Idioms are defined by Merriam-Webster as:

An expression in the usage of a language that has a meaning that cannot be understood from the combined meanings of its elements (such as up in the air for “undecided”) or in its grammatically atypical use of words (such as give way for “retreat”)

Languages are loaded with idioms, and idioms should not be taken literally. Though global, meaning varies by country and/or culture.

In Finnish, “with long teeth” means you are doing something that you really don’t want to do. The same phrase in French, “to have long teeth,” means you are ambitious.

Groups of people with shared/common interests have their own idioms. Think about these examples from music and theatre:

“It’s not over ‘til the fat lady sings.”

“Break a leg”

“It takes two to tango.”

When I taught English as a Second Language, idioms really challenged my students. Common idioms, like the examples in the chart on the left, were easy to explain.

Others not so much.

When signing idioms for the deaf, I had to understand what the speaker meant.

Usually, it’s easy to pick up the meaning from the context of the conversation or non-verbal gestures.

Sometimes it’s not.

Need help understanding an idiom? This site can help: https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/