Semantic and formal

relations among idioms

 Semantic and formal
relations of phraseological
units
• Phraseological units as apart of vocabulary are
related to other lexical items of vocabulary.

• They have direct or indirect relations with other

words, as well as with idioms, based on the content of
expressions ( semantic/ sense relations) or on the
form of expressions (formal relations)
 Semantic relations and
grouping
From the point of view of their relations to other
multi-word units, idioms may be semantically grouped
into idiomatic semantic fieldsand within these, taking
into consideration the similarities, differences and
other relations of their meanings, the most common
are synonymous and antonymous idiomatic relations
 Idiomatic semantic fields
Phraseomatic fields
• Are sets of semantically related idioms, connected by
the common semantic denominator (common) general
concept (e.g. power, death, fear).

• They may be organized according to different

semantic principles. They may include different types
of idioms displaying different typpes of relations
based on similarities, differences, hierarchies,
inclusion, and other various relations.
 Idiomatic semantic fields
Phraseomatic fields
Concept of power:
Call the tune, call the shots. Have sb in the palm of one
´s hand, throw one´s weight about, have the upper
hand, twist sb around one´s little finger, lead sb by
the nose, run the show, keep a tight reign, etc..

Concept of fear:
Get cold feet, have one´s heart in one´s mouth, get the
wind up, in a cold sweat, frighten the life out of sb,
scare the pants off sb, have a yellow streak, make sb
´s flesh creep/ crawl, shake like a leaf, etc..
 Synonymous Idioms
• Are idiomatic pairs or sets of expressions with the
same / very close denotative (conceptual( meaning)

Be in seventh heaven- be in cloud nine (be very happy)

Be rolling in it- have money to burn (be very rich)
An eye for an eye- tit for tat (something bad you do, because they
did it to you)
Child´s play- kid´s stuff- a piece of cake (sth very easy to do)
Be down in the mouth – be down in the dumps- feel low (be/ feel
depressed)
Go off the deep end- fly off the handle- do one´s nuts- burst a
blood vessel (lose one´s temper, become very angry)
 Synonymous Idioms
• A big wheel, a big gun, a big noise, a big shot are to be
considered as independent synonymous idioms and
not variants, because, in spite of some common words
(big), they have different imagery- symbols (wheel,
gun, noise, shot).
• On the other hand , expressions the last straw, the
final straw; as black as night, as black as midnight,
are variants, since the words last/ final,
night/midnight are synonymous or closely related,
having the same imagery.
 Antonymous Idioms
• Expressions having the opposite meaning, expressed by one or
two different words, or by completely different lexical
components and structure, including contrastive or antonymous
words.
• Eat like a bird- eat like a horse,
• be in the red- be in the black,
• small beer- big gun,
• in the right- in the wrong,
• lose one´s head- keep one´s head,
• swim with the tide- swim against the tide,
• go up in the world- come down in the world,
• in cold blood- in hot blood,
• too many cooks spoil the broth- many hands make light work, absence
makes the heart grow fonder- out of sight, out of mind
 Formal Relations and
Grouping
• Formally idioms may be grouped according to the similarities of
their forms of expression, the use of the same formal
component, or identicalness of the structure
• Identity of expressions based on the form but different
meaning, origin and motivation- homonymy- is not as frequent as
with words, though in every language we can also find few
homonymous idioms
• e.g.: a closed book (sth finished)- a closed book (sth unknown),
• make hay (take advantage) – make hay (make a mess)
• on the up and up (successful)- on the up and up (honest)
 Idiomatic paronyms –
Idiomatic false friends
• Two idioms similar in their form but different in their
meaning
• Beat the bushes( try very hard to get /achieve sth)-
beat about the bush (avoid a direct answer)
• Take a beating (be defeated, damaged, criticised)-
take a lot of beating (be better, more enjoyable)
• Lose heart (become discouraged)- lose one´s heart
(fall in love)
 Idiomatic clusters
• Groups of idioms containing one common lexical
component
• Be in the black, be in sb´s black books, Black Maria,
give sb a black eye, the black sheep, in black and
white, look on the black side, not so black ak he is
painted, black mark, as black as night

• At first hand, close at hand, from hand to hand, have

the upper hand, go hand in hand, hand over fist, have a
hand in, hold sb´s hand, lift/ raise one´s hand against,
lend a hand, out of hand, show one´s hand , etc..