Idioms Speech
INTRODUCTION TO IDIOMS
It was an indoor recess at school one day. When it was pouring rain outside, I was hanging out with my good friends, inside, and safe and sound from the torrential downpour. As my friends and I were looking out the window, one of them made a comment that caught my attention.
“It’s raining cats and dogs outside!” they exclaimed, and suddenly, it hit me. What in the world does that saying ACTUALLY mean? Where did it come from? Because I see no cats or dogs falling from the sky.
Later on that night, I found out that there are more of those weird sayings, and they are called idioms. Idioms have meanings that can’t be figured out by looking up the definitions in the dictionary. They have meanings that can only be understood by people who speak that language. So, ladies and gentlemen, I am going to describe some of the most common idioms used in the English language, and it will be as easy as pie.
“IT’S RAINING CATS AND DOGS” IDIOM
To start this off, I am going to continue explaining the “IT’S RAINING CATS AND DOGS!” idiom. This saying doesn’t literally mean, it’s raining cats and dogs, but rather, “Oh my gosh, it sure is pouring rain outside!”
And what might surprise you, is the meaning or origin behind this saying. Although there isn’t an absolute answer to where this saying came from, there is a likely myth on how this idiom started.
The myth states that dogs and wolves were descendants of Odin, the god of storms, and some sailors thought that dogs caused the rain. And, it is said that witches (who took the form of cats) made the wind in the storm. So, there you have it! Dog + cat = a big storm (according to legend). See?! I told you understanding idioms would be as easy as pie.
“EASY AS PIE” IDIOM
And sometimes, when people describe something that is really simple, I do say, “Wow, easy as pie”! But, when you think about it, making pie, isn’t all that easy. It turns out that this idiom means “easy as eating pie”, but as humans got lazier, we made sayings shorter so we could get to the point faster.
I guess I let the cat out of the bag, because the true meanings behind these sayings are no longer a secret!
“CAT OUT OF THE BAG” IDIOM
Speaking of the “let the cat out of the bag” idiom, you probably know it is used when you reveal a secret. But, did you know that the origin behind this saying is from Medieval Times? This idiom all started in the markets of Medieval Times. The markets sold many things including meat, (like pigs) and they were kept alive so the buyer could bring it home relatively “neatly”.
Once the buyer picked out a suitable animal, it would be bagged by the seller, and carried home by the buyer. But sometimes, mischievous sellers would replace the animal with a cat (because cats were everywhere!) and place it into the bag, instead of the animal the customer picked out.
But, this devious plan relied on the buyer not letting the cat out of the bag too early. If the customer opened the bag in the market, and saw a cat, they could demand punishments for the seller, since the secret would be out. And, this plan also relied on the fact that it had to be a quiet cat. Because, most people can tell the difference between an “oink” and a “meow”. I’m sure I’m smart enough that no one will give me a cat instead of a pig… knock on wood.
“KNOCK ON WOOD” IDIOM
It’s said that knocking on wood will prevent any bad luck. But how does knocking on wood relate to luck?
According to myth, trees and lumber have good spirits. If you knock on a tree, it is considered good luck because you are letting the great spirits within know you are there. So next time you are bragging about how well your team is doing in your season so far, make sure to knock on wood (you wouldn’t want to jinx yourself!)
CONCLUSION ON IDIOMS
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