Every language has phrases that cannot be understood literally. Even if you know the meanings of all the words in such a phrase and you understand the grammar completely, the total meaning of the phrase may still be confusing. English has many such idiomatic expressions. This dictionary is a selection of the frequently encountered idiomatic expressions found in everyday American English. The collection is small enough to serve as a useful study guide for learners, and large enough to serve as a reference for daily use. This third edition contains 2,000 idiomatic phrases. This edition also has a Hidden Key Word Index that allows the user to find a particular idiom by looking up the words found “inside the idiom,” which is useful in finding the key words that do not occur at the beginning of the idiomatic phrase. This dictionary should prove useful for people who are learning how to understand idiomatic English and for all speakers of English who want to know more about their language. Understand American English better by mastering its idioms This authoritative reference offers thousands of American English idioms, common phrases, and colloquialisms. Entries include definitions and examples of idioms used in context. With help from McGraw-Hill's Essential American Idioms Dictionary , you will become familiar with English as it is used in the media, at work, around the house, and in everyday conversations. This knowledge will help you comprehend English as it is spoken in the United States and add variety to your word usage. Inside you will find: 2,000 entries with examples of everyday usage The latest idioms used in the American lexicon Fun illustrations that show the humor of taking expressions too literally This revised and updated second edition of Essential American Idioms defines and explains nearly 1,700 idiomatic expressions of contemporary American English. The entries have been selected with the needs of nonnative speakers of English in mind and represent frequently used phrases of everyday spoken and written American English. Among the special features of this book are the following: each entry has at least two example sentences illustrating how the idiom is used in context in natural American English; and a new Phrase-Finder Index enables users to locate a particular idiom quickly by looking up any of its major words. Helps in learning idioms is as easy as apple pie. This reference defines hundreds of contemporary American idiomatic expressions and shows how to use them in real-life situations. It also teaches you more than 2,100 idioms, each exemplified with contextual sentences. Richard A. Spears. Rev. Ed. Of: 4th Ed. Of Mcgraw-hill's American Idioms Dictionary, C2007. Includes Index.
