Idiom of The Day

 

Let's start using idioms or idiomatic expressions when we write. When idioms are used, it add color and texture to language by creating images that convey meanings beyond those of the individual words that make them up. An idiom can be very colorful and make a 'picture' in our minds. It also shows the writer's familiarity with English. When you want to make your writing sound more conversational, including idioms can give your writing a more relaxed tone.

Idioms allow us to say a lot with few words. Idioms amplify your messages in a way that draws your readers in and helps awaken their senses. It adds dynamism and character to otherwise stale writing. They make your writing less monotonous and your readers will think that you are smart and knowledgeable. All the while ... you only clothe your writing with elaborate idioms to create an impact... saying too much with less. 

To perfect your English, you really need to become confident in using idioms and knowing the difference between breaking a leg and pulling someone's leg. 

One reader asked however ... if I could think of any idiomatic expression that is related to the sense of entitlement. Here it is.

IDIOM: Wolf in sheep's clothing

MEANING: a person who hides malicious intent under the guise of kindness. They are someone pretending to be harmless ... but wait their true colors usually come out at the end. They are also those people who camouflage their true identity with a pleasant and friendly exterior but has actually an evil interior.

ORIGIN: This phrase originates from Aesop's fable, where the wolf wears a sheep's skin in order to blend into a flock of sheep and make the farmers easy prey for hunting. It has also biblical origins when Jesus preaches to be careful with false prophets. "They will come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves."

USING IT IN A SENTENCE: Beware of a wolf in sheep's skin in your homes ... they will enter your room unnoticed, either to steal your money or snoop around.

People Who Are Wearing Sheeps Clothing

 

Who are these people? People wearing sheep's clothing are those people who become friendly to you because they have evil plans up in their sleeves.  They pretend they agree with you 100% ... but what goes behind their minds is another story.  They make you believe he is one of you (just like a wolf infiltrating a herd of sheep pretending he is one of them). He can't be trusted and it is just a matter of time before he stabs you in the back.

Their behaviors can be likened to infiltrators, defined as somebody who secretly becomes a part of the group or a family ... whose goal is to get information and at the same time influence the way the group thinks and behaves. In movies ... they are like spies ... or a mole, soldiers, or intelligence and undercover agents who surreptitiously and gradually move into an organization, territory, or community for the sole purpose of espionage. Having trusted them ... they become traitors in the end.

Look at the way these guys operate. A good example of this is a friend of a friend who doesn't mince a word saying bad things about his friend's girlfriend.  He even helped them break up and organize their final goodbyes. And look who is he going out with at this time? Understanding his psyche ... all the deception and all that pretense of saying the nastiest words ever is just a means so he can claw his position to the girl. What a traitor!

And then ... there is this wolf who is applying for work. In his casual talk with human resources, he charmed his way to their heart saying: "I am an active contributor ... a good team player and I make things happen should I be given the chance to work with you. And the best part of it all ... I will help you succeed." Such sugar-coated one-liners can make bosses jump with joy. Little did they know ... the applicant had already sniffed frailty and weakness in them ... and this early his mind soars how he could kick their tushie once his application was accepted.

And here's another example of a pusher/pushee story gone viral in Thailand. The pushee wants a new life for himself but before he can turn a new leaf the police want him to act as a decoy so they will finally catch the pusher and put him in Rehab.  

And there are two friends who are running for top honors in high school. A befriended B so they could do assignments together and he could copy from him during exams. The sad part is that there are things that A knew that B failed and those he has problems with ... he copied from B. A becomes the class valedictorian ... to the utter disgust of B. You see ... even close friendships were not spared ... as this story tells us the lesson to watch out for these turncoats. In life, there are no permanent relationships... only permanent interests. 

However, I am more inclined to believe this lesson and make it my motto in life: Trust no one ... but yourself.  When the person strikes you as the friendliest and the most helpful person ... it is all because they WANT something from you. Remember ... the wolf in the sheep's clothing doesn't look like a wolf.

Idioms In Tagalog

 One of my friends asked:  "Are there idiom equivalents also  in the Tagalog language?" Of course, there are.  Katulad ng idioms sa English, ginagamit ito para tumingkad ang paglalarawan ng mga bagaybagay at para mapaigting  at matalinhaga ang takbo ng usapin o pagsusulat.

And just like in English ... ang kahulugan ng mga "sawikain or idioms" ay magkaiba sa literal meaning ng mga salita. Sa madaling salita ang mga sawikain don't mean exactly what the individual words in it say. Tandaan natin ... ang figurative meaning ng mga sawikain ... is different from its literal meaning.

Kung sinabi ng nanay mo na may bungang araw ka ... don't take the literal meaning of the idiom which translate to (fruit of the sun) O baka naman iisipin mo na iyon ang (FOTD) fruit of the day ninyo for lunch at basta ka na lang kukuha ng planggana para doon mo ilagay. Ang figurative meaning  noon ay may "prickly heat ka ... at sa susunod huwag masyadong magbilad sa araw.