Which term describes a figure of speech whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal words alone?

Which term describes a figure of speech whose meaning cannot be understood from the literal words alone?

• A. Idioms
• B. Context clues
• C. Glossary
• D. Appendix

Answer: (A)

Idioms are phrases whose meaning isn’t tied to the literal words themselves. You have to know the usual, figurative sense of the expression. For example, “spill the beans” doesn’t mean to spill actual beans; it means to reveal a secret. This kind of phrase relies on common usage and culture, not on the literal meaning of each word. Context clues are hints within surrounding text used to infer word meanings, a glossary is a list of terms with definitions, and an appendix is extra material at the end of a book. None of those describe a figure of speech whose meaning isn’t literal.

Idioms are phrases whose meaning isn’t tied to the literal words themselves. You have to know the usual, figurative sense of the expression. For example, “spill the beans” doesn’t mean to spill actual beans; it means to reveal a secret. This kind of phrase relies on common usage and culture, not on the literal meaning of each word.

Context clues are hints within surrounding text used to infer word meanings, a glossary is a list of terms with definitions, and an appendix is extra material at the end of a book. None of those describe a figure of speech whose meaning isn’t literal.