The Internet Writing Workshop: this week's exercise

I didn't get the Internet Writing Workshop's exercise up last week. But here is today's!

I will not be posting the next two weeks' exercises from the website, either, as I will be on vacation. And in a place where I am totally disconnected from all things internet and telephone related (I'll be rafting the Colorado River in the bottom of the Grand Canyon).


Idiom Insight

Prepared by: Charles Hightower
Reposted on: Sunday, June 20, 2010
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Exercise: In 400 words or less, create a story that might explain the origin of an idiom.

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An idiom is a phrase that does not make literal sense. Idioms may be among the most difficult concepts in English for foreigners to understand...For example, the phrase "kick the bucket" is interpreted as the act of dying. Taken literally, though, neither the kick nor the bucket has any apparent relationship to the meaning of the phrase.

Select an idiom. Then make up a story that could explain the idiom's origin, or show how it came to be. Use your imagination--the tale need not be true. Show, don't tell. Be sure to identify the idiom at start or finish.

If you need ideas, you might refer to http://www.eslcafe.com/idioms/id-list.html

or http://www.learn-english-today.com/idioms/idioms_proverbs.html

 
I like this: a story about how an idiom came to be. Hmmmm.