GMAT Verbal: Idioms and Usage

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GMAT 2009

GMAT Verbal: Idioms and Usage

Author: acrosstheuniverse

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"Don't judge a book by its cover." - What does that mean exactly?

Â» What are Idioms?

Idioms. A group of words or a phrase having a meaning not deductive from the individual words themselves. Basically, phrases or slang words that are part of a language that have a background meaning that isn't always seen on the surface.

Idioms are sometimes referred to as cliches. It is a good idea to get familiar with idioms since they often come up in conversation and if you don't quite understand them, you may take them for their literal meaning and get very confused.

Here's a story that one of my school friends told me. I think it shows just how important idioms are and how your words can have more meaning than you originally think:

Michael was walking to his next class, saying hi to everyone he knew in the halls as he walked by. "Hey, how's it going?" "Great, how are you?" "Oh, ok, well I'll see ya later!". Every person he'd see, the conversation would go much the same way. He saw many people he knew before he met up with his new friend Tim from Japan. Again, they had the same conversation: "Hey, how's it going?" "Great, how are you?" "Oh, okay, well then, I'll see ya later!". Michael then went on his way to his next class. Later on he passed by the spot where he originally met Tim, he was standing there looking at his watch. When asked what he was doing there, Tim replied "You said I'll see ya later, so here I am!".

What do you think happened in the exchange between Tim and Michael?

Why was there a misunderstanding?

The phrase: "see ya later", doesn't always literally mean that they'll meet up with you later. It is a casual idiom meaning, "bye" or "I'll see you sometime in the near future hopefully".

Â» Popular Examples:

Here are some more examples of idioms and their usage. Can you figure out what they mean before you read the answer?

1. Don't judge a book by its cover.

Appearances aren't always everything.
Try not to assume: about things, people or otherwise.
Look beyond the surface of things.

2. See the light.

Look at or come back to reality.
Sometimes meant in a spiritual way.
Also the same if someone says, "snap into it!"

3. Below the belt.

When someone says something that is cruel or unfair.
It's a reference to boxing when someone's punched below the belt, it's unfair and illegal.

4. Cat got your tongue? or tongue-tied.

Unable to speak, shy, weary.
Very quiet, unsure what to say.

5. Don't take a gift horse in the mouth or Don't look a gift horse int he mouth.

This idiom is said in a couple of ways, depending on how that person may have heard it.
Don't take things that are given to you for granted.
Don't act spoiled.
When something is given to you, don't complain about it, accept it graciously.

6. A bit much or over the top.

Used when something is excessive.
Sometimes used to refer to something or someone as annoying.

7. Opening a can of worms.

An action that can create some serious problems.
Basically means to watch what you're doing.

8. Big Mouth or Rumour Mill.

Person who talks a lot, mostly negatively about others.
Saying things that aren't necessarily true.

9. Catch 22 or Double Edged Sword.

Situation where there's conflict no matter what decision or outcome is made.
The first term comes from an American author named Joseph Heller about pilots and how the mentally ill were not allowed to fly, however anyone who didn't want to fly the dangerous missions were considered sane, so the "insane" would have to fly anyway.
Basically means to make the best of the situation, since both sides have some negative aspects to them.

10. Feeling peachy or "I'm on cloud nine".