English Idioms Debate
The cluster centers on discussions explaining and defending idiomatic English phrases against literal interpretations, with users clarifying that expressions like figures of speech are not meant literally.
📉 Falling 0.4x Other
5,482
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#6264
Topic ID
Activity Over Time
2007 7
2008 23
2009 68
2010 109
2011 95
2012 140
2013 188
2014 164
2015 231
2016 274
2017 305
2018 326
2019 370
2020 413
2021 570
2022 624
2023 628
2024 431
2025 477
2026 45
Top Contributors
Keywords
NY LA HN TBH languagelog.ldc wiktionary.org upenn.edu ESL cambridge.org idiom phrase idiomatic english suspend common discussion native heard perfectly
Sample Comments
Are you referring to the colloquial idiom?
TBH, that reinforces the idiom.
Could you explain what you mean by that idiom?
Reminds me of the American phrase "What exactly were you expecting?!"
you mean "idiom", not "euphemism".
That’s a common idiom which isn’t literal. (Obviously?)
It's an idiom.https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=31116
It's definitely one of those phrases that makes more sense spoken aloud.
It's idiomatic slang. Same thing.
I think the expression might be "for all intents and purposes".