An idiom is an expression whose meaning can't be deciphered from the usual meanings of the words within it.
For example:
When you say It's raining cats and dogs, you don't mean Russian Blues and German Shepherds are falling from the sky (although that would be awesome and adorable and would sound hilarious… provided that they all landed safely on trampolines).
But someone who's never understood the idiom might look up into the sky in an incredibly confused manner. ("Learn something new about meteorology every day, I guess.")
Every language has its own idioms, and they're not meant to be taken seriously. For example, if you're an English speaker visiting Miami in mid-August, you might utter the idiom I'm sweating bullets! But to express the same humid sentiment, your Dutch friend would say I sweat carrots!
While idioms can provide a fun look into a writer's culture, it's usually a good idea to avoid them in your academic writing. As our bullets and carrots example shows, they're often not the clearest way to express your ideas, and many of them are simply worn-out.
Some of Our Favorite Examples
- a leopard can't change his spots (you can't change who you are)
- dead ringer (100% identical)
- get your walking papers (get fired)
- pass the buck (avoid responsibility by giving it to someone else)
- flash in the pan (something or someone that initially shows potential but ultimately fails to deliver)
- the ball's in your court (you're in control of the situation)
- at the drop of a hat (immediately)
- get a taste of your own medicine (finding out what it's like to be treated the way you treat people)