Inclusive idioms: How to use language to include everyone, with examples
Idioms are fun, aren't they?
As a language coach, I hear from many learners of English who would love to be able to use idioms such as 'beating around the bush', 'bigger fish to fry', or 'barking up the wrong tree'. Many idioms bring up funny or ridiculous images in your imagination, and for language learners, using idioms effectively can feel like a significant stepping stone on the path towards language mastery.
A common idiom in the English language: When it's raining very heavily, we say it's 'raining cats and dogs'.
The problem with idioms, though, is that their meaning is not always clear and this can lead to confusion amongst learners and less-fluent* speakers of this language.
I'd like to argue that there is a better way to learn and use idioms, whatever your language level. In fact, I believe you can even create closer connection to people around you when you have fun with idioms.
But first, let's get clear about exactly what an idiom is.
What is an idiom?
Idioms are phrases or metaphors that mean more than the individual words put together.
If I say something is a piece of cake, I'm usually not talking about an actual cake (unfortunately): It means that something is very easy to do.
If you're curious about the technical definition, the Oxford Dictionary of English states that an idiom is "a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words." In other words, you can't easily understand the meaning just by thinking about the words alone: The exact combination of words creates an entirely new meaning.
So if I'm 'adding insult to injury', I'm probably not bullying or insulting someone who's injured: I'm acting in a way that makes a bad situation even worse.
Some idioms can be fairly easy to understand the meaning of, such as the expression 'like a fish out of water': When someone's in a completely unsuitable environment or situation.
When you've just been talking about someone and they appear, you might say “Speak of the devil!” (The older version ends the phrase with “…and he shall appear”).
Others can be really obscure, such as when you escape 'by the skin of your teeth', meaning you've managed to escape with a very narrow margin. How did that one come into usage - teeth don't have skin!?
Yet others can be completely paradoxical: 'Break a leg' meaning 'good luck'!
The strange thing about idioms is that we often don't think about the idioms we hear or use a lot ourselves. We take their meaning for granted and might subconsciously assume they're easy to understand. So it can be easy to forget that those who are learning your language can struggle with idioms and their meanings.
Dealing with unfamiliar idioms: Examples of idioms that got lost in translation
The less familiar you are with a language, the higher the chances that there will be expressions and idioms you haven't heard yet. This can feel intimidating and embarrassing, and I believe this fear of being caught off guard with an unknown phrase is one of the biggest obstacles that prevent learners from feeling like themselves when speaking another language.
But the strange irony is that the burden of understanding shouldn't fall solely on the shoulders of the learner: In fact, communication is more successful when there's some collaboration involved.
In other words, if a speaker uses an idiom that the other doesn't understand, it's usually in both parties' best interest to make sure that message is understood. So they then need to work together to reduce the language barrier.
Take a look at this video to see how Swiss tennis champion Roger Federer deals with an unfamiliar idiom with grace and humour - and how the interviewer then adjusts his language to be more inclusive:
Do you see how Federer gracefully refuses to take the blame for this awkward situation - and in true tennis fashion places the ball back in the interviewer's court, so to speak! (He asks the interviewer to make the next move: Making them clarify their question).
I think this raises an important question about language learning in general: Whose responsibility is it to ensure clear communication?
Too often when a miscommunication happens, we place the blame on the less-fluent* speaker. But the fact is that this responsibility falls equally on both parties.
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: Communication is a two-way street.
Both the speaker and the listener - or the writer and the reader, or the signer and the seer (for sign languages) - have a responsibility to work together to understand each other.
The elephant in the room: Learning to use idioms inclusively
(The elephant in the room = a major problem that people are avoiding talking about).
Using more idioms in your speech or writing doesn't have to mean you're excluding other language learners in the process. There is actually a way to use idioms and have fun with them, and still ensure people around you understand what you're saying.
Linguist and researcher Friederike Sell gave me some great examples of how you can make your language more accessible and inclusive for international audiences, by simply paraphrasing what you've said.
In the video earlier, the English interviewer was asking Federer about 'absence making the heart grow fonder'. He had to learn that this phrasing was unfamiliar to Federer, and change the way he phrased it to communicate more clearly.
Don’t judge a book by its cover: Things are not always as they appear to be.
Instead of finding yourself in an embarrassing situation, such as having the great tennis legend Roger Federer looking at you and kind of laughing, confused, what you can do is anticipate that an idiom is not going to be understood by everyone.
Let me give you an example. If you use an idiom like 'don't judge a book by its cover', how would you phrase this to make it accessible? Let's play this one out:
You: I'm going to meet Stacy's mum tomorrow.
Me: Ooh, that's a big step! Are you nervous?
You: Well, I've seen photos of her and she looks super intimidating. So yeah, I'm a bit nervous.
Me: Oh, don't judge a book by its cover - she might look intimidating in photos but she could be really nice. I'm sure she'll love you.
In this example, I've used the idiom, but then I've added a quick explanation (emphasised in bold) of what the idiom means within the context of our conversation. Notice that I'm not robotically reciting some definition of what the idiom means; I'm simply giving context to the idiom.
After all, this is how you learnt your first language(s) as a baby: Sounds, words and phrases in context.
You 'throw caution to the wind' when you do something deliberately risky or reckless.
Don't let idioms do your head in: Idioms are fun!
(...do someone's head in = make someone feel annoyed, confused, or frustrated)
My main point with this article is that idioms are not by definition exclusive: Your ability to communicate successfully does not depend on whether you speak with or without idioms.
There are simple things we - language learners and 'expert' speakers alike - can do to improve comprehensible, inclusive and clear communication.
I hope you found this article helpful in understanding how to use idioms inclusively in your speech and writing. By paraphrasing what you've said, and using familiar language, you can make sure that everyone around you understands what you're trying to say. Idioms are a great way to add flavour to your language, so have fun with them.
* I try to avoid using the words 'native' and 'non-native' when talking about languages, because this can exclude some people: Many people learn certain languages to a 'native-like' level, and this is what I would call 'fluent'. Others are ‘less-fluent’ or simply ‘learners’.