Bright day
They are the habitual associations of a word in a language with other particular words. Speakers become accustomed to such collocations.
Very often they are related to the referential & situational meaning of words.
Sometimes there are collocations, which are removed from the reference to extra-linguistic reality.
(collocations involving
colour words)
Ex.: to be green with jealousy
Red revolution
3). Idioms
Idioms are also collocations, because they consist of several words that tend to be used together, but the difference – we can’t guess the meaning of the whole idiom from the meanings of its parts.
This criterion is called the degree of semantic isolation.
In different types of idioms – it is different.
Ex.: to cry a blue murder = to complain loudly
This classification of idioms according to their structure:
1. Fixed idioms
a) fixed regular idioms
It’s a 60-thousand dollar question = difficult question
b) fixed irregular (can be varied on the grammatical level)
to have a bee in one’s bonnet (She has.., I have...)
2. Variable (varied on the lexical level)
Ex.: to add fuel to the fire/flame
to mind one’s own business /to mind one business
to nap a cat’s nap / to have a short nap (вздремнуть)
dialectal: BrE: to have a skeleton in the cupboard
AmE: to have a skeleton on the closet
Semantic classification:
2 criteria:
1). The degree of semantic isolation
2). The degree of disinformation
1. Opaque in meaning (трудный для понимания)
the meaning of the individual words can’t be summed together to produce the meaning of the whole.
Ex.: to kick the bucket = to die
It contains no clue to the idiomatic meaning of this expression
The degree of semantic isolation is the highest.
phraseological
fusions
2. Semi-opaque
one component preserves its direct meaning
Ex.: to pass the buck = to pass responsibility – свалить ответственность
phraseological unities
3
.
Transparent
both components in their direct meaning but the combination acquires figurative sense
Ex.: to see the light = to understand
phraseological combinations
There are lots of idioms (proverbs, saying).
Ex.: Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back
I dioms institutionalized formulas of politeness:
How do you do?
Good-bye (God be with you)
How about a drink?
Lots of clichés, quotations.
Clichés form a notable part of he public speaking style. They use clichés because of the intellectual laziness or in the hope of appealing to emotions of smb.
A talk based on clichés is easier to produce.
Ex.: to see the light this expressions are store in
It’s high time to do smth our mind, ready-made
Quotations:
To support our arguments, to add some prominence
Ex.: “I have a dream” M.L.King
“To be or not to be” Shakespeare
They may be clipped or shortened.
Ex.: To beer or not to beer (creates humorist effect)
To bomb or not to bomb
It was the last straw that broke the camels back.
Sources of idioms:
1. from our everyday life
Ex.: to be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
to sail under false colour (прятать истинное лицо)
to loose track of smb (потерять кого-либо из виду, давно не видеть)
a leopard can(’t) change its spots
2. from the Bible
Ex.: black sheep, lost sheep (заблудшая овца)
To cast pearls before swine (метать бисер перед свиньями)
3. World literature
Ex.: to fight against Windmills
an ugly duckling (Danish) – гадкий утенок
4. different languages
Ex.: to loose face (Chinese)
“The course of true love has never run smooth” Shakespeare “The 12th night”