Idioms

Every language has its idioms, those frustrating phrases that make no sense even when you can define all the words :p.

An idiom is a group of words which have a different meaning when used together from the one they would have if you took the meaning of each word separately.

Take this dialogue, for instance:

Jennifer: I think we got off on the wrong foot. Can't we just let bygones be bygones?
Grace: Absolutely. It's water under the bridge. Let's move on!

You know what "water", "under", and "bridge" mean, but what does it mean to say that something is "water under the bridge"? This website is a handy guide to English idioms - there's a list of "most popular" idioms, as well as an alphabetical listing of idioms. The link is also in the sidebar if you want to find it later. Understanding idioms can improve your understanding of English texts as well as your writing. Plus, a lot of them are funny and/or strange and might give you something to laugh about!