Hi All –
How many of you have wondered to yourselves, “I sure wish I
knew when it was appropriate to use idioms,” but were at a loss to find an answer?
Native English speakers sprinkle them liberally into their conversations
with friends and co-workers.
People who they know and with whom they have an existing
relationship. If you are meeting
someone for the first time or know them only slightly, then put a lid on the idioms.
Example: You
are meeting Mrs. Jones, your boss’ wife for the first time at a dinner party
which she is hosting.
Correct: “Hello
Mrs. Jones. It is a pleasure to
meet you. Thank you so much for
inviting us to your lovely home.
That is an exquisite painting and it goes so perfectly in this
room. What can you tell me about
it?”
Incorrect:
“Howdy! So you’re the boss’
ball and chain. How long have you two been hitched? Say, you’ve got some nice digs here! And that painting is the bee’s knees! So, what’s the
scoop on it anyway? “
So . . . when is it appropriate to use idioms in your
writing? Well, as a rule of thumb you can certainly use
idioms when you are writing in an informal manner, such as a personal letter to
a friend, a fictional conversation in a short story or novel or even a blog
entry. In more formal circumstances,
however, idioms should be avoided.
Examples of formal writing are obituaries, cover letters written to a
prospective employer, doctoral theses, letters to politicians, scholastic
essays and the like.
Here is a link which explains the subject far better than I
have:
Have a great week!
Kevin
Reminder: If you are unsure about the meaning of the
idioms used in this message, please refer to "Idioms, Figures of Speech,
and Proverbs" posted in August. An alternative is to look at http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com
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