What is an idiom?

• A. A direct comparison without using like or as.
• B. A common, often used expression that doesn't make sense if you take it literally.
• C. A contrast between expectation and reality.
• D. A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way.

Answer: (B)

An idiom is a common expression whose meaning isn’t clear from the literal words you see. People use idioms to convey ideas quickly, and you have to know the accepted meaning as a whole, not just what the individual words would suggest. For example, when someone says “kick the bucket,” they don’t mean to literally kick a bucket; it means to die. That distinction—a fixed, culturally understood meaning that isn’t tied to the literal wording—is what makes something an idiom. This is different from a metaphor (a direct comparison without using like or as), a simile (a comparison using like or as), or irony (a contrast between what’s expected and what actually happens).