Pure Idioms Categories of Idioms
36 without stopping. Cameron was not sure that the success of About The Fit would
continue. Meanwhile, the idiom
stay up
means to go to bed later than usual. Matt told Jules that he wanted to continue to be in an awake condition and accompany
Jules, but he could not resist not to sleep. The preposition
up
was used because it indicates something is happening.
In other words, the preposition
up
implies continuity. The idioms
keep up
and
stay up
show an idea of maintaining or continuing the current situation. Therefore, these idioms are included in metaphor.
c Metonymy
There are four semi-idioms in the subtitles which are included as metonymy. Yule 2010 suggests metonymy replaces an object with another
object which has a close connection. The connection can be a container –contents
relation, a whole –part relation, and or a representative–symbol relationship.
Excerpt [7]
One of the examples of semi-idioms in the subtitles is
save your ass. Save
still maintains its literal meaning which is to keep somebody‟s safe whereas
ass
loses the literal meaning.
Ass
is a part of the human body. The meaning of the idiom is not to keep somebody‟s ass safely
. Ass
is a small part which refers to the
Excerpt from 01:04:31,202 01:04:38,876
Ben : You know, I feel like everybodys uncle around here.
Davis : Yeah, why is that? Ben
: Because Im gonna save your ass, and Im gonna put you up for a few weeks.
B20
37 whole part of the body.
Ass
refers to a person, not only his or her ass. Therefore, the idiom s
ave your ass
means to help someone. The type of this semi-idiom is called metonymy as it uses a part to refer the whole.
In the movie, Davis, one of the workers in the About the Fit, told Ben that he had moved in to his cousin‟s house in Philadelphia. However, it took much
time from his cousin‟s house to the company. Therefore, Ben offered him a help. Davis could live in Ben
‟s house for a while.
d Hyperbole
Wales 2011 suggests hyperbole means exagerration or overstatement. It is used to show strong emphasis on something by making it sounds more than
what it actually is. There are three semi-idioms which are identified as hyperbole.
Excerpt [8]
One of semi-idioms in the subtitles is
my blood pressure was through the roof.
The phrase
my blood pressure
still maintains its literal meaning whereas
the roof
has lost its literal meaning.
The roof
does not mean the structure that covers the top of a building or vehicle. It shows that something is high. In this context,
the roof
implies to be beyond the normal state or condition. Therefore, the meaning of
my blood pressure was through the roof
is not to show that my blood pressure goes to the top of a building or vehicle
,
but to show that someone is under pressure because of doing something that pumps adrenaline. Ben said this
Excerpt from 01:14:50,722 01:14:52,555
Ben : Im sure my blood pressure was through the roof. But
it was worth it. Good times