Idiomatic expressions give English its coior and vitality. They are
indispensable to the daily speech of the people and to the language of
newspapers and books, television and movies.
Whenever you hear a phrase whose meaning cannot be understood even if
you know the definitions of the separate words involved, you have probably
encountered an idiom. Mastering idioms requires a great deal of listening,
-qtudyinl4, practice, and usage. You cannot ignore this part of the language:
idiomatic expressions and more formal grammar should be given equal time.
The lessons in this book are designed to teach you the kind of ir-rformal,
everyday speech-including many slang words as well as idioms-that is
commonly undersLood by all native Americans, no matter what their level of
education.
There are variou