What term refers to a group of words whose meaning cannot be deduced from the meanings of the individual words?

What term refers to a group of words whose meaning cannot be deduced from the meanings of the individual words?

• A. Idiom
• B. Metaphor
• C. Colloquialism
• D. Expression

Answer: (A)

An idiom is a phrase whose overall meaning isn’t tied to the literal meanings of its individual words. The meaning is conventional and learned as a unit, so you can’t figure it out just by looking at the words themselves. For example, phrases like “kick the bucket” or “spill the beans” mean something completely different from the literal actions those words suggest. That fixed, non-literal sense is what makes it an idiom. Metaphor, by contrast, uses a direct comparison to describe something (like saying “time is money” to suggest time is valuable), so it’s about imagery rather than a fixed expression with a separate meaning. Colloquialism refers to informal, everyday language and may or may not be figurative. Expression is simply any phrase or saying, not specifically the non-literal, fixed meaning that characterizes an idiom.

An idiom is a phrase whose overall meaning isn’t tied to the literal meanings of its individual words. The meaning is conventional and learned as a unit, so you can’t figure it out just by looking at the words themselves. For example, phrases like “kick the bucket” or “spill the beans” mean something completely different from the literal actions those words suggest. That fixed, non-literal sense is what makes it an idiom.

Metaphor, by contrast, uses a direct comparison to describe something (like saying “time is money” to suggest time is valuable), so it’s about imagery rather than a fixed expression with a separate meaning. Colloquialism refers to informal, everyday language and may or may not be figurative. Expression is simply any phrase or saying, not specifically the non-literal, fixed meaning that characterizes an idiom.