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



Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara
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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?










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    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






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      asked 3 hours ago









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          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


























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              "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.

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