What do you call a phrase that's not an idiom yet?





.everyoneloves__top-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__mid-leaderboard:empty,.everyoneloves__bot-mid-leaderboard:empty{ margin-bottom:0;
}







1















I was looking at "get the basics straight", but it doesn't seem to have an entry in any dictionary as an idiom, why is that, and what do you call an idiom that's not an idiom, or a phrase that didn't become an idiom yet, yet has all the appearances of an idiom?










share|improve this question





























    1















    I was looking at "get the basics straight", but it doesn't seem to have an entry in any dictionary as an idiom, why is that, and what do you call an idiom that's not an idiom, or a phrase that didn't become an idiom yet, yet has all the appearances of an idiom?










    share|improve this question

























      1












      1








      1








      I was looking at "get the basics straight", but it doesn't seem to have an entry in any dictionary as an idiom, why is that, and what do you call an idiom that's not an idiom, or a phrase that didn't become an idiom yet, yet has all the appearances of an idiom?










      share|improve this question














      I was looking at "get the basics straight", but it doesn't seem to have an entry in any dictionary as an idiom, why is that, and what do you call an idiom that's not an idiom, or a phrase that didn't become an idiom yet, yet has all the appearances of an idiom?







      word-request






      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question











      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question










      asked 3 hours ago









      frbsfokfrbsfok

      872321




      872321






















          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          4














          "Neologism"




          A neologism describes a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not yet been fully accepted into mainstream language. Neologisms are often driven by changes in culture and technology, and may be directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event.







          share|improve this answer































            1














            In "get the basics straight", I think you are combining two separate expressions: "get [s/th] straight" and "the basics".



            The MacMillan on-line dictionary lists both "get something straight" and "the basics", but just as regular word-entries. Neither is marked as an idiom.



            However, Merriam Webster does list "get [something] straight" explicitly as an idiom.



            I think whether something is an idiom, or just a group of words with a definition, is really a matter of opinion.



            There are also combinations of words (and maybe existing idioms) that are just creative products that individual speakers come up with to express what they want to say. I think "get the basics straight" is one of those.



            Maybe you are right in your suggestion that if they are interesting and useful enough they could catch on and evolve into idioms. At some point I guess they could evolve past that point and just become regular multi-word parts of speech (like "flat tire", "pine cone", or "sit down").



            It looks to me like "the basics" is no-longer an idiom, but just a regular use of the word "basic", and "get something straight" is in transition. It's an idiom in Merriam Webster but just a standard verb phrase in MacMillan.



            As to your question, "what are idioms that aren't yet idioms called?" I don't think we have a standard word for it. Maybe a "proto-idiom."






            share|improve this answer


























              Your Answer








              StackExchange.ready(function() {
              var channelOptions = {
              tags: "".split(" "),
              id: "481"
              };
              initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

              StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
              // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
              if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
              StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
              createEditor();
              });
              }
              else {
              createEditor();
              }
              });

              function createEditor() {
              StackExchange.prepareEditor({
              heartbeatType: 'answer',
              autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
              convertImagesToLinks: false,
              noModals: true,
              showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
              reputationToPostImages: null,
              bindNavPrevention: true,
              postfix: "",
              imageUploader: {
              brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
              contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
              allowUrls: true
              },
              noCode: true, onDemand: true,
              discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
              ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
              });


              }
              });














              draft saved

              draft discarded


















              StackExchange.ready(
              function () {
              StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fell.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f205637%2fwhat-do-you-call-a-phrase-thats-not-an-idiom-yet%23new-answer', 'question_page');
              }
              );

              Post as a guest















              Required, but never shown

























              2 Answers
              2






              active

              oldest

              votes








              2 Answers
              2






              active

              oldest

              votes









              active

              oldest

              votes






              active

              oldest

              votes









              4














              "Neologism"




              A neologism describes a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not yet been fully accepted into mainstream language. Neologisms are often driven by changes in culture and technology, and may be directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event.







              share|improve this answer




























                4














                "Neologism"




                A neologism describes a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not yet been fully accepted into mainstream language. Neologisms are often driven by changes in culture and technology, and may be directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event.







                share|improve this answer


























                  4












                  4








                  4







                  "Neologism"




                  A neologism describes a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not yet been fully accepted into mainstream language. Neologisms are often driven by changes in culture and technology, and may be directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event.







                  share|improve this answer













                  "Neologism"




                  A neologism describes a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not yet been fully accepted into mainstream language. Neologisms are often driven by changes in culture and technology, and may be directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event.








                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 2 hours ago









                  AndrewAndrew

                  71.7k679157




                  71.7k679157

























                      1














                      In "get the basics straight", I think you are combining two separate expressions: "get [s/th] straight" and "the basics".



                      The MacMillan on-line dictionary lists both "get something straight" and "the basics", but just as regular word-entries. Neither is marked as an idiom.



                      However, Merriam Webster does list "get [something] straight" explicitly as an idiom.



                      I think whether something is an idiom, or just a group of words with a definition, is really a matter of opinion.



                      There are also combinations of words (and maybe existing idioms) that are just creative products that individual speakers come up with to express what they want to say. I think "get the basics straight" is one of those.



                      Maybe you are right in your suggestion that if they are interesting and useful enough they could catch on and evolve into idioms. At some point I guess they could evolve past that point and just become regular multi-word parts of speech (like "flat tire", "pine cone", or "sit down").



                      It looks to me like "the basics" is no-longer an idiom, but just a regular use of the word "basic", and "get something straight" is in transition. It's an idiom in Merriam Webster but just a standard verb phrase in MacMillan.



                      As to your question, "what are idioms that aren't yet idioms called?" I don't think we have a standard word for it. Maybe a "proto-idiom."






                      share|improve this answer






























                        1














                        In "get the basics straight", I think you are combining two separate expressions: "get [s/th] straight" and "the basics".



                        The MacMillan on-line dictionary lists both "get something straight" and "the basics", but just as regular word-entries. Neither is marked as an idiom.



                        However, Merriam Webster does list "get [something] straight" explicitly as an idiom.



                        I think whether something is an idiom, or just a group of words with a definition, is really a matter of opinion.



                        There are also combinations of words (and maybe existing idioms) that are just creative products that individual speakers come up with to express what they want to say. I think "get the basics straight" is one of those.



                        Maybe you are right in your suggestion that if they are interesting and useful enough they could catch on and evolve into idioms. At some point I guess they could evolve past that point and just become regular multi-word parts of speech (like "flat tire", "pine cone", or "sit down").



                        It looks to me like "the basics" is no-longer an idiom, but just a regular use of the word "basic", and "get something straight" is in transition. It's an idiom in Merriam Webster but just a standard verb phrase in MacMillan.



                        As to your question, "what are idioms that aren't yet idioms called?" I don't think we have a standard word for it. Maybe a "proto-idiom."






                        share|improve this answer




























                          1












                          1








                          1







                          In "get the basics straight", I think you are combining two separate expressions: "get [s/th] straight" and "the basics".



                          The MacMillan on-line dictionary lists both "get something straight" and "the basics", but just as regular word-entries. Neither is marked as an idiom.



                          However, Merriam Webster does list "get [something] straight" explicitly as an idiom.



                          I think whether something is an idiom, or just a group of words with a definition, is really a matter of opinion.



                          There are also combinations of words (and maybe existing idioms) that are just creative products that individual speakers come up with to express what they want to say. I think "get the basics straight" is one of those.



                          Maybe you are right in your suggestion that if they are interesting and useful enough they could catch on and evolve into idioms. At some point I guess they could evolve past that point and just become regular multi-word parts of speech (like "flat tire", "pine cone", or "sit down").



                          It looks to me like "the basics" is no-longer an idiom, but just a regular use of the word "basic", and "get something straight" is in transition. It's an idiom in Merriam Webster but just a standard verb phrase in MacMillan.



                          As to your question, "what are idioms that aren't yet idioms called?" I don't think we have a standard word for it. Maybe a "proto-idiom."






                          share|improve this answer















                          In "get the basics straight", I think you are combining two separate expressions: "get [s/th] straight" and "the basics".



                          The MacMillan on-line dictionary lists both "get something straight" and "the basics", but just as regular word-entries. Neither is marked as an idiom.



                          However, Merriam Webster does list "get [something] straight" explicitly as an idiom.



                          I think whether something is an idiom, or just a group of words with a definition, is really a matter of opinion.



                          There are also combinations of words (and maybe existing idioms) that are just creative products that individual speakers come up with to express what they want to say. I think "get the basics straight" is one of those.



                          Maybe you are right in your suggestion that if they are interesting and useful enough they could catch on and evolve into idioms. At some point I guess they could evolve past that point and just become regular multi-word parts of speech (like "flat tire", "pine cone", or "sit down").



                          It looks to me like "the basics" is no-longer an idiom, but just a regular use of the word "basic", and "get something straight" is in transition. It's an idiom in Merriam Webster but just a standard verb phrase in MacMillan.



                          As to your question, "what are idioms that aren't yet idioms called?" I don't think we have a standard word for it. Maybe a "proto-idiom."







                          share|improve this answer














                          share|improve this answer



                          share|improve this answer








                          edited 2 hours ago

























                          answered 2 hours ago









                          Lorel C.Lorel C.

                          4,7721510




                          4,7721510






























                              draft saved

                              draft discarded




















































                              Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language Learners Stack Exchange!


                              • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                              But avoid



                              • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                              • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.


                              To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                              draft saved


                              draft discarded














                              StackExchange.ready(
                              function () {
                              StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fell.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f205637%2fwhat-do-you-call-a-phrase-thats-not-an-idiom-yet%23new-answer', 'question_page');
                              }
                              );

                              Post as a guest















                              Required, but never shown





















































                              Required, but never shown














                              Required, but never shown












                              Required, but never shown







                              Required, but never shown

































                              Required, but never shown














                              Required, but never shown












                              Required, but never shown







                              Required, but never shown







                              Popular posts from this blog

                              Liste der Baudenkmale in Friedland (Mecklenburg)

                              Single-Malt-Whisky

                              Czorneboh