To the User.
All languages have phrases or sentences that cannot be understood literally. Even if you know all the words in a phrase and understand all the grammar of the phrase completely, the meaning may still not be apparent. Many proverbs, informal phrases, and common sayings offer this kind of problem. A phrase or sentence of this type is said to be idiomatic. This dictionary is a collection of the idiomatic phrases and sentences that occur frequently in the varieties of English that follow the British standard. The dictionary is designed for easy use by lifelong speakers of English, as well as by the new-to-English speaker or learner. Readers who are native speakers of American, Australian, Canadian, or other varieties of English will find the entries fascinating and entertaining. Special features, such as numerous full-sentence examples and a Phrase-Finder Index, make this dictionary uniquely effective for language learners.
