An IDIOM is an expression where the words taken together mean something different from the individual meaning of the words. Idioms are often special to a particular language.
Thus an “idiomatic expression” is a phrase that is natural and meaningful in a particular language, although not necessarily in other languages.
Examples of some idioms in English are:
In Psalm 89:17, “prosper for us the works of our hands” (SAAS) is an example of an idiom from Greek and Hebrew. It is not a natural idiom in English. Speakers of English would not use it in everyday conversation.
Underline all examples of English idioms in the following passage:
‘There is no point in getting all hot and bothered about it,’ said his brother-in-law. ‘Just be patient and bide your time a little. The whole thing will blow over before you can say “Jack Robinson."’ ‘It’s all very well for you to talk,’ grumbled the other.
Adapted from Bible Translation: An Introductory Course in Translation Principles by Katharine Barnwell, 2017, page 20.