LET’S GIVE IT A SHOT…

Having too many irons in the fire, quite often we are tied up with  laborious work day in and day out that we often turn a blind eye in imparting the importance of Idioms to the language learners. Pigging out new words and expressions is never a walk in the park. One needn't be an egghead or a big cheese to learn English Idioms. Neither a tough cookie nor a top banana can turn out to have a gift of the gab unless one is sure of some right idioms for right occasions. Without losing one’s shirt or without rolling up one’s sleeve Idioms can be learnt if you can fling yourself into an eager-beaver freak of learning. 

Knowing a few idioms is indeed having an ace up one’s sleeve. Quite often we bark up the wrong tree in the process of Language learning. It is easy to follow the beaten path but one can always jump off the page with a little by little of Idioms that may play the trick. One’s language can be souped up with a light use of one’s noodles. Most of us are yellow-bellied to give away the game of language. Learning Idioms isn't pulling a rabbit out of a hat and any fluent speaker would go down in flames if spoken in dribs and drabs. So its high time to decide whether you are going to shape up or ship out with learning idioms ! A good speaker has to know the ropes. One can bring the house down with a few natural idioms or else will end up as a fish out of water in most social gatherings. New Idioms join the language family as crisp as new bank notes and such a scenario compels us to take the bull by the horns. 

Language is a system of systems with wheels within wheels. On the whole instead of harping the same tune one can give one’s best and gain ground by familiarising oneself with Idioms. It has to be noted that the splurge of new idioms come from Americans time after time. At times it is fun to say my washing machine is on the blink instead of saying it isn't working. I paid through the nose is more amusing than to say I had spent a lot. Under the whether for being sick or to hit the hay for going to sleep appears rather a strong hold in one’s hands as far as language is concerned. Many believe that Idioms are for the birds. But Idioms often join our language family as gatecrashers even without our knowledge. Continuous exposure to language helps you face the music in a path of cakewalk. However a crystal clear idea about the importance of idioms will help to rekindle the interest of a learner to learn more of idioms. 

           Certain strategies may help you to be a better speaker in learning Idioms like shooting fish in a barrel. 

1. Reading can help you set a foot in the door. 

2. Being a mag hag  helps you to observe the usage of Idioms.

3. Watching the Silver Screen too may help you to pick up new idioms.

4. Shooting the breeze with someone, facilitates you to use the already learned idioms. 

5.  English soap operas can help you out with latest coinages.

4. Pick up your ears to English songs which may help you figure out a few peppy expressions 

5. Keep on track with the already learnt idioms

Finding your feet in a new language is not always a piece of cake. At the drop of a hat, one must be able to tackle idioms. Most people either hit the road or move off the hook in the learning process.For all those who still argue idioms to be dead wood, a fluent speaker without Idioms is just like all sizzle and no steak. Rather than sitting on the fence, do sleep on the idea of Idioms and set to work from today onwards. To make it long and short, one can cut the mustard and come up with flying colours with a little care for out of the box thinking with idioms, without burning the midnight oil much.

A. Krishna Sunder