What are idioms?

What are Idioms?

By: Melissa Rivera

id·i·om

Amelia Bedelia 

Amelia Bedelia is a housekeeper who takes her instructions quite literally . Reading the list of chores that her employer has left her, Amelia begins with "Dust the furniture." How odd, Amelia thinks to herself. "At my house we undust the furniture." Nonetheless, she dutifully locates the "Dusting Powder" in the bathroom, and proceeds to sprinkle it all over the living-room furniture and floor. Next she is asked to "Draw the drapes when the sun comes in." So of course, Amelia sits down with a sketchpad and gives it her best shot. (Description from Amazon)

 Click on Hali for help with our highlighted vocabulary word.

So, which phrases in the paragraph did you  guess were the idioms ?

If you picked:

 "Dust the furniture."  

"Draw the drapes when the sun comes in." 

 Now let's try and figure out what they mean... Go to the next page!

"Dust the furniture" means:

To remove dust from the furniture when cleaning. 

"Draw the drapes  when the sun comes out" means:

To open the drapes up to let the sunshine through. 

Remember to click on Hali to hear the definition of our highlighted vocabulary word!

Let's try another idiom!

Look at the picture. What does it illustrate ? Can you figure out the idiom  and what it means?

 Click on Hali to learn the definition of the highlighted vocabulary word. 

"Skeletons in the closet"

Which means that someone is keeping a secret.

Let's try another... Go to the next page!

What do you think is being illustrated  in the above picture? Do you know what it means?

Type your answer in the Student Response Section. 

"When pigs fly" 

Do pigs really fly?...No, right? 

So when you tell your Mom or Dad that you will clean your room "when pigs fly", you mean you will never clean it!

What did we learn today?

Vocabulary Words

1. idioms - is an expression consisting of a combination of words that has a figurative meaning. The figurative meaning is understood in regard to a common use of the expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made.

2. figurative - (used of the meanings of words or text) not literal; using figures of speech; "figurative language" (Kids.Net.Au)

3. literal - without interpretation or embellishment; "a literal translation of the scene before him" (Kids.Net.Au)

4. illustrate - means to depict what is happening. In our example, "what does the picture illustrate?", we are asking what does the picture show us to be happening?

Idiom Phrases

1. "Raining cats & dogs"

2. "Dust the furniture."  

3. "Draw the drapes when the sun comes in." 

4. "Skeletons in the closet"

5. "When pigs fly"

The End