VS ee ee Ts JANE APPLEBEE POS me erat E>.CONTENTS Acknowledgements iv Introduction Ns 1 Historical idioms 1 2 New idioms 26 3 Humorous idioms 42 4 Foreign idioms 53 5. Slang 65 6 Proverbs 78 7 Similes and Metaphors 86 Exercises 95 Answer Key 117 Index 119INTRODUCTION English-speakers like using idioms and colloquialisms because they add ‘spice’ to the language. However, they are often areas of difficulty for students of English. Even if you have a good command of English and can make yourself clearly understood, how good is your knowledge and understanding of idiomatic phrases and expressions? For example, do you know what gobbledegook means? gobbledegook (see page 46) Help with Idioms helps you to enrich your language and understand native speakers more easily. Saying She was angry with me will communicate your meaning adequately, but to say She tore me off a strip is far more evocative and exciting. Help with Idioms explains and practises a selection of idioms commonly used in everyday English. There are approximately 150 entries which are divided into seven sections for casy reference. Every section has its own introduction giving further details about the particular group. For example, the introduction for Slang explains what it is and when it is used.