1500 Idioms And Phrases Pdf

[Karleen Chura]

Idioms! What is an idiom? Learn idiom definition, common idioms list in English with meaning, idiom examples and ESL pictures. Native English speakers, or of any language for that matter, naturally inherit the knowledge to know what idioms mean because they have the benefit of hearing them every day as they grow up. However, when you are learning English as a secondary language and it is not your native tongue, idioms and other forms of figurative language can be extremely difficult to understand. Understanding them, however, is an essential part of being able to communicate effectively with those around you and for them to communicate effectively with you. Below, you will see brief explanations discussing what idioms are, the important history behind them, and why we still use them today.

Most idioms have an extensive history of being used over an extended period of time. Many have origins in the Bible and even more are derived from Old English or Latin phrases and words. Well-known authors like Shakespeare, Chaucer, and many others have used or are solely responsible for the creation of some idioms in their works of poetry, drama, plays, and more. These well-known authors used idioms to prevent their writing from sounding bland, mundane, and repetitive by using the same old boring comparisons using both relative and literal terms. In fact, most of the popular idioms that we still use to this very day have stood the ultimate test of time having originated thousands of years ago.

Language evolves over time. Forever changing, it will adopt words and phrases from other languages and even completely made up slang as a common turn of phrase. English has been around for a very long time, and so it has adapted and evolved from its historical beginnings to the language we use today.

History: When at sea, vessels would occasionally become caught in galls or storms that could be potentially hazardous for both ship and crew. In cases such as these, the ship would make a berth in the nearest port, regardless of whether they had intended to stop there or not.

History: This phrase is believed to come from the common naval practice of needing to prepare a ships hatches for impending poor weather conditions. Hatches were designed to promote fresh air circulation below deck and were secured with wooden battens and tarpaulins to keep the interiors dry.

History: In the days of seafaring, one of the biggest concerns for a ship out at sea was disease. Before departure, port authority would sign a document attesting that the crew were free from contagious disease before setting off

History: As you might imagine, space was generally limited at sea, even when aboard the largest ships. As a result, the recreational quarters within which crew members would spend their free time and sleep was often cramped and crowded.

History: First used by the British Navy in the 18th Century, ships were coated in a layer of copper to protect the wooden planks from shipworms and barnacles. It became widely popular when proved effective at protecting the ships hull and increased the speed and handling of the ship in water.

History: Often thought to refer to the severing of an anchor line, the phrase cut and run is much more likely to refer to the practice of tying down the sails of a square-rigged ship with ropes that could be cut, rather than untied, if sails needed to be hoisted with haste.

History: The origin of this phrase is not as well known but is thought to be derived from the fact that dead fish will commonly float up to the surface where they could easily be seen by sailors on their ships.

History: From the 1500s through to the advent of steam-powered naval vessels, British Naval ships were scored from 1 through to 6, with first-rate having 100 or more guns, down to 6th rate, being frigates with only 20 to 48 guns.

History: In the early days of maritime law, flotsam and jetsam were used as legal terms to describe goods that had been lost from a ship as a result of a wreckage as well as those that had been purposely thrown in order to stabilise the ship in times of heavy wind or adverse conditions.

History: A gripe is a nautical term used to describe a vessel that has been poorly designed and so the bow tends towards the wind, causing the sail to flap, impeding progress and making the ship difficult to maneuver.

History: A sudden rise in water along the shore in otherwise calm waters that was said to be a result of disturbed water from a storm many miles away reaches the shoreline and causes the water level to rise.

History: In the seafaring times, captains and other levels of authority would demand their crew to work long hours during the day and into the night, even when necessary, for no other reason than to make them miserable.

History: This term is actually taken from naval warfare in that, according to law, an enemy attempting to escape battle by sailing into neutral waters could be followed and captured under the proviso that the engagement had begun in international waters.

History: Rather grisly in origin, this term was the name given to severe punishment for sailors in the 1400s and 1500s in which the wrongdoer would be secured to a rope and thrown overboard and dragged beneath the keel repeatedly.

History: Unlike the steam powered ships that would eventually succeed them, sailing ships make very little to no noise when moving forward. It is therefore highly likely that ships would be unaware of one another when sailing in darkness

History: Old naval warships used cannons as their main form of weaponry, which often were hit and miss in terms of accuracy. Different cannons also had varying maximum ranges which depended on their design, age and quality. If a vessel was to fire beyond its range and deliver a long shot, it was unlikely that it would hit its target.

History: Due to their massive weight, cannons on a sailing ship were secured to prevent them from moving about with the waves of the sea, as a loose cannon would cause immense damage to the sailing vessel or crew.

History: In terms of the actual structure and layout of the ship, the highest deck at the back of the vessel was called the poop deck. If a ship were to become breached by a large wave that flooded the vessel from the back, she was said to have been pooped.

History: This naval term comes from the act of assisting someone to push their boat or vessel out into the water. This was considered an act of generosity as ships were often far too large to be pushed out to sea by one man alone. The term was later used to refer to the act of shouting a round of drinks or to buy them a treat.

History: It was very common for ships at sea to be carrying large numbers of rats aboard, either picked up from port or stowed away in crates or containers of food loaded on deck. In the unfortunate event that the ship would sink, the rats would attempt to escape by jumping off into the deep blue sea.

History: In seafaring times, to sail close to the wind meant to steer the boat into the direction the wind was blowing from. This would fill the sails and move the boat along at a higher pace of knots. However, any small adjustment would cause the ship to move out of the direction of the wind and promptly lose speed.

History: It is believed that in the early naval days, this term was used as a command for crew members to step out of their hammocks and begin preparations for the day. It is also believed that the term may have come from the fact that women were allowed on board when the ship was in port, and thus the crew knew when a woman was still aboard and needed to be woken up and moved ashore before setting sail.

History: On a naval vessel, ones colours referred to the flag flown before engaging in a battle. A common practice became that some ships would deliberately fly the incorrect flag so as to fool their enemies.

History: This modern term often used to refer to large-scale industrial architecture in cities actually refers to a small sail set above what was called the skysail in order to maximise the amount of wind captured by the sails.

History: On a ship, a rope is called a sheet. If the sheets on a three-masted rigged ship became loose on the three lower course, the sails would begin to flap about and the ship would lose all purposeful direction.

History: This commonly used saying originates from the actions of Admiral Lord Nelson in the Battle of Copenhagen. In the battle, a signal was given to cease fighting and retreat. In response, the Admiral held his spyglass to his blind eye and later insisted he had not seen the signal.

History: This seafaring term was used to describe a situation in which a ship was sailing through shallow waters and would occasionally touch the bottom and then move forward again, without becoming grounded.

History: This saying is believed to have originated from the naval superstition that the wind could be summoned at a time of still water by the act of whistling for it. Similarly, in the event of a gall where there is an excess of wind, crew members should not whistle.

The etymology of any language or phrase is as interesting as it is historical. We hope that this list has explained the nautical origins behind some of the most common turns of phrase used in our day to day lives.

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Every culture has a selection of wise sayings that offer advice about how to live your life. The English language is littered with these idioms and many of them are used by thousands of English speakers daily. But have you ever wondered where such phrases originate from?

We did some research and here is our list of the top ten most common English sayings. Feel free to slip them into a conversation next time you are at the pub, or tell your grandma what she is actually referring to. And even if you are not a native English speaker, this article might you give an idea of how English-speaking cultures think (or thought) about the world.

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