Page 44 - ABCTE Study Guide_Neat

Idiom A colorful word or expression used to “I’ve got a bone to pick with you.”
convey an idea in an alternate way,
idioms are figures of speech,
colloquial terms whose meaning is
not literal and doesn’t follow the
definition of the words of which it is
composed.

Figurative Figurative language refers to an “My dog, Rainbow, likes to fetch.”
Language author’s use of a word or phrase in a
way that is not intended to be
interpreted literally. Figurative language can be as
simple as use of the word rainbow
as a pet name or as complex as
the poetics of William
Shakespeare.

Metaphor Metaphors are a type of figurative “My dog, Rainbow, has a cast-iron
language. When an author compares stomach.”
two things by using one kind of
object in place of another to suggest
the likeness between the two, it is a
metaphor.

Simile Similes are a type of figurative My dog, Rainbow, is as pretty as
language often confused with the morning sun.
metaphors. When an author uses
like or as in a comparison, it is a
simile.

You’ll be able to link back to this chart for reference but as most of these terms need contextual information, it might be
more helpful to review them with example text. Let’s look at a few questions.

These can be tricky to differentiate. For example, which of the phrases in the following passage is an adage?

“There’s an old saying: you can’t take it with you, so I guess I won’t be shopping on the other side.”

If you chose “you can’t take it with you,” you are correct. The author gives us a clue by telling us it’s “an old saying.”
Adages are sometimes humorous, often astute observations about the world and humankind. You’ll want to make sure
students look for clues in the entire passage to infer meaning. In this example, we can deduce that it refers to money.

“The other side” is an idiomatic expression. Students should examine context clues before, during, and after reading,
and support their interpretations with examples found in the passage. A new reader might not be familiar with the
meaning of this expression, and in this instance, require more information.