Fixed expression

A fixed expression is a standard form of expression that has taken on a more specific meaning than the expression itself. It is different from a proverb in that it is used as a part of a sentence, and is the standard way of expressing a concept or idea.

Examples include:

  • all of a sudden
  • come into mind
  • fall in line
  • I can assure you
  • so to speak
  • surf the web
  • Irreversible binomials like mix and match, wear and tear, and rock and roll
  • trinomials (3-word fixed expressions); e.g. lights, camera, action; signed, sealed, and delivered; and lock, stock, and barrel.
  • pop the question[1]

Fixed expressions occur in other languages, as well, such as:

  • Alex gab den Löffel ab (German, "Alex passed the spoon on," meaning: "Alex died")[2]
  • 血浓于水 (Mandarin, literally: "Blood is thicker than water")[3]

See also

References
  1. Tabossi, P.; Wolf, K.; Koterle, S. (1 July 2009). "Idiom syntax: Idiosyncratic or principled?". Journal of Memory and Language. 61 (1): 77–96. doi:10.1016/j.jml.2009.03.003.
  2. Sailer, Manfred (2017). Multiword expressions: Insights from a multi-lingual perspective. Phraseology and Multiword Expressions. Language Science Press.
  3. Liu, Dayan (22 November 2012). "Translation and Culture: Translating Idioms between English and Chinese from a Cultural Perspective". Theory and Practice in Language Studies. 2 (11). CiteSeerX 10.1.1.735.6747. doi:10.4304/tpls.2.11.2357-2362.


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