Idioms & Proverbs
Recognise and interpret common idioms (break the ice, hit the nail on the head), adages (actions speak louder than words), and proverbs (a stitch in time saves nine), understanding their figurative meanings and when to use them
What a learner can do afterwards
- Explain the figurative meaning of common idioms encountered in texts, e.g. 'let the cat out of the bag' means to reveal a secret, not literally releasing a cat
- Interpret the meaning and intended lesson of adages and proverbs, e.g. explain that 'the early bird catches the worm' advises that acting promptly gives an advantage
- Use context clues to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar idiom or proverb encountered during reading and verify using a reference source
1 · Read
You already know that words can be literal or figurative. An idiom is a saying whose meaning you cannot tell from the single words alone, though the words often paint a picture. A proverb or adage is a short, well-known saying that gives advice or teaches a lesson. Both need you to think past the literal words. For example, let the cat out of the bag means a secret came out, often by accident. Butterflies in the stomach means feeling nervous, not real insects.
When Mia says her friend 'hit the nail on the head,' no one used a hammer. She means her friend guessed or said something exactly right.
'Actions speak louder than words' is not about loudness. It teaches that what people do shows their true feelings more than what they say. A stitch in time saves nine means fixing a small problem now stops a bigger one later.
When you meet a saying you don't know, look at the sentences around it for clues, then check a dictionary or ask an adult to confirm what it means.
Idioms and proverbs mean more than their literal words, so read them as a whole and check unfamiliar ones in a reference source.
The rewritten readings were written for this dataset.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
This opens up
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.