understand the meaning of the idiomatic phrase. Understanding proverbs, phrases, and colloquialisms poses a number of challenges. An idiom is a phrase that does not derive from the sum of its meanings. Idiomatic expressions are mainly used in everyday communication. Such phrases are quickly memorized and become functionally equivalent. They also serve to express ideas beautifully. Idioms are one of the most complex areas of language learning, especially in English, and it requires a special approach. Usually students translate idiomatic expressions directly, which sometimes leads to funny translations. Idiomatic expressions and idioms are often used in English-speaking countries. For example, the following expressions are often used in everyday life and in movies.
• Break a leg - A way to wish someone good luck;
• To live it up - To enjoy life, to live widely;
• To kick the bucket - To die;
• Shape up or ship out - Used to tell someone that they should leave if they don't improve their behavior or performance;
• To shed crocodile tears - To cry about something but without actually caring.;
• Wild goose chases - A useless journey or pursuit;
• There's no room to swing a cat - There is not a lot of space;
• To pay through the nose - To pay a lot of money, more than is normal;
Well, first of all, if we talk about what an idiom is, phraseological expressions are fixed compounds, a combination of linguistic units that express an idea or concept, in relation to words that have the same meaning, expresses meaning in a strong way, and in them vividly reflects the imagery. Phraseological expressions are figurative expressions of clear conclusions drawn by the people on the basis of witnessing various events in life, evaluating different behaviors of people, generalizing their experiences.
Main part
Idioms are an important part of all languages and have a significant presence in communication. Though these phrases as a whole mean something different than the literal meanings of the words they contain, most language experts agree that idioms reflect that human communication is not meant to function on a strictly literal basis.
Here are some common examples of idioms used in everyday speech and their meaning:
• beat the clock (finish something quickly, before a set time)
• ducks in a row (to get organized)
• by the book (do something correctly, follow the rules)
© M.A. Ashurova, 2022.
• hit the jackpot (to win or have immediate success)
• draw a blank (unable to remember something)
• chew the fat (tell stories or engage in friendly small talk)
• bat a thousand (to be successful in many ways at once)
• piece of cake (something done easily)
• Night owl (someone who stays up late)
• hit the bricks (to leave)
• give the cold shoulder (to ignore someone)
• fingers crossed (hope for good luck)
• bet the farm (risk everything)
• last straw (final incident before a result occurs)
• a day late and a dollar short (missed opportunity due to lack of timing and effort)
What Is An Idiom?
An idiom is a word or, more commonly, a phrase in which the figurative meaning is different than the literal meaning of the grouping of words. There are approximately 25,000 idioms in the English language alone. For example, there is a common saying in English. You've probably heard it. If I were to say, "Fred kicked the bucket," what would you think?
Now, you could take this literally, in that Fred actually walked up to and kicked a bucket in his path. However, those familiar with the English language would not take this sentence literally, knowing that this is a common saying or idiom that conveys a different meaning implying that a person has died. This idiom has a rather dark origin. It came from a reference to someone hanging himself by standing on a bucket and then kicking it away, thus "kicking the bucket."
It is interesting to note that while there are different idioms for each individual language, many languages have equivalent idioms found in their respective languages.
For instance, the phrase "kick the bucket" in English which implies, as we've discussed, that someone has died, can be translated into a phrase that means the equivalent in Ukrainian, "to cut the oak" (as in, building a coffin); in German, "to look at the radishes from underneath;" or in Swedish, "to take the sign down," and so on.
Most of us use idioms every day and yet many of us don't know how these same phrases originated. It's very interesting to learn the origins behind the phrases and how they came into existence. As you learn about idioms, you also learn about history, geography and culture. Idioms are usually derived from local culture and customs in each individual language.
Meanings and Origins of Idioms
To learn a language, a person must learn the words in that language, how and when to use them. But people also need to learn phrases separately, because some words used together can change their meaning or have different meanings at certain times. To understand an idiom, it is sometimes necessary to know to which nation the idiom originated.
So, let's explore some common idioms and phrases and take a look at the meanings and origins behind
them.
•"Break a Leg!"
How many times have we heard someone shout, "Break a leg!" to someone going onstage? This is a phrase that seems to be counter intuitive. Certainly, you don't want someone to actually break their leg onstage. Where did such a saying come into existence?
The phrase was first recorded in print in the early 1900s.
Eric Partridge in his Dictionary of Catchphrases suggests that the term originated as a translation of a similar expression used by German actors: Hals- und Beinbruch (literally, "a broken neck and a broken leg.") The German phrase traces back to early aviators, possibly during World War I, spreading gradually to the German stage and then to British and American theaters.
Why would people twist a wish for dreadful injury into one for good luck? It is suggested that it is a reverse psychology of sorts. Popular folklore down through the ages has been full of warnings against wishing your friends good luck. To do so is was thought superstitiously to tempt evil spirits or demons to do your friend harm. Instead, they would wish their friend bad fortune.
There is also evidence that some have pointed to the stage directions for the opening night of the reconstructed Globe Theater in London which supposedly called for two actors to swing dramatically from a balcony down to the stage on ropes. One of the actors slipped and, you guessed it, broke his leg.
However, this has not been substantiated. In either case, it has become a common and accepted expression of good luck.
•Red Tape
This is a very common idiom. We use the term "red tape" to denote anything that may delay or hold us up, whatever the process may be. It also refers to a lot of unnecessary bureaucracy or paperwork.
This term originated from the fact that legal and official documents were tied up or bound with red tape since the 16th century. By doing so, it was often difficult to access them. Hence, the term "red tape."
•Piece of Cake
We've all heard this one. "Oh, don't worry. That's a piece of cake!" We know this signifies something that is easy, managed with no difficulties. We can do it with our eyes closed.
Where did this idiom originate?
This one's almost self-explanatory. What's easier than eating a piece of cake?
The first reference to this was in the 1930s, when American poet Ogden Nash, who wrote Primrose Path, was quoted as saying, "Life's a piece of cake." This sweet idiom has stuck around ever since.
•"It's Raining Cats and Dogs!"
This must sound like a very odd expression to someone just hearing it for the first time. There are a lot of things we have seen falling from the sky, but cats and dogs aren't one of them. One has to wonder, how did this expression come about?
It's quite simple, really. It originated in England in the 1500's, when houses had thatched roofs. A thatch roof consisted of straw piled high, with no wood underneath. In cold, foggy England this was sometimes the only place for an animal to get warm. Cats, other small animals and the occasional dog would wind up on the roofs.
When it rained really hard, some of the animals would slip off the roof and wash up in the gutters on the street. Hence, the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs" ended up referring to a particularly heavy rain. Kind of gruesome, isn't it?
•An Arm and a Leg
"That's going to cost you an arm and a leg!"
This is a common phrase that means simply it's going to cost to the point of sacrifice. It's going to hurt. The price is high.
Where did such a phrase come into existence?
If we step back in time to George Washington's day, we would not see any cameras. For a portrait to be produced, it had to be painted or sculpted.
If you notice old pictures, you will notice something interesting. The paintings may consist of just a person's face. At other times, a person is portrayed with one arm behind their back or both arms may be visible. Interestingly enough, portraits were not charged by the number of people who appeared in the picture, but rather by the number of limbs that were painted.
If they wanted a cheaper painting, then it would "cost them an arm and a leg." Artists knew it took more time and effort since arms, hands and legs were more difficult to paint
•Cold Shoulder
If someone is said to give us the cold shoulder, this means that they are disregarding, dismissing or otherwise ignoring us and treating us with disrespect. We are not welcome in their presence.
The origin of the term has been disputed over the years. However, one viable theory is that it came from serving an unwanted guest a cold shoulder of mutton that had been sitting out for awhile, as opposed to a nice hot meal like the rest of the guests.
Another theory is that it came from keeping one's back, or at least a shoulder, in between yourself and the unwanted person. In either case, it shows disdain and disregard and the message is clear.
•Gossip
Gossip is a single word defined as something that is said between two or more people, usually derogatory in nature, about someone else.
Although gossip is just one word, it is actually derived from more than one word. Before TV, phones and other media, politicians of old had to depend on feedback to find out what was important to people in their jurisdiction. They did this by sending their assistants out to the local taverns and pubs where most of the people hung out. They would sip some ale, listen to people's conversations, thus learning what was on people's minds and what their concerns were.
They basically were told to "go sip some ale", thus the term "gossip" was coined.
•Straight from the Horse's Mouth
When we hear someone say, "I heard it straight from the horse's mouth," we know what they mean. It's truth. You cannot contest it. Although being an odd phrase, since horses obviously don't talk, we understand that it means it is something you cannot deny, it's actual fact.
The truth is, horses have always been a prized commodity down through the ages. There were a lot of dishonest people who would try to sell less than quality horses to potential buyers. They would also lie about a horse's age. However, anyone who knew anything about horses knew that you could tell the age by examining the
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size and shape of the teeth, literally getting the truth straight from the horse's mouth. This is how the phrase later came to mean getting the literal truth.
Conclusion
There are tens of thousands of idioms used in English. Perhaps, as we understand it, phrases are difficult for people whose first language is not English. Indeed, English-speakers in the Homeland of England also struggle with American phrases. Americans know them because they are common pharases. We are used to hearing them at home, at school, and on our favorite TV shows. Sometimes American phrases make their way around the world, and sometimes expression doesn't take it out of a particular situation. An idiom is a figure of speech established by usage that has a meaning not necessarily deductible from those of the individual words. Idioms are a type of figurative language, which means they are not always meant to be taken literally. Idioms express a particular sentiment, but they do not literally mean what the individual words themselves mean. An idiom is a saying that is specific to a language.
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ASHUROVA MAFTUNA ASQAR KIZI - master's Degree in English Philology, Karshi State University, Karshi, Uzbekistan.
