Set Phrase (Noun)
Meaning
An expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up.
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Examples
- The phrase "kick the bucket" is a set phrase that means to die, not to physically kick a bucket.
- The idiom "break a leg" is a set phrase that means good luck, not to literally break one's leg.
- The phrase "pull someone's leg" is a set phrase that means to tease or trick someone, not to physically pull on their leg.
- The expression "cost an arm and a leg" is a set phrase that means something is very expensive, not that it literally costs a limb.
- The phrase "bend over backwards" is a set phrase that means to go out of one's way to help or accommodate someone, not to physically bend one's back.