Idioms

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When I hear idioms I don't generally take them too literally, mostly because my mother could have writen the book on them and if you did not know what they meant you would never be able to follow the conversation. Although there were a few times I can recall taking her quite literally when she used them. Ie I had a tendency to keep rattling on about the same subject so she would tell me to 'change the record'. I used to reply with 'what record?' thinking that she meant for me to change the LP on the old record player we had. It used to leave me momentarily confused as sometimes there would be no record playing at all.

Eventually I got it though.

However, whilst I get the alternative meaning of most idioms I also get a picture of the literal interpretation stuck in my head. This can be most disturbing if people say things like 'frying my brain' or 'out of the frying pan into the fire' or 'jumping out of my skin'. I even do it to myself sometimes by using such phrases myself when I am speaking or writing.

Anyone else get the meaning of idioms but also get the literal image of the idiom stuck in their head?

(some idioms: http://www.idiomsite.com/)

Last edited by bumble on 30 Dec 2011, 8:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Half the time I take them literally. The other half I recognize that an idiom is being used but I have no idea what it means.

OMg I ALWAYS do this. As a kid, it was excrutiating!

I am actually fairly good at this, but I can still be confused if I simply don't know one.

I understand as an adult but as a child and all my peers would laugh

I always get the literal picture of an idiom in my head when someone uses one.

Dots, you are one of the few people on this board whose gender I am pretty sure of, because you make sure to tell us every post!
("He" is fine with me.)

I do think most people are aware that Sibyl is a woman's name, and I think my avatar looks pretty female.

But anyway, I do get the literal picture a lot, though I'm pretty good at recognizing idioms and metaphors, so I don't really take them literally, but I do get the picture.