英语词汇学_Unit10English_Idioms.pptVIP

English LexicologyUnit 10 English Idioms Overview Characteristics of idioms Semantic unity Structural stability Gradable idiomaticity Classification of idioms nominal verbal adjectival adverbial sentence Use of idioms Origin of idioms Semantic unity Each idiom is a single semantic unity. The meaning of an idiom is opaque; i.e. the meaning of an idiom is not the total sum of the meaning of its constituents. till the cows come home: for a very long time; for ever Structural stability The structure of an idiom usually remains unchangeable. bury the hatchet *bury the ax in (*the) question out of (the) question Many idioms are grammatically wrong, but idiomatically accepted. Long time no see. Like cures like. Go great guns. Gradable idiomaticity Notice the idiomaticity of idioms is gradable and may best be thought as a continuum（连续体）. Idioms nominal in nature They function as the subject or the object in a sentence: a white elephant (沉重的负担, 无用的累赘东西) brain trust (智囊团) apple of discord (祸根) the salt of the earth (非常正派﹑诚实等的人) Idioms verbal in nature They function as predicate verbs in a sentence. a) verb + preposition look after, look into, dig into, pick up b) verb + particle look up, put off, turn on, put on c) verb + particle + preposition come up with, live up to, get away with Compare: turn off vs look after Turn it off. *Turn off it. Turn the radio off. Turn off the radio. *Look him after. Look after him. Look after the baby. *Look the baby after. “verb + object” idioms keep the pot boiling （维持生活） bite the hand that feeds one （恩将仇报） give sb. the bag （解雇某人） Idioms adjectival in nature They function as complements or modifiers in a sentence. cut and dried (determined) The plan is cut and dried. wide of the mark (inaccurate) His guesses were all very wide of the mark. up in the air (uncertain) The plan is still up in the air. Idioms Adverbial in nature They function as adverbials in a sentence: tooth and nail （全力以赴） We will work