Idioms - You use them every day
My newest top ten list is a look at Idioms which are figurative phases that should NOT be taken literally, but what if they were? For example, suppose you were helping someone to learn the language and they took every phrase at face value. Everyone has heard the phrase "it's raining cats and dogs." Imagine the surprised look on their face when confronted with that statement. Does that happen often? What kind of cats and dogs? What happens to them? Let's take a look at a few more. 10) "Pardon my French" - Almost no one who uses that phrase can speak French. 9) "Break a leg" - not really good advice unless you happen to be the understudy for that performance. Otherwise, it seems pretty cruel to put that thought in a performers mind just before the show. 8) "Dime a dozen" - clearly outdated - a dime won't buy a dozen of anything. 7) "There's a frog in my throat" - I doubt if that is even possible, frog