8839550399_01 eserc. oxf 069_126

IDIOMATIC EXPRESSIONS
In the dictionary, there is a special section reserved for idiomatic expressions. This sec-
tion is introduced by the symbol ◆. An idiomatic expression is a phrase or a sentence that
is generally fixed and semantically opaque or metaphorical, as its meaning is different
from the usual meaning of the individual words in it. For this reason, it must be learnt as
a whole unit. Idiomatic expressions are not a separate part of the language which one can
choose either to use or omit; rather, they form an essential part of the vocabulary, and the
general tendencies of present-day English are towards more and more idiomatic usage.
Idiomatic expressions are especially used in informal situations, and they have a stronger
meaning than ordinary words. For example, to kick the bucket has the same meaning of
to die, but it is more emphatic and commonly used in a very informal, colloquial situation.
Idiomatic expressions include collocations that break the conventional grammatical rules
of English (by and large), sayings (an eye for an eye), similes (as good as gold, like a
lamb to the slaughter) and proverbs (there’s no place like home). Proverbs are preceded
by the label PROV. If the proverb has an exact equivalent in the target language, the trans-
lation is given even though it might be very different in form (when in Rome do as the
Romans do paese che vai usanza che trovi). In all other cases, a literal translation or an
explanation preceded by the symbol = follows the proverb (chi va con lo zoppo impara a
zoppicare = bad company brings bad habit).
Idiomatic expressions are usually listed under the first main word(s) in a phrase (that is,
not under articles, prepositions, auxiliaries, etc.). In the dictionary, idiomatic expressions
usually appear under more than one of the main components in order to help users find
and identify them more easily. For example, the idiomatic expression alzare il gomito
appears both at alzare and at gomito, and spill the beans is both under 2.spill and 1.bean.
sheep /Si:p/ n. (pl. ~) ovino m.; (ewe) pecora f.; black ~
crudo /“krudo/ agg. 1 (non cotto) [carne, verdure, pesce]
FIG. pecora nera; lost ~ FIG. pecorella smarrita ◆ to count ~ raw, uncooked; (poco cotto) [carne] medium-rare, underdone, FIG. contare le pecore; to follow sb., sth. like ~ seguire qcn., undercooked; (non lavorato) [seta] raw; [metallo] crude, raw; qcs. come una pecora; to make ~’s eyes at sb. fare gli occhi mattone ~ unbaked brick, cob BE 2 (diretto) [descrizione, reali-
dolci a qcn.; may as well be hung for a ~ as for a lamb = se smo, rappresentazione] raw 3 (violento) [luce] violent, stark ◆
le conseguenze sono ugualmente negative, tanto vale com- averne passate di cotte e di -e to have been through a lot; ne ha mettere la mancanza più grave; to separate the ~ from the passate di cotte e di -e a causa sua he went through fire and goats = separare il grano dal loglio.
water for her; la verità nuda e -a the naked o plain truth; larealtà nuda e -a the hard facts, the bald o stark reality.
In the Italian-English section of the dictionary the symbol ◆◆ indicates Italian fixed
expressions or set noun phrases that contain the headword. They are listed at the bot-
tom of the entry in alphabetical order based on the second full component (adjective
or noun, without considering the prepositions between them).
1.messa /“messa/ f. 1 RELIG. mass, Mass; andare a ~ to
missile; ~ aria-acqua air-to-water missile; ~ aria-aria air-to air attend mass, to go to mass; ascoltare la ~ to hear Mass missile; ~ aria-terra air-to-ground missile, air-to-surface mis- FORM.; celebrare, dire la ~ to celebrate, say mass; servire (la) sile; ~ balistico ballistic missile; ~ a corto raggio short-range ~ to serve at mass 2 MUS. mass ◆◆ ~ bassa ➝ ~ piana; ~ can-
missile; ~ da crociera cruise missile; ~ intercontinentale tata sung Mass; ~ di mezzanotte midnight mass; ~ nera black intercontinental missile; ~ a lunga gittata long-range missile; mass; ~ piana Low Mass; ~ da requiem requiem mass; ~ ~ a media gittata intermediate range missile, medium-range serale ➝ ~ vespertina; ~ solenne High Mass; ~ di trigesima missile; ~ teleguidato guided missile; ~ termoguidato heat- trental; ~ vespertina evening service.
seeking missile; ~ a testata multipla multi-warhead missile; ~tattico tactical missile; ~ a testata nucleare nuclear missile; ~ missile /“missile/ m. missile; lanciare un ~ to launch o
terra-aria ground-to-air missile, surface-to-air missile; ~ release o shoot a missile ◆◆ ~ antiaereo anticraft missile; ~ terra-terra surface-to-surface missile.
anticarro armour-piercing missile; ~ antimissile antimissile

Source: http://ppbm.langedizioni.com/varie/op/pdf/34_idiomatic_expressions.pdf