Dictionary of Idioms

People tend to be bored by page after page of dull, uninteresting language and so it is important to be able to write and speak in a lively fashion. The use of idioms will greatly enliven one’s style of writing and make it more interesting and more entertaining. This book not only gives the meanings of idiomatic expressions-in language which is simple and easy to understand-but includes example sentences or phrases showing the idioms in actual use. These will be helpful to all users of the book as they capture the “flavour’ of the most difficult aspects of learning a foreign language. Trying to find idioms in a dictionary is often not easy. Sometimes they are listed under the first word and sometimes under what is considered to be the most important word in the idiomatic phrase. It is difficult for the user to decide where to look. In this book we have made the task easier by including many cross-references. All the idioms have been arranged alphabetically. The system of cross-referencing not only makes the idioms easier to find but helps to jog the memory of those who can remember only one part of an idiom and not the rest. It will also be helpful to people who are simply browsing through the book looking for inspiration to add colour to their prose