Literature Glossary

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Colloquialism

Definition:

Remember that time you told your dad that a near-sighted pterodactyl must've broken the living room window, and he said, "Listen, kid. I wasn't born yesterday"? That's a colloquialism.

Colloquialisms are common, informal words and sayings. Often—but not always—they express a sentiment that's different from what they literally mean. Let's go back to the broken window. Your dad isn't telling you that he's older than a newborn; he's telling you that he isn't a moron. Of course a pterodactyl didn't break the window. Pterodactyls love windows.

So what's the difference between colloquialisms and slang? Geography. While slang words and phrases like on fleek or bush league are used by specific social groups—in this case, teens and sports fans—colloquialisms are often specific to a region. Take, wicked, for example. That's a New England colloquialism that means "really," as in, "Ma, that was a wicked good pot roast! Let's save some for the vicious pterodactyl that's roaming our neighborhood."