What’s the difference between an idiom and a saying?

Are idioms and sayings the same? Apparently not

Within every language there are many interesting variations that appear as a way to give human interaction some color and make speaking less monotonous. Between these many variations are idioms and sayings.

The problem is:

Many people think idioms and saying are the same same but the truth is, they both have different origins and applications.

Let’s look first at the things these two have in common:

– Idioms and sayings are both expressions
– Both are used in formal and informal situations
– Both are aimed to help enrich spoken language

Now let’s take a popular idiom in English as an example:

We’ve already talked about this idiom, so if you want to take a deeper look at its meaning and cultural connection click here. Now, when you use this expression you are trying to express your dislike for something in a friendly way. Ex: Concerts are not my cup of tea.

Interesting: The funny origin of Spanish expression ‘Se le fue la olla’

Therefore, an idiom is a phrase or group of words with a meaning that is not obvious from the individual words (another example: “rain cats and dogs”, meaning “rain heavily”). Even if you know all the words (rain, cat, dog), you will probably not understand “rain cats and dogs” if you don’t know the idiom. “Rain cats and dogs” is not a saying because it does not express a general truth.

We are now gonna use a popular saying in English as an example:

This saying is so true! 😃 BTW, here’s the difference between a #Saying and an #Idiom 👉 https://t.co/9q5hQGgBPZ #languages #polyglot pic.twitter.com/MzPxxG8y8g

— Digital Polyglot (@hellopolyglot) 27 de junio de 2017

This saying means that an unpleasant experience makes us more careful the next time. If you know the words once, bite, twice and shy, you can probably understand what this saying means. “Once bitten, twice shy” is not an idiom because it is understandable from the individual words. A saying is a short expression that expresses a general truth and contains advice or wisdom

To sum up:

1) Idioms are shorter or more creative ways to say something
2) Sayings are expressions that contain advice or wisdom

Now let me ask you, what’s the most common saying in your mother language? Please let us know in the comments below! 😀