Expressions or phrases whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal definition of the individual words, such as 'break a leg' meaning 'good luck'.
From Greek 'idioma' meaning 'peculiar phraseology' or 'special property', from 'idios' (one's own, private). Entered English in the 16th century through Latin.
Idioms are language's inside jokes - they create an instant bond between native speakers while completely baffling learners, serving as cultural passwords that reveal whether you truly 'get' a language.
Many idioms encode historical gender stereotypes: 'get a man/woman down' (degradation), 'the little woman' (diminishment), 'hysterical female' (pathology). These expressions normalize biased assumptions through everyday speech.
Flag idioms with embedded gender bias in communication. Offer literal or gender-neutral alternatives to replace outdated expressions.
["expressions","phrases","figurative language"]
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