Thanks again mem286.
I agree idioms are often strange. I love them and use them all the time. An interesting old book was "1,000 Spanish Idioms". It bears out what you said about how it may depend on where the person is from. The professor author had surveyed many people in various countries as to whether each idiom was frequently, rarely or never heard. Some were universally used, but other were confined to certain countries, or even smaller areas.
I also think the meaning of idioms tends to drift over time because it is not to be found in the words, so even native speakers may have to guess. Here's a strange one in English. In Britain, but not in the USA, "Bob's your uncle" means that something is quick and easy to accomplish from here. The hard part has been done or eliminated. But originally it had a definite bitter element to it. The result was sure and soon, and the speaker was less than pleased about that. That bitter part of the meaning has completely disappeared.
Regards.
|